Koby Rickertsen, ALC

Ironhorse Named One of America's Best Brokerages by The Land Report Ironhorse Land Company has been named one of America's Best Brokerages by The Land Report in its Spring 2026 issue. Eight months in. Twelve states. Listed alongside firms that have been brokering land for decades. There is a kind of country in this part of Nebraska where the corn gives way to grass and the grass gives way to sky. Combines parked at the edge of fields. Pickup trucks idling at gravel intersections. The occasional rider moving cattle from one pasture to the next. This is the country Ironhorse Land Company was built to serve. Not from a corner office in a city, but from inside the work itself. On September 1, 2025, Koby Rickertsen, ALC and Brian Reynolds opened the doors of a new brokerage in Gothenburg, Nebraska. Between them, decades of selling farm, ranch, and recreational land across the Plains. Both of them tired of watching land transactions handled by people who had never walked the property they were listing. A third founder, Brittany Hurdle Murphy, came on to build the brand, the marketing, and the operational backbone the company would need to grow. Three founders. One company. A lot of phone calls. Inside the First Eight Months The first eight months looked like the work always looks. The seller in western Kansas still needs an honest answer about her quarter section. A buyer in Wyoming still needs to understand the access. An agent in Iowa still needs to make the next call. Plat maps and soil maps. Then title work. Drone flights at golden hour. Walking fence lines in boots that needed replacing two listings ago. Land does not sell itself. Because good land, sold well, requires a broker who has stood on it. Who knows where the creek runs in a wet year and where it does not. Someone who can tell you whether the neighbor's lease is honored or only documented. A broker who will say plainly, this property is wrong for what you want, before you spend money finding out the hard way. That is the standard Ironhorse was built around. It is not a marketing line. It is the hiring standard, the listing standard, and the closing standard. Eight months in, Ironhorse is licensed in twelve states. Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Agents are based in the markets they serve, because the broker who works your county should know your county. Koby continues to host the American Land Seller Podcast, putting him in conversation with landowners, attorneys, conservationists, and brokers from across the country. The work has compounded faster than anyone in Gothenburg had a right to expect. On the Page: Ironhorse Land Company in The Land Report This spring, The Land Report published its annual America's Best Brokerages list in the Spring 2026 issue. Ironhorse is on it. Listed alongside firms that have been brokering land for thirty, forty, fifty years. The same magazine that landowners across the country have read for two decades. The magazine of record for American landowners. We are not going to act like we expected this. We are going to act like we intend to deserve it. The recognition does not change the work. The seller in western Kansas still needs an honest answer about her quarter section. The buyer in Wyoming still needs to understand the access. The agent in South Dakota still needs to make the next call. Tomorrow morning, somebody at Ironhorse will be walking a property they have an appointment to walk, watching the sun come up over a piece of ground that matters to somebody. The recognition just means more people are watching now. That is fine with us. What The Land Report America's Best Brokerages Recognition Means for Ironhorse Land Company We owe this to a lot of people. The sellers who trusted us with ground their grandfathers bought, and asked us to find the right next chapter for it. The buyers who picked up the phone when we called, walked the property alongside us, and closed on land they will pass to their own kids someday. The agents who bet on a brokerage nobody had heard of yet. The vendors, partners, and friends of the firm who helped us build something out of an idea and a Nebraska zip code. You took a chance on a name nobody had heard of yet. We plan to keep proving that was the right call. To The Land Report, thank you for seeing us. We do not take it lightly. And we are not finished. We are barely past the beginning. But one of America's Best Brokerages in the first year? This is a hell of a start.

