I’m Brian O’Grady
Alternative Ag Investors Passive Income From Farmland Ownership
So… how does this work?
Welcome to Alternative Ag Investors!
Why Alternative Ag Investors?
Well, Alternative because we’re all about non-traditional assets that generate a passive income.
Ag should be obvious since we are focused on farmland opportunities.
And the Investors are like-minded folks who see owning managed agricultural operations as the key to their long-term financial health.
Just so you know who you’re dealing with, let me tell you a bit about myself. I grew up in central Montana; wheat country.
A ten-minute drive out of town left you gazing at fields of hard red winter wheat as far as the eye can see. I still think that’s one of the prettiest sights on earth.
The average size of a farm in Montana is over 2,000 acres. This is a place where 40 acres is nothing more than a big garden.
Over the 12 years following college, I went to work for 3 farm-state members of Congress including one who was a senior member of the House Agriculture Committee.
My knowledge of what it takes to have a successful agribusiness grew along with an understanding of the many hurdles and stumbling blocks that face farmers.
I later went on to own several businesses before joining Bank of America where I worked in quality management, risk assessment and compliance auditing.
My last position entailed auditing the bank’s foreign tax payment processes – can you think of a better reason to quit banking?
After 18 years in Corporate America, I was offered the opportunity to consult for a growing farm real estate company in Panama and I jumped at the chance.
I already owned multiple hectares of their crops (mangos, limes, avocados and plantains) and the opportunity to return to my roots was almost too good to be true.
I first started buying farmland years ago when I became interested in eventually retiring in Panama.
I bought a quarter acre of teak as part of a program to get my residency visa. Today I represent that company and you’ll find their latest offerings under the Current Projects page.
That first purchase got me thinking about what a great investment international farmland is. It ticked all my “must have” investment boxes:
- The return on my money isn’t correlated to the U.S. stock market
- The return on investment is based on increasing worldwide demand for the product (especially food)
- For the most part, the risks are known
- I wanted to create multiple passive income streams for retirement
- And agricultural investments are a strong hedge against inflation
After nearly three years consulting for Simply Natural Real Estate, I struck out on my own to form AAI – Alternative Ag Investors.
My primary reason for moving on was to be able to offer a wider selection of managed farmland investments with a more extensive range of price points.
Sometimes life comes full-circle and creating AAI is the culmination of a lifetime of experience.
I’m now at a point in life where I want to be able to help others reach their financial goals. AAI allows me to show others how to earn a solid passive income through farmland ownership.
I have literally scoured the earth (and continue to do so) looking for good opportunities to make money from managed farmland.
I reject the vast majority of them. Maybe the return on investment isn’t good enough, the risks are too great in certain countries, the management team doesn’t have sufficient experience, their sales plan is nebulous or countless other reasons why a project is not a good candidate to be included.
When I say it is not good enough to be included, I mean that I wouldn’t invest in it myself, so why would I put my stamp of approval on it and offer it to you?
Here are some examples. I rejected a winery operation in Argentina because it requires that you market your own wine. I declined to represent a citrus growing company because after the Columbian government takes their share in taxes, the returns were ridiculously low compared to other opportunities. I also decided against a coffee company in Panama because they had no sales history.
So, what are some of the criteria used to determine whether or not an agricultural opportunity belongs in my portfolio and is right to offer to you?
To a great extent that will be determined by the type of crop being grown but, in general, the fundamentals are pretty much the same:
- What is the market for the product? Do they just sell in-country? What are their distribution channels?
- Do they intend to ship internationally? If so, where is the closest port and are their facilities up-to-date?
- Does the company have both the experience and expertise to be successful?
- Are the conditions under which the company operates conducive to success? Do they have the rights to adequate quality water, access to capital, a good local infrastructure, the ability to get the product to market, good weather for the crop type, etc.?
- What are their harvest, sales and marketing plans?
- Is the local workforce sufficiently skilled?
- What is the government’s attitude towards the operation and is it a stable government?
- If they have been around a while, what is their past performance like?
- Do they have Global Gap, USDA Organic, UN Global Compact or similar certifications?
