Carly Bishop

For nearly 25 years the relationship between this property’s long-term tenant and it’s late owner stood as a model of mutual respect and shared stewardship. The owner, a native of the Saco area, understood the realities of ranching – unpredictable markets, years of drought and the importance of managing land for long term use.  He valued not only the grass, water and fences, but also the person entrusted to care for them. That trust was well-placed. The tenant, who continues to operate the ranch today, has managed the land with the same attention to detail and pride an owner would – maintaining fences, preserving the grass, and treating the land as something worth investing in, rather than a resource for using up.  This partnership helped preserve the property’s condition though decades of careful use. Now, with the owner’s passing, the time has come for the next operator to take the reins – someone who can appreciate the years of thoughtful management and put the property to use for themselves, either by continuing to lease the property as the current owner has or by putting the property to use as an extension of their own operation. Located 8.5 +/- miles directly north of Saco, this 2,637+/- acre deeded property offers an opportunity for expansion to a ranch operation looking for additional grazing acres. Of the total acreage, 1,500+/- acres are considered Improved Pasture, having recently exited the Grasslands CRP program after over 20 years of enrollment, with the remaining 1,100+/- acres considered Native Grass.  While in the program, grazing one the CRP acres was restricted to 45 days per year, leaving significant carryover grass now available to a new owner. The native grass mix includes pubescent and western wheatgrass, with pockets of alfalfa — all in excellent condition thanks to conservative past management. The property is fenced into 2 pastures, with new barbed wire fence on 3 sides.  Access is available from the west via Turkey Track Road, and from the south and east by Frenchman Creek Road.  A pit and reservoir on site catch spring run off but cannot be relied upon as a year-around water source.  Multiple undeveloped springs are evident throughout the property and present opportunities for a new owner to develop a long-term water solution. Carrying capacity is estimated at 175 cow/calf pairs for a six-month grazing season, contingent on further water development.  With no buildings, wells, or power infrastructure in place — and 2024 property taxes of $4,942 — the property offers a low-maintenance, low-overhead opportunity. It’s a straightforward, well-managed grazing unit that is ideally suited for first-time or seasoned land investors or a local operator looking to expand with productive, ready-to-use pasture.