Fruit & vegetable producers have seen growth in the demand for individually quick-frozen (IQF) produce, with the newest addition to the marketplace being avocados. Some consumers may shy away from a frozen avocado while others embrace the convenience. It will be interesting to see if this innovation for preserving avocados (something that traditionally has not [...]

By Barry A. Chatz and Kevin H. Morse Originally published in The Bankruptcy Strategist, Dec 2018 www.ljnonline.com/ljn_bankruptcy On Oct. 3, 2018, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California (Los Angeles) confirmed the Chapter 11 Liquidating Plan of Eclipse Berry Farms, LLC and its affiliated companies. Confirmation of the plan concluded a two-year [...]

Certified organic acreage in the predominately grain-producing states of the Midwest has been on the rise in recent years. While still a minuscule percentage of overall grain production, organic crops have had a growing impact. This should come as no surprise, considering declines in commodity prices coupled with increasing demand for organic foods. Some producers [...]

It’s back-to-school season, and if there’s one lesson we can apply to farm and agribusiness transactions from the messages we tell our kids, it’s this: “Do your homework!” We’ve all heard horror stories of money pits – the acquisitions in which people overpaid and later discovered material issues. In many cases, those issues could have [...]

Author: Joe Bubon, President MWA I started working with Murray and investing in high-quality farmland in 1990. At that time, there were only three or four other firms providing opportunities to invest in farmland to a small number of pension funds and individual investors. Today, the number of firms offering those services has grown significantly. [...]

Murray Wise Associates LLC and Crosby & Associates, Inc. (“CAI”) served as transactional advisors to the Latt Maxcy Corporation in connection with the sale of the El Maximo Ranch in Osceola County, Florida. The 38,000+ acre ranch was sold to The Investment Corporation of Dubai in April 2018 for $136.5 million after an extensive national [...]

Contributed by Brooke Didier Starks Meyer Capel, A Professional Corporation, Champaign, Illinois 1. Be Practical. Farmers are rightfully proud of the legacies they’ve built and want to safeguard them for years to come. One hundred years from now, though, a farmer with three children could have as many as 120 descendants.  Plans that irrevocably lock [...]

Congratulations to our own Kenny Schum for his recent completion of the Accredited Land Consultant (ALC) program. This designation is granted by the RLI National Board of Directors to recognize the exceptional efforts of its designees. Kenny is also a graduate of the NAA Certified Auctioneers Institute (CAI), making him a land and auction expert. [...]

As this post is being prepared, the 2018 Murray Wise Associates Scholarship winners are being notified of their awards. The MWA Foundation provides scholarships annually to selected students, who have submitted impressive applications that are then voted on by the Foundation Board. Provided they remain in good academic standing in an agriculturally related field of [...]