I meet with their senior executives to understand their vision and how they intend to weather any storms that might hit them. I want to know the individual expertise the leadership team members have.
Finally, I get on a plane, put boots on the ground and take a look at the operation up close and personal. I meet with the actual people who are out in the field growing the crops, laying the irrigation pipes, conducting the harvest and doing all of the other day-to-day operations that are required on a profitable agricultural operation.
Things like whether or not the workers are paid a good wage, have access to decent housing, education and medical care may be of critical importance to many people (including me). Depending on the investor, some of these things may be of little consequence while to other investors it may be an essential component of their investing plan.
If you haven’t noticed already, all of the opportunities listed with Alternative Ag Investors are located outside of the United States. You may want to know why and the answer is actually fairly simple. Too many of the agricultural opportunities that come up in the United States are available only to Accredited Investors.
If that is a term that is new to you, an Accredited Investor meets one of two conditions as set forth in Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 501 of Regulation D. Namely, a person must have an annual income exceeding $200,000 ($300,000 for joint income) for the last two years with the expectation of earning the same or a higher income in the current year.
A person is also considered an Accredited Investor if they have a net worth exceeding $1 million, either individually or jointly with their spouse. There are additional provisions but these are the ones that apply to most individual investors.
I think that everybody should have access to owning productive farmland and not just those who are better off. Being an accredited investor doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re wealthy, but it certainly means you’ve got more money than most.
The Harvard University endowment, Bill Gates and others who have a whole heck of a lot more money than you and I have the ability to buy farmland and at a reduced price because they buy so much of it at a time; they buy wholesale while we are only able to buy retail.
Some international offers also require that you be an Accredited Investor. I may occasionally offer them on this site, but my focus is on opportunities the average person can acquire.
Another reason I have focused on International offers is that the cost of land in the United States is going through the roof. That means that the ability to make a good return on your money at a lower price range is significantly diminished.
Finally, in the interest of full disclosure, I am just a guy who discovered the amazing potential wealth-building proposition in owning managed farmland and decided to share this with others. I am not a CPA. I am not an attorney. I am not a Certified Financial Planner.
I have provided examples of how to purchase and title your land. These are examples only and not a specific recommendation for you. Honestly, that would be foolish on my part because I don’t know your financial situation, family or needs.
Likewise, it would be foolish for you to just accept the advice of someone who barely knows you. That’s what I dislike about many financial advisors… they often use a one-size-fits-all approach that benefits them, but not necessarily you.
So… I strongly encourage you to conduct your own due diligence. Consult your accountant, family lawyer and/or financial planner. You may find out that buying a greenhouse in Panama is a great idea but there is a better way to structure the ownership than through an LLC.
Or maybe buying a plot of teak in Nicaragua would be perfect for your grandkids and it’s just a matter of making sure they can take advantage of it tax-free. That’s where your own financial, legal and tax advisors come in.
I’m Brian O’Grady
Welcome to Alternative Ag Investors!
Why Alternative Ag Investors?
Well, Alternative because we’re all about non-traditional assets that generate a passive income.
Ag should be obvious since we are focused on farmland opportunities.
And the Investors are like-minded folks who see owning managed agricultural operations as the key to their long-term financial health.
Just so you know who you’re dealing with, let me tell you a bit about myself. I grew up in central Montana; wheat country.
A ten-minute drive out of town left you gazing at fields of hard red winter wheat as far as the eye can see. I still think that’s one of the prettiest sights on earth.
The average size of a farm in Montana is over 2,000 acres. This is a place where 40 acres is nothing more than a big garden.
Over the 12 years following college, I went to work for 3 farm-state members of Congress including one who was a senior member of the House Agriculture Committee.
My knowledge of what it takes to have a successful agribusiness grew along with an understanding of the many hurdles and stumbling blocks that face farmers.
I later went on to own several businesses before joining Bank of America where I worked in quality management, risk assessment and compliance auditing.
My last position entailed auditing the bank’s foreign tax payment processes – can you think of a better reason to quit banking?
After 18 years in Corporate America, I was offered the opportunity to consult for a growing farm real estate company in Panama and I jumped at the chance.
I already owned multiple hectares of their crops (mangos, limes, avocados and plantains) and the opportunity to return to my roots was almost too good to be true.
