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Group Flannery Associates, backed by prominent investors, quietly buy 55,000 acres of farmland in northern California
by gardenfelder 3y ago
Group Flannery Associates, backed by prominent investors, quietly buy 55,000 acres of farmland in northern California
- bell-cot 3y ago> ...from farmers for several times more than the market value [emphasis mine] and become the biggest landowners in Solano county, an area 60 miles north-west of San Francisco. The land bought by the firm encircles Travis air force base in Fairfield, a city of about 120,000 residents and home to the Anheuser-Busch Co brewery and the Jelly Belly jelly bean factory. Wikipedia notes: "Travis Air Force Base handles more cargo and passenger traffic through its airport than any other military air terminal in the United States." So don't expect any "quiet / remote / idyllic" vibes. And a couple quick searches reveal some major soil & groundwater contamination issues at the AFB. Well...it'll likely be interesting. The article says ~zilch about the ideals of the "SV elites" involved. And notes that they'll probably face a very long, tough slog - through skeptical locals, NIMBYs, regulations, and red tape - before they can actually build much anything.