For Jordan Browne, the outdoors has always been more than a place to enjoy. It’s a refuge, a place to slow down and unwind, spend time with family, and so much more.

His passion for the outdoors began at an early age. “My family moved out to the Ionia area when I was 10,” Jordan explained. “That’s when I first got started hunting and fishing.”

Jordan grew up filming his own hunting adventures, but little did he know his passion for storytelling and the outdoors would turn into a career. He considered studying wildlife biology but ultimately ended up pursuing a degree in finance from Michigan State University. While in college, Jordan had the chance to enter a viewer video contest through Michigan Out-of-Doors (MOOD) TV, one of the largest outdoor hunting shows in the state. He won, and the rest was history!

A Career in the Outdoors

Soon after, Jordan was invited to work part time as a cameraman for the show while he finished his degree. After college, he joined the MOOD TV team full time as an associate producer telling the stories of outdoorsmen and women all throughout Michigan.

“My favorite part about what I do is getting to meet so many different people from throughout the state, and how they uniquely enjoy time outdoors,” said Jordan. “Telling that story, and how they share their passion will never get old to me.”

It’s no secret Michigan has no shortage of natural resources and impressive landscapes to share. Despite seeing so many different parts of the state during his travels, Jordan decided to remain rooted in the area where he grew up.

As a long-time sponsor of MOOD TV, Jordan was familiar with GreenStone both from working with the show and on a personal level as well. “My uncle had bought land with GreenStone before, so I knew they were one of the very few lenders who offered financing for vacant land,” he said.

The Beginning of a Partnership

In 2019, when Jordan was looking to finance his own piece of land for hunting, he turned to GreenStone for support. “The first piece of land I purchased we were able to move very quickly on,” Jordan said. “That was my first time working with GreenStone for financing, and they made it easy. It was a seamless process, and that’s when I got to know Cameron too.”

Cameron Bongard, VP of country living lending out of GreenStone’s Ionia branch, was eager to help Jordan pursue property of his own. “We were able to get the deal turned around in one day,” said Cameron. “I really enjoyed working with Jordan and was excited for him to have his own land to hunt on and enjoy.”

Not too long after that however, an opportunity of a lifetime came up.

Continuing a Legacy

When he was a teenager, Jordan had started hunting on a property owned by a local couple in the Ionia area. Their relationship started out as Jordan knocking on their door and asking to bow hunt on their property. Throughout the years, he got to know them very well and continued to help out around the property, especially after one of the owners passed away.

After her husband passed away, Dawn, the previous owner, decided she was ready to sell the land, and the first person she called was Jordan. “I never imagined that I would be able to own a property as perfect as this one. If you had asked me what my dream piece of land was, I would have told you there’s not another piece of land in Michigan I’d rather own than this one!” said Jordan. “It was really special for me to be able to purchase this property and continue caring for it. It meant so much to the previous owners, and it means so much to me and my family now.” Dawn still regularly visits Jordan and the property as they remain neighbors. She enjoys riding her quad around and doing a little hunting of her own for mushrooms and asparagus!

Jordan turned to GreenStone for financing once again, and in December of 2022, he and his family closed on the 220-acre property. However, a month before, he signed the purchase agreement on a very memorable day in November. “That day will always stand out to me,” he explained. “I had literally just signed the purchase agreement for the property and decided to walk back to one of the tree stands I had up. I started walking back, and there was the buck I had been chasing all year. After a short stalk and well-placed arrow, I was able to put a tag around a beautiful Michigan buck literally an hour after signing the paperwork for the property.”

From Dream Property to Forever Home

In early 2025, Jordan and his family completed construction on their forever home on the land, which they were able to finance through GreenStone as well. “When we were ready to build, we were able to work with GreenStone again on the construction of our home,” explained Jordan. “Working with Cameron is a great combination of professionalism and availability. There are always a lot of questions that come up when building a house and having the ability to call or text him whenever I had a question was so helpful.”

Another perk of working with GreenStone for Jordan is the Patronage program, where members receive a portion of the cooperative’s profits back each year in the form of a Patronage check. “To me, we’ve always treated it as a way to knock down the interest on our loan. We use the extra money each year to put back on our mortgage which is really nice.”

Their home isn’t the only addition Jordan has made to the property. Through the USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), he was able to restore a large portion of the land back to wildlife habitat by planting native trees and grasses. Since restoring the property, a large population of songbirds, monarch butterflies, and other wildlife has returned to the land as well.

“Walking around the property, I just have to pinch myself sometimes,” says Jordan. The landscape itself is unique, with everything from wooded acres, open fields, and a creek, it offers a little bit of everything. My family and I are eternally grateful for the opportunity Dawn gave us to purchase this land. She really did change our lives.”

Some of Jordan’s favorite memories on the property so far include his wife shooting her first deer on the land even before purchasing it, and his then 88-year-old grandfather having the opportunity to take a buck on the land as well.

“I’m most excited that my kids get to grow up here,” said Jordan. “This is the same property I spent time on growing up, so it’s pretty special that I get to share that with them and watch them grow up here as well.”

Whether it’s hunting, fishing in the creek, going on runs down the trail with his wife, teaching his kids how to hunt, or just spending time outdoors, there are no shortage of ways Jordan and his family can enjoy their property together.

“To me, owning recreational property gives my family the freedom to enjoy the land how we want to. Without financing from GreenStone, none of that would be possible.”

 

To view the rest of the 2026 Fall Partners articles please click here.