The Katsina State Government has approved the sum of over N3 billion for the first phase of cattle ranch development in the 10 frontline Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.

Dr. Lawal Bagiwa, Governor Aminu Masari’s special adviser on livestock and pasture reserves, disclosed this to reporters at the end of the state executive council meeting on Wednesday in Katsina.

Mr Bagiwa said N305 million has been earmarked for the project in Jibia, Batsari, Safana, Dutsinma, Faskari, Sabuwa, Dandume, Danmusa, Kurfi and Kankara LGAs.

President Muhammadu Buhari had in 2021 approved the sum of more than 6.2 billion naira for the establishment of cattle ranches in the state.

Bagiwa said the project is part of the state government’s efforts to end security concerns in the affected areas.

He said 14 physical structures would also be provided in each of the 10 LGAs.

“If you remember, Masari walked around those front line areas some time ago and talked to the bandits.

“Some of their complaints were about the lack of hospitals, schools, veterinary hospitals, grazing reserves, as well as slaughterhouses, among others.

“After that, the federal government was notified of the development because the state could not afford to do it alone.

“That’s why Buhari has supported us with over 6 billion naira.

“After receiving the funds, we advertised for consultants specializing in this field to help us with the development of the ranches,” Bagiwa explained.

He added that recently the government presented its report with the first preliminary report on what should be done.

The commissioner added, “Thereafter, discussions were held with the stakeholders of the beneficiary LGAs on their needs and the location of the ranches.”

According to him, the balance of the money that had been given to the state by the president will be spent on the second and third phases of the project.

“Today, we have approved 24 physical structures in each of the LGAs, which include hospitals, nomadic schools, veterinary hospitals and milk collection centres.

“Other structures include solar boreholes, resting places for shepherds, mosques, slaughterhouses and other necessities.

“I would like to inform you that the second phase of the project is the development of pastures for which we intend to use approximately 100 hectares of land in each of the LGAs.

“The third phase will be the establishment of earth dams for dry season agriculture in these areas,” Bagiwa added.

(NOPE)

Actor Tommy Lee Jones is about as Texas as it gets. The Oscar-winning actor has made no attempt to hide his Southern accent throughout his film career, and his gruff temper has made him a Hollywood icon capable of performing both comedy and drama.

The eighth-generation Texan never gave up his roots in the Lone Star State, nor the cattle ranch lifestyle he was raised on, which could explain why he was inspired to return after years working in the film industry. Jones was born in the small town of San Saba outside of San Antonio. Her family moved away while her father was working in the Midland oil fields. When the industry took his family overseas, Jones moved to Dallas to attend the prestigious boys’ preparatory school, St. Marks School of Texas.

St. Marks has opened up new experiences for Jones, from acting in plays to becoming an incredibly talented athlete. He was able to play football at Harvard, where he started acting and graduated with honors. Jones also shared a room with future Vice President Al Gore during his college years. After school he moved to New York, where he began performing on stage. Jones is an incredibly serious guy, so it makes sense that this is how he started his acting career.

While he certainly has a reputation for being as brooding as some of his characters, there’s no doubt he’ll go down in history as one of the most memorable actors of his time. His career kicked off when he landed the role of Loretta Lynn’s husband Mooney in coal miner’s daughter opposite Sissy Spacek. He went on to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The fugitive facing Harrison Ford. Jones even won an Emmy for his role in the miniseries solitary dove, a role that has allowed him to show off his riding skills since his time at the ranch. Younger fans may know him for his role in battling aliens opposite Will Smith in the blockbuster men in black.

Jones was an accomplished polo player, which he continues to be passionate about today. Indeed, according to Texas monthly, he funds two polo teams, which include Jones and his wife Dawn, professional players and their fifty horses. They previously split their time during the year between his polo farm in Palm Beach, Florida, which Jones sold in 2019, and his polo ranch in San Saba.

The Texas ranch house is over 150 years old, showing how much Jones admires the history of his 3,000-acre estate. Jones said Texas monthly that he lives the good life there between the polo fields and the cattle they have on the property.

