Jacob Springs Farm

Andre Houssney
Proposal to Lease
January 30, 2018

Swartz Property
Jacob Springs Farm Bid

Submittal Section
Note: I have tried to make reading easier by highlighting in BLUE the sections of repeated material from
the main (Kolb) bid, to save you time.
1.Please submit your name, email address, mailing address, and phone number.
Andre S. Houssney,

ahoussney@gmail.com, 7602 Arapahoe Road, Boulder, CO 80303, 720-201-5725

2. Please describe the operation you propose for this property, with as much detail as
possible.

Overview
Jacob Springs Farm proposes to use the Swartz property primarily to cut hay in support of our
ongoing grass-based, dairy program, and to sell hay in the local market. A secondary, longer
term goal would be to develop the possibility of grazing on this property for our dry cows,
young stock and bulls that don’t need to be near the dairy barn (although this is not an
essential use and we would still like to lease the property if this is not possible).

The Swartz property, which is less than 600 yards from our property, along with the Kolb
property and the Aweida property, fit very well into our overall strategy.

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“Land and water
are not really
separate things,
but they are
separate words,
and we perceive
through words.”
― David Rains Wallace

Each property fulfills a need for the farm - our desire would be to operate all three properties
and to set ourselves up for future growth.

Flexibility
We are very flexible to work with OSMP staff to devise a system that best helps to meet City of
Boulder land use goals. We are willing to cut out any program or aspect of this proposal that
staff does not prefer and add to it anything that would be beneficial.

We are committed to the highest possible standard of environmental stewardship and see
ourselves as determined to be an example in the community and to other farmers that meeting
environmental goals while succeeding at agriculture is not only possible, but preferable.

As a farm, we define a successful operation to be one that allows us to cover our costs and
meet our financial needs while resulting in a net increase of biodiversity and soil fertility on land
that we manage.

3. Please include practices that conserve soil, water, and other resources.
We are committed to a “Beyond Organic” standard, our feeling is that the organic standard is
primarily concerned with prohibiting the worst practices of modern agriculture, where we would
like to focus on best practices. To that end we are open to staff suggestions and
experimentation around developing the highest possible standard. We do this because it’s an
important value that we have, but it’s also good business when marketing to our local
community, where Organic food and environmental conservation are high priorities for our
customers.

Although we are not opposed to the use of Organic approved, mined minerals such as Rock
phosphate, Potassium sulfate, Gypsum and the like, we generally prefer to use manure to gain
these nutrients in hay fields.

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We do like to use beneficial insects and early cutting for dealing with insects such as alfalfa
weevil. Early cutting also contributes to higher quality hay (at the cost of quantity) and we
prefer that for our dairy cows anyway.

On the Swartz property - in the long term we would use Holistic Planned Grazing to:

1. Minimize negative animal impact and overgrazing, Reduce time livestock spend in each
grazing division (ensure adequate plant recovery time) Protect and regenerate native plants

2. Determine where and when we need to concentrate livestock most to maintain healthy
grassland, reduce weeds or woody vegetation (where desirable), and prevent soil erosion

3. Provide wildlife with adequate cover, where & when needed to protect their breeding cycles

4. Maximize standing forage at the end of the growing season in a nutritious state - (extend
the grazing season and decrease the “feeding” season

5. Plan a Drought Reserve area to lessen impact of dry years on plants and animals.

6. Balance ecological goals with available labor, and practical considerations, including profit

Irrigation: we recognize that timely and proactive flood

irrigation can greatly conserve water resources compared to
the “set it and forget it” style of surface irrigation sometimes
practiced by farmers who are overwhelmed and over-worked
(or simply don’t care). We also recognize that multiple, brief
irrigation sets, while requiring more labor, are more water-
effective than single, multi-day sessions.

We also recognize that flood irrigation widely has an

undeserved bad reputation as “wasteful”. One benefit of
surface irrigation is that energy usage to pump and filter
water is eliminated. Less plastics and metals are also
needed, which reduced the embodied energy consumption
of the operation. In a situation like ours on the front range,
water is also conserved, although more water flows into a
field, return flows through ground water retain that water,
recharge aquifers, and return it gradually to streams and rivers, over a period of weeks, months
and even years, improving the distribution of water available for downstream users during the
low supply-high-demand dry months of July and August. In this way, flood irrigation “saves”
water and stores it for future use.

Rather than simply rely on intuition and guesswork, we use basic GPS surveys to understand
exactly where and how far irrigation water reaches on a given set so that we can minimize the
overlap between irrigation sets and efficiently place tarp dams for maximum water saving and
to protect alfalfa from flooding out.
4. Please describe your proposed Crop Production; e.g., crops raised, tillage, irrigation.

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We would run a basic, organic haying operation, with irrigation (described above). Eventually
possibly including some grazing.

Pasture
In order to make best use of available forages we like to subdivide pastures with portable electric fence
where possible. We are experienced in the use of portable water systems powered by solar electricity to
provide stock water to subdivided fields. This helps us achieve the goals of healthy, productive and
biodiverse pastures.

