San Francisco firm wins bid for Touchet Valley farm

A San Francisco farm firm that manages acreage in Northern California and Oregon’s Willamette Valley is the winning bidder for a Touchet Valley farm marketed in a sealed-bid auction.

Farmland LP is in the process of purchasing the 6,000-acre Weidert Farm. The deal is expected to close in the months ahead, according to an announcement from Peoples Company, a land brokerage, management, investment and appraisal firm.

The property — located on the western edge of the Walla Walla Valley American Viticultural Area and currently planted in wheat after being acquired by the Weidert family starting about 25 years ago —was the subject of an unusual marketing plan through Peoples Company.

The sale has the potential to seriously affect the farming acreage in the Walla Walla Valley because of the property’s size and unusual conditions — permitted water rights drawing from four deep basalt wells with a fifth permitted, elevations from 440 to 940 feet with more than a third of the acreage above 800 feet, rapid cold-air drainage with a rolling landscape and nutrient-rich soil uniform throughout the entire property.

For instance, converting the wheat land to grape vineyards could potentially triple Walla Walla’s grape acreage.

No plans have been made public, and terms of the sale were not released.

Farmland LP was started in 2009 and bought its first farm in Corvallis in 2010. Over the years it has forged a model for how farmland is owned and managed with its dedication to sustainability and a belief that large-scale sustainable agriculture is more profitable than the dominant model of commercial ag throughout the country, according to its website.

Its purpose is to add value to farmland by converting it to organic, sustainable agriculture.

In a prepared statement, Peoples Company President Steve Bruere said several competitive offers were submitted for the Nov. 10 auction deadline. This one stood out.

“A competitive offer is important, but Farmland LP’s vision for the property in the future is what set it apart from other interests.”

He said the strong interest from investors and local farmers was appreciated.

“Farmland LP’s commitment to sustainable agriculture and land management makes them an ideal buyer for this exceptional piece of property that has enormous potential.”

This story was originally published January 27, 2018 at 5:59 PM with the headline "San Francisco firm wins bid for Touchet Valley farm."