What every landowner and neighbor should understand before the next fence goes up. I spent most of Sunday with my father on his pasture ground in Dawson County, walking fence lines and assessing what the wildfires left behind. The country out there is open and rolling, the kind of grass that has carried cattle for generations. After the fire it looked like a different place. Black ground stretching across the bottoms. Burned cedar skeletons on the hillsides. Burnt wire and charred posts laying where good fence used to stand. Like so many places across Nebraska right now, most of his fences are gone. But here is the part that is crazy. The grass is already starting to come back. Bright green needles pushing up through the char, working their way out of ground that was on fire two weeks ago. Nebraska pasture is tougher than most people give it credit for. With a little rain the land will recover. The question is what we put back on top of it, and how. Standing out there, the conversation turned where it always does after a fire. What gets rebuilt. What it costs. Who pays for what. And how the neighbors fit into all of it. That is where Nebraska fence law and the USDA Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) come into the picture. The Core Rule: 50/50 Responsibility Neighboring landowners share responsibility for boundary fences. Nebraska law calls them “division fences,” and Nebraska Revised Statute 34‑102 says adjoining landowners must each maintain a “just proportion” of that fence. In practice that usually means: Build cost is split. Maintenance is split. “Just proportion” almost always lands on half and half between typical neighbors, unless the two of you agree to something different and make that clear. If Only One Neighbor Wants A Fence This is the part that surprises people. One neighbor can want a fence, build a lawful division fence, and the other neighbor can still be required to pay half. Even if they do not run cattle. Even if they do not want a fence at all. That matters a lot in row‑crop versus pasture situations. The operator with cows almost always wants a good fence. The row‑crop neighbor often sees it as the cattleman’s problem. Nebraska fence law still says the row‑crop neighbor owes their share on a lawful division fence on the boundary line, if the process is followed. If Neither Neighbor Wants A Fence If neither neighbor wants a fence, Nebraska law does not force one on you. If both neighbors agree not to have a division fence along that boundary, no fence is required. Simple as that. The key is that you truly have an agreement, not just assumptions. When in doubt, get that understanding in writing, even if it is just an email. How Responsibility Gets Split In The Field The statutes talk about “just proportion,” but they do not tell you exactly how to divide the line. In the field, most folks fall back on a long‑standing custom, often called the right‑hand rule: Field Rule Stand in the middle of the fence line facing your neighbor. You maintain the portion to your right. That is not law. It is just how most operations get it done. If the terrain is uneven or there are big water gaps, neighbors will often adjust that split so the overall burden is still fair. If you and your neighbor agree to a different division, put it in writing and move on. What matters is that both of you know which stretches you are responsible for. Fence Standards When Cost Is Shared If you expect your neighbor to pay their half under Nebraska fence law, the fence needs to qualify as a proper division fence, not a flimsy line of T‑posts. In practice that usually looks like: Four or more strands of wire. Posts about one rod apart (around 16.5 feet) under normal conditions. A workable height, often around 4 to 4.5 feet for cattle. Those numbers are “typical,” not magic. The real test is whether the fence meets the legal definition and is reasonable for livestock in your area. If you are paying 100 percent out of your own pocket for a fence that you are not treating as a division fence, you have more freedom on design. But if you want your neighbor’s money, you need to build something that meets legal and practical standards, not just the cheapest possible line you can get in the ground. What To Do If The Neighbor Will Not Cooperate You cannot just build a fence, mail a bill, and expect the law to automatically back you up. There is a process, and if you skip it, you weaken your position. Basic steps: Serve written notice. In that notice, ask them to either: Build or repair their portion of the division fence, or Pay their share of the costs. If they ignore proper written notice and refuse to act, you can move forward with the work and then pursue reimbursement in court under the division fence statutes. It is not fun, and it is not cheap, but that is the legal path. Skipping notice, then demanding payment later, is how good cases get thrown out. Access To Your Neighbor’s Land In the real world, you often have to be on both sides of the fence to build or fix it. Nebraska law recognizes that a landowner responsible for a division fence may have a limited right to enter the neighbor’s property to construct or maintain that fence, within reason. That does not mean you have a blank check. Practical ground rules: Enter only as needed to build or repair the fence. Avoid unnecessary