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Opportunities on the Land
Land. Legacy. Opportunity.
Sell the Business. Keep the Land.
Continue the Legacy.
A transition model for ranchers, farmers, and rural landowners across the Plains and West who want to step back — without letting go.
Schedule a Discovery Call
The Landowner Dilemma
For generations, landowners across the American West have faced an impossible choice when it's time to transition. The conventional wisdom offers only two paths forward, neither of which honors the complexity of what you've built or the legacy you want to protect.
You can sell everything — the business, the land, the way of life — and walk away with capital but no roots. Or you can keep working indefinitely, holding onto it all while the burden grows heavier with each passing season.
But what if there was a third way? A path that respects your years of stewardship while creating sustainable income and ensuring the land stays in capable hands for generations to come.
The Traditional Options
  • Sell the business AND the land — losing your legacy and connection to the place that shaped your family
  • Keep everything and keep working — bearing the full operational burden without relief or succession clarity
The Third Path
Sell the business. Keep the land. Earn long-term income. Continue your legacy.
This is the foundation of a land-owned future — one where your stewardship continues, your income flows, and your land remains intact.
What Is Opportunities on the Land™?
Opportunities on the Land™ represents a breakthrough transition model that fundamentally reimagines how rural landowners can step back from daily operations while maintaining ownership, income, and stewardship of their most precious asset — the land itself.
This innovative approach separates the value of your operating business from the enduring value of your land. By doing so, it unlocks options that preserve generational wealth while providing immediate liquidity and long-term passive income streams.
Cash from Business Sale
Receive fair market value for your operational assets, equipment, and goodwill — immediate capital for retirement, reinvestment, or family needs.
Recurring Lease Income
Generate predictable annual revenue through professionally structured land leases that provide financial security without operational burden.
Generational Land Retention
Keep your land in family ownership, preserving the legacy and ensuring future generations maintain their connection to the place that shaped them.
Qualified Operator Partnership
Work with vetted operators who share your values and bring energy, expertise, and commitment to stewardship excellence.
Long-Term Stewardship
Ensure the land remains productive, healthy, and managed according to principles that honor both economic vitality and ecological integrity.
The Five-Phase OOTL System
Our comprehensive transition process guides you from initial vision through successful implementation and ongoing stewardship. Each phase builds on the last, creating a clear pathway from where you are today to where you want to be tomorrow.
01
Legacy Compass™
We begin by clarifying what matters most. Through structured conversations, we help you articulate your values, align family expectations, and define your long-term vision for the land. This foundational work ensures every subsequent decision honors what you've built and what you want to protect.
02
Opportunity Profile
Next, we build comprehensive financial models tailored to your specific situation. We assess current land value, explore lease options, calculate potential revenue shares, evaluate business readiness, and map future land use scenarios. This phase transforms abstract possibilities into concrete numbers you can evaluate and compare.
03
Business Sale Coordination
When you're ready to move forward, we connect you with licensed brokers who specialize in agricultural operations. We coordinate the process while you maintain full control over timeline, terms, and final decisions. Our role is to ensure the sale maximizes value while protecting your interests.
04
Deal Execution
This phase brings everything together. We structure lease agreements, facilitate operator onboarding, secure necessary land-use approvals, and ensure all legal and financial components align with your goals. Every detail is managed with precision and care.
05
Stewardship & Oversight
The relationship doesn't end at closing. We conduct annual reviews to monitor land health, evaluate operator performance, and ensure the arrangement continues serving your interests. This ongoing partnership provides peace of mind and protects your legacy for the long term.
Real Transition in Action
From Daily Operations to Strategic Ownership
The transition from full-time operator to strategic landowner represents more than a business change — it's a fundamental shift in how you engage with your legacy.
Many landowners worry that stepping back means losing connection or control. In reality, the OOTL model strengthens your position by removing operational stress while maintaining ownership authority.
You remain the decision-maker on major land use questions. You preserve the right to walk your property, hunt your sections, and share the land with family. The difference is that someone else handles the dawn-to-dusk responsibilities while you enjoy the benefits of ownership without the burden of operation.
