June 5, 2023

By Lynda Kiernan-Stone, Global AgInvesting Media

Dallas, Texas-based Macfarlan Capital Partners (MCP) announced it has acquired 7,109 acres of farmland in Poplar, Montana. 

Located in the Prairie Pothole Region, just west of the Poplar River, Poplar Farm brings MacFarlan’s total farmland portfolio to more than 25,000 acres. 

This latest transaction represents an ongoing farmland investment initiative begun by MCP in 2021 to create a channel of direct access to farmland investment to its investors. But despite being new to the investment class, MCP has gained recognition for discovering excellent farming operators and for being a catalyst that introduces the benefits of long-term farmland ownership to real estate investors. 

Along those lines, MCP explained that this deal is the result of a proven partnership between itself and farming operator Jerr Lodahl and his team, who have diligently established a reputation as one of the most knowledgeable and strategic operators in Eastern Montana. 

“It took us 18 months and interviewing dozens of operators around the country to find Jeff,” said Mac Macfarlan, managing partner, MCP. 

“Jeff has built a very loyal team, with many employees boasting over eight years of tenure, and operates his farms with excellence and integrity. We are so appreciative of our relationship with Jeff and our shared values and principles.”

MCP has 35 years of experience and has a strong track record through multiple economic cycles and realities, and has completed more than $1.5 billion in real estate investments to-date. 

In the immediate term, the firm stated it intends to aggregate a strategic portfolio of mid-sized, high-yielding agricultural assets toward a target of 100,000 acres which will be overseen by carefully curated and chosen operating partners. 

“This has been a tumultuous time for our economy, and as a result, we’ve seen more investors seek out alternative investments that may not correlate with traditional assets,” said Trevor Hightower, partner, MCP. 

“Farmland investing has historically been a proven way to diversify and hedge against inflation with low volatility. We’re eager to continue bridging the gap between excellent farming operators and traditional real estate investment in the years to come.”

Hightower recently joined MCP following a long-term executive role with CBRE, as part of the firm’s plan to grow its leadership in the agricultural investment space. 

“I am excited to join Macfarlan Capital Partners and work alongside such a talented team with a 39-year track record of service and excellence,” said Hightower in April of this year. 

“This is an exciting and important time for MCP. Farmland is an important asset class in our current economic environment with investors searching for stores of value, an inflation hedge, and a low correlation to other asset classes. I am excited about building upon MCP’s legacy and growing our leadership in this important sector.”

~ Lynda Kiernan-Stone is editor in chief with GAI Media, and is managing editor and daily contributor for Global AgInvesting’s AgInvesting Weekly News and  Agtech Intel News, as well as HighQuest Group’s Unconventional Ag. She can be reached at lkiernan-stone@globalaginvesting.com.

*The content put forth by Global AgInvesting News and its parent company HighQuest Partners is intended to be used and must be used for informational purposes only. All information or other material herein is not to be construed as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. Global AgInvesting and HighQuest Partners are not a fiduciary in any manner, and the reader assumes the sole responsibility of evaluating the merits and risks associated with the use of any information or other content on this site.