Group with Ties to Mormon Church Outbids Bill Gates’ Group for Easterday Land

An investment company with ties to the Mormon church has the high bid for land that belonged to the now bankrupt Easterday Farms and Easterday Ranches.

A company called Farmland Reserve submitted a bid of $209 million dollars for more than 33,000 acres of land in Benton County, Washington. The second highest bid came from a group linked to Microsoft founder Bill Gates. A judge has to make a determination before the sale can be finalized.

Earlier this year 49-year-old Cody Easterday pleaded guilty in a so-called ghost cattle scheme. He was accused of charging Tyson Foods for the costs of buying and feeding as many as 200,000 cattle that simply did not exist.

Source: Drovers