Southwestern States Enduring Extreme Drought

More than three-quarters of the Lone Star State is enduring extreme or exceptional drought conditions. Parts of the Oklahoma panhandle have gone without rain for over eight months. Some 9,000 wildfires have ravaged 2+ million acres of Texas terrain, including a substantial amount of pasture land.

Old timers are saying that the only difference between today’s drought conditions and the Dust Bowl days is they had water back in the 1930s.

“You hope God gives you the strength to get over the drought,” Matt Farmer, 51, told the Los Angeles Times. “If I fail, I’ve let my father and my father-in-law down. They all made it.”

Climatologists are blaming the current conditions on shifting rainfall patterns.

“‘Global weirding’ is the best way to describe what we are seeing,” said Katharine Hayhoe, a climate scientist at Texas Tech University. “There is a lot going on these days that’s not what we are used to seeing. What’s happening is our rainfall patterns are shifting. In some places it means more heavy rainfall, in some places it means more drought, in some places it means both.”

Read the complete story HERE.

For Sale: New Mexico’s Southern Cross Ranch

The Southern Cross controls over 70 square miles of the finest trophy elk habitat in North America: a total of 47,309 acres of which 33,514 are deeded. On this trophy property in western New Mexico, geography, genetics, and habitat combine to create an ecosystem that produces some of the largest bull elk anywhere. The Southern Cross is renowned for amazing numbers of 350- to 400-class bulls.

The Southern Cross has been superbly managed to maintain its status as one of America’s premier hunting destinations. A spectacular 6,000-square-foot log lodge is the centerpiece of the ranch. With six bedrooms, five and one half baths, and wraparound deck, the lodge treats guests luxuriously. A caretaker’s house, corrals, barn and meat cooler completes the outstanding facilities on the ranch. Southern Cross Ranch was recently allotted 49 bull elk tags and 14 cow elk tags.

Straddling both sides of the Continental Divide, the Southern Cross ranges in elevation from 7,300 to 8,200 feet, which makes it ideally situated for supporting thousands of acres of pinion pine and alligator juniper forest, interspersed with grassy meadows. Parts of the eastern portion of the ranch adjoin the Cibola National Forest. Much of the ranch’s terrain is rolling, and a good network of ranch roads provides vehicular access throughout. With wildlife and livestock management in mind, dozens of water sources have been developed throughout the ranch, utilizing both wind and solar power.

The Southern Cross is best known for its elk hunting, but its superb mule deer and antelope hunting are also available. As a combination cattle/hunting ranch or a hunting resort alone, the potential for this spectacular piece of western New Mexico may be unmatched anywhere in the United States. With excellent year-round access, the “land of giants” is located only 2.5 hours from Albuquerque and 3.5 hours from Santa Fe.

Dave Harrigan / Hunter Harrigan
www.harriganland.com
(800) 524-1818

Land Report 100: The Fanjul Family

The Fanjul family ranked No. 61 on the 2010 Land Report 100. Headquartered in Florida’s Palm Beach County, the Fanjuls’ privately owned Florida Crystals is the first (and only) domestic producer of certified organic sugar. The company has a tradition of proactively pursuing eco-friendly production innovations and has worked tirelessly on sustainability initiatives and efforts such as Everglades restoration.

“I love land so much even my hobbies revolve around land. I spend every free weekend at Amistad, my 2,500-acre private shooting preserve,” says J. Pepe Fanjul, company vice chairman, president, and chief operating officer.

“Amistad was honored with the Florida Agriculture Board’s award of excellence for the way we environmentally manage the land. This recognition was truly special to me, because Amistad is the namesake of one of our family’s ranches in my home country Cuba that was lost after the Communist takeover.”

Spotlight: North America Timberland Investment Summit

If you own timberland or are considering investing in this asset, then be sure to pencil in June 22-24 on your calendar.

Those are the dates of the 9th Annual North American Timberland Investment Summit, which will be held this year in Vancouver, British Columbia. The conference brings together a comprehensive lineup of key players in the timberland investments value chain including pension funds, hedge funds, endowments, family offices, TIMOs, REITs, forestry management companies, law firms, and banks.

Attendees will will get critical regulatory updates and environmental updates on opportunities beyond traditional demand for housing and paper products and learn the latest developments in the use of timber resources for biomass and carbon credit investing.

