Alliance, NE 69301(Garden County)

Nebraska Sandhills The Mule Shoe Bar Ranches are located in the western region of the famed Nebraska Sandhills, known for one of the finest cattle producing regions in the United States.  The Sandhills of Nebraska is the Nation’s largest undisturbed native grassland area.  It covers approximately 13 million acres in 20 counties located in the north central part of the state. The grasses are vigorous and nutritious and have proven themselves as drought tolerant species centuries ago by supporting vast herds of Buffalo prior to the arrival of the white man.

Ogallala Aquifer The Sandhills of Nebraska also sits on top of the largest fresh water aquifer in the continental U.S.  Known as the Ogallala or High Plains Aquifer, it supports fresh water bearing material where this ranch is located in the range of 400’-600’ in depth.  Stock wells and irrigation wells are generally considered shallow by comparison to other cattle producing regions in other states.

Rainfall The rainfall belt in the area and location of these ranches, ranges from 16”-19” per year, with the majority of it falling during the grass growing season. Rain is generally considered consistent and reliable, to the extent that cattle sell downs because of drought are rare.

Markets The ranches are well located to auction barns in Ogallala and Gordon, Nebraska. Ogallala supports one of the finest livestock sale barns in the state of Nebraska.  Thousands of reputation cattle pass through its gates annually in the form of special stock cow, bred heifer, yearling, and calf sales throughout the year. Buyers from several states are always on hand to create a consistent, top-end market for all classes of cattle.  There are also video auction markets available that are nationwide in scope.

Economies of Scale The sum of the three ranch resources will make an economically sized unit that will easily support a family along with hired or contract labor.

Minerals  The current ownership will convey all the owned minerals.

Exchanges The current ownership will cooperate with 1031 exchanges.

Approach to Management and Revenue  All three Mule Shoe Bar Ranches under the current ownership have been utilized by grazing. In the analysis and use of the three resources, grazing has also been the predominant use.  However, both the Beck Ranch and the South Ranch possess sub irrigated range sites, some of which could be routinely hayed each summer; if the owner chose to have a balance of hay on hand for the winter months.

The USDA NRCS has developed and provided both ranch range site maps with estimated acreages as well as an animal unit study for each ranch. These studies have been utilized in determining the estimated carrying capacities of each ranch resource. What follows are each of the ranches estimates of deeded acres and current real estate taxes from the respective counties; as well as the NRCS estimates of acres, range sites, carrying capacity AUMs under average use, number of pastures, and number of stock wells. Each ranch has been evaluated for annual carrying capacity and an estimate of landlord revenue generation on a summer grazing basis utilizing cow-calf pairs.

NOTE: Parcels may sell separately ONLY IF the other parcels can be put under contract to close simultaneously.

MULE SHOE BAR NORTH RANCH:

List price: $3,000,000

Description: An all contiguous rangeland resource containing 7 pastures, 6 stock wells, with no building improvements. A combination of county acres and NRCS* acres were utilized for the analysis.

Deeded acres by County Record: 3,498.13 acres2015 Real Estate Taxes by County Record: $10,094.18

Land Classification SummaryEstimated Acres by County Record and NRCS*Sub Irrigated/Sandy Lowland – Grazed: 198 ac*Sandhill Rangeland: 291 ac*Lake/Marsh: 9 ac*Total estimated acres by county record: 3498 ac 

Landlord Revenue Estimate3,498 acres total by county record @ .50 AUMs/Ac – 1751 AUMs*1,751/12 months – 146 AUs or 24 acres/AU1,751/5 months/1.5 BWE – 233 Pair or 15 ac/pair233 pair @ $55/pair/month for 5 months -$64,075 or $18/ac CE

$64,075 Gross Income$10,094 RE Taxes$ 7,000  R & R$ 700 Misc.$46,281 Net Income, Say $46,000 Net to Landlord

Year Around Carrying Capacity Estimate1751 AUMs/12 Mo – 146 AUs146 AUs .80116 Cows (cow calf, retaining replacements, bulls)3498 ac/146 AUs – 24 Ac/AU3498 ac/116 Cows – 30 AC/AU

MULE SHOE BAR BECK RANCH:

List price: $7,000,000

Description: An all contiguous combination center pivot irrigated and rangeland resource with some sub irrigated rangeland sites with a modest set of building improvements. Ranch has 14 pastures and 17 stock wells. A combination of county acres and NRCS* acres were utilized for this analysis.

Deeded acres by County Record: 7,908.58 acres2015 Real Estate Taxes by County Record: $24,904.50

Land Classification SummaryEstimated Acres by County Record and NRCS*Center Pivot Irrigated – Hayed: 136 ac*Sub Irrigated/Sandy lowland – HayedL 177 ac*Sub Irrigated/Sandy lowland – Grazed: 783 ac*Sandhill Rangeland: 6110 ac*Lake/Marsh: 698 ac*Bldg. Site & Lots: 5 ac*Total estimated acres by county record: 7909 ac

