5293 Florida 2

In the productive farm country of northern Jackson County lies Cowarts Creek Farm, a 532± acre working farm where generations of North Florida agricultural heritage meet an increasingly protected natural landscape. The farm has approximately 297 acres of farmland with 92 acres of irrigated cropland with a 10-inch well and three irrigation systems. There are also 140± acres of planted pine and great deer and turkey. Along its western boundary it shares nearly a mile with the Northwest Florida Water Management District's Cowarts Creek conservation lands. Cowarts Creek Farm brings together productive farmland, timber, and great hunting in one well-rounded property. Its story extends beyond its present ownership. Cowarts Creek Farm lies within an agricultural landscape that has been farmed for generations, with documented landownership in the surrounding township extending back into the 1800s. Today, the farm continues that tradition from an increasingly rare position: productive private land adjoining a permanently conserved creek corridor. The Farm The property is an agricultural powerhouse and located in one of the strongest agricultural belts in the country. Approximately 92 acres of cropland are served by a 10-inch well and three irrigation systems. In a region where water defines a farm's long-term value, that infrastructure gives an operator the means to manage for consistent yields season after season. The cropland has historically been leased for approximately $60,000 annually under three- to five-year agreements. That gives a new owner immediate agricultural income from the day of closing, along with the flexibility to continue leasing, farm the ground themselves, or reposition the land over time. The farm's composition adds to that strength with 95% productive uplands. Only 24± acres are wetlands, less than five percent of the property. In a region where a quarter or more of a tract is typically wetland this is significant farmland value. That is usable ground for farming, timber, habitat and recreation. "This is one of those highly productive properties where a prior owner sold off the wetlands and floodplain to the State while retaining the best farmland. The result today is a highly productive operation while at the same time retaining privacy and still benefitting from the wildlife and recreation." - Jon Kohler Timber, Wildlife and Recreation Some 140± acres of highly improved genetic planted pine. The pine stands are productive and add a strong wildlife component. Additionally, sawtooth oaks have been planted along many of the edges. There are "condo" type tree stands. The property has great deer and turkey hunting. Working Land Beside Protected Land Along the western edge of the farm, crop rows and pine give way to the floodplain of the Cowarts Creek corridor. For approximately 4,875 feet, the property adjoins the Northwest Florida Water Management District's Cowarts Creek tract which is part of the greater Chipola Wildlife Management Area. Former property owners retained the productive agricultural ground and sold the wetlands and floodplain to the State. This part is essentially a roadless wilderness area. An old river landing is accessible from only this farm. The result is unusually high percentage of productive farmland while at the same time continuing in both privacy and an abundance of wildlife along Jackson County's primary wildlife corridor.