I first started buying farmland years ago when I became interested in eventually retiring in Panama.
I bought a quarter acre of teak as part of a program to get my residency visa. Today I represent that company and you’ll find their latest offerings under the Current Projects page.
That first purchase got me thinking about what a great investment international farmland is. It ticked all my “must have” investment boxes:
- The return on my money isn’t correlated to the U.S. stock market
- The return on investment is based on increasing worldwide demand for the product (especially food)
- For the most part, the risks are known
- I wanted to create multiple passive income streams for retirement
- And agricultural investments are a strong hedge against inflation
After nearly three years consulting for Simply Natural Real Estate, I struck out on my own to form AAI – Alternative Ag Investors.
My primary reason for moving on was to be able to offer a wider selection of managed farmland investments with a more extensive range of price points.
Sometimes life comes full-circle and creating AAI is the culmination of a lifetime of experience.
I’m now at a point in life where I want to be able to help others reach their financial goals. AAI allows me to show others how to earn a solid passive income through farmland ownership.
So… how does this work?
I have literally scoured the earth (and continue to do so) looking for good opportunities to make money from managed farmland.
I reject the vast majority of them. Maybe the return on investment isn’t good enough, the risks are too great in certain countries, the management team doesn’t have sufficient experience, their sales plan is nebulous or countless other reasons why a project is not a good candidate to be included.
When I say it is not good enough to be included, I mean that I wouldn’t invest in it myself, so why would I put my stamp of approval on it and offer it to you?
Here are some examples. I rejected a winery operation in Argentina because it requires that you market your own wine. I declined to represent a citrus growing company because after the Columbian government takes their share in taxes, the returns were ridiculously low compared to other opportunities. I also decided against a coffee company in Panama because they had no sales history.
So, what are some of the criteria used to determine whether or not an agricultural opportunity belongs in my portfolio and is right to offer to you?
To a great extent that will be determined by the type of crop being grown but, in general, the fundamentals are pretty much the same:
- What is the market for the product? Do they just sell in-country? What are their distribution channels?
- Do they intend to ship internationally? If so, where is the closest port and are their facilities up-to-date?
- Does the company have both the experience and expertise to be successful?
- Are the conditions under which the company operates conducive to success? Do they have the rights to adequate quality water, access to capital, a good local infrastructure, the ability to get the product to market, good weather for the crop type, etc.?
- What are their harvest, sales and marketing plans?
- Is the local workforce sufficiently skilled?
- What is the government’s attitude towards the operation and is it a stable government?
- If they have been around a while, what is their past performance like?
- Do they have Global Gap, USDA Organic, UN Global Compact or similar certifications?
I meet with their senior executives to understand their vision and how they intend to weather any storms that might hit them. I want to know the individual expertise the leadership team members have.
Finally, I get on a plane, put boots on the ground and take a look at the operation up close and personal. I meet with the actual people who are out in the field growing the crops, laying the irrigation pipes, conducting the harvest and doing all of the other day-to-day operations that are required on a profitable agricultural operation.
Things like whether or not the workers are paid a good wage, have access to decent housing, education and medical care may be of critical importance to many people (including me). Depending on the investor, some of these things may be of little consequence while to other investors it may be an essential component of their investing plan.
If you haven’t noticed already, all of the opportunities listed with Alternative Ag Investors are located outside of the United States. You may want to know why and the answer is actually fairly simple. Too many of the agricultural opportunities that come up in the United States are available only to Accredited Investors.
If that is a term that is new to you, an Accredited Investor meets one of two conditions as set forth in Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 501 of Regulation D. Namely, a person must have an annual income exceeding $200,000 ($300,000 for joint income) for the last two years with the expectation of earning the same or a higher income in the current year.
A person is also considered an Accredited Investor if they have a net worth exceeding $1 million, either individually or jointly with their spouse. There are additional provisions but these are the ones that apply to most individual investors.
I think that everybody should have access to owning productive farmland and not just those who are better off. Being an accredited investor doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re wealthy, but it certainly means you’ve got more money than most.
