The Magazine of the American Landowner is an essential guide for investors, landowners, and those interested in buying or selling land. The award-winning quarterly is known for its annual survey of America's largest landowners, The Land Report 100.
Issue link: http://landreport.epubxp.com/i/582499
116 The LandReport | W I N T E R 2 0 1 5 LANDREPORT.COM Benjy Griffith III 145,000 acres down 80,000 acres Nationally known as the founder of Southern Pine Plantations, Griffith has trimmed his holdings in recent years, exiting Montana with the sale of his Willow Creek Ranch and selling off his Tennessee timberlands. That still leaves him with more than 225 square miles of productive forestland in Florida, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Georgia, where he is headquartered in Macon. Gerald J. Ford 144,580 acres While owning thoroughbred horse-breeding operations in Kentucky and California as well as the 500-square-mile Diamond A Ranch in Picacho, New Mexico, this philan- thropic-minded entrepreneur likewise lends unparalleled financial support to SMU, his alma mater, as well as myriad Dallas social services agencies. Arthur Nicholas 144,102 acres up 38,983 acres Under the names of various legal entities, including Nicholas Investment Properties and Wagonhound Land & Livestock, this San Diego State alum, who debuted on The Land Report 100 in 2013, continues to add to his acreage. While the vast majority of his land can be found in Wyoming along the Laramie Range (the site of Wagonhound's respected cattle and registered Quarter Horse program), he also has holdings in Montana and California. Stefan Soloviev 141,700 acres Cattle. Corn. Canola. Wheat. Wind Farms. Plus drought-tolerant seeds. Soloviev's Topeka-based Crossroads Agriculture embraces innovation on his vast holdings in Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. Patrick Broe 140,862 acres After founding his Denver-based real estate asset management company in 1972, Pat Broe started collecting properties that catered to his interest in agricultural invest- ments along with oil and gas. This spring, he purchased the Great Western Railway, which connects the Burlington Northern Santa Fe to the Union Pacific. Harrison Family 140,000 acres For nearly 75 years, some of America's finest quarter horses have hailed from the Harri- son's family ranch just southwest of Houston. There, three generations of family members have guided the breeding operations for renowned AQHA-competition horses. Lane Family 140,000 acres The heirs of legendary Montana rancher Thomas Lane, who along with his brother, Robert, formed Lane Brothers Cattle Company, have maintained his legacy with the family cattle business. Crosby Family 135,000 acres With long-held interests in forestry and mineral management, the New Orleans- based Crosby clan owns land in Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Rapides, and Vernon parishes, all located in Western Louisiana. In 2014, six former Subchapter S corporations merged into a single umbrella entity called Crosby Companies. Ellwood Heirs 130,000 acres Barbed wire changed the American land- scape, and original patriarch Isaac Ellwood, a patent holder for the invention, is to thank. His Renderbrook Spade was one of the first ranches to be fenced in the Lone Star State, setting a historical precedent that so many would follow. Today, the Renderbrook is not alone; also under the Ellwood umbrella are the Wagon Creek Spade, Panhandle Spade, Borden Spade, North Spade, and Alpine Spade — known together as Spade Ranches. Monahan Family 130,000 acres The Nebraska-based clan maintains the thriving Monahan Cattle Company, a legacy from founding father J.H. Monahan that dates to 1893. Today, the family-run concern spreads across a trio of Cornhusker State counties. Parker Ranch Foundation Trust 130,000 acres NEW TO LIST In 1845, King Kamehameha bestowed a land grant upon John Parker, and a cattle kingdom was born. Parker's descendants ran their storied ranch until 1992 when Richard Palmer Smart left the Parker Ranch, complete with his art collection, to a trust to support charitable beneficiaries in Waimea. Much of Parker Ranch's 130,000 acres is grazing land. Over the last 160 years, extensive infrastruc- ture has been built, including 850 miles of fence, 300 paddocks, and 15 corrals; 650 water troughs, 175 miles of pipeline, 145 water tanks, three dams, and three large reservoirs water the ranch. The ranch owns 26,000 head of cattle, mainly Angus and Charolais. At any given time, 17,000 are pastured; the remainder are on the mainland. 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 80 | 82 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 76 | The L and Report 100 GREG VAUGHN / ALAMY No. 83 75 | P er Richard Smart, the Parker Ranch benefits the educational and health needs of the Waimea community.