Our Story
Campbell Farming Corporation has helped shape the Western United States for the past Century. Its founder, Thomas D. Campbell, built a modest farming business into what became the world’s largest wheat producer. His expertise in engineering and logistics proved essential to ensuring supplies of food and materiel to Allied troops during both World War I and II. His roles as advisor to presidents and as the architect of America’s wartime agricultural programs earned him the title “the Henry Ford of agriculture, and to this day he is regarded as the father of mechanized farming.
Campbell eventually expanded the company’s Montana operations to include 400,000 acres of property in New Mexico, property that remained actively farmed and ranched until 1987, when changes in government policy penalized larger family farms and after 65 years of operation, the Campbell Farming Corporation had to scale back agriculture production and sold its Montana properties.
Today the organization exists as a privately-held asset holding company with affiliated entities engaged in businesses ranging from planned community development, to natural resource management and agriculture with a history of philanthropy that is second to none.
1882
Thomas D. Campbell was born the son of a farmer on the prairie of Grand Forks, North Dakota.
1926
While most of the nation’s farming industry operating by horse and plow, Campbell Farming continuously set records in threshing, seeding and harvesting through mechanical means. Campbell became known as the father of mechanized farming and operated five camps totaling 32,000 acres which eventually became 95,000 acres in farm production.
1937
Campbell acquired land East of the Sandia Mountains near Albuquerque from the Santa Fe Gold and Copper Mining company. Totaling 31,500 acres, Campbell saw the property as eventually becoming its own idyllic town and community due to its beauty and water supplies along with access to burgeoning population centers. Today the property is known as Campbell Ranch along the turquoise trail national scenic byway to Santa Fe.
1974
The Campbell Family Foundation donates the 343 square mile La Joya in Socorro County, New Mexico to the US as the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge features habitat restoration and hosts scientific investigations in biology, ecology and geology. Today it remains the largest single private land donation in US History.
1987
After government regulations passed targeting large farming entities, making it impossible to operate as one agricultural entity. Campbell Farming Corporation ceases large farming operations in Montana and sells most of its Montana holdings after more than 65 years of farming.
1988
Campbell Farming Corporation, working with Ameriwest to create the first community on 3,500 acres of the larger Campbell Ranch property originally purchased by General Campbell for its future potential as its own community. This first 3,500 acre planned community is known today as Paako and includes the nationally awarded Paako Ridge Golf Club.
1995
Campbell Farming Corporation begins work on its first solo attempt at residential development with a custom large lot program. Today the project is called San Pedro Creek Estates in the East Mountain area of New Mexico and includes the Campbell Farming Corporation grant of the 625-acre nature preserve originally to the Nature Conservancy.
1997
Campbell Farming Corporation begins professional land planning and land surveys and property studies to properly plan the beautiful property the founder always believed would make its own magnificent community.
2001
The Town of Edgewood approves annexation of a portion of Campbell Ranch in New Mexico. The community will include multiple villages encompassed into the greater Campbell Ranch located in the mountains just east of Albuquerque and south of Santa Fe will feature over 4,000 acres of open space, 4,023 homes, two golf courses, a resort hotel, village community town centers and a world-class research and development technology park.
2004
Campbell Corporation launches San Pedro Overlook at Campbell Ranch as the first gated custom home community with clubhouse, pool, lyceum and improved trail system as well as the first of its kind integrated shared well system.
2007
Campbell launches Phase 2 of San Pedro Overlook at Campbell Ranch and achieves highest price for a single residential homesite in the area to date.
2010
San Pedro Overlook at Campbell Ranch is chosen as the site of the 2010 HGTV Dream Home. The first location in the Southwestern US for the Dream Home series with its debut on TV show New Years Day of 2010.