Mills and Company Reality
Mills and Company Reality
Mills and Company Reality
Mills and Company Reality
Matt Wilke
Owner | Broker | Land Advisor
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Over 30 years of background in agriculture, with a diverse knowledge and a deep understanding of property rights.
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208.412.9803
Your Farm, Dairy, Commercial and Land Specialist
Matt Wilke is the Broker and Owner of White Barn Real Estate. Focusing on all of your real estate needs including Residential, Commercial, Land and Land Planning, Matt has you covered. Originally from Missoula, Montana, Matt's parents were very hardworking and owned their own logging business. When Matt was 9 years old his parents sold their logging business and bought a Farm & Ranch in Vale, Oregon. This is when Matt first learned how to farm and raise cattle. Whether it was trapping gophers, swathing hay, working dirt, building fences, or driving tractors, Matt was all more than eager to learn, and try to fill in his father’s footsteps. In high school, Matt was fortunate enough to have amazing instructors in both Automotive Mechanics and F.F.A. His senior year he and his teammate took first place in Oregon state for Ag Mechanics, continuing on to represent Oregon at the national level to take Fifth place in the U.S. that year for Ag Mechanics at the F.F.A.
National Convention in Kansas City. After high school Matt received a scholarship to attend Weber State University in Ogden, Utah for automotive technology. He attended the Chrysler Apprenticeship Program and worked as an Automotive Technician in Boise for a short time afterwards. Around this time, his parents traded their Farm and Ranch in Oregon, for another farm just across the border in Idaho. Shortly thereafter Matt came back to help his family build a feedlot to raise cattle primarily for the Dairy market, and also used the feedlot to background beef cattle.
Raising Dairy Heifers soon became their number one priority. Using the best technology available from farming to feeding the cattle, the business continued growing to keep up with customer demand. Being honest with customers and doing the best job possible on the farm was the key to success. Chopping and bagging feed to prevent feed spoilage, using GPS systems on tractors, utilizing precision planting and vertical tillage on corn, FieldNet for monitoring center pivot irrigation systems, A.I. breeding & using state of the art feed programs to monitor feed intake and costs kept them a step ahead of the rest. If there was a better way to do something, they would do it. Matt learned many valuable lessons, including the permitting process for a C.A.F.O., and the necessary water permits needed.
In 2010 the Family acquired another Farm in Canyon County Idaho overlooking Lake Lowell. The property has beautiful rolling hills and scenic views of Bogus basin, the Owyhee mountains and the Lake. Although the ground is steep and tough to farm, it was the perfect place for future home sites. Teaming up with Mills and Company, the family set forth to zone the farm to Rural Residential which would lend itself to a better use as home sites in the future. Going through the planning and zoning process for this land was a valuable experience, and Mills and Company gave them the help and guidance necessary to achieve the sought after residential zoning for this area.
In the spring of 2017, a long time Dairy customer bought the families main farm & feedlot. From the sale of this land, the family used 1031 exchanges to buy Commercial and Residential Income buildings in the booming Treasure Valley Real Estate market. Having rental properties as well as farmland has helped diversify the farms portfolio and given access to other markets. Over the next year and a half, they leased the feedlot back until they could finish raising cows for their customers, and button up the cattle operation. On October 27th. 2018, after feeding nonstop twice a day 7 days a week for 20 years, the feed wagons at Wilke Farms fed the cows for the last time. It was a bittersweet day.​ Having made great contacts through business over the last 34+ years in Idaho and Oregon, knowing and understanding land use, market value, zoning, and city/county ordinances, Matt is able to go above and beyond for his clients so that they can buy and sell, or help develop their property to its true potential.
From the amazing hunting, fishing, camping and hiking, to the busy bright city lights, let all four seasons of Idaho be your new home. Idaho has low power costs, long growing seasons, and ample water for crops. It's no wonder Idaho is one of the top states to move to. Matt runs White Barn Real Estate with his wife April, and they enjoy camping, fishing, hunting, snowboarding & skiing, as well as the occasional hot spring with their 3 beautiful girls. They seek adventure after adventure and are so proud to make Idaho their home. White Barn Real Estate brings more than just value to their clients, they bring a wide variety of knowledge and trust. Whether it’s Idaho natives that have generations of history in the state, or people new to the area, Matt has you covered. ​