Valley Crest

Sold on July 5, 2022
from 3:00 PM to 3:00 PM UTC

Location

Red Deer, AB

Sale Size

5 Parcels, 1 En Bloc

Final

$595K - $1.26M

6 contiguous quarters selling as 5 Parcels with an opportunity to purchase 'En Bloc' for sale near Red Deer, AB. The highly fertile land that makes up this carefully maintained, heritage farmstead situated in one of the best farming areas in Western Canada also offers up significant Surface Lease Revenue on two of the parcels. With cultivated acres, a large hip-roof barn, a cattle shed, a 2W handling system and more, this is the sale you have been waiting for.

View Results • Completed

Available Parcels

Parcel Name Parcel 1	Parcel Size 160 ± Acres	Final $1,260,000	View Details & Offer
Parcel Name Parcel 2	Parcel Size 160 ± Acres	Final $940,000	View Details & Offer
Parcel Name Parcel 3	Parcel Size 155 ± Acres	Final $1,140,000	View Details & Offer
Parcel Name Parcel 4	Parcel Size 157 ± Acres	Final $1,000,000	View Details & Offer
Parcel Name Parcel 5	Parcel Size 320 ± Acres	Final $595,000	View Details & Offer
En Bloc Name Parcel 6	En Bloc Size	Final $300,000	View En Bloc

Sale Description

Click on the following links for directions to:

Parcel 1; Parcel 2; Parcel 3; Parcel 4; Parcel 5

Click here to view the Surface Lease Revenue details.

Please see the Parcel Details section to view the specific details in the Offers to Purchase, including the 'en bloc.'

At the conclusion of the sale an 'en bloc' round will be offered to prior bidders meeting the requirements of bidding in the 'en bloc' round. Please see Parcel 6 in the Parcel Details section for further details.

Just fifteen miles southwest of the City of Red Deer, and two miles north of the Hamlet of Markerville, Alberta, you can discover authentic and historic country charm at its finest. A testament to its heritage, ‘Valley Crest Heritage Farms’ received the Century Farm and Ranch award in 2003, back when Ralph Klein was the Premier of Alberta. Time marches on and the original Johnston homestead and the surrounding land base is now being placed up for sale by the Johnston family - after being in the family for 119 years. If you are too busy to read this entire story about the farm, we recommended just checking the soil classification map and speed dialling your banker for approval.

It is said that with the passage of time farmsteads either get old or get better, just like fine wine. If ‘Valley Crest Heritage Farms’ were wine, it would undoubtedly be on the Reserve List. It doesn't get any better when you have the best land that is in what is arguably one of the most elite farm areas in Western Canada. The farm itself is comprised of six contiguous quarters of highly fertile land with deep topsoil that is high in organic matter. The farm has never left the Johnston family, which is reflected in the way improvements have been carefully maintained to the highest standard. Situated in the centre of everywhere, the farm is just 12 minutes to Spruce View or Sylvan Lake, 18 minutes to Innisfail or Eckville and 35 minutes to Olds or Rimbey.

PARCEL 1 is that highly sought-after, wide-open quarter section. The quarter sits high above the ‘Valley Crest Heritage Farms’ home quarter. Well-drained, this Parcel offers up the opportunity for the widest variety of cropping options. Along with all the other quarters making up the farm, Parcel 1 experienced sustainable agriculture one hundred years before the term was coined. Every acre that makes up ‘Valley Crest Heritage Farms’ has seen the back end of a cow more than the front end of a tractor. Parcel 1 comes with current Surface Lease Revenue.

PARCEL 2 is the twin quarter to Parcel 1, making up the entire half section less the farmstead being subdivided out of Parcel 2. The Parcel has pavement to its southwest corner. With Parcel 1 and Parcel 2 selling with a Universal close, buyers are assured the opportunity to own both quarters and keep the half-section intact if they wish. Another option is to buy Parcel 2 by itself or buy it with Parcel 5, the carved-out farmstead on the west side of the quarter on Range Road 21.

PARCEL 3 is being offered for sale as a complete half-section of prime farmland with significant Surface Lease Revenue. Most of the half is already cultivated and more could be brought under cultivation with ease. The east side of Parcel 3 has a 32 by 94-foot cattle shed along with a 2W handling system and a cattle squeeze that are included in the sale of the Parcel. Situated in a valley, this Parcel, just like the others, has ample water storage that is replenished each Spring.