“In the summer we’ll work the cattle, then around seven in the evening we’ll start playing polo. We’ll play until around nine o’clock, then when we’re done we’ll put the meat on the fire and watch the darkness come. It’s a beautiful life. Everyone is happy.

This story was previously published on February 24, 2020.

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A historic ranch just west of Fort Worth was sold in one of North Texas’s largest land deals this year.

The Veale Ranch is nearly 3,800 acres and stretches across the border of Tarrant and Parker counties.

The property – just 11 miles from downtown Fort Worth – has been a cattle ranch owned by the same family since 1935.

The ranch is south of Interstate 20, between Fort Worth and Weatherford.

In 2017, Veale Ranch was up for grabs with a prize of $ 95 million.

Now the historic property has been purchased by Dallas-based community developer PMB Capital, which has major residential projects in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

“The Veale Ranch represents one of the most unique investment development opportunities in the entire D-FW region,” said real estate broker Rex Glendenning, who represented the Veale family on the sale. “This ranch is strategically located close to the Fort Worth central business district and will allow for true mixed-use planned development.

“The ranch is adjacent to the new Rivian auto production plant which will be located on part of the adjacent Walsh Ranch.”

Previous development studies have indicated that Veale Ranch could support the future development of a community of up to 30,000 residents.

“Much of the ranch is located in the highly desirable Aledo school district,” Glendenning said. “This property is ideally positioned for success.

PMB Capital is already building another large Tarrant County residential development adjacent to the Veale Ranch.

“PMB has developed a neighborhood called Ventana, which is on the east side of Veale Ranch,” said Ted Wilson, director of Residential Strategies, a Dallas-based housing consultant. “They’ve done over 230 starts a year there, and it’s been a success.

“They’re going to be able to keep pushing this neighborhood west to Veale Ranch.”

The two projects west of Fort Worth are part of an even larger residential development program from PMB Capital.

In 2019, the company purchased 3,600 acres near the intersections of State Highway 114 and US Highway 287 in Wise County. The former Rolling V Ranch is now the site of an original $ 3.5 billion community called Reunion, which is expected to have 10,000 homes.

PMB Capital is currently building nine residential communities in North Texas. And the company owns over 12,000 acres with room for 40,000 residential building lots.

“PMB is extremely active these days with first class transactions,” Wilson said.

Rex Real Estate, based in Glendenning, Frisco, negotiated the sale of Veale Ranch with Taylor Baird of PMB Capital Partners leading negotiations for the buyer.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

In addition to residential land, the Veale Ranch has sites that could be used for commercial construction, Glendenning said.

“With the Union Pacific Railroad located along the northern boundary of the Veale Ranch, the opportunity to integrate an industrial park into the overall master plan project is exceptional,” Glendenning Sale.

The Veale Ranch sale is the latest in a series of mega real estate deals that Glendenning has processed so far this year.

Rex Real Estate recently negotiated the sale of over 3,000 acres near Celina and over 1,000 acres in Kaufman County east of Dallas to community builder Centurion American Development Group.

With housing starts in North Texas up more than 40% this year, builders are scrambling to find sites for future host communities.

Wilson said that in the first quarter of this year, home builders in the D-FW area filed plans for sites for 40,000 new homes, and they set up an additional 45,000 home sites in the second quarter. .

“Obviously the housing market is hot and there is a shortage of building land,” he said. “Builders and developers must seize the next round of land to meet demand. “

A new residential community en route to Little Elm in Denton County will bring more than 2,000 homes to the area.

Centurion American Development Group purchases 523 acres for the project on US Highway 380 from FM 720.

The property, located north of Lewisville Lake, has been owned for over 40 years by Steven Spiritas, who sells it to Centurion American.

“We bought the original land in 1977 and expanded it until we ended up with over 700 acres,” Spiritas said. “We ran a beef farm there.

“I have always been enthusiastic about being in the land business,” he said. “I always thought it was a great region.

Spiritas has already sold another piece of land in the area to Lennar Homes, which is building a new community called Linden Hills.

