Wiregrass Spring 2016 - Southwest Georgia Farm Credit
Transcription
Wiregrass Spring 2016 - Southwest Georgia Farm Credit
SPRING 2016 2016 Annual Land Values Survey AREA REALTORS TELL US WHAT’S IN THEIR CRYSTAL BALLS LAND SURVEY Respondents tell us… I think (the) demand will be greater in recreational property. (We) could see a drop in price on non-irrigated farmland. — Bobby Miller The Real Estate Shop, Inc. around TOWN May 7 Dawson TERRELL COUNTY TOUR OF HOMES The Terrell County Historical Society’s annual event includes six homes in Dawson and one church in Bronwood. The hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the tour begins at the Terrell County Chamber of Commerce. For more info: 229.995.2011 Second Weekend in May Cairo ANTIQUE CAR RALLY AND SYRUP CITY DAYS GONE BY FESTIVAL Our firm experienced several large tract sales in 2015, (including) recreational properties as well as farm and timber tracts. We have multiple buyers looking for (all) types of properties, but are keen on having a good investment. — Perry Clements III Rozier & Associates Realty Farm/timberland isn’t a category, but (one) I have a ton of interest in. I am seeing an increase in people looking for 25-100 acre mini farms, recreational tracts and ‘gentlemen farms.’ That upturn, in my opinion, is a positive for the future of real estate sales. — Mandy Hart Chambers Coldwell Banker Walden & Kirkland LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 2 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 Find out why Cairo is called “Syrup City” at this festival that will feature an antique car rally, crafts, demonstrations, antique farm equipment, and much more. For more info: 229.377.3663 May 13 - 14 Camilla GNAT DAYS Join the 5K on Friday night and then stay for music and dancing. On Saturday, there’s something for everyone with arts and crafts, entertainment, and activities. For more info: 229.336.5255 VISIT THE PLAINS DEPOT Plains The Plains Depot was the headquarters for the Carter Campaign for the presidency. In January 1977, the 18 car Peanut Special left here to take the newly elected president and his entourage to the inauguration. 300 North Bond Street, just off US Highway 280. For more info: 229.824.4104 WESTVILLE: GEORGIA’S WORKING 1850S TOWN Westville depicts the life and culture of 1850. The town is a living history village of original buildings dating back to 1850 that have been authentically restored to function as life was during that time. Visitors see craftsmen producing items for village neighbors, hear the blacksmith’s hammer and smell gingerbread and biscuits baking. Visitors can also participate by making syrup, candles and soap. For more info: 229.838.6310 or 888.733.1850 Don’t miss a single issue of Wiregrass Land & Living! It’s free and easy to subscribe. Email us at LandFinancing@SWGAFarmCredit.com and we’ll add you to our list! Three-year old tee-ball star Tom Chastain legs out a single during a recent game in Bainbridge. Tom is the son of Carla and Michael Chastain. Carla is a Credit Analyst at Southwest Georgia Farm Credit. We’re proud to support kids, families and our communities throughout southwest Georgia! is published quarterly for stockholders, directors and friends of Southwest Georgia Farm Credit. PRESIDENT Richard Monson BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kim Rentz, Chairman Robert B. Moss, Vice Chairman John M. Bridges, Jr., Jeffrey A. Clark, James H. Dixon, Jr., Clifford Dollar, Jr., Robert L. Holden, Sr., Ted Milliron EDITOR & MARKETING DIRECTOR - Liz Nogowski MARKETING SPECIALIST - Frances Edmunds INSIDE THIS ISSUE 4 HAPPY 100TH, FARM CREDIT! 6 AREA REALTORS TELLS US WHAT’S IN THEIR CRYSTAL BALLS 2016 LAND SALES SURVEY PUBLISHER - AgFirst Farm Credit Bank PUBLISHING DIRECTOR - Padgett Mozingo PRINTER - Professional Printers CIRCULATION - Kathi DeFlorio Address changes, questions or comments should be directed to Southwest Georgia Farm Credit by writing 305 Colquitt Highway, Bainbridge, GA 39817, calling 229.246.0384, or emailing fedmunds@swgafarmcredit.com. Copies of the Association’s Annual and Quarterly reports are available upon request free of charge by calling 1.866.304.3276 or writing Ryan Burtt, Chief Financial Officer, Southwest Georgia Farm Credit, 305 Colquitt Highway, Bainbridge, GA, 39817, or accessing the website, www.SWGAFarmCredit.com. The Association prepares an electronic version of the Annual Report which is available on the Association’s website within 75 days after the end of the fiscal year, and distributes the Annual Reports to Shareholders within 90 days after the end of the fiscal year. The Association prepares an electronic version of the Quarterly report within 40 days after the end of each fiscal quarter, except that no report need be prepared for the fiscal quarter that coincides with the end of the fiscal year of the institution. 14 DUANE “BANJO” DAVIS SERVED OUR COUNTRY, AND OUR BORROWERS, WELL 16 FARMER’S DAUGHTER VINEYARDS 18 UNDERSTAND YOUR INTEREST RATE LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 3 Happy 100th, Farm Credit! By Richard S. Monson President and Chief Executive Officer So what has the Farm Credit System been doing for the last 100 years? Quite a lot, actually. Since 1916, the Farm Credit System has played a critical role in ensuring our country has the least expensive and most wholesome food supply you’ll find anywhere in the world. How have we done this? It’s a matter of reliability and a consistent desire to ensure farmers, agribusinesses and rural property owners have access to competitively priced credit—throughout the good economic cycles and the tougher ones. From the beginning, it was Congress’ intention that the System’s role would be to ensure access to competitively-priced credit for an industry that is vital to our country’s security and well-being. It was no accident that Congress had the foresight to create a narrowly scoped public lending charter, that also ensured each System institution was owned as a privately-controlled financial cooperative that benefited those who used it—using business disciplines as times and markets changed. Delivering on this intent has been neither simple nor lacking challenge. Much has changed since the days in 1917 when author Laura Ingalls Wilder, of Little House on the Prairie fame, organized one of the first Farm Loan Associations in Missouri. Since that time, agriculture has evolved from being largely subsistence farming to being capable of feeding over 322 million people and representing $1 of every $10 of total U.S. exports. A Hardscrabble Path LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 4 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 Since the earliest times market and competitive forces have tried to extinguish the farmer-owned system and the competition it affords. Severe recession just after World War I caused agricultural prices to plummet, and then again during the Great Depression when farm incomes were devastated by the collapsing economy. Successive organizational restructurings and recapitalizations enabled the System to maintain its role serving agriculture and rural communities as agriculture thrived through the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s. Errantly framed farm policy and worldwide overproduction prompted yet another catastrophic agricultural recession in the 1980s. Arising out of this economic storm was a restructured System that was well capitalized, reorganized and positioned to again serve its mission to agriculture and rural America. Throughout these trials and tribulations, competitive forces lobbied and sought to extinguish the privately owned financial cooperative. From Supreme Court rulings upholding the System’s chartered authorities, to countless assaults on its chartered powers from the commercial financial institution lobby, the System has survived protectionist and anticompetitive attempts to destroy the mission-based lending concept. A New Dawn for Agriculture and Rural America As Farm Credit has had to adapt over time, so have the clients and businesses it finances. As an industry, agriculture has become quite scale oriented; meaning a very large proportion of the aggregate output is produced by a very small proportion of the producers. This trend has been occurring since the earliest era of agriculture. In addition to growing larger, capital investment in technology has reduced labor and improved yields, enabling improvement in profitability. Today, with less than 2 percent of the population working in agriculture, Farm Credit has experienced much the same evolution. Like the industry it serves, Farm Credit associations have decreased from nearly 5,000 in 1932, to half again as many in 1974 and even further to just 82 today. Southwest Georgia Farm Credit is one of these 82 and reflects a number of successive consolidating mergers that created the entity it is today. Collectively, if the System were a bank, it would be the 10th largest bank in the United States. will. And the drive to maintain efficiency and productivity will continue to mandate the need for investment and competitively priced capital. Thus, as a committed lender to agriculture and rural communities, we see this as squarely within our strike zone and are well prepared to ensure that competition prevails. There is also a new class or breed of farmer becoming increasingly prevalent within the industry space. They don’t necessarily represent large production facilities, but they do represent entrepreneurial individuals whose love of food production and craft products meet the demand of specialty and niche markets. Often these innovators are the seeds being sown of what agriculture will look like in the future. These are instances where a privately member-owned financial cooperative looks past the bottom line and focuses on what the future could be. Communities Matter A Critical Role in Rural America Even as our Association’s market footprint is largely rural and agricultural in nature, that does not mean community is only a peripheral concern. Recognizing that without strong community agriculture cannot thrive, we take our responsibility to community very seriously and have done so for the last century. We do it because we believe in it and not because it generates more business or greater public awareness. Our market is a very small fraction of the overall rural population, but this same population must have a vibrant community and the services it provides to sustain economic growth. So does a locally owned Farm Credit bring value to the community? You bet it does—through the dollars given directly to various community service organizations, non-profits and public sector infrastructure, such as health care facilities and schools. We actually view this as an investment in agriculture. It further builds strong community when our profits are distributed to more than 1,100 members who in turn spend that money in the communities where they live. Rural communities have felt the brunt of change especially hard, as agriculture has become ever more efficient and productive, with the smallest labor force in history. Many rural communities and towns still rely on agriculture and its prosperity to maintain the essential services and infrastructure for sustaining their quality of life. Those communities where farming is largely absent have not fared well and the depletion in population in many of these communities is a testament of such. So, yes, we have been very busy for the last 100 years. And we believe agriculture’s best years are still ahead, which means Farm Credit must be ever vigilant to adapt to a changing agriculture and to guard against erosion of business disciplines that are required by all businesses to stay relevant within their marketplace. In the end it will be the strength of our member-ownership and commitment to providing a value proposition to rural America that enables the legacy to succeed for another 100 years. In areas where agriculture and agribusiness thrive, rural communities have fared much better. This does not preclude the same market forces that have historically been experienced from continuing. They Richard S. Monson is president and chief executive officer of Southwest Georgia Farm Credit and has been with the Farm Credit System since 1986. During the recent well publicized favorable agricultural cycle, an unprecedented number of financial institutions, nonbank credit providers, private lenders and investor oriented funds entered the competitive arena. Profitability for nearly all lending participants sank to very low levels as a flush of investment dollars brought the cost of credit to historic lows. The good news is this has been very favorable for the farm and agribusiness consumer. Low interest rates have contributed to sustained profitability and softened the sting of increased capital investment. The departure of all this capital directed toward agriculture will begin as commodity prices suffer and interest rates rise. More attractive investment yields elsewhere will redirect the attention of many who have previously been focused on agriculture. LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 5 Area Realtors tell us What’s in Their 2016 LAND VALUES SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS NICHE MARKETS, TRENDS Welcome to our sixth edition of Southwest Georgia Farm Credit’s annual Land Values Survey. This collection provides a helpful overview of today’s rural real estate market from the perspective of real estate professionals who sell in the 21 counties of Southwest Georgia. You’re sure to discover new insights and trends affecting our area through their eyes. HOW THE REAL ESTATE PROS SEE IT… Surveying may be a science, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. We kept this year’s survey simple, as we sought to make a distinction between: • Inquiries (which might include tire kickers) • Potential buyers (perhaps pre-qualified and more serious prospects) • Listings (meaning properties that are legitimately on the market) LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 6 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 INQUIRIES: Crystal Balls DECLINED SIGNIFICANTLY DECLINED SLIGHTLY REMAINED THE SAME INCREASED SLIGHTLY INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY SEARCHES: SIGNIFICANT DECLINE IN SEARCHES SLIGHT DECREASE IN SEARCHES SAME LEVEL OF SEARCHES SLIGHT INCREASE IN SEARCHES SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN SEARCHES LISTINGS: SIGNIFICANT DECLINE IN LISTINGS SLIGHT DECREASE IN LISTINGS SAME LEVEL OF LISTINGS SLIGHT INCREASE IN LISTINGS SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN LISTINGS LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 7 WHAT WE ASKED What best describes the number of inquiries you are receiving to purchase in the following categories? • Irrigated farm land: More than 82% reported that inquiries were about the same or have increased. • Non-irrigated farm land: Inquiries remained the same, according to 61% of respondents, but 29% reported a decline. • Rural/recreational tracts: A full 80% said inquiries are about the same or have increased. • Timber/investment: Interestingly, 46% said inquiries were about the same and 28% said they had increased, while 25% said they have declined. • Rural residential homes with acreage: Nearly 50% said inquiries were about the same and another 40% reported an increase. What best describes the number of clients you are actively helping search for available real estate? • According to 64% of the pros, the activity level on irrigated farm land has either remained the same or increased, while almost 36% reported a decline. • Almost 58% said searches on non-irrigated farm land remain at the same level or have increased, but another 42% reported a decline. • A solid 68% said searches have remained the same or increased on rural/recreational tracts. • It seems significant that on timber/investment properties, almost 38% said searches have declined, while nearly 35% reported they were about the same and 27% said searches have increased. • A good majority – almost 78% – agreed that activity has remained the same or increased on rural residential homes with acreage. What best describes the number of listings you are actively working for defined categories of real estate? • Irrigated farm land: A little more than half (52%) said they are seeing the same number of listings or an increase, while almost 48% said they have seen a decline. • Non-irrigated farm land: Almost 57% said they are seeing the same number of listings or a slight increase, while 43% said they have declined. • Rural/recreational tracts: Nearly 70% said they are seeing the same number of listings or a slight increase. • Timber/investment: Of the respondents, 65% said they are seeing the same number of listings or an increase. • Rural residential homes with acreage: Almost 76% said listings have remained the same or have increased. LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 8 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 LAND TRENDS: NICHE IS IN While he was traveling in Central Florida for a real estate conference recently, someone introduced Dan Crocker and mentioned he was from Thomasville, Georgia. As Crocker shook hands, the guy asked, “Do you quail hunt?” Crocker answered enthusiastically: “Every day!” Not that he does, but he could if he wanted to—and that’s really the point. Crocker is the Broker of Crocker Realty, Inc. in downtown Thomasville, and serves on the Thomasville Area Board of Realtors as well as the board for the Realtors Land Institute’s Georgia chapter. He’s keenly interested in market trends and is a student of developments affecting real estate nationally. One trend that he says remains strong is dog trainers moving into Thomas County, confirming Boston, Georgia’s reputation as the “capital of winter retriever training.” “You’ll see them driving around the back roads with dog boxes in the back, going to each other’s ponds and trying different set ups.” The dog trainers are buying in the mid-range—100 or so acres—and their need for improvements, such as ponds, fences and kennels, is a nice boost for the economy. This category of buyer is adding to the mix of out of state purchasers and part-time residents. The day we caught up with Crocker, he had just been talking to a buyer from Vermont. Earlier in the week, he was working with buyers from Minnesota and Wisconsin—not all of them dog trainers. “I think there would be more of them if the economy would improve up north,” he says. Land values continue to remain strong in Thomas County and it’s justifiable, according to Crocker. He recalled a meeting he set up last spring between a buyer and seller—something that he admits gives him heartburn to even consider. The buyer told the seller she could go anywhere else and get the same property for $1,000 or even $2,000 less per acre, yet the seller didn’t flinch. “But if you buy here, you’re not going to go to bed at night wondering what’s going to happen on the property next door.” Crockers’s point: strict zoning laws have helped protect values in Thomas County. Dan Crocker CROCKER REALTY, INC Thomasville The Rural Residential Buyer Dan Crocker, Broker with Crocker Realty, Inc., worked with a couple in their 30s last year. They didn’t have kids, were big deer hunters and were looking for a permanent residence. It was a challenging deal, it kept going sideways, he says. “There were tears, fits—I was frustrated,” but he hung in there and they finally closed early last fall on a 40-plus acre tract. Then the husband started emailing Crocker and reporting that his game cameras weren’t getting any action. “He was sweating it bad,” Crocker says, until the plantations got cranked up with quail season. “The deer ran into his woods seeking heavy cover—his property was bottled up with deer.” Crocker credits the county’s leadership and foresight for instituting zoning in the early 1990s. It wasn’t comfortable at the time, but the area is realizing the benefits today. “They know the policies are in place to preserve the value of their property,” he says. “There’s a uniformity to it.” There was an added bonus. Crocker suggested his client contact the adjoining property owner to introduce himself, so he mailed a letter to the out of state owner, who then offered to let the new neighbor hunt on his property. “So now he’s sitting on 100 acres,” Crocker says. Another good bet for holding values is property with a plantation next door like the 520-acre tract he sold last year. Buyers are willing to pay more. “There’s a peace about it. Plantations make good neighbors.” And the last we heard, the man was still sending him game photos. LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 9 Mike Matre Claudine Morgan MATRE FORESTRY CONSULTING, INC Albany BUENA VISTA REALTY Marion County Florida making a comeback Mike Matre, Broker with Matre Forestry Consulting, Inc., says he can tell there’s been a recovery in the Central Florida economy, as he’s seeing an increase from buyers in that area looking for recreational tracts. He had two brothers with a land clearing business tell him it was booming so much they can’t keep up. “Whenever things are moving well in Florida, you will see hunters coming into south Georgia and south Alabama.” A slight twist in the recreational buyer is the increased interest in investment potential, whereas, it used to be mostly about the game. In fact, the two brothers told Matre they were pulling all of their money out of the stock market and wanted him to get busy finding them some land. “That’s not an uncommon mindset,” Matre says, “although I don’t recommend converting everything. Diversification is a good thing to have.” “ A big chunk of Matre’s business is timber investment that often comes as a referral through forestry consulting. “Timber is becoming kind of the ‘in’ thing for savvy investors,” he says. LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 Traditional recreational buyers in Claudine Morgan’s Marion County market are also looking for a return, she says. “Our hunters used to buy land with just hardwoods. Today, they want it with timber, also. They want that value.” The Broker with Buena Vista Realty also says she’s seeing an increase in a less traditional type of recreational buyer—families with kids. Buena Vista’s proximity to Columbus is part of the attraction. Water is the new oil. Recreational buyers seem to be more cautious now than pre-recession, he says. “They do their homework, and they of course want good hunting and aesthetics, but they also want to see how the property can produce financially for them over 10 or even 20 years.” 10 Since there are fewer players in the more complex timberland space, you can get into good timber tracts at very reasonable dirt prices. “Timberland investments that are thousands of acres do produce very good annual income, but even a small timberland investment of just a 100 acres or less can put on very rapid timber value, which can lead to 8% or better annual return on investment.” “ — Jon Kohler, Jon Kohler & Associates Last year, she worked with clients who wanted anything from 15 to more than 100 acres. “A lot of them just wanted to bring out a camper for the night, bring the kids, ride their four-wheeler.” There might be a fishing pond on the tract, too. “That’s kind of a new trend I’m seeing.” Rural residential properties are also popular in her area. “It’s kind of a fad to have chickens and maybe do some organic gardening,” she says. Occasionally Morgan will get a real city dweller and they don’t quite know what they’re in for with rural property. One couple had lived in a large city and never been through an area like what she was showing. On about the third tract, she could see they had something else in mind. “We like your property,” they told her, “but we were hoping to see a grassy yard.” “They were so sweet about it,” Morgan says, “but all they cared about was growing grass that they could mow.” Brant Harrell Starting younger Brant Harrell, one of Southwest Georgia Farm Credit’s Relationship Managers, has noted more younger buyers in the market, “moving toward the land.” “They want a few acres to build on, grow some of their own food,” he says. “They’re looking at it as an investment to round out their portfolio, too. Not just stocks.” He’s noted a few new developments in the ag sector as well. Last year was a good one for agriculture and he has seen some niche type crops coming into the area. “There’s a push toward crops being grown on smaller acres,” versus the traditional row crop of corn, cotton, peanuts, field corn and sweet corn. Farmers are seeking to diversify, especially the full time ones, as land values go up and commodity prices go down. Some are looking at pecans as a crop as well. Inquiries 20% 40% 60% Southwest Georgia has been attracting some of the bigger operations, he says. One of the top 25 vegetable producers in the country has begun to move away from the West Coast and plant in this area. “Our soils have a lot to do with it, our weather, climate and water resources,” he says. “We’ve got the infrastructure. Our ag businesses are cutting edge—they’re boots on the ground that can make things happen.” One of Josh McGalliard’s Farm Credit clients has been adding one tract a year of irrigated farm land and is now planning to open a microbrewery in Albany. “He’s going to grow the organic produce and make beer and other products,” McGalliard says. As a Relationship Manager for Farm Credit in the Dawson office, McGalliard has also financed several pecan groves that were purchased by locals looking to diversify. Clients RECEIVED Listings ACTIVELY SEARCHING 80% 100% 0% 20% 40% RELATIONSHIP MANAGER Of wealth and breweries “Not full blown organic or natural, but olives, more blueberries and grapes.” 