The Harvard University endowment, Bill Gates and others who have a whole heck of a lot more money than you and I have the ability to buy farmland and at a reduced price because they buy so much of it at a time; they buy wholesale while we are only able to buy retail.
Some international offers also require that you be an Accredited Investor. I may occasionally offer them on this site, but my focus is on opportunities the average person can acquire.
Another reason I have focused on International offers is that the cost of land in the United States is going through the roof. That means that the ability to make a good return on your money at a lower price range is significantly diminished.
Finally, in the interest of full disclosure, I am just a guy who discovered the amazing potential wealth-building proposition in owning managed farmland and decided to share this with others. I am not a CPA. I am not an attorney. I am not a Certified Financial Planner.
I have provided examples of how to purchase and title your land. These are examples only and not a specific recommendation for you. Honestly, that would be foolish on my part because I don’t know your financial situation, family or needs.
Likewise, it would be foolish for you to just accept the advice of someone who barely knows you. That’s what I dislike about many financial advisors… they often use a one-size-fits-all approach that benefits them, but not necessarily you.
So… I strongly encourage you to conduct your own due diligence. Consult your accountant, family lawyer and/or financial planner. You may find out that buying a greenhouse in Panama is a great idea but there is a better way to structure the ownership than through an LLC.
Or maybe buying a plot of teak in Nicaragua would be perfect for your grandkids and it’s just a matter of making sure they can take advantage of it tax-free. That’s where your own financial, legal and tax advisors come in.
I’m Brian O’Grady
Welcome to Alternative Ag Investors!
Why Alternative Ag Investors?
Well, Alternative because we’re all about non-traditional assets that generate a passive income.
Ag should be obvious since we are focused on farmland opportunities.
And the Investors are like-minded folks who see owning managed agricultural operations as the key to their long-term financial health.
Just so you know who you’re dealing with, let me tell you a bit about myself. I grew up in central Montana; wheat country.
A ten-minute drive out of town left you gazing at fields of hard red winter wheat as far as the eye can see. I still think that’s one of the prettiest sights on earth.
The average size of a farm in Montana is over 2,000 acres. This is a place where 40 acres is nothing more than a big garden.
Over the 12 years following college, I went to work for 3 farm-state members of Congress including one who was a senior member of the House Agriculture Committee.
My knowledge of what it takes to have a successful agribusiness grew along with an understanding of the many hurdles and stumbling blocks that face farmers.
I later went on to own several businesses before joining Bank of America where I worked in quality management, risk assessment and compliance auditing.
My last position entailed auditing the bank’s foreign tax payment processes – can you think of a better reason to quit banking?
After 18 years in Corporate America, I was offered the opportunity to consult for a growing farm real estate company in Panama and I jumped at the chance.
I already owned multiple hectares of their crops (mangos, limes, avocados and plantains) and the opportunity to return to my roots was almost too good to be true.
I first started buying farmland years ago when I became interested in eventually retiring in Panama.
I bought a quarter acre of teak as part of a program to get my residency visa. Today I represent that company and you’ll find their latest offerings under the Current Projects page.
That first purchase got me thinking about what a great investment international farmland is. It ticked all my “must have” investment boxes:
- The return on my money isn’t correlated to the U.S. stock market
- The return on investment is based on increasing worldwide demand for the product (especially food)
- For the most part, the risks are known
- I wanted to create multiple passive income streams for retirement
- And agricultural investments are a strong hedge against inflation
After nearly three years consulting for Simply Natural Real Estate, I struck out on my own to form AAI – Alternative Ag Investors.
My primary reason for moving on was to be able to offer a wider selection of managed farmland investments with a more extensive range of price points.
Sometimes life comes full-circle and creating AAI is the culmination of a lifetime of experience.
I’m now at a point in life where I want to be able to help others reach their financial goals. AAI allows me to show others how to earn a solid passive income through farmland ownership.
So… how does this work?
I have literally scoured the earth (and continue to do so) looking for good opportunities to make money from managed farmland.
I reject the vast majority of them. Maybe the return on investment isn’t good enough, the risks are too great in certain countries, the management team doesn’t have sufficient experience, their sales plan is nebulous or countless other reasons why a project is not a good candidate to be included.
