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Higgins Branchini Shooting Foundation

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By Dani Blackburn

Michael Higgins and his wife, Melinda Branchini, of Forestburg found a way to ingeniously unite their two passions — education and shooting — in a way that gives back to others when they created the Higgins Branchini Shooting Foundation.

The HBSF is a national charitable organization providing funds to collegiate students competing in clay target shooting sports.
“We don’t have any children, and we wanted to give back,” Branchini explained. “I’m interested in academics and my husband is interested in shooting, so we blended the two.”

HBSF is possibly the only organization of its kind giving grants to individual collegiate shooters rather than groups and teams. Since its creation, the organization has given $120,000 to students at 42 different universities in 22 different states from California to Connecticut.

Higgins serves as the board president, while Branchini is the executive director. Other board members include Elizabeth Cook, secretary; Steven Wirth, vice president; Mimi Wilfong, board member and Shea Self, board member.
College students who are members of their college or university shotgun shooting team are automatically eligible for HBSF assistance. Financial assistance in the form of grants, not scholarships, is extended to individuals based on the advisory committee’s recommendations.

Each applicant must provide a business plan detailing how they will use the funds provided.

Higgins began shooting at just nine years old with rifles before moving to a shotgun with moving targets. (Photo by Dani Blackburn)

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Farm & Ranch

Ag Elsewhere: Wyoming

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By Tressa Lawrence

Despite some blue skies, March can still bring sub-zero temperatures to Wyoming as calves hit the ground.

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Farm & Ranch

Ag Elsewhere: Montana

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By Lindsey Monk

Welding on some corrals before dark. It’s been a mild winter in Montana so far, knock on wood.

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Farm & Ranch

Land Market Report: January Land Sales

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By Jared Groce

The rural land market in North Texas has had a fairly stale start to the year, with the number of transactions closed being minimal so far. There has been an increase in call volume from buyers, and some are turning into contracts, but I feel like we are still a little slower than we usually are at this time of the year. The “experts” are expecting fewer transactions in 2024 as compared to 2023, and they may be correct, because election years always seem to be slower. Once the election is over, and regardless of who wins, things seem to pick up once again. It is a strange phenomena that just seems to happen every four years.

With the amount of growth that we are currently experiencing here, I do not expect things to get any cheaper. More people means more houses, and they have to have land to build those houses on.

To read more, pick up a copy of the March issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.

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