For more information on the North America Timerland Investment Summit, click HERE.

For Sale: Vermont’s Teal Farm

Set at the western base of Camels Hump State Park, Teal Farm is a world unto itself.  Its 500 acres includes a sustainably-managed northern hardwood watershed with streams, pond, wetlands, extensive trail network, waterfalls, and mountain pastures.  The forest provides much of the property’s bio-fuel, as well as ideal wildlife habitat.  The fenced pastures support a mixed herd of grass-fed Devon and Angus cattle that is rotationally grazed, which adds to the healthy stewardship of the land.  The property has a 100-year master plan, which includes a 10-acre permaculture orchard, believed to be the largest in North America, featuring fruits, nuts, fuel-wood, berries and fertilizing groundcovers that grow in sculpted microclimates around the buildings.

The property is an integrated, ecologically-designed farmstead that was created as a prototype for perpetual food, building and energy systems that are responsive to climate change, fluctuating energy supplies and a shifting global economy.  The flagship project of not-for-profit foundation LivingFuture, Teal Farm is located in the Green Mountain State of Vermont and is being offered for sale to support LivingFuture’s next project.

Founder and Executive Director Melissa Hoffman describes LivingFuture’s work as “living systems design.” It is an approach that strives to mimic natural processes and evolutionary dynamics in the re-design of physical and cultural infrastructures so that they become perpetually life-enhancing and foster creative, adaptive communities at local and global scales.  Melissa believes that our actual survival is at risk, and as such it falls on us to begin the project now, to invent the structures, both physical and cultural, internal and external, which will allow our species, and the system of life as whole, to thrive beyond the enormous challenges we are only beginning to encounter.  To that end, her foundation undertook the Teal Farm project, whose mission is “to create an ecologically intelligent food, energy and building system that perpetually enhances the environment and serves the evolution of its occupants”.

The farm complex includes an 8,000-square-foot, green-designed, farmhouse that dates back to 1865. Other improvements include an iconic 12,000-square-foot Douglas Fir-framed energy barn that houses the property’s state-of-the-art renewable energy and heating system, a converted post-and-beam barn apartment studio, a caretaker’s residence, and a utility barn/garage.  The farmhouse and energy barn set a whole new standard for green design and construction by running on renewable energy systems that marry cutting-edge technology with exquisite design and craftsmanship.

Teal Farm is a place of inspiration, a creative retreat, and a living laboratory intended to support innovation around issues of global importance.  Tucked away in a charming New England town, Teal Farm is only one hour by plane from Boston and New York City. The property is not protected from future development, leaving conservation tax advantages available for the next steward to explore.

$15,495,000
(802) 434-7798
www.EarthAsset.com

 

On the Block: Kansas’s Twin Peaks Ranch

United Country Nixon Auction & Realty will auction the Twin Peaks Ranch on Monday, May 23. The historic 1,800-acre ranch will be sold in six parcels.

“Simply calling this property a ranch doesn’t do it justice. There is really no simple description to capture all that this property entails,” said John Nixon of United Country – Nixon Auction & Realty, who will be conducting the auction.

Located in Barber County, Kansas, the Twin Peaks Ranch can be found just west of Medicine Lodge and is easily accessible from Highway 160.

The six land tracts are as follows:

• Tract 1 – 800± acres. Twin Peaks pasture:  set up for grazing, good water supply, cross-fenced, 78 acres of cultivation, Hwy 160 access.

• Tract 2 – 400± acres: ponds, excellent grazing and hunting.

• Tract 3 – 400± acres: mineral rights included, excellent hunting, Cedar Creek runs the length, heavy timber, 70 acres cultivated, large deer and turkey populations.

• Tract 4 – 80± acres: fenced, water, excellent views, includes some heavy timber.

• Tract 5 – 80± acres: beautiful vistas, mostly CRP acreage paying $28/acre.

• Tract 6 – 40± acres: homestead with unfinished home, barn, sheds and pens, rural water, electricity, mineral rights included.

Mineral rights for Tracts 1, 2, 4 and 5 will sell following the real estate.

The auction will take place at the Nixon Auction House located on Highway 160 in Medicine Lodge on Monday, May 23 at 10 a.m.

