One of the major carbon capture pipeline companies operating in Iowa approached my parents in late 2021 regarding easements for their project on our family farm.
My parents still live on the farm and primarily raise corn and soybeans.
They are nearing retirement age, and they were overwhelmed by the complexity of the information put in front of them.
Fortunately, they had been in the process of placing the family farm in a trust in order to preserve their legacy and our family’s farming heritage. By the time the easement discussions advanced to an offer and action point, the farm was in a trust. That left the negotiations of the easement agreement up to me to figure out on behalf of the family. I searched numerous places for legal representation that specialize in the field of pipeline easements, but I found little help. Most of the attorneys in the state that are familiar with this area of law either work for a pipeline company or a government agency, leaving landowners with little option but to fend for themselves against multi-billion dollar corporations.
I grew up on the family farm, and I still raise my cow calf herd there.
I have a job in town, like many farmers and ranchers today, and I’ve spent over 20 years in the Army Reserves. While I’m not an attorney, I have a strong background in regulatory, legal and policy research, so I utilized my skills and learned the necessary information for myself. I have been the representative for the family farm ever since.
I am familiar with many of the laws, regulations, legal filings, easement agreements, and negotiated terms that landowners may encounter in the process of working with a pipeline company. For those with which I am unfamiliar, I know where to look to find the right information. In fact, in my meetings with the pipeline company, they regularly referred to my skill set and told me that I should come work for them. After hearing this multiple times, I realized that I could be of benefit to those in a similar situation as my family.