The property Centurion American is buying is zoned for 2,115 units, he said.

“We have enjoyed working with Steven Spiritas and his team to finalize this purchase,” Centurion American’s Mehrdad Moayedi said in a statement. “We are very optimistic about the possibility of continuing to grow and develop Little Elm and are proud to be a part of this story. “

The new community will be called Spiritas Ranch and will begin in the first quarter. The houses will cost between $ 300,000 and $ 600,000.

“There is huge interest in US Corridor 380,” Spiritas said. “We think we had one of the biggest pieces left between McKinney and Denton.

“We have kept all commercial properties,” he said. “We have 41 acres where Centurion is building which faces the US 380.”

Spiritas said the highways department is currently upgrading the US 380 with a new overpass next to where the new community of Centurion American will be built. And the nearby FM 2931 is being expanded and will be renamed Ryan Spiritas Parkway.

Spiritas said the US 380 – now one of the busiest highways in the northern suburbs of Dallas – was just a two-lane highway when it began buying land in Denton County.

“There was no traffic,” he said. “We cycled there. “

Cattle ranches in the West often get a bad rap. Overgrazing has decimated the environment in places like my former home state of Colorado. I remember many times during my years of hunting and fishing in Colorado, walking through landscapes strewn with cow pie where the grass had almost disappeared. Mugwort and cactus could barely gain a foothold, as the places I walked were bare. For most of the past three decades, I have thought that our public lands and private ranches were nothing more than feed lands for overexploited cows. That’s until I met Nancy Ranney in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was during the annual conference of the International Food, Wine, and Travel Writers Association that I heard Nancy speak at a culinary roundtable when I realized there was hope. .

Nancy graduated from Harvard with a master’s degree in landscape architecture who took over the family ranch near Corona, New Mexico. The 1990s were an era of misery marked by drought inflicted on the land, animals and humans who inhabited the South West. Nancy knew there was a new and better way to manage her family’s 18,000 acre ranch and implemented herd rotation and regenerative soil management practices to bring back native grasses. The ranch’s pasture was a monoculture of blue grass gramma when Nancy took over in the early 2000s. The herd had been reduced in an attempt to weather extreme drought, and the ranch’s future looked precarious.

The plan was to keep the cows moving, instead of letting them graze in place for days, and to start restoring native grasses. The ranch’s ecosystem was in ruins and birds, along with other species, were disappearing at an alarming rate. The health of the soil was affected, and Nancy knew that it was vital to the quality of the herd to restore the soil to good health. This would require restoring the landscape to an intact ecosystem of microbes, grasses and other high prairie plants that would nurture the life forms that make up a healthy landscape.

I asked Nancy what she had in mind when she started running the ranch and she said, “The key was to keep the herd moving through the landscape, never to graze enough. long in one place to damage the plants and now leave the seeds dormant. in the soil – viable for over 100 years in the southwest – to grow. Once the native grasses began to return, so did most of the life forms that depend on the ecosystem.

Before the arrival of European settlers some 400 years ago, the high prairie was awash with life. There were buffaloes, prairie dogs, badgers, cougars, snakes, moles, hawks and the plains songstress, the lark. All of these species lived in harmony and the land thrived during this period of healthy prairies. When the ranchers arrived there was some of the most magnificent pasture areas a cattle rancher could desire.

These abundant grasslands have become one of the best breeding countries in the world. After centuries of grazing, much of the land was exhausted.

Through more than 150 years of great ranches, ranchers have worked the land through good and bad years in this western paradise. When the drought of the 90s hit, it was clear that something had to change. Some species were extinct, and many others were just a shadow of their old numbers. But pastoralists, like farmers, are unwilling to adopt new ways of working the land.

One of the big surprises in the effort to restore our grasslands is the theory that cattle can improve the soil like the buffalo once did. Cattle can aerate the soil with their hooves, just as buffaloes did for centuries before the arrival of white humans. Cows also provide fertilization from the many pies they leave in their wake. Native perennials are stimulated when livestock bite them only once during their movement, instead of letting them graze in one place for hours.

