732 Acre Turnkey Bison Farm with Starter Home, Hay Meadow and Game Fencing – Vanderhoof, BC

Price : $795,000

Select Property type: Sold
DESCRIPTION: Rare turnkey opportunity to own an affordable bison ranching business. This is a very tidy operation with 61 head of preg tested bison available in addition to the list price....
PROVINCE: BC
COUNTRY: Canada
Property Id: 31035

Description

Rare turnkey opportunity to own an affordable bison ranching business. This is a very tidy operation with 61 head of preg tested bison available in addition to the list price. This means you can start selling your product and building a brand immediately.

The ranch consists of 732 acres, the majority of which is perimeter game fenced with 5’ page wire. Metal drill posts and treated posts serve as a secure barrier for these robust animals. Over $40,000 in new steel drill stem post fencing was recently erected on the ranch, which should last indefinitely. The ranch offers 105 acres of cleared and seeded hay meadow, 80 acres of newly cleared pasture and 291 acres of coniferous plantation. You can expect there to be future timber value on the ranch, as the plantation portions of the property reach maturity. The remainder of the ranch is consumed with second growth aspen and open wetland. This is ideal habitat for the bison herd with ample grazing opportunities all summer long.

In the ranch yard are the corrals used for sorting and loading animals. The corrals have three separate water tanks to keep the animals hydrated during sorting. Beside the corrals is the stack yard where the current rancher keeps their winter hay supply. Sharing the main yard is an impressive greenhouse perfect for growing fruits and vegetables during the long summer days. Between the bison and the greenhouse, a new owner will be able to achieve a high degree of food self-sufficiency.

There are two storage outbuildings in the main yard where you can hang meat, store tools, or utilize as a small workshop. The house (built in 2013) is quaint, but is also functional and modern. You enter the home through a spacious mudroom where you can shed muddy footwear, so that you do not track dirt and grime into the home. The mudroom houses the woodstove, washer/dryer, storage space, water heater and 100-gallon pressure tank.

The main living area is a combined kitchen and living room, with space for a dinette, couch and two chairs. Despite its smaller size, the space is well laid out for meal prep and has substantial pantry storage. The southern window exposure brings in a lot of natural light into this cozy living space.

There are two small bedrooms in the house plus a loft which can be used for storage, or additional cot space. The home is completed with a storage closet and a 4-piece bathroom. Despite the home only being 600 ft2, you can easily and happily raise a small family. It is the perfect starter home for an inspiring bison rancher.

This amazing combination of 732 acres of farmland, ranching infrastructure, outbuildings, ranch home and 61 head of bison represent a rare opportunity to start ranching immediately. With a cumulative price under $1 million, this type of opportunity may never come around again. All this is offered only 20 minutes from the town of Vanderhoof.

As an additional investment option, the Sellers have listed their small coffee shop business (with real estate included) in the town of Vanderhoof. They retail their bison meat through the coffee shop, this could be a nice complimentary business to the ranch.

LOCATION

22750 Sturgeon Point Road – Vanderhoof, BC

DIRECTIONS

From Vanderhoof head north on Burrard Avenue over the Nechako River until the intersection with Northside Road. Turn right on Northside Road and proceed for 2.4 km until the intersection with Sturgeon Point Road. Turn right on Sturgeon Point Road for approximately 22 km at which point the property will be on the north side of the road.

AREA DATA
Vanderhoof is a robust town within the region with deep roots in the logging, farming and trapping industries. The town has a population of 4,500 and has all the necessary amenities for area residents including schools, grocery stores, restaurants, hotels and more. The Nechako Lumber Company operates a large mill just outside the town providing long term sustainable employment to area residents. Vanderhoof recently received a new aquatic center with a 1,500 ft2 leisure pool, six lane lap pool and 30-person hot tub.

Prince George, with a population of 74,003, is the largest city in northern British Columbia and is the “Northern Capital” of BC. It is the most major municipality near the property. Situated at the confluence of the Fraser and Nechako Rivers, and the crossroads of Highway 16 and Highway 97, the city is the service and supply hub for one of the fastest-growing regions in Canada and plays an important role in the province’s economy and culture.