PARCEL 4 is a half section with pavement along the eastern and southern perimeters. This half boasts significant Surface Lease Revenue. The acreage and surrounding outbuildings located on the northeast quarter do not form part of Parcel 4. The half-section has been transitioning to add cultivated acres and the new owner could continue this transition. If you look back on this half-section two years after the sale day, you will likely say it was the buy of the ‘Valley Crest Heritage Farms’ sale in 2022. This Parcel, along with Parcels 1, 2 and 3, forms the 'en bloc' sale offered after the sale to prior high bidders meeting those requirements to bid ‘en bloc’.

PARCEL 5 is not just another acreage in Red Deer County, but rather a one-of-a-kind classic Heritage farmstead. For 119 years the Johnston family has dutifully made improvements with a focus on the utmost of quality and then judiciously maintained the same. The century-old residence has recently received significant renovations. Underground power was recently installed in the yard, and new spruce trees have been transplanted along the frontage road. The dugout to the north of the farmstead provides clean, warm water to three hydrants in the yard. Other recent improvements, including septic, have been designed knowing that a buyer may eventually build a new residence and wish to connect to the same. The Johnston family's dream has always been for the longevity of the farmstead itself.

This is a heritage farmstead that needs to be viewed to be truly appreciated. The residence offers timeless elegance with its archways and ornate metal wall and ceiling coverings. The 40 by 48-foot steel Butler shop is being sold with shelving and various tools. Equipment storage is not a problem with two pole sheds and a large 51 x 84-foot Behlen steel Quonset. If interested in gardening or chickens, you will want to check out the 12 by 20-foot garden shed or classic 12 x 32-foot 5-star chicken coop. The crown jewel of the farm is the large and timeless 72-foot-long, red, hip-roof barn. Originally a dairy farm, the barn was once the cornerstone of the farm with its concrete floors and quality wood construction throughout; the rafters in the loft look more akin to a ceiling in an Italian Church than a Canadian barn. Built-in 1933, the barn both aesthetically and structurally appears as though it will to be around for another century or more. The barn also has infrared heat with calving pens. It is interesting to note that the ‘Valley Crest Heritage Farms’ farmstead in Europe would be considered relatively new by any standard. If you are looking for a true character farmstead of the highest quality, look no further - this is it.

At the conclusion of the sale an 'en bloc' round will be offered to prior bidders meeting the requirements of bidding in the 'en bloc' round. Please see the Parcel 6 in the Parcel Details section for further details.

'Valley Crest Heritage Farms' is being offered for sale via electronic tender by CLHbid.com. Check the website for updates from time to time.

Viewing of Property: The property may be viewed by interested registered bidders. Please contact us by email at info@clhbid.com for an appointment.

Valley Crest is being offered for sale via online escalating tender by CLHbid.com. Check the website for updates from time to time. The property may be viewed by interested registered bidders. Please contact us by email at info@clhbid.com for an appointment. As a law firm, CLHbid never discloses bidder's names to any party, including the Seller. Only the successful buyer's name is ever disclosed to the Seller as part of the closing process.

Proven Results

from satisfied buyers

Frequently Asked Questions

There are existing auction platforms out there such as the ‘Iowa Auction’ that stop bidding after all individual parcels have received high bids. Then for round #2 of the auction they allow past as well as new bidders to ‘up the ante’ by bidding on the entire farm or ranch with a reserve bid set at the aggregate price just bid on all individual parcels in round #1.

After seeking input from many farmers and ranchers, most told us they didn’t feel a platform such as this was fair to bidders on individual parcels who in many cases have went to a lot of work to get pre-approved for financing etc. Farmers and ranchers also indicated they didn’t think it is fair for a large player to ‘lay in the weeds’ and not bid until after the initial round of bidding. They also told us that it would not be fair to allow a larger player to acquire the entire farm or ranch for only a few dollars more than the aggregate of the prior individual bids. Hence the rationale for the ‘premium bid’ amount for the ‘en bloc’ parcel at the conclusion of the auction.

At CLHbid.com, you as bidder only need to be high on a certain number (generally less than 50%) of parcels in order to have a chance to acquire the entire farm or ranch, whereas at national Auction firms you generally have to be high on 100% of the parcels in order acquire the entire ranch or farm.

