Ranches for Sale in Utah Produce Profitable Agricultural Commodities

Thanks to ideal soil quality and climate conditions, it is not surprising that investors are swarming into the Beehive State and taking note of the value of profitable ranches for sale in Utah. In an article for Valley News, seasoned journalist Stuart Leavenworth writes about a ranch in Jensen, UT that has become a source of grass for China’s dairy industry and a healthy income source for owners Simon Wen Shao and Zhang Renwu.

[The ranch] sits 189 miles east of Salt Lake City, on a stunningly scenic bend of the Green River. After driving past the only gas station in Jensen, population 400, a visitor crosses the river, turns left and is soon surrounded by a meticulously managed, 22,000-acre ranch, lush with green alfalfa.

Nearly all of it is destined for China. Three years ago, a pair of Chinese entrepreneurs purchased this alfalfa farm for a discount price of less than $10 million. Each year since, they’ve shipped about 22,000 tons of super-compacted, ranch-grown alfalfa to China, where it’s highly prized by the nation’s growing dairy industry.

Formerly known as Thunder Ranch, the pair’s Escalante Ranch has “more than 3,000 acres of irrigated fields and a large expanse of rolling hills and wetlands, frequented by ducks and migrating elk herds… Along with visual splendor, the historic ranch comes with generous water rights, essential for growing alfalfa in the high desert.”

Aside from hay (the largest crop grown locally), farmers in the area can also produce and export thousands of dollars’ worth of wheat and barley. In addition, the state is particularly famous for sweet corn and tomatoes. On top of that, various in-demand crops such as apples, cherries, potatoes, and dry beans can be planted and harvested in ranch lands.

Many ranchers opt to raise livestock and sell livestock products, which are responsible for the majority of the state’s agricultural income. Cattle farms yield leading commodities like meat, milk, cattle, and wool, while fishing farms supply trout and other aquaculture. As for exports, pork, dairy, and beef sold in countries like Colombia and Panama contribute to Utah’s annual agricultural income worth millions.

Prime Utah ranches for sale can be great investments, especially if you find a property that is advantageous to the crop or livestock you wish to produce. A trusted ranch broker and marketer like Mirr Ranch Group, the listing broker for the former Thunder ranch, can present you with choices that fit your requirements.

(Source: China’s Cattle Feasting on Utah Grass, Valley News, July 6, 2014)