Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and others may be taking notes from rapper Rick Ross. Ross is creating a farm and wildlife sanction on his multi-million dollar Atlanta estate. In February of this year, the Maybach Music mogul bought a cow for the farm; a month later, he purchased a bull.
Questlove and Ross have a shared love for gardening as noted in their December 2021 conversation for Interview Magazine. The Roots drummer mentioned he wanted to buy a 10-acre farm and follow in Ross’ footsteps, which most recently became his reality.
In a new interview, Questlove revealed that he completed the sale of his first farm in Upstate New York.
“I recently purchased a farm, so I’m building a warehouse haven for all my records,” he told HipHopDX. “I’ll say that another thing that happened during the pandemic was my ‘never again-ship.’ My ex convinced me, she was like, ‘I know you love this penthouse you live in, but God forbid, if we’re ever in this situation again, you might want land. You might want a safe haven for your family to run to in case something happens.’
Instead of 10 acres, the 50-year-old told the outlet he purchased “a little eight-acre spot” to build as his own “version of Noah’s Arc.
“My dream place that, in case something happens, then I know to ring the alarm and everyone knows immediately to report to Ahmir’s farm,” he shared. “That’s kind of what I’m preparing. I can just stop now and have a simple house, but I’m preparing for the next apocalypse.”
Questlove said he hasn’t posted photos of his farm or animals for good reason, contrary to Ross’s flexing on the ‘Gram. He said, “Here’s what people don’t know about the cow situation. For tax purposes, if you have cattle on your land, that’s literally tax breaks right there.” The “Summer of Soul” creator added, “So I assume that’s why Ross does it. I spoke to him about it because I wanted to know what kind of tractor-trailer does he use.”
Ross often rides a tractor around his 200-plus acre estate dubbed the Promised Land. The home features a zoo, 109 rooms, 12 bedrooms and 21 bathrooms. In a December 2021, the “Hustlin’” emcee with a net worth of $45 million revealed that he purchased an additional 89 acres later.
Tax Break
Meanwhile, Questlove has a net worth of $14 million. His earnings come from regular gigs as a producer, instructor and lead drummer on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” Most of his millions comes from music, but he hopes to catch the same tax break as the Georgia-based rapper.
Both states require exemption certificates but the laws are different in Georgia compared to New York, where Questlove’s farm is located.
Georgia tax laws allow homeowners to receive a tax exemption for owning farm animals. Ross’ estate qualifies due to owning a cow, horses, two bulls and soon two lion cubs from Senegal deemed illegal.
According to Chapter 40-29 of the Georgia Agriculture Tax Exemption rule, homeowners can participate in the industry if they do any of the following on their estate: “managing livestock, equine, or poultry; producing or storing feed for use in the production of livestock, including, but not limited to cattle, calves, swine, hogs, goats, sheep, equine, and rabbits.”
As for New York, farming under the state law includes various activities such as raising fur-breaking animals, operating orchids, and tree and truck farming among others. Refunds can be offered if any sales tax is paid on a purchase that qualifies for exemption. Any property that uses more than 50 percent for farming purposes also qualifies as exempt, as stated on ny.gov.
To qualify for farm tax exemption in New York, the property “must consist of seven or more acres that were used in the preceding two years for the production for sale of crops, livestock, or livestock products.”
Building materials such as fences, barns and greenhouses are also tax-exempt. Some installation, repair and maintenance services are can also be purchased without sales tax. Any computer purchased to keep track of farm production or horse operations comes without sales tax.