damage. Do not remove trees, structures, or improvements without permission. If trees or an old structure really need to come out to do the job right, have the conversation first. A simple “Here is what I’m thinking, are you good with that?” on the tailgate saves a lot of conflict. Trees, Brush, And General Upkeep Each landowner is responsible for keeping their portion of the division fence in workable condition. If trees, brush, or volunteer growth on your side push into the fence and beat it up, that can become a nuisance issue and create tension with your neighbor. Staying on top of your side extends fence life and keeps relationships intact. Good operators: Keep their side reasonably clear. Give advance notice before heavy clearing. Work together on water gaps and problem stretches. The One Thing Most People Miss Here is where deals really go sideways. Important A fence is not always the legal boundary. The legal line is set by your legal description and survey, not by where the old fence happens to sit. The legal boundary is set by the legal description and survey, not by the nearest post. But if a fence sits in the wrong place long enough, and both neighbors treat that fence as the line, you can get into boundary issues like adverse possession or boundary by acquiescence. In Nebraska, people often talk about a 10‑year period for these kinds of claims, with the exact outcome depending on the facts and the court. The risk is that you can effectively give up or gain a strip of land without ever signing a deed, just by how you treat the fence. Common story: Buyer orders a survey on a new purchase. The survey shows the fence 20–30 feet off the true line. Now nobody agrees who actually owns the strip between the fence and the surveyed line. If there is any question about where the true boundary is, get a survey. Do not assume the fence is right just because it has always been there. Nebraska Fence Law, Wildfire Damage, And The USDA Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) Wildfires in Nebraska have put fence law and disaster programs on a collision course. Most operators are dealing with two sets of rules at the same time: Nebraska fence law and the 50/50 division fence responsibility. The USDA Farm Service Agency’s Emergency Conservation Program (ECP). ECP is a federal disaster cost‑share program. It helps farmers and ranchers repair or restore agricultural land and related structures damaged by natural disasters, including fences burned in a wildfire. Covered practices include debris removal, grading and shaping eroded land, and replacing permanent livestock and boundary fences. What ECP Typically Pays On Fence For approved fence replacement or restoration after a wildfire, ECP can: Pay up to 75 percent of the allowable cost for most producers. Pay up to 90 percent of the allowable cost for qualifying limited‑resource, socially disadvantaged, or beginning farmers and ranchers. Require that the fence be rebuilt to at least NRCS minimum standards and that it function similarly to the pre‑disaster fence. “Allowable cost” is key. ECP uses standard cost lists and caps. If you build a fence that is much more expensive than the standard, ECP will not match every dollar. ECP is cost‑share, not full reimbursement. It is meant to help you get back to a functioning operation, not fund a major upgrade. Applications, inspections, and approvals all matter. You generally need to report damage and request assistance before you do the bulk of the work. Where ECP And Nebraska Fence Law Meet This is the ground where neighbor disputes either get handled well or blow up. ECP money is paid to the approved applicant, usually one landowner. Nebraska fence law still expects neighboring landowners to share “just proportion” responsibility on lawful division fences. ECP does not erase the neighbor’s statutory obligation. It just lowers the total cost that both of you are dealing with. A common scenario: One operator reports wildfire damage to FSA and applies for ECP. FSA and NRCS inspect and approve fence replacement as an eligible practice. The operator rebuilds the division fence to NRCS standards. ECP pays, for example, 75 percent of the allowable cost to that operator. There is still roughly 25 percent of the cost uncovered. Under Nebraska fence law, that remaining 25 percent is still subject to 50/50 responsibility between neighbors, assuming the fence is a lawful division fence on the boundary line and the notice and process requirements have been followed. In simple terms: ECP knocks down the total bill for the line. The neighbor still likely owes their share of what is left, even though the government check only has one name on it. If you ignore that piece, you end up with one neighbor feeling like they did all the work and took all the risk, and the other neighbor feeling ambushed by a bill they never saw coming. Key ECP Rules Landowners Tend To Miss If you want to stay out of trouble, a few points matter: Report damage and talk to FSA before doing major fence work if you want ECP involved. Rebuild to standards that qualify, not whatever is cheapest in the moment. Understand that payment limits and timelines apply. Remember that ECP does not sort out who owes what between neighbors. Nebraska fence law and your agreements do. From a practical standpoint, after a wildfire the best sequence is