Financial Models That Fit Your Vision
Every ranch and farm operation is unique, which is why we offer multiple financial structures designed to match your specific goals, risk tolerance, and legacy vision. There's no one-size-fits-all solution — instead, we work with you to identify the model that best serves your family's needs.
1
Business Asset Sale + Long-Term Lease
The Foundation Model: Sell your operational business for fair market value, then lease the land back to a qualified operator under a long-term agreement. This provides immediate capital from the sale plus predictable annual lease income.
Best for: Landowners seeking maximum simplicity, steady passive income, and minimal ongoing involvement in operations.
2
Lease + Revenue Share
The Growth Model: Structure a base lease payment combined with a percentage of operational revenue. This approach works particularly well for agritourism, recreation enterprises, guest lodging, or direct-to-consumer operations where upside potential is significant.
Best for: Landowners who want to participate in business growth while maintaining lower operational risk than full ownership.
3
Joint Venture / Profit Split
The Partnership Model: The landowner contributes the land as equity while the operator brings working capital, equipment, and operational expertise. Profits are split according to a pre-determined formula that reflects each party's contribution.
Best for: Landowners who want deeper engagement in business success and are comfortable with more involvement in strategic decisions.
The Numbers Behind the Model
Understanding the financial mechanics helps you evaluate whether this transition model aligns with your goals. While every situation is different, examining a representative scenario illustrates how the economics work in practice.
Traditional Full Sale
Selling both business and land provides maximum immediate capital but eliminates future income potential and severs the family's connection to the land. The $2.5M is taxable and must be managed to generate ongoing income.
OOTL Model
Business sale provides immediate capital ($850K) while retaining the appreciating land asset. Annual lease income ($75K) creates a perpetual revenue stream. After 10 years, you've received $1.6M total while still owning land worth $2.5M+ and continuing to generate income.
About Sonja Howle
Deep Roots in the Plains and West
Sonja Howle didn't learn about rural land from textbooks or training programs. She learned it the way most landowners do — by living it. Raised on farm and ranch, her family has worked for five generations in Kansas, she understands the weight of legacy, the complexity of succession, and the deep emotional connection between a family and their land.
Working through her own family's land transition, combined with professional expertise in values-driven consulting, real estate, and business transitions creates a unique approach that honors both the practical and the personal dimensions of land ownership.
Sonja's practice blends land strategy, business transition planning, family legacy systems design, and the kind of Western integrity that still means something. She operates with fiduciary care, treating your legacy with the same respect she'd give her own family's land.
"I've walked in your boots. I understand what it means to be the steward of something bigger than yourself, to carry forward what generations before built, and to worry about what comes next. This work isn't just professional — it's personal."
Why Landowners Choose OOTL
Family Alignment
Create clear succession paths that honor different family members' goals while keeping the land intact and productive.
Conservation Values
Ensure your stewardship principles continue through operator agreements that prioritize land health alongside productivity.
Operational Relief
Step away from daily management responsibilities while maintaining strategic oversight and connection to the land you love.
Financial Security
Generate predictable income streams without the volatility and physical demands of active operation as you age.
The Opportunities on the Land™ model isn't right for everyone. It's designed for landowners who want to transition thoughtfully, who value legacy over quick exits, and who believe the land deserves stewards who will honor what took generations to build.
If that describes you, let's talk about what's possible.
Your Land May be Your Legacy
Or, it may be the lift to a new chapter.
The decision you're facing isn't easy. Decades of work, generations of memory, and years of future possibility all rest on the choices you make today about your land and your legacy.
You don't have to choose between selling everything or working forever. There's a third path — one that honors your stewardship, protects your family's connection to the land, provides financial security, and ensures the next chapter is written by capable hands.
The first step is simple: a conversation. No obligation, no pressure — just an honest discussion about where you are, where you want to be, and whether the Opportunities on the Land™ model might help you get there.

What to Expect on Your Discovery Call
  • A confidential 45-minute conversation about your situation, goals, and concerns
  • Initial assessment of whether OOTL fits your circumstances
  • Overview of potential financial models and next steps
  • Answers to your questions about the process, timeline, and outcomes