0% Josh McGalliard RELATIONSHIP MANAGER 60% RECEIVED 80% 100% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% IRRIGATED FARM LAND NON-IRRIGATED FARM LAND RECREATIONAL TRACTS TIMBER/ INVESTMENT RESIDENTIAL WITH ACREAGE DECLINE SAME INCREASE FOR REAL ESTATE AS COMPARED TO PRIOR YEAR, BY CATEGORY LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 11 The property was previously owned by Ed and Lisbeth Fogg. Ed died about 10 years ago, Bostick says, and upon his wife’s death last year, because they had no children or direct heirs, the property was sold through a sealed bid handled by The Wright Group. Nancemede consisted of nearly 3,600 acres—2,124 that were under 17 center pivot irrigation systems with 14 deep wells—a 12,000-plus square foot plantation home on a high-bluff overlooking the Flint River, mixed aged class pine timber stands, paddocks barns and kennels. The sale offered divided tracts as small as 41 acres to the entire portfolio. Bostick’s buyer elected to buy all but two of the tracts. Bostick knew the plantation well. He got to know Ed Fogg when the couple relocated from Miami in the 1980s and helped him acquire nearly half of the properties in his collection. All were previously individual farms, and many were contiguous. “He saw the possibility of all this irrigated land and started acquiring it,” Bostick says. The result was a rare and beautiful thing. Joe Bostick, Jr SOUTHERN ASSET SOLUTIONS LLC Camilla He’s noted the increased interest by high net worth individuals who are looking to land as a place to park their money as well. They know they can get a good return and possibly tax credits if they pursue conservation easements. Southwest Georgia is a welcome terrain. With the ag economy down, there are good deals available, McGalliard says, and he expects it won’t be long before it’s a buyer’s market. It’s a trend that Jon Kohler, Broker with Jon Kohler & Associates, calls, “wealth preservation properties.” “The niche I specialize in—quality land and quality buyer—are more worried about their return of capital in this uncertain time versus their return on capital.” He says buying a piece of land with timber is like a stock certificate, with one important difference: “Timber won’t go to zero.” It can come with good tax benefits, as well. And if it has water? Well… “Water is the new oil,” Kohler says. “Everybody knows that water costs more than gas these days.” A rare and awesome sale Availability of water is what made the difference in the sale of Nancemede Plantation last November. Joe Bostick Jr, Broker with Southern Asset Solutions LLC, represented the buyer. The deal was the largest sale of irrigated farm land ever put on the market in southwest Georgia. LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 12 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 “The rule of thumb is that farm land changes hands about once every third generation,” Bostick says. It’s a very stable market, there’s not a lot of turnover. Because of that it takes a long time to assemble a portfolio of property like Fogg had—it takes a lifetime. “You’re limited by the amount of land that comes up for sale,” Bostick says. “What he did was really hard to do. That made the offering very unique.” “ ...even a small timberland investment of just a 100 acres or less can put on very rapid timber value... “ — Mike Matre, Matre Forestry Consulting Nancemede set a new record high for the area, according to Bostick. “It’s the largest sale of irrigated farm land at any one time put on the market in this area.” The auction drew a lot of attention from institutional investors, and other outside buyers who bid on the property as well. There were a reported 28 different bidders and about 60 bid combinations—an unusual number, Bostick says. In the end, it was a local who had the winning bid. Although he’s been selling ag land, farm and timber tracts for 34 years, this was a milestone for Bostick. “I felt humbled and fortunate to be a part of it,” he says. LOOKING AHEAD Grab a glass of iced tea and settle down a bit. It’s time to take a look at the big picture. And who better than Southwest Georgia Farm Credit’s CEO, Richard Monson, to give it to us. Monson may call himself an amateur economist, but after 30 years with Farm Credit, the truth is, he gets this stuff. Here are a few nuggets that our Chief Economist and CEO shared with us: On investors leaving the stock market for real estate • There are not a lot of places where you can find a 3 to 4 percent return and still have an acceptable risk proposition as well. The two key factors, though: “Will irrigated land rental rates hold?” and “Will interest rates stay at historical lows?” Neither is guaranteed. • As for the wealth preservation aspect, where people desire to invest in tangible assets such as woodland or a plantation for both personal use and long term wealth preservation—often including leaving something tangible as a legacy for future generations—the market is holding strong. Among the high net worth individuals. • Rural land has much less volatility than commercial real estate, which helps insulate it from bubbles like we saw in 2005-2009. But there’s a trade off. When things go up—it doesn’t go up as much. And when things go down, it doesn’t go down as much. Price trends • The most notable trend is the ceiling on irrigated farm land values that have resulted by the softening of commodity prices. Revenues from OUTLOOK for 2016 production will be off sharply, but government payments will help make up for some of the losses. • Present valuations on irrigated farm land in southwest Georgia are the highest in history. We expect these to stabilize and don’t expect to see a tremendous escalation. • Given global supply and demand and the number of unsteady economies it does not appear the low price cycle in agriculture will change very soon. In fact, we are not that far off on historical averages for many of the crops—the aberration was where they were, not where they are—suggesting there will not be much upward pressure on prices. We have a tenuous equilibrium right now that without a supply shock there is little support of upward movement. • Further commodity price drops would have a fairly devastating short term impact on valuations. Long term, though, the prospects for Southwest Georgia irrigated farm land are good because of the quality water supply, infrastructure, management expertise and long growing season. All combine to make the area attractive for agricultural production. Bottom line: we’ll fair better than most. But the water is the key. • The picture looks bleak for nonirrigated crop land and tracts that do not have access to a water source for irrigation. In rural areas lacking any lifestyle appeal such as aesthetics and proximity to consumer services, these properties will see very little upward movement in values. • The demand for lifestyle properties, including woodland, hobby farms and plantations, have had a resurgence in growth, though well short of the pre-real estate bubble. It’s more of a normalized level of demand, and will have only a moderate effect on prices. What water is worth • The most essential feature is water. Despite the well drilling moratorium, the quality and availability of water supply (in southwest Georgia) compared to other producing regions is very favorable. • Water is a huge thing. The reality is that you could take irrigated farm land and derive the value of water. For example, on a tract priced at $5,000 an acre today, the truth is that it’s only worth about half as much or less without the water. That begins to tell you what water is worth. Even with stock market volatility and public disenchantment with our political process, there are some very strong and positive things with the US economy. Incomes are rising, unemployment is falling and industrial production is up. This should continue an environment where demand for lifestyle real estate slowly strengthens. LAND LAND && LIVING LIVING -- SPRING SPRING 2016 2016 LAND LAND && LIVING LIVING -- SPRING SPRING 2016 2016 13 Duane “Banjo” Davis’ Value to Farm Credit Can’t Be Measured by Appraisals HE WAS A SOPHOMORE AT NORTH GEORGIA COLLEGE, SITTING AROUND WITH A BUNCH OF HIS BUDDIES, MAKING UP NICKNAMES FOR EACH OTHER, WHEN ONE FRIEND DECIDED THAT DUANE DAVIS FROM CAMILLA, GEORGIA, SHOULD FOREVER BE KNOWN AS “BANJO.” The next day, all around campus, his fellow classmates didn’t let up, A native of Grady County, Banjo came home and took up farming, referring to him by his new tag. Though he showed little enthusiasm about two miles from the farm where he was raised. He met his wife for the name, it stuck, so much so that after graduation, on his very of 53 years, Vonnie, and together they raised two sons and now first day in the United States Army, Ft. Benning, a buddy from his enjoy three grandchildren. In 1991, he became the Chief Appraiser college days saw him from a distance and shouted, “Hey, Banjo!” for Southwest Georgia Farm Credit. This year—25 years later—will be And with the nickname came the call handle for his helicopter flight his last at the Association. He’s decided to call it quits—hanging up training class—“Banjo Flight.” his title and his rank for a second time—leaving behind a legacy of Twenty-one years as an Infantry Officer and a helicopter pilot, many of those years spent during the tumultuous years of the Vietnam War, “Banjo took his job as Chief Appraiser to heart,” CEO Richard Monson, Banjo returned to southwest Georgia an officer and a gentleman, said. “For 25 years we’ve counted on him to ensure valuations were ready to take on whatever life brought his way…with a love of country done correctly and accurately, and our customers have counted on he proudly served. him for the same. He’s seen good times and not so good times, and LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 14 integrity, and kindness. LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 Veterans – Impacting Lives in Rural Communities The Farmer Veteran Coalition’s Homegrown By Heroes Program continues to be embraced throughout the country. Launched in 2014, Homegrown By Heroes is a product labeling program that identifies, promotes and supports agricultural products grown and raised by U.S. veterans and those still has a practicality about the way he approaches the job. We’re going to miss serving in any branch of the U.S. military. More his professionalism, not to mention his friendship.” than 250 farmers in more than 40 states are using “If I had to describe Banjo in one word it would be ‘dependable,’” said Brian Wilson, Senior Relationship Manager in the Americus office. “If Banjo says he’s going to do something, he does it. And beyond that, I can’t the Homegrown By Heroes label. Veterans possess the unique skills and character even begin to explain how much I have learned from him about land values needed to strengthen rural communities, and food and the real estate market. He’s approachable, lets you know if you get off production offers purpose, opportunity, track, and then he teaches you what he knows.” and physical and psychological benefits to those For now, Banjo will spend some extra time with Vonnie and the grandkids, answer questions from his appraiser trainee, Tyler Foister, who like Banjo, grew up on the family farm. Tyler knows Banjo is only a phone call away. Banjo says he’ll eagerly help. For your years of service— all of them—thank you, Banjo. veterans. Through the Homegrown By Heroes program, Southwest Georgia Farm Credit celebrates and recognizes opportunities for local veterans in rural America. If you would like to learn more about the Homegrown By Heroes Program or to apply, visit farmvetco.org. Honor to the soldier and sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country’s cause. Honor, also, to the citizen who cares for his brother in the field and serves, as he best can, the same cause. —Abraham Lincoln LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 15 Farmers Renee and Clayton Moss of Thomasville not only grow the grapes they use to produce Farmer’s Daughter Vineyards wines, they encourage you to taste it at their new storefront in downtown Thomasville. FARMER’S DAUGHTER VINEYARDS 106 North Broad Street, Downtown Thomasville Wednesdays and Thursdays 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 16 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 Is it Good to Farm? IN 2013, DODGE RAN A SUPER BOWL COMMERCIAL FOR ITS RAM TRUCK FEATURING PAUL HARVEY’S TRIBUTE TO FARMERS. SHOWING THE DIFFICULTY, REALITY AND BEAUTY OF A FARMER’S WORK, THIS AD WAS WILDLY POPULAR BECAUSE SO FEW ACTUALLY GET TO EXPERIENCE FARMING. THE AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY, IN MANY SECTORS, IS GOING THROUGH AN ECONOMIC RESET. A dedicated Farm Credit Association team member recently asked me the question “Is it good to farm?” She inquired in earnest on behalf of her clients, family and neighbors who are each concerned about industry challenges. I hope as we examine the elements of the answer to this question you will remember the positive most certainly outweighs anything else in agriculture, especially for farmers. Immediately, my first response was yes. The agriculture industry is strong and opportunistic, particularly, farming. According to farm record summaries, the top 20 percent of managers consistently earn a 6 percent rate of return above long-term rate of inflation and above long-term rates of borrowed capital. Granted, these are above average managers that maintain good financials and management practices, and are prudent in investments, living withdrawals, and farm costs. These managers do not handle the largest operations but manage within the realm of their resources. Therefore, if profits are a priority in measuring long-term success, analysis finds opportunities abound. Globally, the big picture for agriculture is bright. By the year 2050, estimates suggest an additional 60 to 70 percent more fiber, food and fuel will be consumed globally. However, for our next generation of producers, this increase will only require 70 percent of the current resource base. In that light, innovation and technology will be the keys for success. Build upon the principles of the past generation and focus on productive assets. The philosophies of “efficiency before growth” or “better is better before bigger is better” can lead to prosperity in agriculture. In addition, farming encourages the entrepreneurial spirit. Farming rewards creativity and innovation in several areas including production and marketing. Additionally, every farm operation is structured differently offering flexibility in the alignment of the many, moving pieces. In farming, there is no formula or magic strategy that guarantees success. Instead, success can be created in numerous ways. In the future, growth may be in local, natural or organic products, or perhaps, in traditional farm operations, or maybe in larger, more complex, extended family corporations. Farming is a widely-varied profession and depending on your destination, there is a type of farming to get you to there. Just days ago, I spoke to a Future Farmers of American (FFA) group in Franklin County, Virginia. During my presentation, a young participant asked if there was a bright future for young people in agriculture. As with the Farm Credit representative, my response was a quick and energetic, “Yes!” The agriculture industry directly or indirectly represents approximately one in six jobs in America. Young people who understand technology and exhibit good work habits such as, timeliness, ability to follow direction and social maturity will have boundless opportunity. Tanner and Sawyer, a senior and freshman in the group, had both attended our young farmer seminar sponsored by Farm Credit two weeks prior. At the end of the day, another speaker, Dr. Alex White, professor at Virginia Tech, and I were impressed with the pages of notes taken from our talk. What was even more impressive, however, was Tanner, the high school senior, assisting another classmate on his spreadsheet cash flow statement for a start-up beef operation. After seeing this, one cannot help but be enthusiastic about the future of the agriculture industry and the profession of farming. Finally, life on a farm is special. I often hear in informal conversation with producers that raising a family on the farm is priceless. Growing up on a working farm affords children a unique perspective as less than 2 percent of our country’s population is directly involved in production agriculture. Additionally, farm life allows children to gain emotional intelligence. Whether or not they ever learn to drive a tractor, children growing up on a farm absorb a heightened sense responsibility, teambuilding, life-and-death as well as the seasonal nature of the industry. This type of intelligence is a life-building, rare skill. Benefits such as, farm life, do not always have a dollar amount assigned. Regardless of the economic outlook, the cycle, or even where we are in the cycle, it is still good to be in agriculture and yes, to farm. The agriculture industry is integral to global economics, continuing innovation, and generations of sustainability. Farming requires strength of body, mind and heart. It is meaningful and fulfilling work that provides the food, feed, fiber and fuel upon which life is sustained. That is honorable and good. David Kohl received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Agricultural Economics from Cornell University. For 25 years, Kohl was Professor of Agricultural Finance and Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship in the Department of Agricultural Applied Economics at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia. LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 17 SELECTING AN INTEREST RATE IT’S WISE TO UNDERSTAND THE OPTIONS BY RICHARD S. MONSON Asking your lender what is your interest rate, colloquially known as the price of your money, is a lot like asking your car dealer what is the price of cars. want the money at a certain price, generally the more expensive it is. In other words, if the price of money to be repaid over 10 years is 5% then the cost for 15 years might be something in the order of 7%. Just Just as cars come in a multitude of makes and models, interest rate like when a bank borrows your money with a Certificate of Deposit products come in a vast array of attributes. Knowing which interest (CD) they pay 1.5% for 3 years and 2.25% for 5 years. In essence they rate product is right for you requires that you ask yourself a series of have to pay you a higher rate for you to lend them the money longer. questions. What ultimately drives this difference? Money is a commodity just Before we look at the questions, however, there is one fundamental like farm commodities and it is traded every day around the world. aspect of the cost of money that must be understood: the longer you Depending on the supply and demand of money over the range of INTEREST RATE PRODUCTS FINAL RATE FLOATING 15% YR YR YR YR YR YR YR YR YR YR YR YR YR YR YR 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 3.50% NO PROTECTION Payments calculated over 15 years and interest rate and payment can fluctuate monthly. 3/15 +0.75% 4.25% 3 YEARS PROTECTION Payments calculated over 15 years but interest rate and payment fixed for only 3 years. 5/15 +0.90% 4.40% 5 YEARS PROTECTION Payments calculated over 15 years but interest rate and payment fixed for only 5 years. 15/15 +1.35% FULL PROTECTION 4.85% Payments calculated over 15 years, interest rate and payment fixed for entire 15 years. 1. Examples: Floating 15 is described as an interest rate and payment that can change monthly for the entire 15 year term of the loan. 3/15 is described as a 3 year balloon maturity within which the interest rate will not change with a payment schedule based on a 15 year amortization. 2. Hypothetical interest rate to borrower used for illustrative purposes only and may not represent actual rates available. LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 18 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 timeframes determines what the cost is on a daily basis. And just like We finance your life in the country. farm commodities you can hedge the cost of money and contract the price so that it will not change. To illustrate how one can determine the degree they wish to remove uncertainty from their cost of money look at the example shown. As portrayed in the table for a range of interest rate product structures, it is apparent that as you move further out in time (3, 5, and 15 year maturities) the interest rate rises. Whenever the actual maturity is less than the scheduled amortization, it is called a balloon maturity and the entire loan is due and payable at that time. More often than not the loan is renewed, but it is done so at whatever the prevailing interest rate is at the time. Another way of looking at this is on an incremental basis, viewing the difference in the money cost that can change monthly, over that which will not change over set periods of time. So the first question you need to ask yourself is how much protection you really want. The basic concept is that the floating rate would have to rise above the fixed rate greater than the cost differential for more than half of the term to maturity for the protection of the fixed rate to be less cost. Three-year old tee-ball star Tom Chastain legs out a single during a recent game in Bainbridge. Tom is the son of Carla and Michael Chastain. Carla is a Credit Analyst at Southwest Georgia Farm Credit. During the low interest rate environment we have experiencedWe’re for the proud to support kids, families and our communities throughout southwest Georgia! last 8 years it would appear that a floating rate was the best choice. A better way of looking at the issue is more like an insurance contract. INSIDE THIS ISSUE Insurance is generally obtained to prevent catastrophic loss from things we cannot predict and that would have disastrous consequences to your financial circumstances. And because no one can predict changes is published quarterly for stockholders, directors andespecially friends of Southwest Farm Credit. in interest rates, drastic Georgia changes, the cost of protection is really just insurance forPRESIDENT what you can’t afford to have happen. The Richard more apt you are to be ableMonson to afford interest rate rises the less you BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kim Rentz, Chairman Robert B. Moss, Vice Chairman Another might ask, is term to maturity the only thing that Johnquestion M. Bridges,one Jr., Jeffrey A. Clark, James H. Dixon, Jr., Clifford Dollar, Jr., Robert L. Holden, Ted other Milliron factors involved as well, affects the cost of money? No thereSr.,are need insurance, even though you still might want it. EDITOR & MARKETING DIRECTOR - Liz Nogowski such as financial capacity of the applicant, whether the repayment is MARKETING SPECIALIST - Frances Edmunds 4 HAPPY 100TH, FARM CREDIT! 6 AREA REALTORS TELLS US WHAT’S IN THEIR CRYSTAL BALLS 2016 LAND SALES SURVEY monthly, quarterly or annually and whether the payment structure is a PUBLISHER - AgFirst Farm Credit Bank standard equal payment or other payment structure. Generally these PUBLISHING DIRECTOR - Padgett Mozingo factors do not affect rate as much PRINTERthe - Professional Printersas term to maturity does. CIRCULATION - Kathi DeFlorio One thing we see occasionally is when folks get confused or even 14 Address changes, questions or comments should be directed possibly misled as to the actual structure of the interest rate product. to Southwest Georgia Farm Credit by writing 305 Colquitt Highway, Bainbridge, GA a39817, calling 229.246.0384, Comparing the price of 3 year balloon productorwith that of a fully emailing fedmunds@swgafarmcredit.com. Copies of the amortized product notQuarterly comparing apples to apples. The fully Association’s Annualis and reports are available upon request free of charge by calling 1.866.304.3276 or amortized product in the example above, costs .60% more than the writing Ryan Burtt, Chief Financial Officer, Southwest Georgia 3 year balloon product (4.85% vs 4.25%). What is often lost sight Farm Credit, 305 Colquitt Highway, Bainbridge, GA, 39817, or accessing the website, www.SWGAFarmCredit.com. The of is the fact that in 3 years the loan must be renewed at additional Association prepares an electronic version of the Annual feesReport and whatever interest is prevalent the market at the time. which is available on therate Association’s websiteinwithin 75 days after the of the fiscal andbeen distributes the a lower price it does Consequently, justend because youyear, have quoted Annual Reports to Shareholders within 90 days after the not end mean it fiscal is theyear. better deal as itprepares actually depends on a number of of the The Association an electronic version of the Quarterly report within 40 days after the end factors. of each fiscal quarter, except that no report need be prepared for the fiscal quarter that coincides with the end of the fiscal Theyear more you know, the better your conversation with your lender. of the institution. 