John Nixon
TwinPeaksRanchAuction.com
United Country – Nixon Auction & Realty
(630) 886-3340

On the Block: The Yellowstone Club’s 160-Acre Family Compound

Nestled in the heart of the world’s only private ski and golf community, the 160-acre Family Compound is without question the most unique offering ever presented in the history of the Yellowstone Club. The story of the property dates to the founding of the club itself when Tim and Edra Blixseth retained ownership of a 160-acre site inside its boundaries. The couple built two 2,240-square-foot, 3-bedroom residences that were to serve as guest homes for a main residence that was never constructed.

Situated at the end of a long, secluded driveway, each of the cabins features an open floor plan, vaulted ceilings, massive wood-burning fireplaces, and large floor-to-ceiling windows. Beautifully appointed bathrooms and well-designed kitchens round out the interiors, while an expansive outdoor living area creates an ideal setting for nights out beneath the Montana sky. Yellow Mule Creek runs year round through the property’s western boundary.

It is this acreage and improvements that are to be auctioned by Edra Blixseth’s bankruptcy estate pursuant to a court-approved bidding and auction process. CrossHarbor Capital Partners has tendered a stalking horse bid of $10,850,000, consisting of $850,000 in cash and $10 million in a credit bid against CrossHarbor’s lien on the Family Compound. Per the court’s order, the minimum required for qualified competing bids by third parties is $11.1 million. Deadline for submission of the $11.1 million is 4:30 p.m. Mountain Time on May 16. The receipt of qualified competing bid(s) will result in an open outcry auction to be held at 9:00 a.m. Mountain Time on May 20, 2011 at the offices of Datsopolous, MacDonald and Lind in Missoula, Montana.

Membership to The Yellowstone Club is not included as part of this offering. The buyer may apply to The Yellowstone Club for membership, however, membership is not guaranteed. Independent investigation is advised. Additional information about the auction and the rules governing competing bids will be made available upon request.

To obtain a due diligence package and schedule a private viewing of the Family Compound at Yellowstone Club, please contact:

Bill McDavid
Hall and Hall
406-542-3762
mcdavid@hallandhall.com

Trump Buys Kluge Winery at Auction

Donald Trump has increased his holdings in the heart of Virginia’s horse country when he paid $6.2 million for the 776-acre Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyard. Trump bought the majority of the vineyard holdings at an April 7 foreclosure auction conducted by J.P. King Auction Company. Auction sales totaled $8.02 million.

“I’m really interested in good real estate, not so much in wine,” Trump told the Washington Post. “This place had a $28 million mortgage on it, and I bought it for $6.2 million. It’s a Trump deal!”

According to the Post, Trump will keep former owner Patricia Kluge, 62, and her husband, William Moses, on board to run the winery. Said Trump, “She has a great instinct for wine, which I don’t.”

Read the entire story HERE.

 

For Sale: Wilder on the Taylor

Wilder on the Taylor is an angling paradise and a preservation oriented 2,100± acre shared ranch community offering a total of 26 homesteads in the heart of the Colorado Rockies. Each homestead is 35 acres and features a one-acre building envelope. As private fly fishing water is increasingly difficult to procure, Wilder presents a rare and distinct opportunity to own an undivided interest in one of the best shared fishing properties in the Western United States.

Recognized as a preeminent trout fishery, the Taylor runs through the center of the ranch for nearly two miles. To further enhance this fishing experience, approximately 3± miles of newly constructed streams and seven lakes were created; promoting a completely different and equally challenging fly fishing adventure.

Direct access to almost 2 million acres of national forest and designated wilderness areas is accessible from virtually anywhere on the property. The site plan includes construction of a main lodge and additional guest amenities. Existing ranch improvements include ranch manager headquarters, livestock and equipment facilities. Four turn-of-the-century refurbished guest cabins, located a stones throw from the river, are available for immediate use.

Wilder supports numerous recreational activities, exceptional scenery, spectacular views, abundant wildlife, and is centrally located within minutes of Gunnison Regional Airport and a short drive to one of Colorado’s great ski towns, Crested Butte. Prices starting at $1.65 million. Jeff Buerger of Hall and Hall has the listing.

Jeff Buerger
Hall and Hall
jeff@hallandhall.com

Spotlight: Forest Landowners Association National Conference

Make plans to attend the Forest Landowners Association National Conference in Colonial Williamsburg June 8-10. Read more

Next Page »