5. Please describe how and where you will market the products grown on the property.

Using and Marketing the Crops:

This property produces lots of grass hay, a portion of which would be kept to feed our dry
cows, bulls and young stock, the remainder would be sold in small square bales on the local
market through:

• Sales to current contacts on horse boarding operations

• Sales to new contacts we hope to develop in the local market for hay

• As a last resort, sales through one of the hay auction sites in the region

6. Please describe any kind(s) of infrastructure improvement(s) that you envision for the 

property.

For the most part the property’s exterior fencing is sound, however repairs and replacement of
fence will need to be made in places. We are able to provide the labor to accomplish this. For
winter grazing some access to water will be needed, there are several possible ways to
accomplish this. We are willing to work with OSMP staff to determine timing and details of this
as it is not an immediate urgency. Even if livestock are deemed to be undesirable on this
property we would still want to lease it for haying purposes.

7. Please submit other details of your management not included above.


We love nature and wildlife and we are very open to making adjustments in order to protect
species such as the Bobolink which nests on the ground, frequently in hayfields. Delaying
harvests can greatly improve survival rates of fledglings. We are open to innovative ways to
improve survival rates beyond this - not just to delay harvests, but perhaps to entirely skip
them in some years in certain areas of the fields and, as the fencing is completed, to graze or
stockpile the forage for grazing instead.

8. If you are currently involved in other agricultural enterprises, briefly describe the 

operation(s). Include general locations.

Zambia

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My wife Vanee and I started a co-op of farmers in Zambia in 2004, Currently with 1,194 farmer
members we produce mainly certified Organic Honey and Beeswax as well as essential oil
crops for import to the USA. I also own two large farms in Zambia that were given to me by
local tribal kings. These farms are entirely managed by local staff and I am part owner in a third
commercial farm in Zambia. I typically visit the farms there once per year and the operations do
not require much of my attention because, after 14 years, their management is doing an
excellent job and I simply serve as a strategic consultant. I am very proud of our work there as
our farmer’s co-op members have gone from an average household income of $75 per year to
nearly $2,000 (and out of poverty) and drastically reducing the damage to the forests (clear
cutting of the sensitive Miombo forest is nearly eliminated in our areas), proving that profitable,
environmentally sustainable organic farming models can work even in developing countries.

Wyoming
In 2014 we bought a small homestead farm in Wyoming which is currently being farmed by tenants, they
raise goats, chickens and pigs which are marketed there as well as here in Boulder. This farm also serves
as our US warehouse and distribution facility for the Zambian agricultural products.

Consulting
As someone with a unique model of success in the difficult field of development agriculture, I’m
in demand as a consultant for agricultural projects in developing countries, I have kept my
travel limited, but do visit these types of projects from time to time. In the last year I’ve been
involved with livestock and concentrated fruit juice projects in Togo, and with Coconut oil and
essential oil production in Haiti.

9. How will the City of Boulder agricultural land you are proposing to lease, fit in with the
rest of your operation?
We are desperate for more land. As a small farm, marketing our grass-based dairy products
locally, we have been able to survive on the small land base that we have for 8 years. It’s
impossible for us to grow to a sustainable level, however, without more fields and pastures.

Although we have all the equipment needed to put up hay, we are bleeding money buying hay
from far away. We also have a shortage of pastures nearby, forcing us to travel as far as
Jefferson county to where our dry cows are pastured. Our current business selling grass hay
could also be considerably expanded, and would help to defray the costs of haying equipment
and give us additional income. The proximity of the Swartz property, (entrance to entrance it’s
less than 600 yards between our driveway and the Swartz property) as well as the Aweida and
Kolb properties we are bidding on, to our farm fits in very well with our operation.

11. Please describe your agricultural background.

I am a first-generation immigrant born during the civil war in Beirut, Lebanon. My family
immigrated to the Boulder area in the early 80’s when I was in grade school.

Coming from a war-torn country at first I did not adjust well to life in the United States, I found
a refuge in working on the Niebur farm (West of 75th and west of Dry Creek between Baseline

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and Arapahoe) from a young age. Jay Niebur, who was the president of the Enterprise Ditch
Co. and a capable farmer and stockman, trained me in irrigation, training horses, operating
farm machinery and other farm skills starting in grade school. I fell in love with agriculture and
threw myself into it beginning to keep bees, chickens and goats of my own starting around 5th
grade and continuing until I graduated from High School.

I went to Douglass Elementary, Nevin Platt Junior High School (now middle school) and
graduated with honors from Fairview High School in 1996. Seeking out opportunities in
agriculture I won a full scholarship to Deep Springs College - a school with a huge BLM
allotment and a cattle herd. I completed my studies as a double major in Music and Civil
Engineering (Water Resource Management) at CU Boulder.

Prior to College, I also sought out opportunities on other farms around the world spending at
least 2 months on each of the several farms (list follows)

After College my wife Vanee and I became active in agriculture in the developing country of
Zambia - building an extensive farmers co-operative called “Sambah Naturals”

In 2010 we were able to buy our property, the old Condon/DeBaker place near Jacob’s corner
which we have operated as Jacob Springs Farm for 8 years.

