‘Return on Life Mindset’ Helps Family Farm Heirs Make the Right Decision for Their Family on Selling or Keeping

Johnny Klemme

American Family Farmland: A Landowner’s Guide to Inheriting the Farm

Johnny Klemme’s book American Family Farmland: A Landowner’s Guide to Inheriting the Farm explains revolutionary LAND VALUES Framework

LAFAYETTE, IN, UNITED STATES, September 25, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Country singer Willie Nelson, one of the founders of Farm Aid, has famously said that his 40 years of work to save family farms has been about “making sure that there is a safe and healthy food supply for all of us. It’s about jobs, from Main Street to Wall Street. It’s about a better
America.”

Few people know those high stakes, and the responsibility families feel when taking them on, than author, advisor, broker and filmmaker Johnny Klemme. He understands from experience that a farm is more than a piece of real estate, and he’s made it his life’s mission to help those who have inherited family farms navigate several thorny questions: Should they keep it? Can they? What if they sell? What does it all mean for their family’s legacy?

“A farm is more than a piece of real estate. And when you inherit one, it’s more than just continuing the legacy,” Klemme says. “Inheriting farmland is more than an asset transfer — it’s a moment that can shape a family’s future for generations.”

Research finds that up to 70 percent of farmland in the U.S. will change hands in the next 20 years and that the average age of those who own farmland is over 60. That’s why families need informed advice to help them navigate the emotional and financial journey of inheriting farmland.

Key to Klemme’s counsel to those families is his LAND VALUES framework, which he describes as “a different lens” through which to look at the myriad decisions one must make to navigate operating, or selling, a family farm.

Using what he calls the Return on Life Mindset, he helps his clients:

• Navigate complex family conversations and align expectations.
• Balance profitability and stewardship for lasting financial health.
• Create meaningful outcomes, whether farming or forging a new legacy.
• Honor their family’s legacy — regardless of ownership decisions.

He’s compiled his wisdom on these complex issues in his new book, “American Family Farmland: A Landowner’s Guide to Inheriting the Farm.” It’s the first book of its kind, for landowners, documenting the stories of farmers faced with the difficult decision of whether to keep the farm in the family or sell it as a potential investment.

“This isn’t just another book about land values or investments,” Klemme explains. “It’s a guide to asking the right questions, uncovering your true goals and making confident decisions that balance financial outcomes with the values you cherish and future you desire most.”

Klemme says he wrote it for heirs overwhelmed by or uncertain of inherited farmland decisions, farmers facing complex family dynamics or differing visions, families seeking harmony in succession planning and professionals (attorneys, CPAs, estate planners, wealth managers) guiding clients through rural inheritance complexities.

“More than a guide,” he says, “this book will help people discover the true wealth of the family farm.”

Gary Schneeberger
ROAR
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