Landlord Revenue Estimate  136 acres* center pivot irrigated - hayed @ 4 Ton/ac @ 2.5 AUMs/Ton – 1,360 AUMS*  177 acres* sub irrigated/sandy lowland – hayed 178 Ton @ 2.5 AUMS/Ton – 445 AUMs*  (313 acres*) aftermath grazing – 74 AUMs   6893 acres* sub irrigated/sandy lowland/sandhill rangeland – grazed – 3572 AUMs*    698 acres* of lake and marsh        5 acres* building site7,909 acres total by county record – 5451 AUMs*5451/12 months – 454 AUs or 17 acres/AU136 acres @ 4 Ton @ $60/Ton/2 - $16,320 or $120/ac CE177 acres hayed 178 Ton @ $60/Ton/2 - $5,340 or $30/ac CE (includes aftermath)3572 AUMs/5 months/1.5 BWE – 476 pair or 15 ac/pair476 pair @ $55/pair/month for 5 months - $130,900 or $19/ac CE

$152,560 Gross Income$24,905 RE Taxes$16,000 R & R$1,500 Misc.$110,155 Net Income, Say $110,000 Net to Landlord

Year Around Carrying Capacity Estimate

5451 AUMs/12 Mo – 454 AUsWinter 1805 AUMs/4 mo – 451 AUsSpring/Summer/Fall 3646 AUMs/8 mo -456 AUs456 AUs.80365 cows (cow calf, retaining replacements, bulls)7909 ac/456 AU – 17 ac/AU7909 ac/365 Cows – 22 ac/Cow

MULE SHOE BAR SOUTH RANCH:

List price: $11,000,000

Description: An all contiguous rangeland resource with sub irrigated rangeland sites with a modest set of building improvements.  Ranch has 40 pastures and 29 stock wells some of which are shared with neighbors. A combination of county acres and NRCS* acres were utilized for the analysis.

Deeded acres by County Record: 11,555.29 acres 2015 Real Estate Taxes by County Record: $33,607.00

Land Classification SummaryEstimated acres by County Record and NRCS*Sub Irrigated/Sandy Lowland – Hayed: 832 ac*Sub Irrigated/Sandy Lowland – Grazed: 1454 ac*Sandhill Rangeland: 8640 ac*Lake/Marsh: 408 ac*Bldg. Site & Lots : 221 ac*Total estimated acres by county record: 11,555 ac

Landlord Revenue Estimate 832 acres* sub irrigated/sandy lowland – hayed 1038 Ton @ 2.5 AUMs/Ton – 2595 AUMs (832 acres*) aftermath grazing 168 AUMS 10,094 acres* sub irrigated/sandy lowland/sandhill range – 4771 AUMs     408 acres* lake and marsh     221 acres* building site and lots 11,555 acres total by county record 7534/12 months – 628 AUs or 18 acres/AU 832 acres* hayed 1038 Ton @ $60/Ton/2 - $31,140 or $37/ac CE (includes aftermath) 4,771/ 5 months/1.5 BWE – 636 Pair or 16 ac/pair 636 pair @ $55/pair/month for 5 months -$174,900 or $17/ac CE

$206,040 Gross Income $33,607 RE Taxes $23,000 R & R $2,200 Misc. $147,233 Net Income, Say $147,000 Net to Landlord

Year Around Carrying Capacity Estimate 7534/12 mo 628 AUs Winter 2595 AUMs/4 mo – 649 AUs Spring/Summer/Fall 4939 AUMs/8 mo -618 AUs 625 AUs .80 500 Cows (cow calf, retaining replacements, bulls) 11,555 ac/625 AU - 18 ac/AU 11,555 ac/500 Cows – 23 ac/Cow

HistoryThe Mule Shoe Bar Ranches have a previous ownership history that dates back prior to the last century. A family of brothers by the name of Peterson settled in this area of the Sandhills, and proceeded to acquire land via homestead and purchase over the years and their lifetimes. Mule Shoe Bar was one of the ranch names with a brand that went with it. They ended up being some of the largest land owners in this area of the Sandhills joining other names such as Abbott, Black, Hord and Eldred, all of which including the Peterson Brothers, built ranching empires in their own names.  Some of the original Peterson ownership is still currently held by their third and fourth generations today. Peterson Brothers stories have been passed down and shared through the generations of Sandhill families.

One such story was about the Peterson “Hay Trains”. During the summer hay season the brothers would team up and share their resources to put up each other’s hay meadows for winter feed. Horses, mules, hired men, and horse drawn hay equipment were all brought together to form a large hay crew that worked from the hay train during the summer months. The hay train consisted of several wagons each dedicated to a special purpose to get the hay put up. There could be as many as 5-6 wagons all connected together and pulled by a large team of many mules or horses. The first wagon was generally the “straw boss quarters”, second wagon, the “cook house”, third wagon the “supply wagon”, the fourth and fifth wagons “the “bunk house wagons” and the last wagon the “hay supplies wagon”. This operation was self-contained with food and supplies for generally several weeks at a time with hay crew, horses, mules and the “hay train” traveling over thousands of acres putting up hay wherever the Peterson Brothers would want it put up. Spring brandings were also often completed with Peterson ranch shared cowboys.  It was a good way to stay “social” in a day when your only means of transportation was by horseback for the average ranch cowboy working for wages at $25/month or by horse and buggy if you owned the ranch.

Broker Comments These are three excellent producing, reputation Sandhill ranches that have only been on the market for a second time in over 100 years. They would not be for sale now if the current ownership did not have opportunities to purchase other land closer to their parent operations.

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