Category: Ranch

Posts relating to ranches and ranching

Categories
Ranch

Bay Area Ranch and Land Deals Abound

Briones Regional Park to Mt. Diablo
Photo Credit: USDA on flickr https://flickr.com/photos/usdagov/20553639938/in/album-72157657004894620/

Recently a number of Bay Area ranch and land deals have taken place. Many of them have been done for preservation of open space.

Below is a brief summary of some of the recent ranch and land transactions.

East Bay – Wool Ranch to SFPUC

The East Bay Times reported that the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission purchased an 800 acre ranch east of Milpitas. The ranch is part of the watershed for the Calaveras Reservoir.

The acquisition of the former Bay Area ranch cost $9.7 million.

San Mateo County

In San Mateo County, the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) purchased ranch and farmland totaling 578 acres. POST plans to keep the development rights to the properties, lease the properties to farmers, and ultimately selling the land back to farmers while retaining an easement preventing future development.

Santa Cruz Redwood Forest

Recently, Save the Redwoods League entered into contract on a redwood forest near the Santa Cruz and San Mateo County border. The 564 acres of redwood forest and other lands contains a number of old growth redwoods.

Bay Area Ranch to State Park?

Recently, it was reported the N3 Ranch was for sale. California Governor Gavin Newsome has proposed a budget item of $20 million for the creation of a new California State Park.

Enter the N3 Ranch. Some conservation groups and elected officials have long coveted the cattle ranch’s 80 square miles of wilderness in the Bay Area’s backyard.

While state officials are mum about specifics of the land under consideration for the new park, speculation has centered on the 50,000-acre ranch, a parcel of undulating oak woodlands draped across four counties, fanning out in the hills above Livermore.

East Bay Times Article Feb. 4, 2020

*Photo Credit: U.S. Department of Agriculture on Flickr 20150724-NRCS-LSC-0388 Public Domain

Categories
Ranch

Largest Ranch in CA for Sale

N3 Ranch listed by California Outdoor Properties

A Ranch in Livermore, CA

The SF Business Times is reporting that a large ranch spanning 50,000 acres has been listed for sale. The listing price of $72,000,000 lends itself more to a conservationist rather than a profitable cattle rancher, according to the listing agent.

The ranch is close to the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley.

Categories
Farm Ranch Vineyard

Turn that Vacant Ranch Building Into Income

A group of researchers at the conducted a study to find out what vacant farm buildings can garner if rented out for other uses. The survey indicates that vacant ranch and farm buildings may be utilized to generate additional income to the land owner.

Vacant dairy barns could be rented to an aspiring dairy farmer. Smaller vacant buildings could be rented for storage of RV’s, boats, or other items.

To read more about the report visit this article at Farmanddairy.com. Or read the survey itself NCFMEC-Farm Building Rental Rate Survey.

 

Categories
Farm Ranch Vineyard

The Gift of Growing Up on a Farm

The Wall St. Journal from time to time has a famous individual write about one of their favorite homes.

This week Joyce Carol Oates, author of more than 40 novels, has written a brief article about her time growing up on a farm in rural New York. She describes some of the benefits from her youth.

Farm children tend to grow up with empathy for animals, a love of the outdoors and a strong work ethic, and this certainly has been true of me. 

Read the rest of it here.

Categories
Farm Ranch Vineyard

The California Drought Continues

Lake with dry hills around itThe Washington Post has written an article about the ongoing California drought.  The article details the struggles of farmers and ranchers throughout the state.

Now, across California’s vital agricultural belt, nervousness over the state’s epic drought has given way to alarm. Streams and lakes have long since shriveled up in many parts of the state, and now the aquifers — always a backup source during the region’s periodic droughts — are being pumped away at rates that scientists say are both historic and unsustainable.

How has the drought affected you? Is it going to affect the way you run your property?

Categories
Ranch

Ranch of Actor Wilford Brimley for Sale

While not in California, a superb ranch property in Wyoming is being offered for sale. Actor Wilford Brimley is selling his Wyoming ranch according to news reports.