Bidders have no knowledge of the identity of other bidders. Likewise, the Seller during the sale is not privy to who may be bidding or how many parcels someone may be ‘high on’. At CLHbid.com we set out to create a platform for the selling or leasing of agricultural land that was honest, fully transparent and offered no opportunity for bids to be shopped by the Seller. This is especially important wherein the Seller has final approval.

At CLHbid.com we have put safeguards in place in our CLHbid.com contract with our Seller to ensure the Seller deals only with the high bidder at the conclusion of bidding. During the timed auction itself, all back-end information is locked down including who is bidding or who is registered to bid. At the conclusion of the bidding, the Seller is privy only to the name of the high bidder on each parcel.

The minimum increment for bidding is set prior to each specific sale in consultation with the Seller. The increments are set having regard to the FMV of the parcel being sold with more expensive parcels generally having larger increments.

We have all been to live auctions where a quarter of land worth $500,000.00 starts at $100,000.00. The parcel is then bid up in large increments initially with the increments gradually decreasing in size as the bidding approaches the end. At CLHbid.com, given our predetermined minimum increments, we try and speed up the process by starting the bidding at what we see as a reasonable number to start serious bidding at, yet a number still below FMV.

In addition, given the ‘en bloc’ final parcel bidding option offered at CLHbid.com, we require a floor number for each individual parcel in the unlikely event a specific parcel doesn’t receive a bid, yet at the conclusion an eligible bidder wishes to bid on the entire farm or ranch. In such a case, the Starting Bid becomes the value to be used for that Parcel not receiving a bid when determining aggregate bids. It is important to note the Starting Bid is not a Reserve Bid.

PLEASE NOTE: Not all CLHbid.com sales have an ‘en bloc’. Please review the particulars of each sale for clarity.

No. The Seller waives their right to approve the sale if there is a bid on the ‘en bloc’.

This is really no different than in the tendering process wherein Tenders stipulate “any and all tenders will not necessarily be accepted”. One issue with tendering is the cost to put a tender in the paper is nominal and there is always a risk of the Seller perhaps just feeling out the market or wanting to know the names of the parties interested.

At CLHbid.com one of the paramount reasons for allowing the Seller final say is to alleviate the need for an expensive Guarantee to the auction house – expensive and seldom called upon yet often required by the Sellers bank. The Seller’s bank doesn’t require the Seller to purchase a Guarantee when using the CLHbid.com platform wherein the sale is at the Seller’s discretion.

CLHbid.com incurs significant marketing costs in the event the Seller fails to accept the high bid(s). The Seller is under contract with CLHbid.com and the contract references trigger values indicating when the right of the Seller to refuse a sale is taken away.

At CLHbid.com, our Sellers are fully invested in the process meaning the likelihood of a high bid not being accepted is extremely remote.

No. At CLHbid.com there is no advantage to waiting to bid. Our platform has a ‘refresh’ function on the clock such that any bid placed near the expiration of the timed sale will automatically re-set the clock adding additional minutes to the clock giving all parties (including the bidder that was just outbid) another opportunity to bid.

At CLHbid.com we take the human element out of the process. During the bidding process if you are high, you will receive an online notice saying you are High Bid. If you get outbid you will receive an online notice saying you were Outbid. Immediately upon expiration of the timed sale, the high bidder will receive an email indicating they were the HIGHEST BIDDER.

All emails are auto generated. The question cannot arise as to whether you were high or not or “was it shopped to someone they liked better” such as when tendering land.

No. The Starting Bid is just that. The first bid required for a Parcel is the Starting Bid and not some number above it. If you are the initial bidder and just bid the basic minimum increment your Current Bid will be the Starting Bid number.

CLHbid.com doesn’t publish the name of the high bidder. We do, however, disclose the name of the high bidder to the Seller as they are then in a contractual agreement to buy and sell. We leave it up to the high bidder and Seller to tell whomever they wish.

Ready to Expand?

Create Account

CLHbid Makes Bidding Simple

The absolute transparency of this innovative format is a huge benefit to all parties involved. Bidders bid from the privacy of their own home on a set day.

The sale starts and finishes in a matter of hours and the time will extend if bids are placed in the last two minutes of the sale. As confidentiality and honesty are paramount to us, bidders names are never released.

Learn More