16 18 DUANE “BANJO” DAVIS SERVED OUR COUNTRY, AND OUR BORROWERS, WELL First-time homebuyers with a home in the country FARMER’S DAUGHTER VINEYARDS Mortgages for those who are self employed Brenda Brookins NMLS 700141 BBrookins@SWGAFarmCredit.com > 229.254.8622 UNDERSTAND YOUR INTEREST RATE SWGAFarmCredit.com LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 19 3 Deerwood Plantation Mike Matre Claudine Morgan Albany Marion County Woods, Water and Wildlife in the Red Hills MATRE FORESTRY CONSULTING, INC 460 +/Florida making a comeback ACRES BUENA VISTA REALTY h Mike Matre, Broker with Matre Forestry Consulting, Inc., says he can tell there’s been a recovery in the Central Florida economy, as he’s seeing an increase from buyers in that area looking for recreational tracts. If a mini-plantation with a gated entrance leading to beautiful He hadwoods, two brothers with alake, landfour clearing himfield, it was quail a nine-acre bassbusiness ponds, atell dove booming so much they can’t keep up. “Whenever things are a cabin and guest house, and a dog kennel sounds like what moving well in Florida, you will see hunters coming into south you have been looking for, then Deerwood Plantation is for Georgia and south Alabama.” you. A great showplace recreational plantation on the western A slight twist in the recreational buyer is the increased interest side of the Thomasville-Tallahassee plantation belt, there are in investment potential, whereas, it used to be mostly about the approximately dozen namedtold plantations five miles. game. In fact, thea two brothers Matre theywithin were pulling all of their money out of the stock market and wanted him to get busy Deerwood is 460 +/- acres in Grady County, Georgia, finding them some land. only one-half mile west of the Ochlocknee River. “That’s not an uncommon mindset,” Matre says, “although I don’t The corridor along the Ochlocknee is well-known for recommend converting everything. Diversification is a good thing producing some of the area’s biggest bucks. The property’s to have.” “ G R A DY CO U N T Y Since there are fewer players in the more complex timberland space, you can get into good timber tracts at very reasonable dirt prices. “Timberland investments that are thousands of acres do edges have all been left thick and natural, with summer and produce very good annual income, but even a small timberland winter food plots interior to draw in game. The beautiful, investment of just a 100 acres or less can put on very rapid timber sandy-bottom Grey forannual a milereturn alongon theinvestment.” western value, which can leadBranch to 8% orruns better boundary of the property. Traditional recreational buyers in Claudine Morgan’s Marion County market looking a return, she says. “Our hunters used “This is are onealso of the bestfor buys for a small quail plantation in to buy land with just hardwoods. Today, they want it with timber, also. the Red Hills,” stated listing broker, Jon Kohler, of Jon Kohler They want that value.” & Associates. “The love and attention this property has been The Broker with Buena Vista Realty also says she’s seeing an increase in a less traditional type of recreational buyer—families with kids. Buena Vista’s proximity to comprised Columbus isofpart of the Deerwood has great timber assets various attraction. aged and very well-managed stands of pines throughout the given shows. Anyone would be proud to own Deerwood.” This is one of theWater is the new oil. best buys for a small quail plantation in Red Hills. Recreational buyers seem to be more cautious now than pre-recession, he says. “They do their homework, and they of course want good hunting and aesthetics, but they also want to see how the property can produce financially for them over 10 or even 20 years.” A big chunk of Matre’s business is timber investment that often comes as a referral through forestry consulting. “Timber is becoming kind of the ‘in’ thing for savvy investors,” he says. “ property. It’s been burned and managed for quail. Saw tooth oaks and autumn olives are throughout the property for game. There are four ponds, all of which are good bass fishing ponds — Jon ponds. Kohler, Jon Kohler & Associates and two of which are excellent duck Last year, she aworked clients who anything from 15 There is also featurewith nine-acre lake.wanted The owners spent time to more than 100 acres. “A lot of them just wanted to bring out a preparing a nice house site on the hill overlooking the lake if camper for the night, bring the kids, ride their four-wheeler.” There someone chooses to build there. It’s already set up with a well might be a fishing pond on the tract, too. “That’s kind of a new and golf trend I’mcourse seeing.”quality sprinkler system. There are two houses on the property. The manager lives in a ranch-style brick house on the western half of the property, — JON KOHLER LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 10 20 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 but it would also make a nice guest house. The owner’s cabin Farm Credit offers: • Competitive interest rates and flexible terms • out Financing large and small Three-year old tee-ball star Tom Chastain legs a singlefor during a recent gameproperties, in Bainbridge. Tom is the son of Carla and Michael Chastain. Carla is a Credit Analyst at Southwest Georgia Farm Credit. country homes, cabins and retreats We’re proud to support kids, families and our communities throughout southwest Georgia! • Loans for machinery and equipment • Operating lines of credit • Stockholder dividends INSIDE THIS ISSUE May we Pre-Qualify you? is published quarterly for stockholders, directors and friends of Southwest Georgia Farm Credit. PRESIDENT Richard Monson BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kim Rentz, Chairman Robert B. Moss, Vice Chairman Bainbridge John M. Bridges, Jr., Jeffrey A. Clark, James H. Dixon, Jr., 84 Clifford Dollar, Jr., Robert L. Holden, Sr., Ted Milliron EDITOR & MARKETING DIRECTOR - Liz Nogowski 4 PUBLISHING DIRECTOR of the property and is a - Padgett Mozingo Immediate Pre-Qualifications via our website • Weekend and evening appointments HAPPY 100TH, FARM to CREDIT! discuss financing • Cairo Thomasville 93 Deerwood MARKETING SPECIALIST - Frances Edmunds Plantation is on the eastern PUBLISHERhalf - AgFirst Farm Credit Bank • 6 319 Phone consultations regarding the type of loan program that is best for you AREA REALTORS TELLS US WHAT’S IN THEIR CRYSTAL BALLS 2016 LAND SALES SURVEY GEORGIA FLORIDA PRINTER - Professional Printers century-old home with FINANCING AVAILABLE CIRCULATION - Kathi DeFlorio 14 DUANE “BANJO” DAVIS SERVED OUR COUNTRY, Tallahassee great original details in the fireplace and wood beams, but modernized AND OUR BORROWERS, WELL Address changes, questions or comments should be directed 10 with details Georgia such as a Credit Viking cooking range. It features two bedrooms to Southwest Farm by writing 305 Colquitt Highway, Bainbridge, GA 39817, calling 229.246.0384, or and two bathrooms and a wraparound porch. There is also a pole barn emailing fedmunds@swgafarmcredit.com. Copies of the Association’s Annual well and Quarterly reports storage. are available and a two-pump house with upon request free of charge by calling 1.866.304.3276 or writing Ryan Burtt, Chief Financial Officer, Southwest Georgia Farm Credit, 305 Colquitt Highway, Bainbridge, GA, 39817, or accessing the website, www.SWGAFarmCredit.com. The Association prepares an electronic version of the Annual Report which is available on the Association’s website within 75 days after the end of the fiscal year, and distributes the Annual Reports to Shareholders within 90 days after the end of the fiscal year. The Association prepares an electronic version of the Quarterly report within 40 days after the end of each fiscal quarter, except that no report need be prepared for the fiscal quarter that coincides with the end of the fiscal year of the institution. 16 FARMER’S DAUGHTER VINEYARDS 18 229.254.8421 (c) 229.226.2660 (o) UNDERSTAND YOUR INTEREST RATE $2,360,000 Offered by: JON KOHLER & ASSOCIATES WWW.JONKOHLER.COM 850.508.2999 or JON@JONKOHLER.COM Count on our expertise and experience. For more information, contact: AL NICHOLSON NMLS 1009267 ANicholson@SWGAFarmCredit.com 137 East Jackson Street Office located in Historic Downtown Thomasville LAND LAND && LIVING LIVING -- SPRING SPRING 2016 2016 LAND LAND && LIVING LIVING -- SPRING SPRING 2016 2016 21 3 MARKET TRENDS WHY CHOOSE FARM CREDIT for EQUIPMENT FINANCING 1 Excellent Rates and Terms 2 Quick Decisions - 20 Minutes or Less 3 Member Dividends - We Share Profits! Mike Matre Participating MATRE FORESTRY Dealers CONSULTING, INC AgPro Florida For Sales Greater than 50 Acres COUNTY ACRES SALES PRICE $/ACRE Baker ———————————————————————————————————— 141 $ 2,000,000 $ 1,423 Calhoun —————————————————————————————————— 50 $ 90,000 $ 1,800 76 $ 141,000 $ 1,855 383 $ 483,000 $ 1,261 Clay ————————————————————————————————————— 148 $ 237,000 $ 1,601 250 $ 570,000 $ 2,280 52 $ 70,000 $ 1,346 Decatur —————————————————————————————————— 190 $ 400,000 $ 2,106 Dougherty ————————————————————————————————— 162 $ 345,000 $ 2,124 93 $ 450,000 $ 4,839 Early ———————————————————————————————————— 256 $ 384,000 $ 1,500 103 $ 295,000 $ 2,864 198 $ 600,000 $ 3,030 Grady ———————————————————————————————————— BUENA VISTA REALTY Marion County 60 $ 155,000 $ 2,599 Lee ————————————————————————————————————— 400 $ 1,479,000 $ 3,698 142 $ 853,000 $ 6,007 83 $ 499,000 $ 6,012 SinceMarion there ——————————————————————————————————— are fewer players in the more complex timberland $ 98,000at very $reasonable 1,601 space, you can get into61good timber tracts dirt Miller ———————————————————————————————————— prices. “Timberland investments that are thousands of acres do 55 $ 200,000 $ 3,636 produce very—————————————————————————————————— good annual income, but even a small timberland Mitchell investment of just a 100 or less200,000 can put on very 83 acres $ $ rapid 2,411 timber 145 $ 786,000 $ 5,421 value, which can lead to 8% or better annual return on investment.” 960 $ 6,647,000 $ 6,924 Traditional recreational Morgan’s 108buyers$in Claudine 345,000 $ Marion 3,194 County 64for a return, $ 140,000 2,188 used to market are also looking she says. “Our$hunters 62 $ buy land with just hardwoods. Today,143,000 they want it $with2,306 timber, also. Randolph ————————————————————————————————— They want that value.”101 $ 252,000 $ 2,495 Schley ——————————————————————————————————— The Broker with Buena Vista Realty also says she’s seeing an 335 $ 279,000 $ 834 increase in a less traditional type buyer—families 96 $ of recreational 210,000 $ 2,188 with kids. Buena Vista’s71proximity is part of the $ to Columbus 101,000 $ 1,423 Sumter ——————————————————————————————————— attraction. 151 $ 271,000 $ 1,799 215 $ 344,000 $ 1,600 79 $ 173,000 $ 2,190 Thomas —————————————————————————————————— 55 $ 226,000 $ 4,097 $ 5,998 56 $ — Jon 333,000 Kohler, Jon Kohler & Associates Webster —————————————————————————————————— $ who 225,000 $ 1,957 Last year, she worked115 with clients wanted anything from 15 85 $ 135,000 $ 1,588 to more than 100 acres. “A lot of them just wanted to bring out a 131 $ 300,000 $ 2,290 Claudine Morgan Albany Progressive Ag International LLC making a comeback Progressive Solutions—Aimtrac AimtracMike Matre, Broker with Matre Forestry Consulting, Inc., says he can tell there’s been a recovery in the Central Florida economy, Reid Brothers Irrigation as he’s seeing Albany Tractor Company an increase from buyers in thatand areaEquipment looking forCompany recreational tracts. Anderson Manufacturing, Inc. He had two brothers with a land clearing business Rentz Irrigation, Inc. tell him it was Bridgesbooming Equipment Company so much they can’t keep up. “Whenever things are River Junction Farm Services LLC Carsonmoving Brotherswell in Florida, you will see hunters coming into south Georgia and south Alabama.” Sharp Irrigation Systems, Inc. Collins Irrigation A slight twist in the recreational buyer Harvest is the increased Southern Equipmentinterest Dee’s Electric in investment potential, whereas, it used to be mostly about the Company, LLC game. InCompany fact, the two brothers told Matre they were pulling all of H T McLendon Southern Wind Ranch, Inc. their money out of the stock market and wanted him to get busy Irrigation Plus, Inc. SunSouth LLC finding them some land. J & B Irrigation, Inc. Swain Equipment LLC “That’s not an uncommon mindset,” Matre says, “although I don’t McMillan Machinery Sales, LLC everything. Diversification is a good thing recommend converting Tri-State Irrigation to have.” Peerless Manufacturing Recreational buyers seem to be more cautious now than pre-recession, he Dealer locations and information: says. “They do their homework, and they of course want good hunting SWGAFarmCredit.com and aesthetics, but they also want to see how the property can produce financially for them over 10 or even 20 years.” “ Water is the new oil. A big chunk of Matre’s business is timber investment that often comes as a referral through forestry consulting. “Timber is becoming kind of the ‘in’ thing for savvy investors,” he says. 10 22 THIRD & FOURTH QUARTER 2015 LAND SALES LAND & LIVINGrequirements - SPRING 2016 * Normal credit and underwriting apply. New customers incur cost of one time stock purchase. Member Dividend distributions are at the discretion of the Board of Directors. Rates LAND & LIVING SPRING 2016 subject to change at any time due to market conditions. “ camper for the night, bring the kids, ride their four-wheeler.” There might be a fishing pond on the tract, too. “That’s kind of a new Information for MARKET TRENDS is compiled from publicly trendavailable I’m seeing.” online data. This data shows all transactions recorded by county, for the time period August 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015, for sales of 50 acres or greater that were available through a public records search. Commercially-zoned land/properties, as well as transactions deemed not to be arms-length, are not included in this summary. REAL ESTATE: PROPERTY FOR SALE Georgia BROOKS COUNTY CALHOUN COUNTY 286 +/- acres. Strong pine timber tract that borders Okapilco and Tallokas Plantation on Highway 122. Approximately 60 acres in cultivation. $2,900 per acre. Contact Daniel Crocker, ALC, GA/FL Lic. Real Estate Broker – Crocker Realty, Inc. – 229.403.6297 or 229.228.0552. Website: www.landcroc.com 89 +/- acres. Attractive small hunting tract for the BAKER COUNTY outdoorsman complete with open fields, pine uplands, and hardwood bottomland with creek frontage. The area is well-populated with deer, dove, and turkey. Approximately 20 acres are productive cultivated land with sandy loam soil types. In the future, the cropland can be leased or converted 232 +/- acres. Approximately a mile inside west Baker to timber or pasture. Approximately 30 acres are loblolly County on both sides of Crestview Road (paved) is this pine planted in 1998, offering excellent wildlife habitat beautiful deer and turkey tract with 12 to 15 year-old pines which will continue to improve with active forest that have not been thinned, hardwoods, and a couple of management and offering potential future timber revenue. cypress bottoms/wet spots. Good road system and plenty of There are 11 +/- acres of hardwood bottomland surrounding places for food plots. Property is joined on the north by a Neals Creek, a pristine tributary. The pine plantations and large managed plantation and on the other sides by farm bottomland offer prime habitat for deer and turkey. There is land. Road frontage on two county maintained dirt roads. a beautiful natural spring on the property, and frontage on a Plenty of deer and turkey to hunt and only 50 miles Three-year old tee-ball star Tom Chastain legs out a single during a recent game in Bainbridge. well-maintained county road. $164,650. Contact Chad southwest of Albany. $523,125. Contact Bob Dutton Analyst–at Southwest Georgia Farm Credit. Matre Forestry Consulting, Inc. – 229.881.6067 – Needmore Properties – 229.894.7373 or 229.439.1837. Tom is the son of Carla and Michael Chastain. Carla is a Credit McGrath We’re proud to support kids, families and our communities throughout southwest Georgia! or by email at chad@matreforesty.com. Website: www. Website: www.needmoreproperties.com matreforestry.com is published quarterly for stockholders, directors and friends of Southwest Georgia Farm Credit. PRESIDENT Richard Monson BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kim Rentz, Chairman 87 +/- acres. Nochaway Retreat is a beautiful Robert B. Moss,Creek Vice Chairman andJohn private propertyJr.,with nearly one-half mileH.ofDixon, pristine M. Bridges, Jeffrey A. Clark, James Jr., and serene onRobert the Nochaway Creek. TheMilliron 2,300 Cliffordfrontage Dollar, Jr., L. Holden, Sr., Ted +/- sq. ft. cypress house is built high and dry on stilts, which EDITOR MARKETING DIRECTOR - Liz Nogowski maximizes the&views and features over 3,500 sq. ft. of multi-level porches and decks. Much of theEdmunds creek-frontage MARKETING SPECIALIST - Frances property in this county is owned by a few large plantations PUBLISHER AgFirst Credit Bank such as Ichauway, Deer-Run, andFarm Caney Creek. Great road system, beautiful old-growth hardwoods, uplands, PUBLISHING DIRECTOR - Padgettmature Mozingo pasture, a 7,200PRINTER +/- sq. ft. garage, and more. Formerly the - Professional Printers site of an old grist mill and evidence of Native American fish - Kathi – DeFlorio weirs. $715,000.CIRCULATION Contact Jon Kohler Jon Kohler & Associates – 850.508.2999 or by email at jon@jonkohler.com. Address changes, questions or comments should be directed Website: www.jonkohler.com to Southwest Georgia Farm Credit by writing 305 Colquitt Highway, Bainbridge, GA 39817, calling 229.246.0384, or emailing fedmunds@swgafarmcredit.com. Copies of the Association’s Annual and Quarterly reports are available upon request free of charge by calling 1.866.304.3276 or writing Ryan Burtt, Chief Financial Officer, Southwest Georgia Farm Credit, 305 Colquitt Highway, Bainbridge, GA, 39817, or accessing the website, www.SWGAFarmCredit.com. The Association prepares an electronic version of the Annual Report which is available on the Association’s website within 75 days after the end of the fiscal year, and distributes the Annual Reports to Shareholders within 90 days after the end of the fiscal year. The Association prepares an electronic version of the Quarterly report within 40 days after the end of each fiscal quarter, except that no report need be prepared for the fiscal quarter that coincides with the end of the fiscal year of the institution. CLAY COUNTY INSIDE THIS ISSUE 11 +/- acres. This 3 BR/2 BA home in the country offers plenty of privacy and the property includes a variety of outbuildings and corrals. The acreage is entirely accessible and has been fenced and cross fenced to accommodate livestock and more specifically, a unique herd of donkeys which can be included with the property. The home features a spacious great room with a picture window and great view of the property. There is also a dining area, lots of kitchen cabinets and practically new stainless steel appliances. One HAPPY 100TH, FARM CREDIT! barn is original to property and features great storage for farm implements. The yard is partially fenced to accommodate pets. Ask about Conservation Use Assessment. MLS #908940. $189,900. Contact Kay Davis – Rose City Realty, Inc. – 229.403.0730 or 229.225.9225 or by email at 19 +/- acres. Located on the banks of the kaywdavis11@gmail.com. AREA REALTORS TELLSChattahoochee US WHAT’S INthis THEIR CRYSTAL BALLS River, beautiful contemporary home offers 2,676 +/- sq. ft. with a 3 BR/2 BA open floor plan. 2016 LAND SALES SURVEY Interior doors and exterior windows have transoms. Beautiful sunroom overlooking the 20 x 40 waterfall pool. Covered patio and two-bay carport adjacent to the pool. Landscaped yards with concrete driveway. There is also a guest home on the property with 766 +/- sq. ft. and central DUANE “BANJO” DAVISheating/air SERVED OUR along with COUNTRY, a wood burning stove and great office space. Just minutes to George T. Bagby State Park and Golf AND OUR BORROWERS, WELL Course and Lake Walter F. George. $379,000. Contact Roy Neves – South Georgia Land & Timber – 229.942.0479 or by email at roy@landandtimber.net. Website: www. landandtimber.net 4 6 14 16 FARMER’S DAUGHTER VINEYARDS 169 +/- acres. This property on Shelley Road has 90 +/- acres in cultivation. Great soil. Timber. Tremendous wildlife tract. Suitable for pivot placement. $3,600 per acre. Contact Daniel Crocker, ALC, GA/FL Lic. Real Estate Broker – Crocker Realty, Inc. – 229.403.6297 or 229.228.0552. Website: www.landcroc.com Financing Available for Qualified Buyers. 18 UNDERSTAND YOUR INTERESTCall RATE Brant Harrell, Relationship Manager, 229.254.6359. LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 23 3 REAL ESTATE: PROPERTY FOR SALE COLQUITT COUNTY DECATUR COUNTY 22 +/- acres. The Old Ingram Home Place is a wonderful example of a classic, gentleman’s farm with the 18 +/- acres. The beautiful and historic Iris Court was 1,550 +/- acres. Historic Trulock Farms was focal point the circa 1890 historic home, complete with built in 1854 in Albany for Judge John and Adelaide Stovall originally a land grant from King George III to the Trulock Corinthian columns, original millwork, heart pine flooring, Jackson. The home faced being torn down and dismantled Family. A perfect mix of mature, upland timber and irrigated and screened sleeping porch. The home has been updated for its beautiful materials, but was rescued by Edward Vason farm land makes this the ideal recreational and investment over the years and features 4 BR/3 BA, a formal living room, Jones who had admired Iris Court as a young boy. As an opportunity. Rolling hills and an abundance of water dining room, and a pine paneled study with fireplace. The architect, Mr. Jones had the pleasure of dismantling, provides for excellent duck pond sites. There are 215 surrounding outbuildings further add to the charm of this reconstructing, and renovating/restoring Iris Court for his +/- acres under center pivot irrigation with well producing historic farm and include a turn-of-the-century country friend, Charles O. Smith, Jr., who purchased the home and 1,000 gallons per minute. All contiguous. Contact Matthew doctor’s office, well house, and utility barn. For the horse moved it to Moultrie where it sits today. The home features 4 Smith – Oconee Properties – 706.340.4018 or by email at enthusiasts, a classic red barn has been restored on the BR/4.5 BA along with stunning architectural features and matthew@oconeeproperties.com. Website: www. property and four paddocks have been constructed, complete sprawling gardens – all with privacy and a rich history. trulockfarms.com with a round pen. All of the features combine to create a Contact Katie Gatewood – Hughey & Neuman, Inc. truly unique and diverse property that has been cherished – 229.436.0212 or 229.881.0743 or by email at katie. for generations. Contact Ben McCollum – 229.221.6680 or hughey@gmail.com or Crisp Gatewood – Plantation Eric McCollum – 229.200.4457 – The Wright Group. Inc. – 229.888.2500 or 229.347.1336 or by emailVISTA at Website: MATRE www.wrightbroker.com FORESTRY CONSULTING, INCServices,Albany BUENA REALTY Marion County crispgatewood@gmail.com. Websites: www. albanyhousehunting.com or www.plantationservicesinc.com 46 +/- acres. This property has frontage on Hwy 39 and is located just minutes from Pataula Creek and George T. Bagby State Park and golf course. $78,500. Contact Julian Morgan – South Georgia Land & Timber – 229.881.2779 or by email at julian@landandtimber.net. Website: www. Mike Matre, Broker with Matre Forestry Consulting, Inc., says he can tell Since there are fewer players in the more complex timberland landandtimber.net Mike Matre Claudine Morgan Florida making a comebackCRISP COUNTY there’s been a recovery in the Central Florida economy, as he’s seeing an increase from buyers in that area looking for recreational tracts. He had two brothers with a land clearing business tell him it was booming so much they can’t keep up. “Whenever things are moving well in Florida, you will see hunters coming into south Georgia and south Alabama.” space, you can get into good timber tracts at very reasonable dirt prices. “Timberland investments that are thousands of acres do produce very good 435 annual but even a small timberland +/-income, acres. Hightower Farm was established in has allortheless essentials for the investment of just a1947 100and acres can put oncommitted very rapid timber outdoorsman. There is a bunkhouse that sleeps six, a sizeable value, which can lead 8%and orsurrounding better annual onMile investment.” poleto barn habitatsreturn with Four Creek, planted pines, and hardwoods areas that attract all the game Traditional recreational buyers Claudine Morgan’s Marion County you care to hunt.inIncludes a sizeable timber investment. $2,950for per a acre. Contactshe Robsays. Langford – Southern Land market are also looking return, “Our hunters used to A slight twist in the recreational buyer is the increased interest Realty – 850.556.7575 or by email at rob@ 154 +/- acres. Pecan Hill is a beautiful with ajust hardwoods. buyproperty land with Today, they want it with timber, southernlandrealty.com. Website: www.southernlandrealty. also. in investment potential, whereas, it used to be mostly about theLake Blackshear. Approximately one-of-a-kind home near com They want that value.” 