NEW MEXICO AND ARIZONA LAND COMPANY, LLC
"NZ"
"Nothing more powerfully creates heritage than the imaginative use and stewardship of land."
--- Frank Lloyd Wright
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NEW MEXICO AND ARIZONA LAND COMPANY, LLC "NZ"
"Nothing more powerfully creates heritage than the imaginative use and stewardship of land." --- Frank Lloyd Wright
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New Mexico and Arizona Cattle Company, LLC
The New Mexico and Arizona Cattle Company, LLC was formed with the idea of raising cattle in the traditional “old west” style while combining some of the modern day grazing and conservation practices. The Company was started in May 2004 as a joint venture with Robert Worsley and Traegen and Marilyn Knight. Traegen is a sixth generation rancher with experience on family ranches in the White Mountains of Arizona, western New Mexico and eastern Oregon. Marilyn was raised in rural Arizona west of Phoenix where she worked with her grandparents on their family ranch and cotton farm. Both are graduates from Arizona State University, with degrees in Agribusiness and Conservation Biology. Together, they have discovered there are many ways to implement horizontal and vertical integration tools, which can modernize a livestock business, creating a profitable, environmentally friendly and sustainable business.
The company is run as a commercial cow/calf operation to produce quality beef. Using an estimated carrying capacity of 5 animal units per section, the Milky should sustain 480 mother cows yearlong. Current Inventory: 350 Cow/Calf pairs and 16 Bulls
The company is implementing newer methods of production such as; animal ID, product tracking, and better feed supplements, while sticking to the roots of the old west. Efforts are currently being made to improve the range condition on the land by implementing modern grazing techniques and reducing soil erosion. These practices should benefit the livestock and wildlife on the ranch. The Milky Ranch is home to numerous herds of Pronghorn Antelope with many trophy bucks on the range. Other wildlife includes: mule deer, quail, dove, squirrels, chipmunks, coyotes and rabbits. New wells are currently being drilled on the ranch to develop farmable acreage. These fields will be utilized for producing higher quality livestock forage for supplemental feed. Day to day activities on the ranch include checking pastures for livestock health, range condition, water levels and anything else which may come up. There are always fences in need of repair and numerous dirt tanks in need of cleaning. Whenever there is down time, the ranch headquarters is being fixed up and remodeled. Rain is always a rancher’s biggest concern and blessing. Fortunately, summer rains were good and gave the company a great start in the ranching business. Grazing LeasesOver 10 grazing leases are legally in effect paying over $.30 per acre per year. The number of cattle is limited to prevent over-grazing. Lessee ranchers have invested over $500,000 in improvements (fences, cattle guards, cattle tanks, etc.) to run cattle on this land. They are committed even though NZ has the right to cancel the leases with 30 days notice. There is about $30,000 per year in income from these leases and the ranchers are responsible for all property taxes on the leased acreage.
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The
Milky Ranch is comprised of nearly 50,000 acres patented fee lands intermingled
with an additional 10,000 acres of State Trust land. The ranch includes some of
the best grazing grasslands in the state.
In the past, grazing privileges were leased out to outside parties.