Farms where I did internships:

The Thompson Dairy - Milking 250 cows near Ithaca, Upstate New York - 1 season

The Kennel Farm - 640 acres of corn, soy and cattle near Peoria Illinois - 2 months

La Ferme D’Aigrefoin - 25 acres of potatoes and cut flowers on a home for mentally
handicapped adults in Saint-Remy-Les-Chevreuse outside Paris, France - 2 months

Deep Springs farm and ranch Along with various part-time farm jobs and animal training gigs,
Andre spent 2 seasons on the Deep Springs farm and ranch with 600 head of cattle on
200,000 acres in Deep Springs California and Dyer Nevada - season one was on the general
farm crew with additional responsibility for 50 replacement heifers and 30-40 bulls. season
two Andre managed all aspects of producing 160 acres of Alfalfa, potato and onion fields and
was the student farm manager.

12. Please list the machinery and equipment needs for your planned operation on the
property and how you will meet those needs; e.g.: own, lease, borrow, hire custom, etc.

We own, (or plan to buy in the next 3 months) all the equipment we need for the basic
operation of the livestock, haying and cropland aspects of the farm. There are a few pieces that

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we would like to buy in future years to enhance the operation, as well as to expand into small-
grains harvesting.

List of Jacob Springs Farm Equipment

General Equipment
• John Deere 1070 Tractor

• 2 F-350 flatbed trucks (with gooseneck hitch, 1 with 4WD)

• Clark plane loader all-terrain forklift

• Three-point mountable forklift (backup)

• 2 axle 16’ Flatbed hay trailer

• 3-point Backhoe attachment

• 3-point auger attachment with 8” and 10” augers

• Ditch Witch 36” self-propelled trencher

Hay Equipment

• Massey-Ferguson 36 Self-propelled swather with draper heads and 14’ cutter bar

• Massey-Ferguson 7’ sickle bar mower (backup mower)

• New Holland 276 Hayliner small square baler

• 10’ side-delivery rake - brand unknown

• New Holland 1010 bale pickup/stack wagon

Cropland Equipment
• 5’ seed drill - small grains - 7” row spacing

• Jang Clean precision seeder - 3-point mountable - 3 adjustable planting heads for seeding
veg crops.

• 5’ Tarter 3-point roto tiller

• Harrow - single point hitch

• 3-point mounted tool bar with a number of tools: deep rippers, spades, “goose foot”, beet
knives, etc

• Multiple moldboard plows

• Land leveler - single point hitch

• 2 hand-pushed small seeders

Livestock Equipment
• 18’ Gooseneck stock trailer

• approximately 20 livestock panels

• 2 Feeders

• 3 Solar electric fence energizers, thousands of feet of polytape, numerous stakes and 6
lengths of poly netting of calves and sheep/goats

• 2 220v Vacuum pump milking machines (8 cow/ time), 1 at our farm - 1 be installed at the
Hunter-Kolb

• 1 110v backup milking machine (2 cows / time) & a gas generator in case of power failure

• 8 bucket milking units, with pulsator

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• 80 gallon bulk tank - refrigerated milk cooling unit

• 40 gallon milk cooling unit (backup)

• 100 lb ice making machine with generator (backup for emergency milk cooling)

We currently have a $75,000 budget to buy needed equipment and additional stock. With a
successful bid we plan to, at minimum, buy an additional tractor (large, with bale spikes and
forks), an additional swather, and upgrade our small-square baler.

Also on our wishlist if the right opportunity presents itself, we will buy a round baler, a manure
spreader, a disc and a small trial-plot combine.

We also have an agreement from two local farmers to borrow their equipment as a backup in
case of mechanical failure during the haying season, both of these operations use their haying
equipment only lightly and they would be willing to lend the equipment in trade for a portion of
the hay crop. This allows us to be confident that we can get the hay put up in a timely way
even under worst-case conditions.

13. Describe how you will meet the labor demands for the proposed operation. Are you
involved in your agricultural enterprises on a full-time basis? If not, what percentage of
your time is dedicated to agricultural pursuits? 

I’m full time on the farm as is Aaron. We currently have 2, fully-paid, part-time farm interns This
should be adequate to manage the work however we are in a position to be able to hire labor
as needed to supplement.
14. Amount bid for the property, either cash rent or per ton of hay and/or AUM 

Our bid is $45 per acre for the Swartz property. Ability to meet financial demands: The total
annual amount bid for all three properties is less than what we spent on hay last year. These
properties will provide more than enough hay to replace what we bought.
Please provide personal references that are familiar with your agricultural experience. If
you are currently leasing agricultural land, one of your references must be the owner.
Matt Carlson; Senior Pastor of Boulder Valley Christian Church - 303-895-1867
We cut hay and graze cattle on 30 acres of the church’s property off South Boulder Road
Ruthie Niebur; Landowner Boulder County - 303-358-6347 Ruthie’s late husband Jay was my mentor
Scott Ascherman; Landowner, Jefferson County - 303-818-7894
We have grazed cattle on Scott’s land in Jefferson county and co-operated on other agricultural projects

Name: Andre Houssney Date: February 16, 2018


Email address and Phone #: ahoussney@gmail.com, 720-201-5725