Prince George is the dominant economic center of the region. Public sector and education based jobs dominate the municipality’s economy. Presently the Northern Health Authority, stationed in Prince George, possess a $450 million budget and have invested $100 million into local infrastructure. UNBC, the College of New Caledonia and School District #57 adds a further $750 million into the local economy.

The city’s economy was once dominated by the lumber sector; however, the Fraser-Fort George Regional District has experienced extensive closures of the region’s lumber mills. This has been attributed to the movement towards “super mills,” a loss of supply caused by the prevalence of the Mountain Pine Beetle and US tariffs on lumber exports. It is predicted that mining exploration and development will soon supersede the lumber industry, as the dominant industry in Prince George and the surrounding areas. Additionally, Initiatives Prince George estimates that the Nechako Basin contains 5,000,000 barrels of oil, which could help diversify the region’s economy further through the commencement of petroleum harvesting operations.

Presently, the city of Prince George has a number of private enterprises and facilities operating in and contributing to its local economy. These facilities include:

Two chemical plants
An oil refinery
Brewery
Dairy
Machine shops
Aluminum boat construction
Value added forestry
Specialty equipment manufacturing

Prince George has a large regional airport offering daily flights to major destinations.

VEGETATION

There are large swaths of coniferous leading plantation throughout the ranch. There are also poplar stands throughout.

RECREATION

The recreation on the property and in the wider region is endless. Any recreational activity feasible on a large acreage may be undertaken on this property. The following list of recreational pursuits is not exhaustive:

Hunting
The property resides in Management Unit 7-13 and offers general tags for mule deer, whitetail deer, elk, moose, bear, wolves and a variety of game bird species. The hunting in the region is truly exceptional and the season lengths are long and generous. You will find multiple species in the immediate vicinity of the ranch itself.

Fishing
There is excellent fishing opportunity in the area surrounding the property. Whether you drive west to the coast or fish one of the region’s many salmon rivers, the fishing is sure to impress. There are many lakes in the region offering excellent trout, salmon and kokanee fishing as well.

Equestrian
With the numerous trails and wonderful scenery, there is endless opportunity to ride recreationally throughout the property and on nearby Crown land.

Hiking
With the diversity/immensity of the property and its abundant beauty, an individual could spend their entire life exploring the ranch by foot and discover new joys each time.

HISTORY

Early settlers came in from the south, over the western end of the Telegraph Trail. They traveled up the west coast to Prince Rupert where they boarded river steamers to take them to Hazelton; then they trekked along the Trail to Fort Fraser. Those bound for Fort St. James branched off and followed the pack trail between the two Hudson’s Bay Forts; other continued along the focal point of the Nechako Valley. The telegraph line was erected in the early days with the object of forming an overland connection between America and Europe. The Telegraph Trail followed the line from one end of British Columbia to the other and since it was the only trail into the country, it was also the main artery of travel. Many of the men who had been employed on the telegraph line remained in the north, trading, trapping and prospecting for gold.

In 1906 the Village of Vanderhoof was only a survey line in the wilderness to mark the location of the planned railway. When the last spike was driven on April 7, 1914 it started a race for the land. The Grand Trunk Pacific Development Company offered cheap land and had one of their employees, Mr. Herbert Vanderhoof, lay out the town site. Vanderhoof is Dutch for “of the farm” which was very appropriate, since it was the first agricultural settlement in the province. The town grew and in 1926 the Village of Vanderhoof was born. With the arrival of World War II many young men left and Vanderhoof came to a standstill. With the rise of lumber prices and the arrival of new people in the late 1940s, it started to grow again. The next boost to the population and the economy came with the construction of Kenny Dam in the early 1950s. At the peak of its construction, it employed 1,500 men, and a number of them stayed in the area after the dam was built. The next expansion period came with a large influx of American immigrants in the 1960s, and since that time Vanderhoof has enjoyed steady growth.

MAP REFERENCE

54° 3’58.71″N and 123°39’57.67″W

INVESTMENT FEATURES

61 head of preg tested bison available in addition to the list price.

SERVICES

Drilled well – 220 ft (30 GPM)

Sewer – lagoon

Electricity – 200 amp

Base board electric heating

Wood stove

IMPROVEMENTS

650 ft2 home built in 2013