In an article by Time magazine, writer Judith D. Schwartz points out that maybe cows could save our prairies. Instead of completely abandoning cattle ranching, the pastures appear to benefit from proper husbandry techniques such as the regeneration plans used by Ranney Ranch.

When Nancy took over running the Ranney Ranch, the longtime ranch manager thought she would fail and they would revert to her methods. Nancy did not fail and continued to document the restoration of over 50 types of native grasses without seeding or irrigation. Ranney Ranch has seen its water holding capacity increase by twenty-five percent under this new management. As neighboring ranches languished in the drought, aerial photos showed Ranney Ranch developing a thriving prairie in the high desert of New Mexico. Nancy’s herd has shown health benefits similar to those of the land with the new techniques in place.

Today the ranch and the herd are doing well. As part of eco-friendly practices, Ranney Ranch sells most of the beef it raises to local consumers. Nancy knew that less than two percent of New Mexico beef stayed in the state. By shipping shorter distances, they reduced carbon emissions.

By encouraging regenerative agricultural practices, farms like Ranney Ranch can bring back healthy ecosystems that benefit everyone on Earth. As part of the land restoration, Ranney Ranch has been selected by the Audubon Society to be part of their conservation breeding program. Audubon and its conservation ranching program are seeking to bring back some of the bird species that have seen their numbers decline by eighty percent due to the loss of suitable habitat. The prairies of the West are vital for the birds which are an essential part of the ecosystem.

When consumers buy Audubon Certified Beef, they can rest assured that the producer they are supporting is helping the planet. Ranney Ranch is also AGA (American Grassfed Association) and AWA (Animal Welfare Approved) certified. There is plenty of research showing that grass-fed beef is healthier for consumers than grain-fed beef. I encourage you to read some of the articles posted on the Ranney Ranch website and see how their farming has other carbon reduction benefits. Even though most of us live too far away to buy affordable Ranney Ranch beef, look for other ranchers using similar techniques where you live. We can all play a part in restoring the health of the planet by purchasing our food.

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Kurt Jacobson has been a chef for 40 years, and after being educated in the US Coast Guard, he trained in many restaurants with both kind and maniacal chefs. Kurt is entering his seventh year of organic container and raised bed gardening in his garden. For this and other published stories, check out his travel blog, TasteofTravel2.com. Read all from Kurt NEWS FROM MOTHER EARTH posts here.

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Jason Spaeth broke the first commandment to buy a ranch when he stumbled upon a 7,000 acre cattle ranch with miles of streams and deer habitat in western Wyoming.

“Rule number one is not to get emotional, but I did,” says the retired financial services executive, who paid about $ 10.5 million for the property in June. “I really fell in love with the place.

Spaeth, who lives in Minneapolis, plans to run the property as a cattle ranch and spend summers there with his wife and three sons. But he realizes that it will be difficult to make money in the cow business.

“The family has a real passion for the outdoors,” he says. The goal is not only to create an economically viable ranch, he says, but also to preserve the land.

The dream of owning an iconic Western ranch often doesn’t make financial sense. Ranches are expensive, require constant attention and maintenance, and rarely make money.

“It’s often [a decision] more emotional than financial, ”says Joel Leadbetter, managing director of Hall and Hall, a broker specializing in ranch properties.

The image of the Wild West remains a form of catnip, enticing buyers willing to put logic and good judgment aside to live the cowboy life. Images of famous ranchers, such as actor Harrison Ford, CNN founder Ted Turner and former talk show host David Letterman, straddling the lineup have only increased the appeal for a generation. modern.

Yet even in a good year, a working ranch is a tough way to make money. Any property with more than a few cows typically requires a ranch manager and at least two or three full-time cowboys to manage day-to-day operations. Keeping these cows – and cowboys – fed and happy is expensive. Equipment such as tractors and trailers increase expenses.

In addition, cows are a commodity and prices can fluctuate considerably. Cattle prices have fallen about 30 percent in the past year alone. In addition, disease and drought can devastate a herd.