120 were acres ofpulling irrigated all pecan game. In fact, the two brothers told Matre they oftrees. The 7,800 +/- sq. ft. home on 5 +/acres for $1.175M or home and entire acreage for 25 +/acres. Located Creek, this secluded their money outonofPataula the stock market and wanted himContact to get busy The Broker $1.975M. Crisp Gatewood – Plantation Services,with Buena Vista Realty also says she’s seeing an acreage includes 13 surveyed lots, 10 of which are waterfront Inc. – 229.888.2500 or 229.347.1336 or byincrease email at in a less traditional type of recreational buyer—families some home land.with 2,500 +/- sq. ft. as wellfinding as a 4 BR/2them BA two-story crispgatewood@gmail.com. Home has large kitchen and great room and comes with with kids. Buena Vista’s proximity to Columbus is part of the “That’s an uncommon mindset,” furnishings with not the exception of some personal items. Matre says, “although I don’t attraction. Wired recommend storage building/shop and boat dock. $375,000. Diversification is a good thing converting everything. Contact Julian Morgan – South Georgia Land & Timber to have.” – 229.881.2779 or by email at julian@landandtimber.net. Website: www.landandtimber.net “ Water is the new oil. Recreational buyers seem to be more cautious now than pre-recession, he says. “They do their homework, and they of course want good hunting and aesthetics, but they also want to see how the property can produce financially for them over 10 or even 20 years.” “ — Jon Kohler, Jon Kohler & Associates 14 +/- acres. Located on Belcher Lane, this property is Last year, she worked with clients who wanted a great building lot and is just minutesanything from the city.from 15 Financing for Farms, Property accessed Whigham Road to more than 100 acres. “Acan lotalso of be them justfrom wanted to Dairy bring out a – driveway where sign is located. No deed restrictions. MLS camper for the night, bring the kids,Contact ride their four-wheeler.” Timber, Weekend Retreats. #RM4300A. $64,900. Cathy McConnell – Miller There A big chunk of Matre’s business is timber investment that often Griffinon Realty by emailkind at cathym@ might be a fishing pond the– 229.220.0243 tract, too. or “That’s of a new Call Brian Wilson, millergriffin.com. Website: www.millergriffin.com comes as a referral through forestry consulting. “Timber is trend I’m seeing.” becoming kind of the ‘in’ thing for savvy investors,” he says. Relationship Manager, 24 +/- acres. This wooded property on Sykes Mill Road near Climax offers a well maintained mobile home with nice front and back decks, and a detached carport. Attapulgus 229.254.6417. Creek and another branch come together on the property. Plenty of deer tracks have been seen. MLS #RM2790A. LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 24 10 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 REAL ESTATE: PROPERTY FOR SALE 26 +/- acres. Beautiful waterfront acreage on Bowyer $59,500. Contact Rollins Miller – Miller Griffin Realty – 229.220.2704 or by email at rollins@millergriffin.com. Website: www.millergriffin.com Road with over 1,400’ on Lake Seminole near Jack Wingate’s Lunker Lodge. Plenty of wildlife, great fishing, and a place to build a home or subdivide to sell lots. MLS #LR55A. $188,900. Contact Rollins Miller – Miller Griffin Realty – 229.220.2704 or by email at rollins@millergriffin.com. Website: www.millergriffin.com and only two hours from the Gulf Coast. There is a mobile home on the property which is not part of the sale. This individual rents the land for $114.00 per month and will stay or move the mobile home if buyer so requests. MLS #LV1951A. $55,000. Contact Ruth Martin – Miller Griffin Realty – 229.400.0013 or by email at ruth@millergriffin.com. Website: www.millergriffin.com 9 +/- acres. Located in desirable River Oaks Subdivision. MLS #LV3965A. $84,900. Contact Rollins Miller – Miller Griffin Realty – 229.220.2074 or by email at rollins@ millergriffin.com. Website: www.millergriffin.com 12 +/- acres. This property on Sam Scott Road is partially cleared with remaining acreage wooded land and is surrounded by farmland and pastures. Excellent for deer, turkey and quail hunting. There is a 1999 single wide Fleetwood mobile home included in the sale of the land. The home is 1,120 +/- sq. ft. with 3 BR/2 BA and has central heat and air. The mobile home is being rented at the present time. There are three storage areas also on the property. MLS #4797. Contact Ken Horn – DeHildren Realty – 229.416.9804. Website: www.dehildren.com 34 +/- acres. Meadow Ridge is a large secluded estate size property like no other on the market today. A beautifully wooded property that offers all of the benefits of living out in the country while being convenient to work and town. $250,000. Contact Mills Brock or Bud Holleman – 3 Rivers Realty – 229.220.0816. 46 +/- acres. Located in the southern part of the county near the Florida state line, this property has a potential uses, including It fronts Three-year old tee-ball star Tom Chastain legs out anumber singleofduring a recent gamerecreational. in Bainbridge. U.S. Highway 27 on two sides of the road and has access Tom is the son of Carla and Michael Chastain. Carla is a Credit from Analyst at Southwest Georgia Farm Credit. a dirt road for hunting. MLS #AT2524A. $134,734. We’re proud to support kids, families and our communities throughout Georgia! Contact Pam Simpson – ERA southwest Simpson Realty – 229.254.1127 or by email at pamela.simpson@era.com. Website: www. erasimpsonrealty.com is published quarterly for stockholders, directors and friends of Southwest Georgia Farm Credit. 8 +/- acres. Certified organic year-round farm PRESIDENT operation with two 60 x 90 state-of-the-art hydroponic Richard Monson greenhouses that are computerized and a three-acre farm OF DIRECTORS field (with acreageBOARD to expand) that operates on a two-zone Rentz, drip irrigation. The Kim entire farmChairman field, along with the greenhouses, are certified organic Quality Certification Robert B. Moss, VicebyChairman Services in Bridges, Orlando,Jr., FL.Jeffrey Custom designed Tyson Steel Jr., John M. A. Clark, James H. Dixon, building, builtDollar, in 2010, offers 2,392 +/- sq. with three Clifford Jr., Robert L. Holden, Sr.,ft. Ted Milliron roll-up doors for easy access. The building has a walk-in EDITOR & MARKETING DIRECTOR - Liz Nogowski cooler, main open area, office, handicapped sized bathroom, SPECIALIST Francesloft. Edmunds kitchen, MARKETING two storage rooms, and a- storage The building and greenhouses all have 3-phase electric and the private PUBLISHER - AgFirst Farm Credit Bank well is a four-inch well with a five horsepower submersible PUBLISHING DIRECTOR - Padgett Mozingo pump. $750,000. Contact Marla Ames – ERA Simpson Realty – 229.220.2532PRINTER or 229.243.9200 or by Printers email at marlasames@ - Professional gmail.com. Website: www.erasimpsonrealty.com CIRCULATION - Kathi DeFlorio Address changes, questions or comments should be directed to Southwest Georgia Farm Credit by writing 305 Colquitt Highway, Bainbridge, GA 39817, calling 229.246.0384, or emailing fedmunds@swgafarmcredit.com. Copies of the Association’s Annual and Quarterly reports are available upon request free of charge by calling 1.866.304.3276 or writing Ryan Burtt, Chief Financial Officer, Southwest Georgia Farm Credit, 305 Colquitt Highway, Bainbridge, GA, 39817, or accessing the website, www.SWGAFarmCredit.com. The Association prepares an electronic version of the Annual Report which is available on the Association’s website within 75 days after the end of the fiscal year, and distributes the Annual Reports to Shareholders within 90 days after the 9 +/- acres. This lot on Crystal Lake offers great fishing, end of the fiscal year. The Association prepares an electronic relaxation, and scenery – a great place to spend time in the version of Only the Quarterly report within 40 days after the end outdoors. 15 minutes to Bainbridge and 30 minutes to of each fiscalMLS quarter, except that no report needRollins be prepared Tallahassee. #LR3213A. $59,900. Contact Miller forMiller the fiscal quarter that coincides withorthe of at therollins@ fiscal – Griffin Realty – 229.220.2704 byend email year of the institution. millergriffin.com. Website: www.millergriffin.com INSIDE THIS ISSUE 34 +/- acres. A true Antebellum style home that features 4 BR/2.5 BA along with two living areas and a bonus room for a nursery or craft room.HAPPY Larger den100TH, has brick FARM CREDIT! hearth with wood burning fireplace. Separate formal dining room, breakfast area and kitchen with plenty of cabinet space and new oven. Large laundry room with pantry space and room enough for a deep freezer or extra refrigerator. 6 +/- acres. This is an awesome retreat that is six miles Dual central heat and air. Open floor plan entertainment Landing Seminole) and fourBALLS miles from building with kitchen near the creek bank REALTORS and stocked fish TELLSfrom AREA USFaceville WHAT’S IN (Lake THEIR CRYSTAL Jack Wingate’s Landing (Lake Seminole). Settle into this pond. Gazebo swing overlooks stream fed pond. Perfect 2016 LAND SALES SURVEY Pinnacle Park home and then invite guests to bring their family home, small farm, corporate retreat, quiet retirement RV’s as there are five RV hook-ups. Entertain in the 36 x 36 living, weekend getaway, bed and breakfast, or cookhouse with insulation and kitchen with AC/H. This entertainment facility. MLS #908653. Contact Scottie property also has an outside bathroom with beautiful tile Thompson – 229.221.2761 or Sarah Thompson – floors and tiled shower and a 24 x 36 pole barn with cement 229.403.0745 – KeySouth Real Estate Group, Inc. Website: Fenced and locked gate at entrance. MLS www.keysouth.com DUANE “BANJO” DAVISflooring. SERVED OUR COUNTRY, #RM4414A. $127,900. Contact Cathy McConnell – Miller Griffin Realty – 229.220.0243 or by email at cathym@ AND OUR BORROWERS, WELL millergriffin.com. Website: www.millergriffin.com 4 6 14 31 +/- acres. Good property for hunting, small 16 18 farming track, or for a home. Mobile homes allowed or build your own home. Convenient to Bainbridge, Cairo, FARMER’S DAUGHTER VINEYARDS and Tallahassee. MLS #LV4702A. $86,800. Contact Linda Collins – Miller Griffin Realty – 229.254.9096 or by email at lindacollins@millergriffin.com. Website: www.millergriffin. com UNDERSTAND YOUR INTEREST RATE 31 +/- acres. This acreage affords you the opportunity to build in privacy, enjoy a wooded setting with pond that needs some rehab, plant a huge garden and maybe shoot a turkey or two and still be only approximately 15 minutes south of Bainbridge and about 30 miles north of Tallahassee LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 25 3 REAL ESTATE: PROPERTY FOR SALE Inc. – 229.436.0212 or 229.344.5261 or by email at callie. hughey@gmail.com. Website: www.albanyhousehunting.com 121 +/- acres. A little bit of paradise on Spring Creek with this 7 BR/3.5 BA custom built brick home that offers 4,150 +/- sq. ft. Home features beautiful hardwood floors, formal living and dining room, oversized den with fireplace, master on main floor, and screened porch. There is mature landscaping, a sprinkler system, and wired storage building. MLS #4753. Contact Larry Lennard – DeHildren Realty – 229.220.1031. Website: www.dehildren.com 9 +/- acres. This property has been cleared for an airstrip and includes a wooded area around the cleared section. Located near Climax. MLS #LR4786A. $35,000. Contact Patricia Harrell – ERA Simpson Realty – 229.254.3660 or by email at pharrell@mchsi.com. Website: www.erasimpsonrealty.com 14 +/- acres. Beautiful home site on this tract with hardwoods and a pond site on the northwest corner of the property. Approximately five acres of high ground planted in pines that have been thinned. $64,000. Contact Bob Dutton – Needmore Properties – 229.894.7373 or 229.439.1837. Website: www.needmoreproperties.com Mike Matre 390 +/- acres. Home, pecan grove, and 8 +/- acre pond make this an excellent investment property. Approximately 120 acres irrigated pecan grove, 80 +/- acres non-irrigated pecan grove, and 190 +/- acres pasture land that is possible agriculture land. Pecan varieties include Money Makers, Stewards, Paper Shells, and Seedlings. The home features 2,500 +/- sq. ft. There are five wells on the property – two four inch wells for grove, a covered equipment shelter, and barn. This is an income producing property. $1,500,000. Contact Vince Barfield – Barfield Auctions, Inc. – 229.679.2223 or by email at vince@barfieldauctions.com. Website: www.barfieldauctions.com Claudine Morgan MATRE FORESTRY DOUGHERTY COUNTY CONSULTING, INC Albany BUENA VISTA REALTY Marion County Florida making a comeback Mike Matre, Broker with Matre Forestry Consulting, Inc., says he can tell Since there are fewer players in the more complex timberland 1,028 +/acres. Flint Rock Plantation has three miles there’s been a recovery in the Central Florida economy, as he’s seeing space, you can get into good timber tracts at very reasonable dirt of river frontage and has been managed for exceptional and timber for the past decade. There are beautiful an increase from buyers in that area looking forwildlife recreational tracts. prices. “Timberland investments that are thousands of acres do 10 +/- acres. This property offers southern style at its views with high bank frontage along the pristine mature produce very good best annual income, even small with acreage and but a 5 BR/4 BA a home withtimberland 4,953 +/- sq. hardwood bottoms the Flint River. Wildlife flows from He had two brothers with a land clearing business tell him itof was The acres two-level the formal dining roomtimber and adjoining Nonami Plantation, which is approximately 6,500 investment of just aft.100 orfoyer lessopens cantoput on very rapid booming so much they can’t keep up. “Whenever things a wood paneled library with built-in cabinetry and one of the acres and locatedare across the river. Good numbers of wild value, which can lead tofireplaces 8% or better annual return onand investment.” three in the home. Intricate molding custom coveys of quail an abundant trophy deer and turkey well in Florida, you will see hunters coming into and south 4,968moving +/- acres. Tarva Plantation is a beautiful and design throughout. There are two living spaces – one with population makes this an excellent diverse hunting tract. and south Alabama.” Traditional recreational in Claudine Marion County historicGeorgia property located 15 minutes from Albany’s Regional accessbuyers to the screened porch andMorgan’s the other with a fireplace. Contact Walter Hatchett – Jon Kohler & Associates Airport, with acreage in both Dougherty and Baker counties. The gourmet kitchen features custom“Our cabinetry, Thermador – 850.508.4564 or by email at walter@jonkohler.com. market are also looking for a return, she says. hunters used to The main house (circa 1848) is surrounded by majestic Liveis the Website: A slight twist in the recreational buyer increased interest gas range with convection oven, pantry, bar seating, and www.jonkohler.com buy land with just hardwoods. Today, they with Oaks. Out buildings have been recently renovated. Bounded eat-in area. Upstairs features thewant masteritsuite thattimber, includes aalso. in investment potential, whereas, it used to be mostly about the by the Cooleewahee Creek to the east, Tarva has trophy deer fireplace with marble accent, a sitting room overlooking the They want that value.” game.wild In fact, two brothers Matre they were pulling all of and abundant turkeythe populations. Numeroustold cypress backyard, his-and-her walk-in closets, and a luxurious ponds their offer duck hunting. Restoration of the quail habitatand is wanted him to get busy master bath. There are also four additional bedrooms, a bonus money out of the stock market The Broker with Buena Vista Realty says she’s seeing an near completion, and approximately 400 acres of irrigated room, and upstairs and downstairs laundry. The backyard is finding them some increase in a less traditional type of recreational buyer—families crop land provides both early andland. late season dove shooting. a private oasis with a gunite saltwater pool, deck with $21,150,000. Exclusive listing. Contact Lee Walters pergola, manicured walking trails, andis space forof horses. with kids. Buena Vista’s proximity to Columbus part the - Plantation Services, 229.343.3830 ormindset,” 229.888.2500Matre or “That’s not Inc. an –uncommon says, “although I don’t $495,000. Contact Callie Walker – Hughey & Neuman, Inc. attraction. by email at pserv@bellsouth.net. Website: www. – 229.344.5261 or 229.436.0212 or by email at callie. recommend converting everything. Diversification is a good thing plantationservicesinc.com hughey@gmail.com. Website: www.albanyhousehunting.com to have.” “ Water is the new oil. Recreational buyers seem to be more cautious now than pre-recession, he says. “They do their homework, and they of course want good hunting and aesthetics, but they also want to see how the property can produce financially for them over 10 or even 20 years.” A big chunk of Matre’s business is timber investment that often comes as a referral through forestry consulting. “Timber is becoming kind in ofplantation the ‘in’ country, thing for savvy investors,” he says. 51 +/acres. Located a majority of this property is in planted pines with a gated front entrance on Tarva Road. Less than a 10 minute drive to town. Abundant wildlife. A weekend retreat, hunter’s dream, or a home site. Contact Callie Walker – Hughey & Neuman, LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 26 10 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 “ — Jon Kohler, Jon Kohler & Associates Last year, she worked with clients who wanted anything from 15 to more than 100 acres. “A lot of them just wanted to bring out a camper for the night, bring the kids, ride their four-wheeler.” There might be a fishing pond on the tract, too. “That’s kind of a new trend I’m seeing.” Financing Available for Qualified Buyers. Call Al Nicholson, Relationship Manager, 229.254.8421. REAL ESTATE: PROPERTY FOR SALE Gatewood – Hughey & Neuman, Inc. – 229.881.0743 or 229.436.0212 or by email at katie.hughey@gmail.com. Website: www.albanyhousehunting.com 175 +/- acres. Flint River Woods is a first class property located on the Flint River. Upland acres consists of 25 year-old planted pines and bottomland acreage consist of mature hardwoods. Beautiful views on the property’s 2,300 +/- elevated feet on the river. Excellent deer and turkey hunting. A timber cruise is on file. $3,150 per acre. Contact Crisp Gatewood – Plantation Services, Inc. – 229.888.2500 or 229.347.1336 or by email at crispgatewood@gmail.com. Website: www.plantationservicesinc.com. 4,640 +/- acres. Magnolia Plantation is located southwest of Albany and 15 minutes from the airport. Excellent quail, dove, duck, deer, and turkey hunting. Lodge, guest houses, stable, and kennel. $14,950,000. Exclusive listing. Contact Lee Walters – Plantation Services, Inc. – 229.888.2500 or 229.343.3830 or by email at pserv@ bellsouth.net. walk-in barn are located behind the house. $760,000. Contact Lee Walters – Plantation Services, Inc. – 229.343.3830 or 229.888.2500 or by email at pserv@ bellsouth.net. Website: www.plantationservicesinc.com 100 +/- acres. This tract offers excellent wildlife populations, beautiful hardwoods, and a creek. A camper trailer and well and septic tank gives the owner a move-in opportunity. Established ATV trails offer access virtually all over this property. A sportsman’s paradise. $249,000. Contact Julian Morgan – South Georgia Land & Timber – 229.881.2779 or by email at julian@landandtimber.net. Website: www.landandtimber.net AUCTION – 182 +/- acres. SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2016 AT 10:00 A.M. J. Durham & Associates will conduct an auction for 182 +/- acres located on Lockette Station Road adjoining Winterwood Subdivision. homes sites. Three-year old tee-ball star TomGreat Chastain legs out a single during a recent game in Bainbridge. Excellent hunting. Estate-size tracts from 10 acres to 33 Tom is the son of Carla and Michael Chastain. Carla is a Credit Analyst at Southwest Georgia Farm Credit. acres. Ten percent buyer’s premium. For more information, proud to support families and our communities throughout southwest Georgia! contactWe’re J. Durham & Associates, Inc. –kids, 800.342.2666. Website: www.jdurhamauctions.com EARLY COUNTY 3,890 +/- acres. Cane Mill Plantation is located in the heart of the Albany Plantation Belt and has been intensively managed for generations for optimal quail habitat. The is published quarterly for stockholders, property strikes a perfect balance between quail and timber directors and friends of Southwest Georgia Farm Credit. management, in addition to irrigated and dry land agriculture. Cane Mill is PRESIDENT surrounded on all sides by established plantations which further enhance the wildlife Richard Monson and recreational value of the property. The property is fully BOARD OFbarn, DIRECTORS improved, including a lodge, kennel, and manager’s KimContact Rentz, Chairman house. $4,675 per acre. The Wright Group B. Moss, Vice Chairman – 229.226.2564.Robert Website: www.wrightbroker.com John M. Bridges, Jr., Jeffrey A. Clark, James H. Dixon, Jr., Clifford Dollar, Jr., Robert L. Holden, Sr., Ted Milliron EDITOR & MARKETING DIRECTOR - Liz Nogowski MARKETING SPECIALIST - Frances Edmunds PUBLISHER - AgFirst Farm Credit Bank PUBLISHING DIRECTOR - Padgett Mozingo PRINTER - Professional Printers CIRCULATION - Kathi DeFlorio Address changes, questions or comments should be directed to Southwest Georgia Farm Credit by writing 305 Colquitt Highway, Bainbridge, GA 39817, calling 229.246.0384, or emailing fedmunds@swgafarmcredit.com. Copies of the 8 +/- acres. Built entirely of native southern longleaf yellow pine and designed the locally, famousare Philip Association’s Annual andbyQuarterly reports available Shutze, this home originally as a1.866.304.3276 plantation home upon request freewas of charge bybuilt calling or on the Flint it was moved to Southwest the currentGeorgia location writing RyanRiver Burtt,before Chief Financial Officer, just Albany. Nestled amongBainbridge, beautiful live and Farmoutside Credit,of305 Colquitt Highway, GA,oaks 39817, mature Georgia the home features 10.5 ft. interiorThe or accessing thepines, website, www.SWGAFarmCredit.com. walls, fashioned with 12” pineofinthe reverse Association prepares an beautiful, electronic heart version Annual board-and-batten. The floor planAssociation’s accommodates 5 BR/6.5 Report which is available on the website within BA or three bedrooms on the main level with formal living, 75 days after the end of the fiscal year, and distributes the formal dining, kitchen, den, laundry, and attached two-car Annual Reports to Shareholders within 90 days after the garage. On the extensive grounds, set among the Spanish end of the fiscal year. The Association prepares an electronic moss draped oaks and native azaleas, are tennis courts, a version of the Quarterly report days afterorthe end swimming pool, and an 800 +/-within sq. ft. 40 artist studio of each fiscal quarter, noproperty report need be preparedby workshop with 14 ft. except ceilings.that This is surrounded for theoffiscal quarterfinest that coincides with the endContact of the fiscal some the south’s hunting plantations. Katie year of the institution. INSIDE THIS ISSUE 63 +/- acres. Planted pines and hardwoods on this property located on west side of U.S. Hwy 27 at the intersection of Cannon Road, about 10 miles south of Blakely. Front of property is planted in CRP longleaf and HAPPY 100TH, FARM CREDIT! loblolly pines while the back of the property has a small amount of hardwoods. Would make a nice home site and a good hunting tract. Property is surrounded by irrigated farm land and woods. $1,750 per acre. Contact Brad Waller – Agri Land Realty – 229.221.3339. Website: www.aglandsales.com 277 +/- acres. Natural stand of longleaf pine with AREA REALTORS TELLS US WHAT’S IN THEIR CRYSTAL BALLS some oaks scattered throughout. This property has been well managed for timber and hunting.2016 The wiregrass LANDunderstory SALES SURVEY makes it excellent for quail hunting. Great deer hunting. Good internal road system which can be accessed by the paved or dirt road entrances. Located approximately nine miles south of Blakely on Big Pine Road and Cedar Springs Highway. Contact Brad Waller – Agri Land Realty DUANE “BANJO” DAVIS SERVED OUR COUNTRY, – 229.221.3339. Website: www.aglandsales.com 4 6 14 16 AND OUR BORROWERS, WELL 361 +/- acres. Located approximately four miles east FARMER’S DAUGHTER VINEYARDS of Blakely on Hwy 62, this farm consists of 160 +/- acres of irrigated farm land with excellent yields and timber values. Great deer, turkey, duck, and dove hunting. The irrigated portion of the farm is leased for $250/acre. There are 17 +/- acres of longleaf pines that are out of the CRP program so pine straw can be harvested. $1,155,200. Contact Bob UNDERSTAND YOUR INTEREST RATEProperties – 229.894.7373 or Dutton – Needmore 229.439.1837. Website: www.needmoreproperties.com 250 +/- acres. Andell Farms includes a 3 BR/2.5 BA home overlooking three stocked fish ponds. A small creek runs along the west property line. The woods and water of Andell offer dove, quail, duck, deer, and turkey hunting as well as fishing. For the horse lover, a fenced pasture and 18 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 27 3 REAL ESTATE: PROPERTY FOR SALE 10 +/- acres. Unimproved acreage on Spooner Quarter Road. $38,000. Contact Sarah Avery – The Whittaker Agency – 229.416.5081. 175 +/- acres. Great hunting land for the outdoorsman or acreage with planted pines for the investor. Close to Cedar Springs. West side of property follows along the Sawhatchee Creek. Hardwoods, 40 +/- acres of approximately 15 year-old longleaf pines, and two year-old slash pines finish out the acreage. Priced less than $2,000 an acre. Contact LeAnn Inlow – DeHildren Realty – 229.254.9472. Website: www. dehildren.com Mike Matre 167 +/- acres. Hutchinson Place is a unique, plantation-style recreational property located just south of Thomasville and only 15 minutes north of Tallahassee, FL on the Georgia/Florida state line with 1,965 +/- ft. of frontage on Highway 319. It is nestled among Red Hills Region plantations including Mandalay, Foshalee, and Aberfeldy, and only minutes from Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy. This gently rolling property is prime habitat for quail as well as deer and turkey. Impressive stand of mature longleaf pines mixed with grand live oaks create an ideal setting for recreational purposes. Property currently contains no conservation covenants. Contact Rebecca Chubb Sanford – Chubb Associates, Ltd. – 229.226.7916 or 229.221.2622. Website: www.chubbrealty.com Claudine Morgan MATRE FORESTRY CONSULTING, INC 788 +/- acres. Sheppard Family Farm is historic, Albany BUENA VISTA REALTY Marion County diverse, and loaded with game and has been in the family for more than 200 years. Located just five miles east of Blakely, it is surrounded by hunting and agricultural properties, creating the ideal habitat for sustaining wildlife. Recent improvements have transformed it intoMatre a greatForestry recreationalConsulting, 246 Inc., +/- acres. pines and natural Mike Matre, Broker with says hePlanted can tell Sincehardwood there are fewer players in the more complex timberland tract with even more potential. $1,925 per acre. Contact Rob timber with highway frontage. Sowhatchee Creek runs there’s beenLand a recovery in the Central Florida economy, he’s seeing Langford – Southern Realty – 850.556.7575 or by email through theas property attracting plenty of space, deer and you turkey.can get into good timber tracts at very reasonable dirt at rob@southernlandrealty.com. Website: can drive righttracts. down to the creek or drive along“Timberland the high an increase from buyers in www. that area looking forYou recreational prices. investments that are thousands of acres do southernlandrealty.com bank. Located in the southwest part of the county in the produce very good annual income, but even a small timberland Cedar Springs community He had two brothers with a land clearing business tell him it wasabout three miles north of U.S. Hwy 84 and just minutes to Alabama stateinvestment line and acres. Micasa “My houserapid is yourtimber of just a123 100 +/acres or less canFarms put –on very booming so much they can’t keep up. “Whenever thingsRiver. are Contact Brad Waller – Agri Land Chattahoochee house” – is a welcoming greeting to this property and its value, which can lead to+/8%sq.orft. better annual return on investment.” Realty – 229.221.3339. 