When I say it is not good enough to be included, I mean that I wouldn’t invest in it myself, so why would I put my stamp of approval on it and offer it to you?
Here are some examples. I rejected a winery operation in Argentina because it requires that you market your own wine. I declined to represent a citrus growing company because after the Columbian government takes their share in taxes, the returns were ridiculously low compared to other opportunities. I also decided against a coffee company in Panama because they had no sales history.
So, what are some of the criteria used to determine whether or not an agricultural opportunity belongs in my portfolio and is right to offer to you?
To a great extent that will be determined by the type of crop being grown but, in general, the fundamentals are pretty much the same:
- What is the market for the product? Do they just sell in-country? What are their distribution channels?
- Do they intend to ship internationally? If so, where is the closest port and are their facilities up-to-date?
- Does the company have both the experience and expertise to be successful?
- Are the conditions under which the company operates conducive to success? Do they have the rights to adequate quality water, access to capital, a good local infrastructure, the ability to get the product to market, good weather for the crop type, etc.?
- What are their harvest, sales and marketing plans?
- Is the local workforce sufficiently skilled?
- What is the government’s attitude towards the operation and is it a stable government?
- If they have been around a while, what is their past performance like?
- Do they have Global Gap, USDA Organic, UN Global Compact or similar certifications?
I meet with their senior executives to understand their vision and how they intend to weather any storms that might hit them. I want to know the individual expertise the leadership team members have.
Finally, I get on a plane, put boots on the ground and take a look at the operation up close and personal. I meet with the actual people who are out in the field growing the crops, laying the irrigation pipes, conducting the harvest and doing all of the other day-to-day operations that are required on a profitable agricultural operation.
Things like whether or not the workers are paid a good wage, have access to decent housing, education and medical care may be of critical importance to many people (including me). Depending on the investor, some of these things may be of little consequence while to other investors it may be an essential component of their investing plan.
If you haven’t noticed already, all of the opportunities listed with Alternative Ag Investors are located outside of the United States. You may want to know why and the answer is actually fairly simple. Too many of the agricultural opportunities that come up in the United States are available only to Accredited Investors.
If that is a term that is new to you, an Accredited Investor meets one of two conditions as set forth in Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 501 of Regulation D. Namely, a person must have an annual income exceeding $200,000 ($300,000 for joint income) for the last two years with the expectation of earning the same or a higher income in the current year.
A person is also considered an Accredited Investor if they have a net worth exceeding $1 million, either individually or jointly with their spouse. There are additional provisions but these are the ones that apply to most individual investors.
I think that everybody should have access to owning productive farmland and not just those who are better off. Being an accredited investor doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re wealthy, but it certainly means you’ve got more money than most.
The Harvard University endowment, Bill Gates and others who have a whole heck of a lot more money than you and I have the ability to buy farmland and at a reduced price because they buy so much of it at a time; they buy wholesale while we are only able to buy retail.
Some international offers also require that you be an Accredited Investor. I may occasionally offer them on this site, but my focus is on opportunities the average person can acquire.
Another reason I have focused on International offers is that the cost of land in the United States is going through the roof. That means that the ability to make a good return on your money at a lower price range is significantly diminished.
Finally, in the interest of full disclosure, I am just a guy who discovered the amazing potential wealth-building proposition in owning managed farmland and decided to share this with others. I am not a CPA. I am not an attorney. I am not a Certified Financial Planner.
I have provided examples of how to purchase and title your land. These are examples only and not a specific recommendation for you. Honestly, that would be foolish on my part because I don’t know your financial situation, family or needs.
Likewise, it would be foolish for you to just accept the advice of someone who barely knows you. That’s what I dislike about many financial advisors… they often use a one-size-fits-all approach that benefits them, but not necessarily you.
So… I strongly encourage you to conduct your own due diligence. Consult your accountant, family lawyer and/or financial planner. You may find out that buying a greenhouse in Panama is a great idea but there is a better way to structure the ownership than through an LLC.
Or maybe buying a plot of teak in Nicaragua would be perfect for your grandkids and it’s just a matter of making sure they can take advantage of it tax-free. That’s where your own financial, legal and tax advisors come in.