often: Call your local USDA Service Center and report damage. Call your neighbor and walk the line together. Talk through how ECP will work, what will actually be built, and how the remaining share will be split under Nebraska fence law. Put those understandings in writing. That one sequence alone prevents more long‑term fence and neighbor issues than anything else you can do. Nebraska Fence Law Quick Guide Here is the short version. Print it, save it, hand it to a neighbor if you need to. Fence cost between adjoining properties is typically 50/50 for lawful division fences, unless both neighbors clearly agree to something different. One neighbor can require construction of a lawful division fence and require the other neighbor to share costs, even if the other neighbor does not want a fence. No fence is required if both neighbors agree not to have one along that boundary. Written notice is required before you realistically force a neighbor to build or pay through the legal process. You may enter a neighbor’s land, within reason, to build or repair a lawful division fence, but you must avoid unnecessary damage and get permission before removing trees or improvements. The existing fence line is not always the legal boundary. Long‑term use of a misplaced fence as the line can create boundary issues. After wildfire or other disasters, programs like ECP can pay a large share of fence replacement costs, but neighbor cost‑sharing obligations under Nebraska law still apply to what is left. Get everything important in writing if you possibly can. My Take, From The Field Most of the time this is not really about the statute book. It is about three simple things: Communicating early. Setting clear expectations before anyone starts building. Getting something in writing. Once a fence is burned and emotions are running hot, these conversations escalate fast. The operators who handle it well walk the line together, agree on materials and layout, understand what ECP will and will not cover, and lock in the cost split up front. The ones who do not handle it well end up in court, or not speaking for 20 years. Neither one is worth it. If you are looking at a land sale where the fence does not match the survey, a post‑fire rebuild, or a boundary you are not sure about, get in front of it. Talk to your neighbor. Talk to your attorney. And if you want a land perspective from people who live in this world every day, we are glad to help you think it through. Questions About A Land Deal Or A Fence Line? If you are working through a property line issue, a post‑fire rebuild, or a land sale where the fence does not match the survey, Ironhorse Land Company works with landowners across Nebraska and the region on farm, ranch, recreational, and development real estate. Call, send a message, or stop by. It is almost always cheaper and easier to sort this out early than to fight about it later. Disclaimer: This post is educational and reflects general practice in Nebraska. It is not legal advice. For specific situations, consult an attorney familiar with Nebraska real estate and property law. References & Resources Nebraska Legislature – Chapter 34: Fences, Boundaries, and Landmarks General fence and boundary statutes, including Nebraska’s division fence provisions. https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/browse-chapters.php?chapter=34 Nebraska Revised Statute 34‑102 – Division fence; adjoining landowners; construct and maintain just proportion of fence Core 50/50 “just proportion” rule between adjoining landowners. https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=34-102 Division Fence Statutes (Nebraska Government Publications – Summary Booklet, PDF) Plain‑language summary of Nebraska division fence law, notice requirements, and procedure. http://govdocs.nebraska.gov/epubs/A5000/Q010-2017.pdf UNL CropWatch – Resolving Division Fence Disputes in Nebraska (Q&A) Practical explanation of 50/50 cost share, customs like the right‑hand rule, and how disputes are handled. https://cropwatch.unl.edu/resolving-division-fence-disputes-nebraska-qa/ USDA Farm Service Agency – Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) Official overview of ECP, eligible practices (including fence), and cost‑share percentages. https://www.fsa.usda.gov/resources/disaster-recovery/emergency-conservation-program-ecp Nebraska FSA – Emergency Conservation Program for Wildfires (Fact Sheet, PDF) Nebraska‑specific wildfire ECP guidance, including fence replacement details and examples. https://www.fsa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/NE_FSA_ECP_Wildfire_Fact_Sheet_3_24.pdf