2,900 home, attached four-bay carport, huge barn moving well in Florida, you will see hunters coming into southWebsite: www.aglandsales.com with six stalls and fully lighted riding arena, pond, cultivated Georgia and south Alabama.” Traditional recreational in Claudine Marion fields,buyers and hardwoods. This tractMorgan’s is in excellent huntingCounty condition borderedshe by a says. quail plantation and working market are also looking for and a return, “Our hunters used to A slight twist in the recreational buyer is the increased interest family farm in the historic Red Hills Region. $596,000. buy land with just hardwoods. Today, they want it with timber, also. Contact Rob Langford – Southern Land Realty – in investment potential, whereas, it used to be mostly about the 850.556.7575 or by email at rob@southernlandrealty.com. They want that value.” game. In fact, the two brothers told Matre they were pulling all of Website: www.southernlandrealty.com Florida making a comeback GRADY COUNTY their money out of the stock market and wanted him to get busy finding them some land. The Broker with Buena Vista Realty also says she’s seeing an increase in a less traditional type of recreational buyer—families with kids. Buena Vista’s proximity to Columbus is part of the attraction. 255 +/acres. value on this tract with 60 “That’s notBig antimber uncommon mindset,” Matre says, “although I don’t year-old planted pines and mature hardwoods. Timber recommend converting everything. Diversification is a good thing cruise available and recent survey. Located just east of Blakelyto onhave.” a county paved road. This gently rolling tract has a lot to offer with 85 +/- acres of cultivatable land with rental incomeRecreational plus a stand of natural and seem planted to pinebe which slopes buyers more 68 +/- acres. Wolf Creek Pastures is a turn-key down to Lime Branch where you will find beautiful operation for those with horses or cattle. Improved pasture cautious now thaninpre-recession, he hardwoods. Best deer hunting the area. Small wet weather land with two ponds, seven detached barns, and a small pond good for“They duck hunting. Goodhomework, internal road system says. do their and and — Jon Kohler, Jon Kohler & Associates rental house that presently rents month-to-month for $400 a small secluded hunting lodge for a weekend retreat. Good per month. The barns on the property have the potential for they of course want good hunting soils. $2,800 per acre. Contact Brad Waller – Agri Land Last year, she worked clientsThis who wanted rental to other businesses in the area for overflow inventory Realty and – 229.221.3339. Website: 43with +/- acres. property has aanything pecan grove,from woods15 aesthetics, butwww.aglandsales.com they also want to see how the property can storage/hay storage or are prime for conversion to and open It features andto is conveniently to more than 100 acres. “A land. lot of them road justfrontage wanted bring out a uses. $375,000. Contact Mills Brock produce forwith them over 10onor even commercial/industrial 20 years.” 70 +/acres. financially Prime crop land long frontage located between Cairo and Thomasville. MLS # RS4590A. camper for the night, bring Contact the kids, rideRenaud their–four-wheeler.” – 3 Rivers Realty – 229.416.6136 or by email at two paved roads. Great location just north of Blakely. $2,780 $195,000. Charles Realty Mart, Inc. There mills@3riversrealty.com. A Contact big chunk of Matre’s business is timber investment that often per acre. Chip Hancock – Allied Land & Timber – 229.224.3239 229.377.8007 or by email at grilz@ might be a fishing pond on the ortract, too. “That’s kind of a new Company, Inc. –as 800.590.6439. www.alliedlandga. syrupcity.net. comes a referralWebsite: through forestry consulting. “Timber is trend I’m seeing.” com “ Water is the new oil. becoming kind of the ‘in’ thing for savvy investors,” he says. LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 28 10 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 “ REAL ESTATE: PROPERTY FOR SALE pine tract with plentiful wildlife. Super nice dog kennels. Hilltop forest views. $214,065. Contact Daniel Crocker, ALC, GA/FL Lic. Real Estate Broker – Crocker Realty, Inc. – 229.403.6297 or 229.228.0552. Website: www.landcroc.com 10 +/- acres. Located near Whigham, this 4 BR/3 BA 236 +/- acres. Pine Hill Farm offers one and one-half miles of pristine frontage on the Ochlocknee River. Wild game is plentiful, including big deer, turkey, quail, dove and ducks. Located just north of the Florida/Georgia line and midway between Hadley Ferry Bridge in Georgia and Fairbanks Ferry Bridge in Florida. 65 +/- acres planted in crops suitable for wild game food source and balance of property is a mix of mature hardwood and pine. Prime deer habitat. The 50’ x 50’ hay barn with enclosed metal shed was built in 2014. Deep water well and a three-acre duck pond. Neighboring land consists of mostly undeveloped recreational property. No conservation easements. Contact Harris Strickland – Chubb Associates, Ltd. – 229.226.7916 or 850.510.8100. Website: www.chubbrealty.com home features a split-floor plan with two master suites on each end of the house. The master suite off the kitchen could also be used as additional living space with access to the outside deck that stretches across the back of the home. The living area is open with vaulted ceilings and opens to the sun porch that leads to a large multi-level deck and covered patio. The home has a formal dining room as well as a breakfast area in the kitchen. MLS #908635. Contact Lynn Corbin – 229.977.3829 – or Paula Barrett – 229.421.9724 – KeySouth Real Estate Group, Inc. Website: www.keysouth. com 16 +/- acres. Located in the heart of the Red Hills Plantation Region, this gentleman’s estate is located across from Susina Plantation and features a 3 BR/3 BA home nestled among old growth longleaf, loblolly, and short leaf pines, along with mature hardwoods. Sunroom overlooks pond. Open floor plan includes a well equipped kitchen, dining room/living room combination with heart pine walls and ceilings, and two master suites with wide open views of the wildlife habitat. The detached two-car garage has a 22 x 28 apartment above. A separate two bedroom guest house with wood-burning also features peckyChastain wood. A 24legs x out a single during a recent game in Bainbridge. Three-year oldstove tee-ball star Tom 78 detached storage/workshop and aChastain. 20 x 20 detached Tom is the son of Carla and Michael Carla is a Credit Analyst at Southwest Georgia Farm Credit. storage building are also on the property. MLS#908754. We’re proud support kids,Realty families and our communities throughout southwest Georgia! $575,000. Contact Pam to Davis – Rose City – 229.672.0241 or 229.225.9225. published quarterly for frontage stockholders, 155 +/- isacres. With paved road on Lower directorsTrail and friends ofRoad Southwest Georgia Farm Hawthorne and State 111, this property hasCredit. approximately 80 acres in cultivation. Pond and natural PRESIDENT waterfall. Planted pines and hardwood. Lots of deer and Monson turkey. $3,950 per acre.Richard Contact Bobby Miller – The Real Estate Shop – 229.377.7777. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kim Rentz, Chairman Robert B. Moss, Vice Chairman John M. Bridges, Jr., Jeffrey A. Clark, James H. Dixon, Jr., Clifford Dollar, Jr., Robert L. Holden, Sr., Ted Milliron EDITOR & MARKETING DIRECTOR - Liz Nogowski MARKETING SPECIALIST - Frances Edmunds PUBLISHER - AgFirst Farm Credit Bank PUBLISHING DIRECTOR - Padgett Mozingo PRINTER - Professional Printers CIRCULATION - Kathi DeFlorio Address changes, questions or comments should be directed 63 +/- acres. Located Singletary Road 305 and Colquitt to Southwest Georgia Farmon Credit by writing convenientBainbridge, to Thomasville Cairo. Big hardwood and or Highway, GA and 39817, calling 229.246.0384, emailing fedmunds@swgafarmcredit.com. Copies of the Association’s Annual and Quarterly reports are available upon request free of charge by calling 1.866.304.3276 or writing Ryan Burtt, Chief Financial Officer, Southwest Georgia Farm Credit, 305 Colquitt Highway, Bainbridge, GA, 39817, or accessing the website, www.SWGAFarmCredit.com. The Association prepares an electronic version of the Annual Report which is available on the Association’s website within 75 days after the end of the fiscal year, and distributes the Annual Reports to Shareholders within 90 days after the end of the fiscal year. The Association prepares an electronic version of the Quarterly report within 40 days after the end of each fiscal quarter, except that no report need be prepared for the fiscal quarter that coincides with the end of the fiscal year of the institution. Excellent Rates and Terms for Land Financing. Call Josh McGalliard, Relationship Manager, 229.995.4491. INSIDE THIS ISSUE 295 +/- acres. Six Toms Farm is named for the six committed huntsmen who frequented this tract and the game they bagged the most. It has all of the essentials for the HAPPY 100TH, FARM CREDIT! outdoor life, including a rustic cook shack and bonfire pit. Enjoy hunting in the woods or fishing in the Ochlocknee River or pond. $2,966 per acre. Contact Rob Langford – Southern Land Realty – 850.556.7575 or by email at rob@ 145 +/- acres. An equestrian’s dream that comes southernlandrealty.com. Website: www.southernlandrealty. complete with a beautiful ranch-style home, horses and barn on property that is fenced/cross fenced. in the low TELLScom AREALocated REALTORS US WHAT’S IN THEIR CRYSTAL BALLS rolling hills of northern Grady County, this 3 BR/3.5 BA 2016 LAND SALES SURVEY home is complemented by buildings that fill almost any equestrian need. MLS #RS4230A. $661,500. Contact Charles Renaud – Realty Mart, Inc. – 229.224.3239 or 229.377.8007 or by email at grilz@syrupcity.net. 4 6 14 DUANE “BANJO” DAVIS SERVED OUR COUNTRY, AND OUR BORROWERS, WELL 16 FARMER’S DAUGHTER VINEYARDS 37 +/- acres. Less than a half-hour from Tallahassee, Thomasville and Bainbridge, this beautiful homestead offers country living at its best and city conveniences. This is a custom designed home with a split floor plan offering three bedrooms with their own bath for comfort and convenience. The large screened back porch provides a peaceful and 5 +/- acres. This acreage includes 13 pecan trees and UNDERSTAND YOUR INTEREST RATE tranquil scene of beautiful pastures and fields. There is two storage buildings. Ideal building site with creek in the plenty of room to install a riding arena and over a mile of middle of the property. $40,000. Contact Bobby Miller – The riding trails. The 20 x 60 barn has one large horse stall and Real Estate Shop – 229.377.7777. room for several more. Approximately 15 acres of the 37+ acres are nine year-old planted pines and border a small creek which could make a great lake site. Located on the 18 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 29 3 REAL ESTATE: PROPERTY FOR SALE western edge of the famous Red Hills Plantation area of South Georgia. MLS #RS4021A. $299,900. Contact Charles Renaud – Realty Mart, Inc. – 229.224.3239 or 229.377.8007 or by email at grilz@syrupcity.net. 61 +/- acres. Approximately 22 acres of open land, small creek, natural woods, deer and turkey. $169,538. Contact Bobby Miller – The Real Estate Shop – 229.377.7777. Mike Matre LEE COUNTY MACON COUNTY 2,275 +/- acres. Fox Creek Plantation is surrounded 688 +/- acres. Indian Mound, LLC is a gentleman’s retreat located in the famous Flint River corridor. It is comprised of two parcels with each having a unique layout and recreational opportunities. The property includes a custom lodge built by Chip Shelton. Other outbuildings include matching guest quarters, enclosed storage barn, new multi-dog kennel, large pole barn, and more. Food plots are established throughout and have been professionally managed, as has the beautiful hardwood and pine timber located throughout the property. Deer and turkey hunting, floodable duck pond, and fishing pond. Contact Mack Greene – Greene Forest & Farm Realty, LLC – 229.924.9048. Website: www.greeneforestandfarm.com by large hunting properties and farms and is in one of southwest Georgia’s most desirable locations. The property is comprised of mature pines, hardwoods, productive cultivated fields, ample weed fields for quail brood habitat, and numerous wet weather duck ponds. Fox Creek Plantation boasts abundant game populations of quail, deer, and turkeys. $3,500 per acre. Contact Crisp Gatewood – Plantation Services, Inc. – 229.888.2500 or 229.347.1336 or by email at crispgatewood@gmail.com. Website: www. plantationservicesinc.com Claudine Morgan MATRE FORESTRY CONSULTING, INC Albany BUENA VISTA REALTY Marion County Florida making a comeback Mike Matre, Broker with Matre Forestry Consulting, Inc., says he can tell Since there are fewer players in the more complex timberland space, you can get into good timber tracts at very reasonable dirt conversions. This property is directly across from the Mule Day grounds in Calvary, GA. The converted 6,860 sq. ft.looking for recreational tracts. an increase from buyers in that area prices. “Timberland investments that are thousands of acres do shade tobacco barn has multiple uses, including a 2,600+ sq. produce 455 +/with high percentagevery of good annual income, but even a small timberland ft. home primarily with reclaimed wood that isclearing over 100 business Hebuilt had two brothers with a land tellacres. him itTimberland was mature pine (also some pre-merchantable) and cypress. Also years-old and a 1BR/1 BA Mother-in-Law Suite with fully investment of just a 100 acres or less can put on very rapid timber booming so much can’t keep up. “Whenever aresq. ft. home, a caretaker’s house, kennel, includesthings a 2,000 +/37 +/- acres. This property on Englishville Road equipped kitchen under the barn,they but separate from the value, which to 8% better annual return on investment.” equipmentinto shelter, and more. Hunting blue chip for deer, can lead includes a 3or BR/2 BA 1995 mobile home. $149,900. Contact main dwelling. subject features amazing viewssee fromhunters the movingThe well in Florida, you will coming south turkey, and ducks. Upscale country neighborhood is Jimmy Whaley – Century 21 Americus Realty, Inc. second story balconies overlooking the grounds and interior Georgia and south Alabama.” Traditional recreational buyers in Claudine Morgan’s County southern portion of the old Eagle Pond Plantation. – 229.938.4837 or 229.924.2903 or by email atMarion jwwhaley@ entertainment areas under the main barn. The incredible $1,100,000. Contact Craig Brown – Southeastern ymail.com. craftsmanship is evident throughout the structure, including marketHunting are also looking for a return, she says. “Our hunters used to slighttops twist the recreational increased Inc. –interest 229.432.1010 or 229.349.1680. Website: cementAcounter in theingourmet kitchen. MLS buyer is the Services, buy land with just hardwoods. Today, they want it with timber, also. www.afieldandfarm.com #RS3997A. $299,000. Contact Charles Renaud – Realty MARION COUNTY in investment potential, whereas, it used to be mostly about the Mart, Inc. – 229.224.3239 or 229.377.8007 or by email at They want that value.” game. In fact, the two brothers told Matre they were pulling all of grilz@syrupcity.net. their money out of the stock market and wanted him to get busy The Broker with Buena Vista Realty also says she’s seeing an LAMAR COUNTY finding them some land. increase in a less traditional type of recreational buyer—families with kids. Buena Vista’s proximity to Columbus is part of the “That’s not an uncommon mindset,” Matre says, “although I don’t attraction. recommend converting everything. Diversification is a good thing to have.” 5 +/-there’s acres.been The newest wave in rural living is barn a recovery in the Central Florida economy, as he’s seeing “ Water is the new oil. “ Recreational buyers seem to be more cautious now than pre-recession, he says. “They do their homework, and JonCreek Kohler, Jon Kohler & Associates 940 +/- acres.—Dry Plantation is a turn-key 6 +/- acres. This beautiful building lot on the west side offering that includes numerous cabins, horse barn/pasture they of course want good hunting of the county is located on a cul-de-sac and gives you many andwith equipment sheds. Excellent hunting and fishing, QDM/15 year, clients who wanted anything from options for a primarycan home and room forLast a guest houseshe or worked and aesthetics, but they also want to see how the property high protein feeding program. Stocked fish ponds and workshop. The rear of the property backsto up more to wooded acres than 100 acres. “A lot of them just wanted to bring out a bordered by two creeks. Merchantable and pre-merchantable produce themnear over 10 or 20 green years.” 370 +/acres.financially Furlow Farmfor is located Griffin andeven and space for even more privacy. Minimum building for the night, ridefood their four-wheeler.” pinebring timberthe and kids, established plots. Scenic property There just one hour south of Atlanta. There is merchantable requirements are 1,700 sq. ft. Call for platcamper and covenants/ located in rolling hills, perfect for family, group ownership or big hardwoods, chunk of pasture, Matre’s investment often plantedApines, andbusiness two ponds is on timber the restrictions.that Contact Katie Gatewood – Hughey Neuman, might& be a fishing pond on the tract, too. “That’s kind of a new corporate retreat. $2,250 per acre. Contact Lee Walters property. The main has 5,000 +/- sq. ft.forestry with 4 BR/4.5 Inc. –“Timber 229.436.0212 email at katie. comes as home a referral through consulting. is or 229.881.0743 or bytrend I’m seeing.” – Plantation Services, Inc. – 229.888.2500 or by email at BA. Deer, turkeys, and ducks. $2.9M. Contact Crisp hughey@gmail.com. Website: www.albanyhousehunting.com pserv@bellsouth.net. becoming kind of the thing fororsavvy investors,” he says. Gatewood – Plantation Services, Inc.‘in’ – 229.888.2500 229.347.1336 or by email at crispgatewood@gmail.com. Website: www.plantationservicesinc.com LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 30 10 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 REAL ESTATE: PROPERTY FOR SALE MITCHELL COUNTY 116 +/- acres. Prime timberland in the northern part of the county, conveniently located to the Columbus area. This tract consists of thinned 1992 pine plantation along with beautiful hardwoods along a nice creek. The tract has long county road frontage and is an excellent location for trophy deer and turkey hunting. $1,750 per acre. Contact Allied Land & Timber Company at 800.224.9939. Website: www.alliedlandga.com 5 +/- acres. Lots of wide-open space on this property on Bent Oak Trail. Home has open floor plan with hardwood floors. Kitchen features custom cabinets, solid surface counter tops, and stainless appliances. Large master with fabulous master bath. Guest bathroom has big shower and jetted tub. In addition to the home, there is a two-car garage, workshop, and a storage building. MLS #RS4587A. $205,000. Contact Linda Collins – 229.254.9096 or by email at lindacollins@millergriffin.com. Website: www.millergriffin. com 53 +/- acres. Acreage and a 3BR/2 BA home overlooking the stocked 15-acre lake. This property offers serenity and privacy for fishing, hunting, riding an ATV, hiking, or simply relaxing in a swing on the screened front porch. Road frontage on both Harmony Road, which is the main entrance, and Hwy 19. The entrance is gated with a concrete drive and beautiful landscaping. There is a detached garage/workshop/mancave with a full bath and work benches, equipment/livestock area with fencing, and RV Shelter or pavilion for entertaining with a separate bath. MLS #908451. $299,900. Contact Kay Davis – Rose City Realty, Inc. – 229.403.0730 or 229.225.9225 or by email at kaywdavis11@gmail.com. Three-year old tee-ball star Tom Chastain legs out a207 single during a recent game in Bainbridge. +/acres. Great tract to plant trees or to have Tom is the son of Carla and Michael Chastain. Carla is a Credit cattle. Analyst atsoil Southwest Credit. Good map. Some Georgia timber andFarm wildlife. $1,500 We’re proud to support kids, families and our communities throughout southwest Georgia! per acre. Contact Daniel Crocker, ALC, GA/FL Lic. Real Estate Broker – Crocker Realty, Inc. – 229.403.6297 or 229.228.0552. Website: www.landcroc.com 550 +/- acres. Located on Ft. Perry Road, this property offers beautiful pasture land that is fenced and cross-fenced for rotational grazing. There is row crop land, a large flowing creek, and an excellent pond site. Great recreational property is published quarterly for stockholders, with excellent deer, turkey, quail, and dove hunting. directors and friends of Southwest Georgia Farm Credit. $962,500. Contact Vince Barfield – Barfield Auctions, Inc. – 229.679.2223 or by email at vince@barfieldauctions.com. PRESIDENT Website: www.barfieldauctions.com Richard Monson MILLER COUNTY BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kim Rentz, Chairman Robert B. Moss, Vice Chairman John M. Bridges, Jr., Jeffrey A. Clark, James H. Dixon, Jr., Clifford Dollar, Jr., Robert L. Holden, Sr., Ted Milliron EDITOR & MARKETING DIRECTOR - Liz Nogowski MARKETING SPECIALIST - Frances Edmunds INSIDE THIS ISSUE 5 +/- acres. This property offers the opportunity for a mini-farm with horses and cows plus country living only a short distance from town. Mobile homes are allowed, but must be five years-old or less. MLS #4773. Contact Ken Horn – DeHildren Realty – 229.416.9804. Website: www. dehildren.com 4 6 PUBLISHER - AgFirst Farm Credit Bank PUBLISHING DIRECTOR - Padgett Mozingo PRINTER - Professional Printers CIRCULATION - Kathi DeFlorio Address changes, questions or comments should be directed 12 +/- acres. Mini-farm located Mayhaw Call to Southwest Georgia Farm Credit byon writing 305Road. Colquitt for details.Bainbridge, MLS #4405.GA Contact Long 229.246.0384, – DeHildren or Highway, 39817,Gail calling Realty – 229.220.2980. Website: www.dehildren.com emailing fedmunds@swgafarmcredit.com. Copies of the Association’s Annual and Quarterly reports are available upon request free of charge by calling 1.866.304.3276 or writing Ryan Burtt, Chief Financial Officer, Southwest Georgia Farm Credit, 305 Colquitt Highway, Bainbridge, GA, 39817, or accessing the website, www.SWGAFarmCredit.com. The Association prepares an electronic version of the Annual Report which is available on the Association’s website within 75 days after the end of the fiscal year, and distributes the Annual Reports to Shareholders within 90 days after the end of the fiscal year. The Association prepares an electronic version of the Quarterly report within 40 days after the end of each fiscal quarter, except that no report need be prepared for the fiscal quarter that coincides with the end of the fiscal year of the institution. HAPPY 100TH, FARM CREDIT! 