Texas ranch sells for $300-million

Nov 03, 2021

In a sale valued at US$240-million (~CDN $300-million), a Texas ranch was sold, including land and industrial assets, featuring 31,000 acres in Milam and Lee counties.

Known as the Sandow Lakes Ranch, the property included the site of the former Rockdale smelter, permanently closed in 2018.

Completed on October 29, 2021, the transaction included improved pasture lands, ag properties and industrial assets, purchased by SLR Property I, LP, an affiliate of a Texas real estate enterprise.

The property was owned and sold by Alcoa Corporation who since purchasing the land, have worked with tenants to create economic development opportunities.

Alcoa received US$230-million in cash, noting that it had taken six years to get to this point after performing significant agricultural land improvements, adding water development and solar components, as well as intermodal, tech and other industrial capabilities that apparently SLR found most agreeable.

Video: Supplemental Nitrogen on Soybeans: Can Early Nitrogen Increase Yield?

Can supplemental nitrogen help soybeans reach higher yield potential? Technical Agronomist Tim Sickman walks through an ongoing trial at the Nutrien Innovation Farm in Owensboro, Kentucky, exploring whether a modest amount of nitrogen applied at planting can support higher-yielding soybean environments.

The trial compares 30 pounds of supplemental nitrogen across both 15- and 30-inch rows, along with treatments that include sulfur and micronutrients. Similar trials conducted in 2024 and 2025 delivered a six- to seven-bushel yield response, prompting the team to expand the research this season.

Early observations show that treated soybeans are slightly taller and averaging about two additional nodes on the main stem. These added nodes could create more opportunities for blooms and pods, but the true results will come at harvest when the team evaluates pod development, seed fill and final yield.

In This Video:

Why high-yield soybeans may need supplemental nitrogen

Results from the 2024 and 2025 trials

Nitrogen treatments in 15- and 30-inch rows

Fertilizer placement and application methods

Differences in plant height and node counts

Potential effects on pod development and yield