Most landowners spend more time researching a truck purchase than vetting the agent hired to sell family land passed down for generations. I have seen it happen repeatedly. A seller calls, ready to list, and the first question is almost never about credentials. It is about price. That is understandable, but it is also where many land transactions start going wrong long before closing. Yet the agent you choose and whether they hold the ALC designation is the single decision that shapes everything that follows. Why Land Is Not the Same as Residential Real Estate A general real estate license prepares an agent to sell houses. It does not prepare them to evaluate a working farm, negotiate a ranch transaction, or advise on the highest and best use of agricultural ground that has produced income for decades. When selling agricultural land, complexity multiplies quickly. Key factors include: Water rights. In many western states, these can be bought and sold separately from the land. Understanding prior appropriation doctrine, water adjudication, surface versus groundwater rights, and how they impact value is essential. Soil classification. The USDA Web Soil Survey reveals what a property can produce and directly influences valuation and marketing. Many general agents never use this powerful tool. Agricultural income analysis. Leased crop or grazing income becomes part of the assets value. Properly evaluating and presenting it requires specialized knowledge. Additional layers such as mineral rights, conservation easements, timber value, and transitional land considerations. Each element demands expertise far beyond a standard licensing course. What a Properly Trained Land Agent Brings to the Table The difference between an agent with land specific education and one without shows up in pricing, marketing, and negotiation outcomes. A trained land agent can walk the property with you and discuss its true potential. They read soil surveys, analyze income history, explain production capabilities, and understand market forces like commodity prices, interest rates, investor demand, and conservation policies. They also market agricultural properties effectively. The buyer pool is smaller, due diligence takes longer, and the strategy must balance productive value with lifestyle appeal. This requires a specialized skill set and network that general agents rarely possess. Hiring someone who has invested in these skills means you are not just getting a sign on the fence. You are protecting the full value of what your family has built. What It Really Takes to Earn the ALC Designation The Accredited Land Consultant ALC designation is the most recognized credential in land real estate, backed by the REALTORS Land Institute. Earning it is rigorous and demonstrates serious commitment to the specialty. Requirements include: Completion of specific LANDU courses including core courses and specialty courses such as Agricultural Land Brokerage and Marketing. A proven track record of closed land transactions with significant volume in agricultural or other land types. Meeting national standards of education, experience, and professional integrity. The ALC designation is not awarded lightly. It serves as a clear filter for landowners. The agent in front of you has completed advanced training and demonstrated real world performance in land transactions. Why the ALC Designation Matters When Your Land Is on the Line I have been licensed across 12 states and actively worked land deals in six of them. Agricultural ground, ranches, recreational properties, and transitional acreage. The foundation is always the same. You must understand what you are selling before you can represent it well. I have also seen the costly mistakes that occur when that foundation is missing. Listings that sit because pricing ignored income potential. Deals that collapse over unnoticed water rights issues. Sellers who left money on the table because the agricultural value was not properly presented. None of these are the landowners fault. They trusted the agent. Being worthy of that trust requires specialized education, experience, and daily application of land specific knowledge. That is why I take the ALC coursework seriously. The material I teach is the same I use in the field every day. Agricultural Land Brokerage and Marketing Course Buffalo, Wyoming This April, I am leading one of the key specialty courses in the ALC curriculum. Agricultural Land Brokerage and Marketing. Hosted by the RLI Wyoming Chapter, the course runs April 22 and 23, 2026 at the Bomber Mountain Civic Center in Buffalo, Wyoming. It focuses on practical skills including: Analyzing income potential of agricultural ground. Identifying highest and best use using soil data. Marketing strategies that reach the right buyers. Understanding current market forces affecting land values. The course has been updated with relevant provisions from the 2018 Farm Bill. Attendees receive hands on tools such as a USDA Web Soil Survey demonstration, property presentation templates, and practical takeaways they can use immediately. This course counts toward the ALC designation and offers 16 CE hours for Wyoming licensees. It is open to any agent wanting to build real competency in agricultural land brokerage. Course Details and Registration Location: Bomber Mountain Civic Center, Room 103, 63 North Burritt Avenue, Buffalo, Wyoming. Hotel: Hampton Inn by Hilton at 85 US Highway 16 East offers a group rate of 118 dollars per night including hot breakfast. Call 307 684 8899 and mention group code RLI. Book by April 8, 2026 for the special rate. Pricing: Active ALCs: 250 dollars. RLI members not yet ALC: 325 dollars. Non members: 400 dollars. Registration link: rebrand.ly/Buffalo WY For questions, contact Venus Escallier at rliwyomingchapter@gmail.com. If you have been considering strengthening your skills in agricultural land transactions, now is the time to secure your seat. Whether you are working toward the ALC designation or simply want to serve your clients better, this course delivers immediately usable expertise.