125 +/- acres. Great recreational property with 60 +/- acres of longleaf pines in CRP until 2020. Tract also has AREA REALTORS TELLSpine USand WHAT’S hardwood IN mixTHEIR timber, a CRYSTAL 3 +/- acre pondBALLS with a well, and an extensive road system. $500,000. Contact Vince 2016 LAND SALES SURVEY Barfield – Barfield Auctions, Inc. – 229.679.2223 or by email at vince@barfieldauctions.com. Website: www. barfieldauctions.com DUANE “BANJO” DAVIS SERVED OUR COUNTRY, 14 would make an exciting 6 +/- acres. This property AND OUR BORROWERS, WELL alternative to apartment living or small housing. The quality built brick building features 13,533 sq. ft. that offers plenty of possibilities. MLS #RS3253A. $300,000. Contact Cathy McConnell – Miller Griffin Realty – 229.220.0243 or by email at cathym@millergriffin.com. Website: www. millergriffin.com FARMER’S DAUGHTER VINEYARDS 16 Experts in Land Financing. Call Duane Watson, 18 UNDERSTAND YOUR INTEREST RATE Relationship Manager, 229.254.6387. LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 31 3 REAL ESTATE: PROPERTY FOR SALE RANDOLPH COUNTY Owner will consider subdividing the property. Contact Bill Hughey – Hughey & Neuman, Inc. – 229.436.0212 or 229.881.3617 or by email at hugheybill@bellsouth.net. Website: www.albanyhousehunting.com 152 +/- acres. Conveniently located to Cuthbert, this property would make an excellent weekend retreat. There are 663 +/- acres. Preakness Plantation has everything planted pines, food plots, hardwood and pine timber mix, from virgin timber to Bobwhite quail and while the rolling and a creek flowing through the property. Excellent deer and hills are managed for quail, the property supports turkey, turkey hunting. $319,200. Contact Vince Barfield – Barfield deer, and gopher tortoise. Located at 407 Orr Road in Auctions, Inc. – 229.679.2223 or by email at vince@ 484 +/- acres. This excellent recreation property has Coleman, this beautiful property has 360 +/- acres in planted barfieldauctions.com. Website: www.barfieldauctions.com planted pines, food plots, duck ponds, and a large creek pines: 297 +/- in plantation pines, 43 +/- acres in 6 year-old running through the tract. Great deer, turkey, and small longleaf pines, and 20 +/- acres in 8 to 10 year-old planted game hunting. Metal building with outside and inside pines. There are 280 +/- acres in hardwoods and natural machinery storage and completely finished living quarters. pines with approximately 100 acres of virgin timber. The $956,000. Contact Vince Barfield – Barfield Auctions, Inc. property has 23 managed food plots, 2 streams, a 40 x 50 – 229.679.2223 or by email at vince@barfieldauctions.com. shop with a half bath, a 30 x 40 full kitchen facility with a Website: www.barfieldauctions.com bath and lodging, dog kennels with septic for up to 8 dogs, a 4” well, and 4 gated entrances. Owned by a real estate professional. $1.85 M. Contact Julian Morgan – South Georgia Land and Timber – 229.881.2779 or by email at MATRE FORESTRY CONSULTING, INC Albany BUENA VISTA REALTY Marion County julian@landandtimber.net. Website: www.landandtimber.net Mike Matre Claudine Morgan Florida making a comeback Mike Matre, Broker with Matre Forestry Consulting, Inc., says he can tell there’s been a recovery in the Central Florida economy, as he’s seeing an increase from buyers in that area looking for recreational tracts. 233 +/- acres. Managed for quail, deer, and turkey, thisplayers tract has food plots, roads,complex hardwoods,timberland water, and Since there are fewer in the more highway frontage. $1,895 per acre. Contact Julian Morgan space, you can get into good timber tracts at–very reasonable – South Georgia Land and Timber 229.881.2779 or by dirt at julian@landandtimber.net. Website: of www. prices. “Timberland email investments that are thousands acres do landandtimber.net produce very good annual income, but even a small timberland 64 +/-tell acres. He had two brothers with a land clearing business him Timberland it was on Rhodes Creek Road offers excellent hunting for deer and turkey. $2,195 per acre. of just a 100 acres or less can put on very rapid timber investment booming so much they can’t keep up. “Whenever are – South Georgia Land and Timber Contactthings Julian Morgan value, which can lead to 8% or better annual return on investment.” – 229.881.2779 by email at julian@landandtimber.net. moving well in Florida, you will see hunters coming into or south Website: www.landandtimber.net Georgia and south Traditional recreational buyers in Claudine Morgan’s Marion County 203 +/acres. Located fiveAlabama.” to six miles southeast of Cuthbert on Fountain Bridge Road, this tract has planted market are also looking for a return, she says. “Our hunters used to A slight twist in theasrecreational buyer is the increased interest pines that are ready for thinning well as very impressive buy land with just hardwoods. Today, they want it with timber, also. hardwoods. Excellent deerpotential, and turkey hunting. Thereitisused a in investment whereas, to be mostly about the furnished mobile home on the property. All equipment They want that value.” In fact, theplot two brothersis available told Matre neededgame. for mowing and food maintenance as they were pulling all of well. $360,325. Contact Bob Properties their money outDutton of the– Needmore stock market and wanted him to get busy The Broker with Buena Vista Realty also says she’s seeing an – 229.894.7373 or 229.439.1837. Website: www. finding them some land. increase in a less traditional type of recreational buyer—families needmoreproperties.com with kids. Buena Vista’s proximity to Columbus is part of the 87 +/acres. This timberland/hunting property is “That’s not an uncommon mindset,” Matre says, “although I don’t located in an upscale farming area. Paved road, creek, older attraction. recommend converting everything. Diversification is a good thing timber of pine and hardwoods. Deer hunting is excellent and enhanced by adjoining agricultural fields. Approximately 32 to have.” “ Water is the new oil. “ acres in CRP longleaf pines paying $1,800 per year. $2,200 per acre. Contact Craig Brown – Southeastern Hunting 223 +/- acres. This tract, which is located in both Recreational buyers seem to be more Services, Inc. – 229.432.1010 or 229.349.1680. Website: Randolph County and Terrell County, has great water cautious now than pre-recession, he www.afieldandfarm.com resources with approximately one and one-half miles of creek frontage on both the Ichawaynochaway Creek and the says. “They do their homework, and — Jon Kohler, Jon Kohler & Associates West Fork Ichawaynochaway Creek. Beautiful hardwood, a they of course want good hunting great stand of 1996 +/- upland natural loblolly needing Last year, she worked with clients who wanted anything from 15 thinned on a high sitecan index, 1996 +/- upland natural and aesthetics, but they also want to see how the property to morewhich than 100 acres. “A lot of them just wanted to bring out a produce financially for them over 10 or even hardwood/pine 20 years.” mix, and non-irrigated row crops, could also be used for pasture or CRP longleaf. The ample camper for the night, bring the kids, ride their four-wheeler.” There 1,334 +/- acres. This property includes 475 +/- acres creek frontage and habitat diversity makes this tract a great big chunk of250 Matre’s is timber investment that $444,885. often Contact Chad in dry A farm land of which +/- acresbusiness is income producing/ might beoraMike fishing pond on the tract, too. “That’s kind of a new hunting property. McGrath irrigated crop land, +/- acres through in planted pines with consulting. Matre“Timber – Matre Forestry Consulting, Inc. –trend 229.639.4973. comes as 258 a referral forestry is I’m seeing.” remaining acreage in mature hardwoods. Lots of wild game. Website: www.matreforestry.com kindhunters of the thingTwo-story for savvy investors,” he says. Perfectbecoming property for both and‘in’ farmers. barn has double doors on first level for storing equipment and the second level features 4 BR/4.5 BA, gorgeous wood paneled walls, kitchen with stainless steel appliances and breakfast bar, open floor plan, and rocking chair porch. LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 32 10 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 REAL ESTATE: PROPERTY FOR SALE 468 +/- acres. This tract has 36 +/- acres of open farm land with farm lease income and 37 +/- acres in hardwood bottoms. There are 395 +/- acres of replanted longleaf pines and a 3 +/- acre pond. This tract has a creek, utilities, and county maintained graded road frontage. Excellent hunting. $1,350 per acre. Contact Julian Morgan – South Georgia Land & Timber – 229.881.2779 or by email at julian@ landandtimber.net. Website: www.landandtimber.net SEMINOLE COUNTY STEWART COUNTY 8 +/- acres. Located on Bartow Gibson Road south of Donalsonville and minutes from the Country Club, this beautiful, updated home offers 3,800 +/- sq. ft. with three or four bedrooms, three baths, hardwood floors, granite countertops, and custom cabinets. Acreage includes a fishpond and small barn. Contact Sarah Avery – The Whittaker Agency – 229.416.5081. 340 +/- acres. Beautiful log home on rolling hill. Three creeks and two ponds with excellent deer, turkey and duck hunting. Well-established road system and food plots with two large groves of saw tooth oaks. Ponds are stocked with fish. Large barn located on property. Property is located 10 +/- miles northeast of Eufaula, Alabama and 12 +/- miles southwest of Lumpkin, Georgia just off Georgia Hwy 27. $895,000. Contact Bob Dutton – Needmore Properties – 229-894-7373 or 229-439-1837. Website: www. needmoreproperties.com Three-year old tee-ball star Tom Chastain legs out a single during a recent game in Bainbridge. Tom is the son of Carla and Michael Chastain. Carla is a Credit Analyst at Southwest Georgia Farm Credit. We’re proud to support kids, families and our communities throughout southwest Georgia! 215 +/- acres. Excellent timber investment tract with mature pines and hardwood timber and a great interior road system. There is an approximate five-acre pond and tremendous deer, turkey, ducks, and Bobwhite quail. Just is published for stockholders, minutes to Lake Walter F.quarterly George. $675,000. Contact Vince directors and friends of Southwest Georgia Farm Barfield – Barfield Auctions, Inc. – 229.679.2223 or byCredit. email at vince@barfieldauctions.com. Website: www. PRESIDENT barfieldauctions.com Richard Monson SCHLEY COUNTY BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kim Rentz, Chairman Robert B. Moss, Vice Chairman John M. Bridges, Jr., Jeffrey A. Clark, James H. Dixon, Jr., Clifford Dollar, Jr., Robert L. Holden, Sr., Ted Milliron EDITOR & MARKETING DIRECTOR - Liz Nogowski MARKETING SPECIALIST - Frances Edmunds PUBLISHER - AgFirst Farm Credit Bank PUBLISHING DIRECTOR - Padgett Mozingo PRINTER - Professional Printers CIRCULATION - Kathi DeFlorio Address changes, questions or comments should be directed 15 +/- acres. ThisFarm 4 BR/2.5 BAbyhome was 305 updated in to Southwest Georgia Credit writing Colquitt 1984 whenBainbridge, the house was this location in rural or Highway, GA moved 39817, tocalling 229.246.0384, Schley County. Original wood work, beautiful pine floors, emailing fedmunds@swgafarmcredit.com. Copies of the front porch, butler’s pantry, and walk-in attic that could Association’s Annual and Quarterly reports are available house two more bedrooms and baths. Roof was recently upon request free of charge by calling 1.866.304.3276 or replaced. Feels like the north Georgia mountains with the writing Ryan Burtt, Chief Financial Officer, Southwest Georgia hardwoods on this acreage. Deer and turkey. MLS #902559. Farm Credit, 305 Colquitt Highway, Bainbridge, GA, 39817, Contact Channon Thurmond – Johnston Realty Group or accessing theWebsite: website,www.johnstonrealtygroup.com www.SWGAFarmCredit.com. The – 229.337.0003. Association prepares an electronic version of the Annual Report which is available onjust the outside Association’s website within 35 +/acres. Located of Ellaville, this 75 days after endlocation of the fiscal year, and property is in the a great on Highway 26 distributes and has the Annual Reports to Shareholders 90 days after the good mixed pine/hardwood ridgeswithin and natural pine. Great building throughout the property.prepares Contactan Allied Land end of thesites fiscal year. The Association electronic & Timber Inc.report – 800.224.9939. Website: version of Company, the Quarterly within 40 days afterwww. the end alliedlandga.com of each fiscal quarter, except that no report need be prepared for the fiscal quarter that coincides with the end of the fiscal year of the institution. INSIDE THIS ISSUE Waterfront lots. These five waterfront lots on Lakeview Drive at beautiful Lake Seminole. $75,000 each. Contact Sarah Avery – The Whittaker Agency – 229.416.5081. 720 +/- acres. This tract is in three different parcels, two in Stewart County and one in Chattahoochee County. Desser on Hwy 374. $25,000. Contact Sarah Avery – The All three tracts are in a long term timber lease that is very Whittaker Agency – 229.416.5081. lucrative for the landowner. Ideal as an investment or for timbered hunting property. The long term timber lease HAPPY 100TH, FARM CREDIT! expires in 2035, and the tenant is a major forest products company. The lease is available for review by prospects, after signing a nondisclosure agreement. The tenant must manage the property according to commonly accepted sound management practices, Georgia Best management and the tenant is SFI certified (Sustainable AREA REALTORS TELLSpractices, US WHAT’S IN THEIR CRYSTAL BALLS Forestry Initiative). The tenant cannot leave any areas clear cut at the lease expiration. In addition to a strong annual 2016 LAND SALES SURVEY lease payment through 2035, the tenant pays the property taxes through 2035. Purchase this property and hunt it yourself, or lease the hunting rights out for even more income. Tracts can be purchased individually or in combinations. $1,093,060. Contact Chad McGrath, Mike DUANE “BANJO” DAVISMatre, SERVED or ZackOUR Geer – COUNTRY, Matre Forestry Consulting, Inc. 135 +/- acres. Slash Pine Pond has approximately 128 – 229.639.4973. Website: www.matreforestry.com AND OUR BORROWERS, WELL acres is in eight to nine year-old planted slash pines ready to be thinned within the next three to four years. It also has the potential for a straw raking lease that would produce income for the landowner. The property has a seven-acre spring-fed pond and joins the Lake Seminole State Park (600+/- acres), which adds to the hunting potential of the property. The DAUGHTER VINEYARDS pond is a fall/winter stop-over forFARMER’S many of Lake Seminole’s ducks when the hunting pressure on the lake becomes too high and is an excellent fishing pond throughout the year. Great put-and-take quail hunting. $405,000. Contact Mills Brock – 3 Rivers Realty – 229.416.6136 or by email at mills@3riversrealty.com. 5 +/- acres. This unimproved acreage is located near 4 6 14 16 Financing Available for Qualified Buyers. Call Timmy Jackson, 18 UNDERSTAND YOUR INTEREST RATE Relationship Manager, 229.254.6376. LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 33 3 REAL ESTATE: PROPERTY FOR SALE 133 +/- acres. Beautiful country retreat comprised of excellent mix of natural mature pine and hardwood timber and features an approximate two acre pond. Outstanding hunting and recreation property located just minutes to Lake Walter F. George and a short drive from Columbus, Americus, and Albany. $305,235. Contact Vince Barfield – Barfield Auctions, Inc. – 229.679.2223 or by email at vince@ barfieldauctions.com. Website: www.barfieldauctions.com SUMTER COUNTY 59 +/- acres. Loaded with beautiful natural pine and 208 +/- acres. Shallow Creek Farm is located just south of Americus along the west bank of Lake Philema with access from private boat landing on property. Power line with food plots bisects property with additional food plots planted within large stand of planted pines. Nice and secluded two bedroom cabin with large fully enclosed garage. Deer, turkey, dove, duck hunting, and excellent fishing. $3,550 per acre. Contact Lee Walters - Plantation Services, Inc. – 229.343.3830 or 229.888.2500 or by email at pserv@bellsouth.net. Website: www.plantationservicesinc. com 967 +/- acres. A hunter and fisherman’s paradise that is located off Hwy 39 near Lumpkin. The 3 BR/2 BA home features cypress siding, central heat and air, hardwood floors, fireplace, three-car carport, and a separate office space. Separate 2 BR/1 BA guest house. There is an approximate 30 x 50 metal shop as well as other out buildings. Beautiful 15 +/- acre spring-fed pond with MATRE FORESTRY CONSULTING, covered boat house. Covered picnic area. City water. $1,800 INC per acre. Contact Julian Morgan – South Georgia Land & Timber – 229.881.2779 or by email at julian@landandtimber. net. Website: www.landandtimber.net Mike Matre hardwoods, this property is an excellent investment tract located on Reeves Landing Road next to the Flint River. Recreational opportunities included deer and turkey hunting as well as a boat ramp just a short walk from property. Perfect site to build that get away cabin! Contact Greene Forest & Farm Realty, LLC. – 229.924.9048. Website: www. greeneforestandfarm.com 50 +/- acres. Located on Clements Road, this property includes a small cabin and approximately 41 acres of open land. $109,900. Contact J. Durham & Associates, Inc. – 800.342.2666. Website: www.jdurhamauctions.com Claudine Morgan Albany BUENA VISTA REALTY Marion County Florida making a comeback Mike Matre, Broker with Matre Forestry Consulting, Inc., says he can tell there’s been a recovery in the Central Florida economy, as he’s seeing an increase from buyers in that area looking for recreational tracts. Since there are fewer players in the more complex timberland space, you can get into good timber tracts at very reasonable dirt prices. “Timberland investments that are thousands of acres do produce annual but even a small timberland 182 +/acres. Unlimited opportunities on this very good 210 +/-income, acres. Double J Shooting Preserve is a He had two brothers with a land clearing business tell him it was property located just minutes from downtown Americus.of just abeautiful turnkey preserve whichrapid includes investment 100 acres or quail lessshooting can put on very timber booming so much they can’t keep up. “Whenever thingsonare Road frontage GA Hwy 27 East. Approximately 171 acres two houses, including a main house, a barn, a steel value, which to 8% shed, or better annual return of planted pines, natural pines, and an 11-acre pond fed bycan lead equipment dog kennels, two grain bins,on andinvestment.” a quail moving well in Florida, you will see hunters coming into south an 8” recreational well. Property possibilities are endless for flight pen. The property has been developed as a complete Georgia and south Alabama.” Traditional recreational buyersand in shooting Claudine Morgan’s Marion County hunting, recreational, home site or development of multiple quail hunting preserve, complete with food home sites. Land features acres of natural hardwood/pine plots and pine plantation. property also offers market are also looking forpruned a return, she says.The “Our hunters used to mix timberland with gently rolling topography. MLS slight twistKawikee in thePlantation recreational buyer two beautiful ponds and an excellent interior road system as 4,100A +/acres. is a historic quailis the increased interest land with just hardwoods. Today, they want Contact it withAllied timber, #902459. Contact Johnston Realty Group buy – 229.928.8293. well as county road frontage. $595,000. Landalso. plantation with diverse recreation, water,whereas, and timberit used to be mostly about the in investment potential, Website: www.johnstonrealtygroup.com They want that value.” & Timber Company at 800.224.9939. Website: www. resources located in a relatively undiscovered small belt of game. In fact, the two brothers told Matre they were pulling all of alliedlandga.com fertile land and quail plantations between Albany and theirThere money of the stock market and wanted him to get busy Columbus. are twoout showcase lakes totaling 35 The Broker with Buena Vista Realty also says she’s seeing an +/- acres and a four bedroom lakefront lodge with covered finding them some land. increase in a less traditional type of recreational buyer—families porches. This area sits along the edge of the rolling Piedmont with kids. Buena Vista’s proximity to Columbus is part of the plateau and historically attracted prosperous area leaders. “That’s not an uncommon mindset,” Matre says, “although I don’t Kawikee is a well-known quail hunting property with both attraction. wild and pre-season released quail, located about an hour recommend converting everything. Diversification is a good thing northwest of Albany and convenient to Columbus and only to have.” 30 minutes to Eufaula, AL. Property could be an excellent cattle ranch. Kawikee is offered in its entirety, turn-key with Recreational to be more furnishings, dogs, horses,buyers tack, andseem equipment at $8,805,311 or divided – 1,670 +/acrethan Kawikee Refuge with cautious now pre-recession, he improvements for $5,220,000 or the 2,430 +/- acre Kawkiee says. “They do their homework, and Two (ideal cattle or ag conversion) for $3,585,311. Contact Jon Kohler Kohler & Associates – 850.508.2999 they– Jon of course want good hunting or by email at jon@jonkohler.com. Website: www.jonkohler.com “ Water is the new oil. “ — Jon Kohler, Jon Kohler & Associates 494 +/- acres. Approximately 20 percent of acreage in Last year, with wanted 15 oldthe pasture/hay fieldscan with balance in timberland heavyshe to worked 145 +/-clients acres.who Acreage includes anything a 90 +/- acre from irrigated and aesthetics, but they also want to see how property old hardwoods. Long creek frontage, pond, pavedthan road. 100 acres. pecan “A grove dripjust irrigation and four toand more lotwith of new them wanted to four-inch bring out a produce financially for them over 10 or even Excellent 20 years.” deer and turkey hunting. Potential site for large wells. Approximately 35 acres of open farm and pasture land camper for the night, the kids, ride their four-wheeler.” There lake. $2,295 per acre. Contact Craig Brown – Southeastern andbring 20 +/- acres of timber. Excellent home site and A big chunk of Matre’s business is timber investment that Inc. often Hunting Services, – 229.432.1010 or might 229.349.1680. development potential. can bekind easilyof converted be a fishing pond on the tract,Open too.land “That’s a newto Website: www.afieldandfarm.com additional pecan groves. Located just off the main lake of comes as a referral through forestry consulting. “Timber is trend I’m seeing.” Lake Blackshear and U.S. Hwy 280. $900,000. Contact Vince becoming kind of the ‘in’ thing for savvy investors,” he says. Barfield – Barfield Auctions, Inc. – 229.679.2223 or by email at vince@barfieldauctions.com. Website: www. barfieldauctions.com LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 34 10 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 REAL ESTATE: PROPERTY FOR SALE TAYLOR COUNTY TERRELL COUNTY 137 +/- acres. Located in both Terrell and Randolph 168 +/- acres. Beautiful property just a few miles west of Butler that features rolling terrain with some of the prettiest views and mature hardwood ridges in the area. Good pine timber, along with paved road frontage and interior roads throughout the property. $1,950 per acre. Contact Allied Land & Timber Company at 800.224.9939. Website: www.alliedlandga.com 252 +/- acres. Gorgeous hunting property for the counties, this property offers a beautiful country home as well as mature planted pines and hardwood and pine mix timber. There are multiple country home sites. Excellent hunting. $375,000. Contact Vince Barfield – Barfield Auctions, Inc. – 229.679.2223 or by email at vince@ barfieldauctions.com. Website: www.barfieldauctions.com quail, deer, and turkey hunter that is located in the highly desirable southeast part of the county, just minutes from Albany. The property fronts on Tallahassee Road and Kiokee Church Road, and has frontage on both sides of Kiokee Creek. A great road system winds through varying ages of planted loblolly, slash, and longleaf. Food plots and mature hardwood stands are nicely distributed throughout the property. This property, once part of Ecila Plantation, has been managed intensively for wildlife. Over the past five years or so, property management has done a marked pine thinning, several burns, longleaf and loblolly plantings, and an understory herbicide treatment. All the while, food plots have been planted every year, yet the property has been way Three-year oldabound, tee-ball Tom Chastain under hunted. Deer andstar several wild coveys of legs quail out a single during a recent game in Bainbridge. Tom is the son andAllMichael is a Credit Analyst at Southwest Georgia Farm Credit. reside onof theCarla property. of these Chastain. managementCarla practices We’reinproud to support kids,asfamilies have resulted a beautiful property. And an addedand our communities throughout southwest Georgia! bonus, the property is in the path of Albany’s best residential developments, adding higher and better use potential. $699,300. Contact Mike Matre – Matre Forestry Consulting, Inc. – 229.639.4973. Website: www.matreforestry.com 401 +/- acres. This property was replanted in 2014 with loblolly pines. There are several stands of mature pine on the property as well. Excellent recreational tract for is food published quarterly for stockholders, hunting with plots established throughout. Tract is directors and friends Georgia Farmand Credit. conveniently located justof offSouthwest Hwy 19 between Butler Ellaville. Contact Greene Forest & Farm Realty, LLC. – 229.924.9048. Website:PRESIDENT www.greeneforestandfarm.com Richard Monson Timber Investment Many timber BOARD Tracts. OF DIRECTORS investment/huntingKim tracts ranging from 113 to 671 acres Rentz, Chairman which can be purchased individually, divided into smaller Robert B. Moss, Vice Chairman parcels, or as a package. Per acre prices start at $1,595. Call John M. Bridges, Jr., Jeffrey A. Clark, James H. Dixon, Jr., us for individual tract pricing. Contact Allied Land & Timber Clifford Dollar, Jr., Robert L. Holden, Sr., Ted Milliron Company, Inc. – 800.224.9939. Website: www.alliedlandga. com EDITOR & MARKETING DIRECTOR - Liz Nogowski MARKETING SPECIALIST - Frances Edmunds PUBLISHER - AgFirst Farm Credit Bank PUBLISHING DIRECTOR - Padgett Mozingo PRINTER - Professional Printers CIRCULATION - Kathi DeFlorio Address changes, questions or comments should be directed to Southwest Georgia Farm Credit by writing 305 Colquitt Highway, Bainbridge, GA 39817, calling 229.246.0384, or emailing fedmunds@swgafarmcredit.com. Copies of the Association’s Annual and Quarterly reports are available upon request free of charge by calling 1.866.304.3276 or writing Ryanacres. Burtt, Chief Financial Officer, Georgia 173 +/Beautiful acreage justSouthwest a few miles south Farm Credit, Colquitt Highway, Bainbridge, GA, with 39817, of Butler that 305 features gently rolling hay fields mixed or accessing the website, www.SWGAFarmCredit.com. The nice hardwood ridges and offers good paved road frontage. Association prepares an electronic version of from the Annual The hay fields could possibly have good income a lease Report which on theorAssociation’s website income within (estimated to is beavailable $30 per acre) a possible projected 75 between days after thetoend of per the acre, fiscaldepending year, and distributes of $170 $285 on market the Annual Reports 90 in days after the conditions, from to theShareholders 140 +/- acreswithin currently grass. $2,300 per Allied & Timber Company, Inc. end acre. of theContact fiscal year. TheLand Association prepares an electronic – 800.224.9939. Website:report www.alliedlandga.com version of the Quarterly within 40 days after the end of each fiscal quarter, except that no report need be prepared for the fiscal quarter that coincides with the end of the fiscal year of the institution. THOMAS COUNTY INSIDE THIS ISSUE 779 +/- acres. Persimmon Hill Farms is located in both Thomas and Colquitt counties. The Ochlocknee River cuts across property, NE to SW, for one and one-half miles. Hunting and fishing opportunities abound. The river bottom tract has a balance of natural pine and hardwood stands. Approximately 310 acres are planted pines varying from 8 years-old to 30+ years-old. Approximately 75 acres of longleaf are in a pine straw contract and bring in fifty cents HAPPY 100TH, FARM CREDIT! per bale. Property is in the Forest Land Protection Act Covenant, reducing taxes considerably. Improvements include a 75’ x 30’ barn with two open bays (25’ x 30’) and one enclosed bay with roll-up door. There is a connected bathroom with shower. Also includes a deep well, 28’ x 52’ storage building, 17’6” deep and 13’ high grain storage bin, US WHAT’S IN THEIRMLS CRYSTAL BALLS and gates. $2,650,851. #909142. Contact Pam 550 +/- acres. Investment AREA grade tractREALTORS of timberland/ TELLSfencing, Davis – Rose City Realty – 229.672.0241 or 229.225.9225. hunting property. Very pretty topography, two major creeks, SURVEY 2016 LAND SALES game fields, nice cabin, and good timber value with merchantable pine. Younger planted pines with portion in CRP longleaf. Abundance of pretty hardwoods. Long paved road frontage near Albany, Dawson, and Americus. $2,195 per acre. Contact Craig Brown – Southeastern Hunting DUANE “BANJO” Services, Inc. – 229.432.1010 or 229.349.1680. Website: DAVIS SERVED OUR COUNTRY, www.afieldandfarm.com AND OUR BORROWERS, WELL 4 6 14 20 +/- acres. This property is located north of Parrott on GA State Highway 520. $2,500 per acre. Contact Julian Morgan – South Georgia Land and Timber – 229.881.2779 or by email at julian@landandtimber.net. Website: www. landandtimber.net FARMER’S DAUGHTER VINEYARDS 16 18 10 +/- acres. Beautiful rolling, terraced acreage with 30+ producing pecan trees and upper grade horse fencing around approximately half of the property. Higher end homes surround this tract. MLS #908616. Contact Paige Vaughan – KeySouth UNDERSTAND YOUR INTEREST RATE Real Estate Group, Inc. – 229.226.3911 or 229.224.3179. Website: www.keysouth.com LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 35 3 REAL ESTATE: PROPERTY FOR SALE endless as the property boasts a healthy wild quail population, countless turkeys, several duck holes, and a deer population that has been Quality Deer Managed for over 20 years. The year-round flowing creek further provides the opportunity for a nice lake or even a plant and flood duck impoundment. Improvements include fencing and a barn for storing equipment and gear. Contact Ben McCollum – 229.221.6680 or Eric McCollum – 229.200.4457 – The Wright Group. Website: www.wrightbroker.com 44 +/- acres. Acreage with a 4,100 +/- sq. ft. custom 117 +/- acres. This tract has rolling hill acreage with a home that is rustic on the outside, giving the appearance of a 2 BR/1 BA home, barn, wired workshop, two-bay dog kennel, stately log cabin. Earthquake rated foundation and solid two ponds, pasture, hardwoods and planted pines. The frame construction. The home features heart pine paneling, cottage-style house overlooks a pond and is great for a large brick fireplace, and a modern gourmet kitchen – all entertaining. The barn features six bays, four stalls, feed hand built by local craftsmen. Recent updates include a huge room and tack room with concrete-floored center hall, hay walk-in closet and a bonus room converted into “man-cave” loft and half-bath. In addition to deer, turkey, and duck with wood-burning fireplace, spacious cabinets and storage hunting on this property, there is approximately 84 acres for fishing gear and firearms. Back porch offers views of a fenced for livestock, a solar-powered gated entrance, a creek sweeping landscape with plantation pines and a seven-acre and significant timber value. Property can be purchased lake stocked with bass, bream and perch. Beyond the lake are without adjacent 33 +/- acres in 20 year-old planted pines, 442 +/- acres. Kickapoo Plantation is located in the hardwoods and a food plot for deer and turkey. There is a with gated entrance from Rock Ford Road, for $450,000. historic and exclusive Red Hills Plantation Belt with frontage three-stall metal building used as a barn with water and MLS #909322. $550,000. Contact Kay Davis – Rose City on Highway 319 across from Pebble Hill and formerly part of electricity, deep-water well, generator, fruit trees, irrigation Realty, Inc. – 229.403.0730 or 229.225.9225 or by email at the Ireland family holdings. Property borders Longpine and room for a garden. Contact Rebecca Chubb Sanford kaywdavis11@gmail.com. GA R.E License #173188. Plantation, Trinity, Warbick Farm, and Pebble Hill. Kickapoo – Chubb Associates, Ltd. – 229.226.7916 or 229.221.2622. is located in Thomas and Grady counties with a lease on the Website: MATRE www.chubbrealty.com to FORESTRY CONSULTING, INC500 +/- neighboring Albany acres, bringing the totalBUENA VISTA REALTY Marion County approximately 1,000 acres of prime quail hunting grounds. Modern plantation house with 8,786 +/- sq. ft. that includes a private master wing, two guest suites, professional kitchen, walk-in wine cellar/tasting room, five fireplaces, great hall, and 2,686 +/- sq. ft. of porches and outdoor living. There are two flanking guest cottages, each with approximately 1,000 Mike Matre, Broker with Matre Forestry Consulting, says room he can Sincebathroom, there are fewer players in the more complex timberland sq. ft.,Inc., with living andtell fireplace, bedroom, and kitchenette. Beautiful rolling stands of managed quail there’s been a recovery in the Central Florida economy, as he’s seeing space, you can get into good timber tracts at very reasonable dirt woods, lakes, live oaks, and more. $10 M. Contact John an increase from buyers in that area looking forKohler recreational tracts. prices. “Timberland investments that are thousands of acres do – Jon Kohler & Associates – 850.508.2999 or by email at jon@jonkohler.com. Website: www.jonkohler.com produce very good annual income, but even a small timberland Mike Matre Claudine Morgan Florida making a comeback He had two brothers with a land clearing business tell him it was booming so much they can’t keep up. “Whenever things are moving well in Florida, you will see hunters coming into south 532 +/- acres. Golden Farm is available for the first and south time inGeorgia several generations and isAlabama.” a mature timberland tract with an agricultural component in the heart of the Red Hills slight twist in the recreational Region.AThis recreational paradise includes over 300buyer acres ofis the increased interest matureinplanted pines, 109potential, +/- acres of cultivation, investment whereas,andit the used to be mostly about the balance in mature hardwoods. Wildlife possibilities are game. In fact, the two brothers told Matre they were pulling all of their money out of the stock market and wanted him to get busy finding them some land. investment of just a 100 acres or less can put on very rapid timber 40 +/- acres. This gentleman’s estate/farm has a value, which can lead to 8%home or better annual return two-story with 3 BR/3.5 BA and 4,522on +/- investment.” sq. ft. The kitchen is large with custom cabinets and opens into the Traditional recreational in Claudine Morgan’s MarionThe County livingbuyers room featuring a large wood burning fireplace. masterfor suitea on the living level has hardwood floors, walk-in market are also looking return, she says. “Our hunters used to closet and a large Jacuzzi tub with walk-in shower. Upstairs buy land with just hardwoods. Today, they with and timber, has two identical bedrooms withwant walk-initclosets privatealso. bathrooms. The second floor veranda overlooks the entire They want that value.” 40-acre farm. The horse barn has eight stalls, tack room, hay room,Vista wash rack, and horse with hook The Broker with Buena Realty alsotrailer saysoverhang she’s seeing anups. The property has a beautiful pond site and acreage could be increase in a less traditional of crops, recreational buyer—families converted totype cultivate raise livestock, or train retrievers. Work shop hydraulic jacks. Thereof is athe pool, with kids. Buena Vista’s proximity tohas Columbus is part “That’s not an uncommon mindset,” Matre says, “although I don’tin Gatlin Creek Farms, a four-bay carport, and RV hook-ups with water and septic. 16 +/acres. Located attraction. $659,000. Call Jason Copps – First Thomasville Realty neighborhood complete with riding and walking trails and recommend converting everything. Diversification is a good thing – 229.226.6515 or 229.225.8311. Website: www.ftrealty.com 100 +/-acres of common ground, this home was custom built to have.” in 2005 by the current owners and includes two horse Southwest Georgia Farm Credit Recreational buyers seem to be more Now Offers Home cautious now than pre-recession, he Construction Loans. says. “They do their homework, and “ Water is the new oil. “ pastures and a six-stall barn with wash and tack room. The two-story home offers two master bedrooms, one upstairs and one downstairs, with a total of four bedrooms and three and one-half baths. The grand entrance features a curved — Jon Kohler, Jon Kohler & Associates stairway. Formal living room and separate dining room with columns, 10 ft. ceilings, and exquisite molding. Well they of course want good hunting equipped kitchen with double ovens and Last warming drawer, year, shea worked with clients who wanted anything from 15 and aesthetics, but they also want to see how the property can custom built-in pantry, and granite countertops. Breakfast to more than 100 acres. “A lot of them just wanted to bring out a overlooking a large patio, fireside and comfortable produce financially for them over 10 or even area 20 years.” for the night, bring the kids, ride their four-wheeler.” There family room with access to a back porch, camper utility room, oversized two-car MLS A big chunk of Matre’s business is timber investment that garage, often and security system. might be a fishing pond on the tract, too. “That’s kind of a new #908300. Contact Julie Bryan – KeySouth Real Estate Group, comes as NMLS# a referral through forestry consulting. is or 229.403.9990. Website: 700141 trend I’m seeing.” Inc. –“Timber 229.226.3911 www. keysouth.com becoming kind of the ‘in’ thing for savvy investors,” he says. bbrookins@SWGAFarmCredit.com 7 +/- acres. Beautiful 3 BR/2 BA brick home with open Brenda Brookins Mortgage Loan Originator 229.254.8622 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 36 10 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 floor plan and updates that includes fresh paint on both the inside and outside. New thermal, vinyl-clad windows, updated electrical service, new flex water system, deep well, and laundry room with sink and plenty of storage – washer REAL ESTATE: PROPERTY FOR SALE and dryer included. Three-bay carport with extra storage room, separate cook house, 44 x 60 pole barn, 12 x 24 storage building with sheds on either side and a six year-old roof. Acreage also includes 45 +/- healthy, strong pecan trees. MLS #909372. Contact Teri Gainey – KeySouth Real Estate Group, Inc. – 229.226.3911 or 229.224.4434. Website: www. keysouth.com 17 +/- acres. With a juniper wood exterior, this 4 BR/3.5 BA country home features an all wood interior and nine-foot ceilings on the main floor. Two master bedrooms on two floors. Stainless appliances in kitchen and custom cabinets throughout. Great relaxing view of pond from front porch. New survey and new driveway. There is a 3,750 +/- sq. ft. workshop with a one-bedroom apartment that his heated/cooled. RV parking area. MLS #908299. Contact Luretta Bliek – KeySouth Real Estate Group, Inc. – 229.226.3911 or 229.224.4360. Website: www.keysouth. com 22 +/- acres. This Ray Foy built home was constructed in 1989 and has been well maintained. It features an open floor plan with the master suite near the large laundry room and the two guest bedrooms and two additional baths on the other side of the house. Front porch for rocking chairs and a patio for entertaining. There is a double attached carport and utility room as well as a 1,200 +/- sq. ft. metal building that offers numerous possibilities. Perfect for horses or farming. Additional 20 +/- acres available. MLS #909073. Contact Pam Wright – KeySouth Real Estate Group, Inc. – 229.226.3911 or 229.227.7760. Website: www.keysouth.com 612 +/- acres. Shamrock Farms offers a great combination of beauty, income, and recreation. Mature stands of longleaf pine, slash, and loblolly. The groundcover is very well-established in the piney woods. A 15-acre duck marsh and a 3-acre pond, as well as the headwaters of the Aucilla River, are located here and makes this a vital property to ensure that the river starts off great and ends strong about 96 miles downstream. Not yet protected by a Three-year old tee-ball star Tom Chastain legs out a single during a recent game in Bainbridge. conservation easement. Approximately 178 acres farmed. Tom is the son of Carla and Michael Chastain. Carla is a Credit Analyst at Southwest Georgia Farm Credit. One camp house and one tenant house. Two wells. Great We’re proud to support kids, families and our communities throughout southwest Georgia! deer, turkey, and ducks. Approximately $306,000 in timber per recent cruise. $2,229,000. Contact Jon Kohler – Jon Kohler & Associates – 850.508.2999 or by email at jon@ jonkohler.com. Website: www.jonkohler.com is published quarterly for stockholders, directors and friends of Southwest Georgia Farm Credit. PRESIDENT Richard Monson BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kim Rentz, Chairman Robert B. Moss, Vice Chairman John M. Bridges, Jr., Jeffrey A. Clark, James H. Dixon, Jr., Clifford Dollar, Jr., Robert L. Holden, Sr., Ted Milliron 71 +/acres. Beautiful 4 BR/3.5 BA Ray Foy custom EDITOR & MARKETING DIRECTOR - Liz Nogowski built home. Property features a pond, a natural creek, a MARKETING - Frances three-stall horse barnSPECIALIST with tack room, and Edmunds five pastures with 25 +/- acresPUBLISHER of Tift 85 grass. A screened porch opens onto a - AgFirst Farm Credit Bank large deck overlooking the pond. Inside the home, there is PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Padgett Mozingo lots of storage space and a walk-in attic. The kitchen has Corian counterPRINTER tops and-custom cabinets. The large master Professional Printers includes a sitting room with porch access and a deluxe CIRCULATION Kathi DeFlorio custom bath. The bonus room is perfect for entertaining and features wet bar.questions Tax covenant must be assumed. Address achanges, or comments should beMLS directed #907520. $575,000. Contact Lorraine Jackson – Rose City to Southwest Georgia Farm Credit by writing 305 Colquitt Realty – 229.403.0317 or 229.225.9225 or by email at Highway, Bainbridge, GA 39817, calling 229.246.0384, or lorraine31792@hotmail.com. emailing fedmunds@swgafarmcredit.com. Copies of the Association’s Annual and Quarterly reports are available upon request free of charge by calling 1.866.304.3276 or writing Ryan Burtt, Chief Financial Officer, Southwest Georgia Farm Credit, 305 Colquitt Highway, Bainbridge, GA, 39817, or accessing the website, www.SWGAFarmCredit.com. The Association prepares an electronic version of the Annual Report which is available on the Association’s website within 75 days after the end of the fiscal year, and distributes the Annual Reports to Shareholders within 90 days after the end of the fiscal year. The Association prepares an electronic version of the Quarterly report within 40 days after the end of each fiscal quarter, except that no report need be prepared for the fiscal quarter that coincides with the end of the fiscal year of the institution. INSIDE THIS ISSUE 193 +/- acres. Big Wish Farm is a working farm with good soils, location, and all-weather access frontage on two limits of Thomasville and near plantations. Timber, big county maintained paved roads. Approximately 50 acres of woods, old duck pond that needs some dam work, 170 merchantable timber enrolled in the CRP program through +/- acres in cultivation, and the best soils map for a tract this 2017. Easily converted to grazing pasture and/or expansion size with this much wooded area. Deer and turkey. $3,700 of cultivated lands once CRP enrollment is concluded. per acre. Contact Daniel Crocker, ALC, GA/FL Lic. Real HAPPY 100TH, Located between Ochlocknee and Thomasville at the Estate Broker – Crocker Realty, Inc. – 229.403.6297 or FARM CREDIT! intersection of Maddox and McMillan Road. $628,355. 229.228.0552. Website: www.landcroc.com Contact Mills Brock – 3 Rivers Realty – 229.416.6136 or by email at mills@3riversrealty.com. 318 +/- acres. This farm is located just outside the city 4 6 14 AREA REALTORS TELLS US WHAT’S IN THEIR CRYSTAL BALLS 2016 LAND SALES SURVEY DUANE “BANJO” DAVIS SERVED OUR COUNTRY, AND OUR BORROWERS, WELL 278 +/- acres. This property on Murphy Road is just ten minutes north of Thomasville with abundant deer, turkey, and quail. Mix of longleaf pines, young pines, and 14 +/- acres. Private tract with a 5 +/- acre pond and a hardwoods. Two fish ponds and three retriever ponds. MLS 5 BR/4 BA two-story custom built home. Home features a FARMER’S DAUGHTER VINEYARDS #908734. $799,639. Contact Pam Davis – Rose City Realty huge fireside family room with built-in entertainment center – 229.672.0241 or 229.225.9225. and French doors going out to the screened porch that overlooks the in-ground salt water pool. The spacious kitchen is fully equipped with double ovens, lots of granite counter space and cabinets. Breakfast area will hold a table for 12 and it also has a built-in desk area, perfect for UNDERSTAND YOUR INTEREST RATE station. Large play room/game room is homework/computer off the kitchen area. Attached triple-bay carport, along with lots of storage, plus an extra storage building. Lease purchase possible. MLS #908373. Contact Julie Bryan – KeySouth Real Estate Group, Inc. – 229.226.3911 or 229.403.9990. Website: www.keysouth.com 16 18 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 37 3 REAL ESTATE: PROPERTY FOR SALE WEBSTER COUNTY 323 +/- acres. Quail Pointe is a licensed hunting preserve, complete with lodge and equipment, offering income producing opportunity close to town. The woods are a mixture of longleaf pine Savannahs, with feed patches in place. Dotted throughout this tract are a total of 140 +/- acres of agricultural fields, which provide additional income. In addition to the farm rent and hunting income, there is also a commercial five-stand with regulation skeet field. Complete with 15 traps, it is set to challenge even the seasoned shooters. This tract is loaded with game. MLS #908694. $2,000,000. Contact Matt Bennett – Rose City Realty, Inc. – 229.221.5683 or 229.225.9225 or by email at bennematt@aol.com. 22 +/- acres. Custom-built home located in country setting just outside Thomasville. The home has three levels, 647 +/- acres. Located on Spanns Mill Road, this plus a loft, with a large living room complete with a lead-out property has mature merchantable pine and hardwood to the pool and waterfall. There are heart pine built-ins in timber, an approximate four-acre pond with bass and bream, the media area, kitchen with granite counter tops, Mexican food plots, a cabin, and great home sites. Excellent deer, tile, huge pantry and morning room with Dutch door and turkey, quail, duck, hogs, and small game. Income producing grilling porch. Master bedroom has private porch and gas log CRP pine plantations. Paved and dirt road frontage. fireplace. Master bath has an extravagant shower and $1,358,700. Contact Vince Barfield – Barfield Auctions, Inc. champagne tub with view of goldfish pond and garden wall. – 229.679.2223 or by email at vince@barfieldauctions.com. Two bedrooms, large walk-in tiled shower, laundry and Website: www.barfieldauctions.com partial kitchen downstairs with wheelchair access to pool and garden area. The garden room features lots of windows 30 +/- acres. Located just a few miles west of Dawson, and rolling doors. Side cottage has its own garage and could this property has a beautiful creek surrounded by mature be office or perhaps mother-in-law suite. Wildlife sited on hardwood, good mixed pine/hardwood ridges and a nice property. Shop included. This unique property can be split. open field. Great property for deer, turkey and duck hunting. MLS #905866. $966,000. Contact Kay Davis – Rose City Beautiful site for your Marion house or cabin. Contact Allied Land – 229.403.0730 or 229.225.9225 or by email atVISTA REALTY MATRE FORESTRY CONSULTING, INCRealty, Inc. Albany BUENA County & Timber Company, Inc. – 800.224.9939. Website: www. kaywdavis11@gmail.com. alliedlandga.com Mike Matre Claudine Morgan WORTH COUNTY Florida making a comeback Mike Matre, Broker with Matre Forestry Consulting, Inc., says he can tell there’s been a recovery in the Central Florida economy, as he’s seeing an increase from buyers in that area looking for recreational tracts. Since there are fewer players in the more complex timberland space, you can get into good timber tracts at very reasonable dirt prices. “Timberland investments that are thousands of acres do produce very good annual income, but even a small timberland investment of just a 100 acres or less can put on very rapid timber value, which can lead to 8% or better annual return on investment.” 47 +/Walden Woods iswith ideallyalocated between business tell him it was Heacres. had two brothers land clearing Thomasville and Tallahassee in the Red Hills region. This booming sounique much can’t property is extremely as itthey has the look keep and feelup. of a “Whenever things are classic moving quail plantation rolling terrain longleaf well with in Florida, youofwill seepines, hunters coming into south wiregrass, and majestic live oaks. There are several small Georgia andwhich south Traditional recreational buyers in Claudine Morgan’s Marion County fields on the property serveAlabama.” as large food plots. 10 +/- acres. With plenty of room for riding, a pasture, Walden Woods contains a very good population of turkey, and a large six-stall barn, this property ismarket for a horseare also looking for a return, she says. “Our hunters used to A slight twist the isrecreational buyer increased interest deer, and wild quail. This in wildlife further enhanced by theis the enthusiast. Great country living property with a 3,000 +/- sq. 1,137 +/- acres. Creek Farm is situated in also. Today,Abrams they want it with timber, fact that property backs up to Aberfeldy Plantation. This to be ft. home and about pool. MLS #907085. Contactbuy Samland Bryanwith just hardwoods. inthe investment potential, whereas, it used mostly the one of southwest Georgia’s most desired locations for is an ideal recreational property that is well suited for dog – KeySouth Real Estate Group, Inc. – 229.226.3911 or that value.” They want hunting and farming. Planted pines, hardwoods, agriculture, game. In fact, the two brothers told Matre they were pulling allwww.keysouth.com of training or a weekend getaway. Walden Woods is the smallest 229.977.1211. Website: and frontage on Abrams and Little Abrams Creek. Excellent property to be included on the prestigious Georgia Florida their money out of the stock market and wanted him to get busy The Broker with Buena Vista Realty also says seeing an deer and turkey hunting. $2,500 pershe’s acre. Contact Crisp Field Trial Club map. Contact Ben McCollum – 229.221.6680 Gatewood –type Plantation Services, Inc. – 229.888.2500 or finding them some land. increase in a less traditional of recreational buyer—families or Eric McCollum – 229.200.4457 – The Wright Group. 