The ranch is being marketed by Hall & Hall for $1,250,000. Here is a link to the actual listing. If you are interested in moving your operations to Wyoming from California, feel free to reach out to me at (925) 385-8798.

Categories
Farm Ranch Vineyard

Moving the Farm or Ranch? Defer Capital Gains Tax

Uncle Sam likes to extract his pound of flesh from savvy business owners that have invested wisely and seen their investments grow over time. This tax is called the capital gains tax. If you own a piece of property and the value of that property increases while you own it, the IRS is going to tax you on the increase in value when you sell the property.

The effect of this tax can significantly damage the returns of an investor over a long period of time.

Defer Capital Gains Tax

Thankfully, if you own a farm, ranch, or vineyard as an investment and are thinking of selling, you may be able to defer capital gains tax through what is known as a 1031 exchange.  The IRS code allows for the exchange or substitution of investment or business property for another investment or business property.

This is done through the use of an exchange accommodator and is subject to a number of timelines and rules.

One such accomodator is First American Exchange. They have written an article on 1031 Exchanges for farms & ranches.

If you are considering selling your property, make sure you sit down with an experienced agent that can guide you through the 1031 exchange process and knows the importance of meeting the IRS guidelines.

Categories
Ranch

California’s Drought and California Ranchers

The San Francisco Business Times is reporting that California ranchers may bet the hardest hit by drought conditions. Let’s hope and pray that God sends rain soon!

California Ranchers Fear Drought Disaster – San Francisco Business Times

Categories
Ranch

The Importance of Water for Agricultural Land

Don’t you hate being thirsty? I know that I do. To me, there is nothing better than a chilled glass of water when my throat is parched.

Water isn’t just important to our bodies, it is important to our land as well.

Water Rights and Water Source

If you are going to buy a piece of agricultural property, you must know where the water to irrigate or drink is going to come from. If you plan to live on the property, you must drink water. Where is that going to come from? If you want to grow anything, besides cactus, you must have a reliable water source. Signs line Interstate-5 in the Central Valley that say “Crops grow where water flows.”

Potable and Non-Potable Water

Water is usually classified as potable or suited for drinking and non-potable or undrinkable. If you plan to live on a piece of agricultural property, you must have a reliable source of potable water. If the property does not have potable water, you may be forced to truck it to the property.

Non-potable water may be ill suited for drinking for a number of reasons: While non-potable water can’t be used for drinking, it is still useful. It can be used in certain types of irrigation, crop protection, for livestock, or fire protection.

Sources of Water

Wells

Wells are man-made holes that tap into underground aquifers. Generally, water is pumped from below the ground to a storage tank for drinking and/or irrigation.

Not all wells are created equal. Each well will have a different flow rate usually measured in Gallons Per Minute or GPM. The GPM number will indicate how fast a well refills the water as it is removed. A well rated at 5 gpm will replenish 5 gallons of water in one minute.

 Springs

Springs are simply where water naturally flows out of the surface of the earth. Springs are naturally occurring but can be harnessed to provide water.

All springs are not equal. Some are warm, like Vichy Springs in Ukiah. Some have sulphur in them. Many have different flow rates.

Having a spring or springs on a property can add significant value. Again knowing as much as possible about the spring is important and what the water it provides can be used for.

Rivers, Streams, & Creeks

Rivers, streams, and creeks (or cricks) can be another valuable source of water on a property. Many if not all of these tributaries are likely to be managed or have the oversight of some government agency.

Some properties have riparian water rights. The BLM website says this about riparian water rights:

Riparian water rights, therefore, occur as a result of landownership. A landowner who owns land that physically touches a river, stream, pond, or lake has an equal right to the use of water from that source. This water right, however, is only a usufructuary right and not a property right in the water. The water may be used as it passes through the property of the land owner, but it cannot be unreasonably detained or diverted, and it must be returned to the stream from which it was obtained.

Water in rivers, streams, and creeks can be used for irrigation, livestock, and pleasure depending on the rights associated with the property. It is important to know what rights a property has when buying it.

When buying an agricultural piece of property, it is important to know where the water for agricultural land is going to come from. Having adequate and quality water to maintain your investment is crucial to any agricultural land acquisition.