“It’s a very complicated business,” says Robert Burch, a Philadelphia-based venture capitalist who bought a 9,000-acre ranch in Big Timber, MT in 1998. “It’s really a tough way to go. earn money.”

Burch sees his ranch as a hedge against inflation but, like Spaeth, he did not buy the property as an investment. As a teenager, he worked on a ranch and caught the virus.

“I really wanted to be a cowboy,” he says. “I bought it out of passion.

For aspiring cowboys, this might be a good time to buy. With the decline in livestock prices, ranch prices have fallen in recent months. Spaeth paid about 30 percent less than asking price for his property, which had been up for sale for four years.

Mason & Morse promotes a 4,000 acre ranch in Wyoming with cattle ranching, trout fishing and good hunting opportunities, which he describes as the epitome of “all. the qualities sought by today’s trophy ranch investor, for $ 14.5 million.

“There’s a lot of money out there, but a lot of buyers can’t find what they want,” says John Stratman, director of Mason & Morse.

If you are looking for a recreational ranch – perhaps for fishing or hunting – there are plenty of options. A recent Hall and Hall report states that there is “excess inventory at all levels” for recreational ranches. “There hasn’t been a lot of motivation to buy recreational property,” Stratman says. “They’re just sitting there.”

In Steamboat Springs, Colorado, a 1,145-acre recreational ranch with stream-fed ponds was originally listed at $ 27.95 million in 2010. It is now priced at $ 16.9 million, according to Realtor.com. This year, a 490-acre ranch was listed in the same town for $ 13.2 million via Sotheby’s International Realty.

Putting an accurate price tag on any type of ranch property is “more art than science,” says Jim Taylor, Hall and Hall partner. It can be difficult to assess the market value of a stream full of trout or the proximity to elk habitat. Irrigated land, proximity to a protected national forest, and a nearby airport can all affect the price.

Hall and Hall sells Miller Lake, a 10,000-acre ranch in Anaconda, MT, for $ 22 million. The same agent is selling a 15,000-acre Kessler Canyon ranch in Colorado for $ 32.5 million. In Bozeman, MT, Big Sky Sotheby’s International Realty is selling 640 acres North Ridge Ranch with nine miles of hiking trails and mountain views for $ 5.99 million.

“It’s hard to find comparable sales,” says Ken Mirr, owner of Mirr Ranch Group, a Denver-based brokerage.

With a working ranch, experts say, for the numbers to add up, you need a big gap with a big herd.

“What you realize over time is that it’s gaining momentum [to be profitable]says Burch, who has now put his own expanded property up for sale. The Hobble Diamond Ranch, which now totals over 30,000 acres, costs $ 35 million. It includes six miles of frontage on the Yellowstone River and 1 250 acres of irrigated cropland.

Yet Burch does not leave the ranch. In fact, he’s looking to buy something bigger. “From a lifestyle perspective, it’s great,” he says.

The Hobble diamond has been on the market since the spring and Burch is in no rush to sell it. He expects it will take time to find a buyer.

“It’s very subjective when buying these properties,” he says. “Everyone has their own idea of ​​the perfect. “

Purchase guide

● Many properties are sold with hunting or fishing licenses, which can be valuable assets

● Cattle ranches are often rated by “carrying capacity”, which is the number of cows the land can support.

● Groundwater contamination, flooding and zoning restrictions are some of the issues that can affect a property’s value.

● Public leases for grazing or recreation can help expand the size of a property

● Wyoming, Texas and Nevada are among the income tax free states.

● A young cow raised costs about $ 1,500. An experienced ranch man earns about $ 30,000 per year, plus the cost of housing, utilities, health insurance, and typically one cow per year for meat.

What you can buy for. . .

$ 2 million An undeveloped 35 acre “ranchette” next to a golf course

$ 10 million A 500 acre ranch

$ 25 million A 45,000 acre working cattle ranch with private hunting and fishing rights

More announcements on propertylistings.ft.com

Photographs: Tom Reid; Ray King; Getty Images; Ryan day thompson