229.347.1336 or by email at crispgatewood@gmail.com. Website: www.wrightbroker.com with kids. Buena Vista’s proximity to Columbus is part of the Website: www.plantationservicesinc.com TWIGGS COUNTY “That’s not an uncommon mindset,” Matre says, “although I don’t recommend converting everything. Diversification is a good thing to have.” “ attraction. Water is the new oil. “ Recreational buyers seem to be more cautious now than pre-recession, he says. “They do their homework, and — Jon Kohler, Jon Kohler & Associates they of course want good hunting Last year, she worked with clients who wanted anything from 15 and aesthetics, but they also want to see how the property can to more than 100 acres. “A lot of them just wanted to bring out a produce financially for them over 10 or even 402 20 years.” +/- acres. Ocmulgee River bottomland with cabin, camper for the night, bring the kids, ride their four-wheeler.” There timber and hunting fields. Private with excellent deer, turkey, hog, and duck hunting. $1,650 per acre. Contact A big chunk of Matre’s business is timber investment that often mightCraig be aBrown fishing pond on the tract, too. “That’s kind of a new 268 +/acres. Located across the road from one – Southeastern Hunting Services, Inc. – 229.432.1010 or comes as a referral through forestry consulting. “Timber is trend I’m seeing.” section of the Aultman Forest, this property has 60 +/- acres 229.349.1680. Website: www.afieldandfarm.com of center pivot irrigated farm land, nine groves of trees (pear, becoming kind of the ‘in’ thing for savvy investors,” he says. Financing Experience You Can Count On. Call Tarrell Bennett, Chief Lending Officer, 229.254.6345 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 38 10 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 sawtooth oak, persimmon, chestnut, etc.), stripped pines with 100 +/- ft. of native grass on each side, a beautiful stocked pond with duck boxes, and beautiful hardwoods bordering swift water creek. There is a 3 BR/2 BA remodeled REAL ESTATE: PROPERTY FOR SALE lodge/cabin with 1,550 +/- sq. ft. that sleeps eight. Deer, turkey, duck, and quail. $900,000. Contact Bob Dutton – Needmore Properties – 229.894.7373 or 229.439.1837. Website: www.needmoreproperties.com FLORIDA CALHOUN COUNTY 94 +/- acres. Tremendous timber/hunting property convenient to I-10 and the Tallahassee area. The property boasts mature stands of pine plantation and beautiful natural hardwood along a large flowing creek. $2,450 per acre. Contact Chip Hancock – Allied Land & Timber Company, Inc. – 800.590.6439. Website: www.alliedlandga.com 6 +/- acres. This cabin on the Flint River enjoys 429 +/- ft. of river frontage with an 80 ft. private easement from 561 +/- acres. Fourmile Creek has many natural Georgia Highway 300. The cabin has a great room with the features, including the crystal clear waters of the namesake living, dining, and cooking all in the same room. There is a creek that wind their way over a mile through the property. It master bedroom and bath. The cabin is constructed of pine will appeal to recreational enthusiasts and timberland on the interior and cedar on the exterior. The bottom floor investors alike. Located only 35 miles north of Panama City houses a utility area, shop area, and storage. The property and the Beaches International Airport, the convenient also includes a deck that overlooks the river, an artesian well, location allows the property to be enjoyed on a regular and koi pond, boat landing, and secluded living. Contact Callie spontaneous basis. Deer and turkey are plentiful on the Walker – Hughey & Neuman, Inc. – 229.436.0212 or property, thanks in large part to the dense hardwood buffer 229.344.5261 or by email at callie.hughey@gmail.com. Three-year old tee-ball star Tom Chastain legs out a single during a recent game in Bainbridge. that flanks Fourmile Creek. Part of the Chipola River Website: www.albanyhousehunting.com Tom is the son ofthis Carla and Michael Chastain. Carla is a Credit Analyst at Southwest Georgia Farm Credit. watershed, perennial stream offers a permanent water We’re proud to for support kids, source and excellent cover game. On eachfamilies side of theand our communities throughout southwest Georgia! creek are large contiguous stands of mature 30 year-old sand pines that provide a clear economic benefit to an owner. Approximately 75 percent of the property is plantable, a high percentage that increases the return on investment. 14,000 +/- acres. Southern Cattle Company is Availability of owner financing. $1,595 per acre. Contact described as one of the top-ten ranches in the nation for Arnie Rogers – Verdura Realty – 850.491.3288 or by email at creating custom bred lines of cattle and is on the cutting arogers@verduraproperties.com. Website: www. edge for upgrading entire herds across the country, and now verduraproperties.com is published quarterly for stockholders, internationally. Located in the pastoral and very fertile hills JACKSON COUNTY ALABAMA CHEROKEE COUNTY directors and friends of Southwest Georgia Farm Credit. PRESIDENT Richard Monson BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kim Rentz, Chairman Robert B. Moss, Vice Chairman John M. Bridges, Jr., Jeffrey A. Clark, James H. Dixon, Jr., Clifford Dollar, Jr., Robert L. Holden, Sr., Ted Milliron EDITOR & MARKETING DIRECTOR - Liz Nogowski MARKETING SPECIALIST - Frances Edmunds PUBLISHER - AgFirst Farm Credit Bank 2,180 +/- acres. Sugar Lake Plantation is a PUBLISHING - Padgett magnificent property DIRECTOR with a private 160 +/-Mozingo acre lake located in the southernPRINTER Appalachian Valley area, midway between - Professional Printers Birmingham and Atlanta (just two hours to each). This CIRCULATION - Kathi DeFlorio property offers expansive vistas of surrounding mountains and would make aquestions beautifulor cattle ranch. Conservation Address changes, comments should be directed easement allows for some conversion, place. to Southwest Georgia Farm Credit byalready writing taking 305 Colquitt The improvements are GA newly constructed and include a or Highway, Bainbridge, 39817, calling 229.246.0384, clubhouse with bunkrooms, a cook house/bar, and a of baththe emailing fedmunds@swgafarmcredit.com. Copies house with additional bunkrooms upstairs and were built Association’s Annual and Quarterly reports are available specifically to house the Arcadian Club events at Sugar Lake upon request free of charge by calling 1.866.304.3276 or Plantation. The Arcadian Club events are the southeast’s writing Ryan Burtt, Chief Financial Officer, Southwest Georgia version of The Grove meetings in the Red Wood Forest, Farm Credit, 305 Colquitt Highway, GA,in 39817, made up of the most elite leaders andBainbridge, businessmen the or accessing website, www.SWGAFarmCredit.com. country. Verythe private and approximately ten minutes to The a Association prepares an electronic version of the Annual nearby municipal airport. $4,578,000. Contact Jon Kohler Report which is or available onat the Association’s website – 850.508.2999 by email jon@jonkohler.com – orwithin 75 daysHatchett after the– end of the fiscal year, andatdistributes Walter 850.508.4564 or by email walter@ the Annual Reports– to within 90 days after jonkohler.com JonShareholders Kohler & Associates. Website: www.the end of the fiscal year. The Association prepares an electronic jonkohler.com INSIDE THIS ISSUE GADSDEN COUNTY 4 6 of Hwy 231 in the northern part of the county. Incredible water on this property with 12 pivots on 1,124 +/- acres (2,000 +/- irrigated including leased lands), two magnitude 2 springs, 160+ acre historic lake (Waddell’s Mill Pond), and HAPPY 100TH, FARM CREDIT! approximately one mile on the Chipola River. Less than 18 percent wetlands across the entire operation. Cattle herd, seed stock, horses, equipment, excellent improvements, and much more are included in this turn-key offering. Contact Jon Kohler – 850.508.2999 or by email at jon@jonkohler.com or Walter Hatchett – 850.508.4564 or by email at walter@ AREA REALTORS TELLSjonkohler.com US WHAT’S THEIR CRYSTAL BALLS – JonIN Kohler & Associates. Website: www. jonkohler.com 2016 LAND SALES SURVEY 250 +/- acres. This tract is conveniently located near Lake Seminole and the Appalachicola River. There are two ponds, pasture, cultivated fields, merchantable pine and 311 +/- acres. Spooner Farm is a hunting tract that is hardwood timber throughout the property. Deer and turkey SERVED OURandCOUNTRY, easy to access, ready to farm, andDUANE has income“BANJO” potential. TheDAVISare on the property excellent fishing and duck hunting property has dense woods, two ponds, planted pines, areWELL only a short drive to Lake Seminole. To be sold together AND OUR BORROWERS, hardwoods, and open irrigation farm land that’s currently as a land/home package. Reduced to $1,795 per acre for land leased and in production. It has an excellent record for plus $139,900 for house. Contact Chip Hancock – Allied harvesting deer, turkey, duck and dove. Located just five Land & Timber Company, Inc. – 800.224.9939. minutes from Interstate 10. $2,893 per acre. Contact Luke Murphy – Southern Land Realty – 850.597.4441 or by email at luke@southernlandrealty.com.FARMER’S Website: www. DAUGHTER VINEYARDS southernlandrealty.com 14 16 18 UNDERSTAND YOUR INTEREST RATE version of the Quarterly report within 40 days after the end of each fiscal quarter, except that no report need be prepared for the fiscal quarter that coincides with the end of the fiscal year of the institution. LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 39 3 REAL ESTATE: PROPERTY FOR SALE JEFFERSON COUNTY Southwest Georgia Farm Credit Now Offers Home Construction Loans. 395 +/- acres. Bar-C Ranch is a cattle and recreational ranch located between Tallahassee and Monticello. Owned by the late patriarch Doyle Conner, Sr., a much beloved head of the Florida Department of Agriculture serving 30 years. The ranch is very unique and controls a famed “lake drain” which is a direct connect to the Floridian Aquafer. Currently the ranch is preparing for upwards of 300 heifers for winter grazing. This is the type of ranch opportunity that is hard to find and rarely comes on the open market. Borders Oldfields Plantation, which is protected by a conservation easement. $1,975,000. Contact Jon Kohler – Jon Kohler & Associates – 850.508.2999 or by email at jon@jonkohler.com. Website: www.jonkohler.com 466 +/- acres. Green Hills has been held by the same family for nearly 100 years. This diverse property is in the middle of the Red Hills belt, with a lake, frontage on Panther Creek, excellent topography, and beautiful mixed stands of pines and mature live oaks. Frontage on Highway 59. Excellent “higher and better use” value and not yet protected by a conservation easement. Nestled between Valhalla, Chemonie, Ring Oak, and Woodfield Springs plantations. House, barn, and new pole barn. $2,892,300. Contact Jon Kohler – Jon Kohler & Associates – 850.508.2999 or by email at jon@jonkohler.com. Website: www.jonkohler.com Mike Matre Claudine Morgan LEONMATRE COUNTYFORESTRY CONSULTING, INC Albany BUENA VISTA REALTY Marion County Florida making a comeback •Primary residence and timberland Mike Matre, Broker with Matre Forestry Consulting, Inc., says he can tell Since there are fewer players in the more complex there’s been a recovery in the Central Florida economy, as he’s seeing space, you can get into goodsecond timberhomes tracts at very reasonable dirt +/- acres. Leon Woods is a contiguous an increase from buyers in that area looking for4,194 recreational tracts. prices. “Timberland investments that are thousandsperiod of acres do •12-month construction timberland and recreational property just outside of produce very good annual income, but even a small timberland Tallahassee. plantable acres comprising He had two brothers with a land clearing business tellWith himitsitunsurpassed was •Up to 80% loan to value approximately 88 percent of the entire tract and a investment of just a 100 acres or less can put on very rapid timber booming so much they can’t keep up. “Whenever things are of merchantable and preconsiderable proportion •Permanent loan with anon investment.” value, which can lead to 8% or better annual return merchantable well El inDestino Florida, you will see hunters coming intolongleaf southpine, Leon Woods provides an 4,138moving +/- acres. Plantation is located in attractive interest rate and unmatched multi-use investment. The property contains a the famed Red Hills of north Florida and has a rich and Georgia and south Alabama.” Traditional considerable pine timber resource offering short-term recreational buyers onlyin1Claudine closing Morgan’s Marion County storied history that dates back to 1828. It is one of the earliest revenue from timber harvests and allowing for land-use market are also looking for a return, she says. “Our hunters used to examples of pioneer plantations the north Floridabuyer is the conversion A slight twist in theinrecreational increased to ainterest quail plantation or cattle ranch. $13,682,500. •Flexible appraisals territory. The property has been intensively managed for buy land with just hardwoods. Today, they want it with timber, also. Contact Alanabout Mackey the – LandVest, Inc. - Southern Regional in investment potential, whereas, mostly generations to support a prolific wild bobwhite quail it used to be Manager and Florida Broker – 229.924.4949 or by email that at •Acreage allowed They want value.” population. TheIn result of this strategy is Matre they game. fact, themanagement two brothers told were pulling all Website: of amackey@landvest.com. www.landvest.com evident in the rolling topography that strikes a perfect money out of and thenative stock market and wanted him to get busy The Broker with Buena Vista Realty also says she’s seeing an balancetheir between towering pines grass understory. MADISON COUNTY For thefinding sporting enthusiast, El Destino them some land.is an incredibly well increase in a less traditional type of recreational buyer—families balanced property. Burnt Mill Creek winds through the with kids. Buena Vista’s proximity to Columbus is part of the property and creates habitat for whitetail deer and Mortgage Loan Originator “That’s notexcellent an uncommon mindset,” Matre says, “although I don’t turkey. Two established dove fields can be found on the attraction. recommend converting everything. Diversification is a good thing highest elevations of the property and provide excellent NMLS# 700141 shooting. to Additionally, have.” a 32 +/- acre plant and flood duck bbrookins@SWGAFarmCredit.com Brenda Brookins “ Water is the new oil. “ pond has historically attracted large quantities of migratory 229.254.8622 ducks. Recreational The plantation is located justseem minutes buyers tofrom be more Tallahassee. Collectively, all of these qualities make El nowcandidate than pre-recession, Destinocautious an exceptional for a conservation he easement. Property improvements include two manager says. “They do their homework, and — Jon Kohler, Jon Kohler & Associates houses, paddocks, kennel, and barn. $4,895 per acre. Contact they of course want good hunting Ben McCollum – 229.221.6680 or Eric McCollum Last year, she worked with clients who wanted anything from 15 – 229.200.4457 – The Wrightbut Group. Website: and aesthetics, they also www. want to see how the property can •Financing for purchasing a home wrightbroker.com to more than 100 acres. “A lot of them just wanted to bring out a acres. Harmony is a timber tract located close to produce financially for them over 10 or even 91 20 +/years.” •Refinancing your current camper for the night, bring the kids, ride their four-wheeler.” There the primitive Cuba Bay Suwanee River Water Management mortgage District thatthat offersoften nearly 2,000 acres for hiking, A big chunk of Matre’s business is timber investment mighthorseback be a fishing pond on the tract, too. “That’s kind of a new riding, fishing, and more. The planted pines and hardwood •Debt Consolidation comes as a referral through forestry consulting. is haven for the old andtrend I’m on seeing.” areas“Timber provide a safe young deer this property. $1,799 per acre. Contact Luke Murphy becoming kind of the ‘in’ thing for savvy investors,” he says. •Financing for remodeling – 850.597.4441 or by email at luke@southernlandrealty.com. your home Website: www.southernlandrealty.com LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 40 10 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 I Help My Clients With: REAL ESTATE: PROPERTY FOR SALE NORTH CAROLINA REFER A NEW MEMBER AND GET $100 JACKSON COUNTY 2,800 +/- acres. Honey Lake Plantation is the historic, original plantation on the private 80 +/- acre deep-water lake located on the eastern edge of the Tallahassee-Thomasville plantation belt. With the well-known, award-winning resort and 600+ acres currently under contract to a church group, this is the crown jewel of the original plantation with the spectacular lake, gated estate, and diverse mix of recreational opportunities. It features a 7,000 +/- sq. ft. main house, the Pansy Ireland Poe cottage, over six miles of game fence, a 40 +/- acre pivot, floodable duck pond, and approximately $2M in timber per recent forester estimates. $12,098,669. Contact Jon Kohler – Jon Kohler & Associates – 850.508.2999 or by email at jon@jonkohler.com. Website: www.jonkohler.com WALTON COUNTY 5 +/- acres. Above & Beyond is nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains – a mountain home getaway that’s been in the same family for four generations. Step into this window-rich retreat and you’ll know why it’s been their sanctuary of choice. Here, you’ll enjoy top-of-the-mountain perspectives and the soothing sounds of a waterfall. Plus home features that are right out of a storybook, including hardwood floors reclaimed from a chocolate factory in Hershey, Pennsylvania. $1,400,000 forTom homeChastain and all acreage, Three-year old tee-ball star legs out a single during a recent game in Bainbridge. which is three lots. Owner will sell the house andCarla the lotisita Credit Analyst at Southwest Georgia Farm Credit. Tom is the son of Carla and Michael Chastain. sits on separately. Contact Langford – Southern We’re proud toRob support kids, familiesLand and our communities throughout southwest Georgia! Realty – 850.556.7575 or by email at rob@southernlandrealty. com. Website: www.southernlandrealty.com is published quarterly for stockholders, directors and friends of Southwest Georgia Farm Credit. PRESIDENT 3,535 +/- acres.Richard For theMonson past 50 years, the Hester family has carried BOARD out a timber and wildlife management OF DIRECTORS program designed to distinguish itself from prototypical Kim Rentz, Chairman industrial timberlands. Straddling the Florida-Alabama line, Robert B. Moss, Vice Chairman parcels range from 1,007 to 1,387 acres. Beautiful stands of Johnlongleaf M. Bridges, Jeffrey A. Clark, James H. Dixon, Jr., natural andJr., slash timber are punctuated by a 23-acre Clifford Dollar, Jr.,three Robert L. Holden, Sr., Ted Milliron lake, four ponds, and miles of Natural Bridge Creek. This turnkey includes a converted depot EDITORproperty & MARKETING DIRECTOR - Lizrailroad Nogowski along with other residences, barns, stables, RV camp area, MARKETING SPECIALIST - Frances Edmunds and farm/shop equipment. Currently, Natural Bridge PUBLISHER - AgFirst Farm Credit Plantation is #21 on Florida Forever’s priorityBank list and has been nominated for Alabama’s WildMozingo program. PUBLISHING DIRECTORForever - Padgett Walton County made inroads in 2009 to purchase 19 acres PRINTER Professional Printers surrounding the second -magnitude spring that was appraised for $520,000. With a- Kathi high percentage CIRCULATION DeFlorio of usable land (82%), excellent soils, and multiple water sources, Address Bridge changes, questionssets or comments should directed Natural Plantation up nicely for an agbeconversion. to Southwest Georgiamerchantable Farm Credit by writing 305 Colquitt There is also valuable timber, including many in the poleBainbridge, and plywood category. This Highway, GAveneer 39817,grade calling 229.246.0384, or property subdivable and reduced by $2M. Copies Contact of Arnie emailing isfedmunds@swgafarmcredit.com. the Rogers – Verdura Realty or by email at Association’s Annual and– 850.491.3288 Quarterly reports are available arogers@verduraproperties.com. www. upon request free of charge by Website: calling 1.866.304.3276 or verduraproperties.com writing Ryan Burtt, Chief Financial Officer, Southwest Georgia Farm Credit, 305 Colquitt Highway, Bainbridge, GA, 39817, or accessing the website, www.SWGAFarmCredit.com. The Association prepares an electronic version of the Annual Report which is available on the Association’s website within 75 days after the end of the fiscal year, and distributes the Annual Reports to Shareholders within 90 days after the end of the fiscal year. The Association prepares an electronic version of the Quarterly report within 40 days after the end of each fiscal quarter, except that no report need be prepared for the fiscal quarter that coincides with the end of the fiscal year of the institution. INSIDE THIS ISSUE Do you know someone who could be a member of Southwest Georgia Farm Credit? Referrals are important to the growth of your association, and we want to thank you for telling others why you do business with Farm Credit. 4 Refer someone who is not a member to Southwest Georgia Farm Credit and if that referral results in a new loan or lease of $10,000 or more, you will receive a $100 VISA card! HAPPY 100TH, FARM CREDIT! IT’S FAST AND EASY! 6 Simply go to SWGAFarmCredit.com. Click on Member Referral Program. Fill out theCRYSTAL form. It’s reallyBALLS that easy! AREA REALTORS TELLS US WHAT’S IN THEIR 2016 LAND SALES SURVEY 14 DUANE “BANJO” DAVIS SERVED OUR COUNTRY, AND OUR BORROWERS, WELL 16 FARMER’S DAUGHTER VINEYARDS SWGAFarmCredit.com 18 through submitted this form must be submitted prior to the loan application to qualify. * Any referral submitted *Any referral through this form must be submitted UNDERSTAND YOUR INTEREST RATE prior to thetoloan application to are qualify. Loans subject to RESPA Loans subject RESPA regulations not included in this promotion. regulations are not included in this promotion LAND & LIVING - SUMMER 2014 2 LAND & LIVING - JULY 2015 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 41 3 Homegrown By Heroes Boosts Efforts of U.S. Farmer Veterans Farmers around southwest Georgia who proudly served their country can be part of a nationwide “Homegrown By Heroes” program designed to boost the efforts of U.S. farmer veterans to market their agriculture products. Launched about a year ago, the program allows farmers who served in the U.S. armed forces to add the Homegrown By Heroes logo to their products’ packaging and signage. The label is an easy way for consumers to identify farmer veteran products and support the nation’s military veterans by purchasing those products. “The Farm Credit System is committed to serving the small towns and communities that make America great,” said Richard S. Monson, president, Southwest Georgia Farm Credit. “The Homegrown By Heroes effort supports economic opportunity for our veterans, many of whom have returned to the states to continue or pursue their work in agriculture.” Monson said he felt confident that consumers would Mike Matre appreciate the opportunity to show their support of Claudine Morgan U.S. veterans. MATRE FORESTRY CONSULTING, INC BUENA VISTA REALTY Albany Marion County Farmers interested in learning more should visit the Farmer Veteran Coalition web site at farmvetco.org. Florida making a comeback Mike Matre, Broker with Matre Forestry Consulting, Inc., says he can tell there’s been a recovery in the Central Florida economy, as he’s seeing an increase from buyers in that area looking for recreational tracts. He had two brothers with a land clearing business tell him it was booming so much they can’t keep up. “Whenever things are moving well in Florida, you will see hunters coming into south Georgia and south Alabama.” Since there are fewer players in the more complex timberland space, you can get into good timber tracts at very reasonable dirt prices. “Timberland investments that are thousands of acres do produce very good annual income, but even a small timberland investment of just a 100 acres or less can put on very rapid timber value, which can lead to 8% or better annual return on investment.” UP TO 100% FINANCING IN 20 MINUTES OR LESS. A slight twist in the recreational buyer is the increased interest in investment potential, whereas, it used to be mostly about the game. In fact, the two brothers told Matre they were pulling all of their money out of the stock market and wanted him to get busy finding them some land. “That’s not an uncommon mindset,” Matre says, “although I don’t recommend converting everything. Diversification is a good thing to have.” “ A big chunk of Matre’s business is timber investment that often Ragan Fretwell comes as a referral through forestry consulting. “Timber is Farm Credit EXPRESS, Relationship Manager becoming kind of the ‘in’ thing for savvy investors,” he says. rfretwell@SWGAFarmCredit.com > 229.254.6391 10 42 LAND & LIVING - SUMMER LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 2014 16 LAND & LIVING - DECEMBER 2014 LAND & LIVING - SPRING 2016 FINANCING YOUR EQUIPMENT IS FAST AND EASY The Broker with Buena Vista Realty also says she’s seeing an increase in a less traditional type of recreational buyer—families with kids. Buena Vista’s proximity to Columbus is part of the • Competitive rates attraction. • Flexible terms • Fixed rates with no prepayment penalties Water is the new oil. Recreational buyers seem to be more cautious now than pre-recession, he says. “They do their homework, and they of course want good hunting and aesthetics, but they also want to see how the property can produce financially for them over 10 or even 20 years.” SWGAFarmCredit.com Traditional recreational buyers in Claudine Morgan’s Marion County market are also looking for a return, she says. “Our hunters used to buy land with just hardwoods. Today, they want it with timber, also. They want that value.” • Financing up to 100% of equipment sale price • Take advantage of all manufacturer cash discounts • Competitive used equipment financing “ — Jon Kohler, Jon Kohler & Associates Last year, she worked with clients who wanted anything from 15 to more than 100 acres. “A lot of them just wanted to bring out a camper for the night, bring the kids, ride their four-wheeler.” There might be a fishing pond on the tract, too. “That’s kind of a new trend I’m seeing.” WHAT YOU DO WITH YOUR MEMBER DIVIDEND DISTRIBUTION IS UP TO YOU! BUY REPLACE TAKE a vacation! a truck. farm equipment. SPOIL the kids. EVERY $1 distributed to our borrowers has an estimated economic impact of $5 to $10* OUR $3.95 MILLION DISTRIBUTION has an impact of between $20 million to $40 million in our marketplace. That translates into investment, spending, and employment. Member dividend distributions are at the discretion of the Board of Directors. *Dr. David M. Kohl, Professor Emeritus of Agricultural Finance and Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship at Virginia Tech. PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID COLUMBIA SC PERMIT 1160 305 Colquitt Highway Bainbridge, GA 39817 Experienced. Equipped. Engaged. WE FINANCE MORE LAND THAN ANY OTHER LENDER IN THE REGION. SWGAFarmCredit.com