| Opened: |
1940 |
| Warden: |
George Free |
| Phone: |
(334) 624-3383 |
| Mailing Address: |
1132 County Rd. 73
Greensboro, AL 36744 |
| Street Address: |
1132 County Rd. 73
Greensboro, AL 36744 |
| Capacity: |
100 |
The Farquhar Cattle Ranch was
purchased in 1940 to supplying the Department with beef. Located in
Hale County, the 4,610-acre Ranch is approximately eight miles east of
Greensboro, and extends from Highway 69 to the Black Warrior River. The
Ranch was named to honor of a long-term ranch superintendent, Charles
Farquhar, whose efforts culminated the ranch into an efficient working
prison farm. The Ranch maintains minimum and trusty custody inmates,
which when not working on the Ranch, provide free labor to community
work projects for local county, city, and other government agencies.
The
Ranch’s primary operations are cattle and catfish production. A herd of
bout 625 mature cattle are kept on 1,800 acres of grazing pastures. The
adult herd is culled annually of nonproductive cows, which are sold at
competitive bid at a stockyard. The calves are weaned and also sold
through an open auction. The Ranch keeps about 300 acres for hay
production, as well as having some timberland.
The catfish
production is a commercial operation with 35 ponds on 400 acres. Of the
ponds, 15 are production ponds, 4 are used primarily for brood ponds,
and 16 ponds for fingerlings. A hatchery produces the fingerlings,
which are used for restocking the production ponds after the fish are
sold. Any surplus fingerlings are sold through open bid to local
catfish farmers.
In addition to the revenues generated from the
cattle and catfish operations, further revenues are generated from the
sale of quail, pecans, horses, and goats.