There is little doubt that farmland values have softened in the last couple of years as commodity prices, along with oil and gas prices, have fallen.

But there is also little doubt that when small parcels of highly desirable land come up for sale, they do bring premium prices.

An example occurred in a sealed bid sale in Leavenworth County when a little over 57 acres of land in an excellent location near the metro area was put on sale.

The property was described as "beautiful terrain and views, easy to develop and perfect for estate homes or horses."

The winning bid for the parcel was $306,010, or a whopping $5,368 per acre.

The sale was handled by William Gaughan for Farmers National Co.

McPherson County
About 95 acres of high-quality farm ground with 100% Class II Crete silt loam soils, located close to terminal grain markets, was sold by private telephone auction in McPherson County.

The property brought $3,492.90 per acre. The seller was the Elenor Clark Trust. Farmers National Co. handled the sale.

Gray County
About 960 acres of good-quality Gray County farmland was sold in November. The irrigated cropland brought $336,000, or $350 per acre. The seller was Lawyer, Robinson and Balster. Cole Owens of Farmers National Co. handled the sale.

Harvey County
Almost 140 acres of good-quality farmland in Harvey County was sold at auction on Nov. 16. The farm has good access to highways, both Kansas 15 and Interstate 135. The winning bid was $4,300 per acre.

The Hislar Family Trust was the seller. Farmers National handled the sale.

Pawnee County
About 315 acres of Pawnee County cropland and pasture was sold by private treaty in a sale that closed on Dec. 16. The property included a two-story farmhouse, machine shed, barn and other outbuildings.

The property offered a nice setup for livestock with an established shelterbelt, barn, feed bunks and multiple water sources.

The property sold for $890 per acre. Matt Foos of Farmers National Co. handled the sale.

Norton County
About 480 acres of cropland, grass and land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program were sold at auction in Norton County on Nov. 18. The property was sold in four tracts.

Tract 1, about 160 acres mostly planted to wheat with some grass and a road, brought $1,625 per acre, while Tract 2, about 80 acres also in wheat, brought $1,725.

Tract 3, about 80 acres of cropland with 15 acres planted to wheat, was bid in at $1,625 per acre, while tract 4, about 152 acres with 80 acres in crops and 65 in CRP, brought $1,200 per acre.

The seller was the Joseph E. Stenger Estate. Farm and Ranch Realty of Colby handled the sale.

Logan and Gove counties
About 1,280 acres of cropland, CRP and grassland was sold at auction on Dec. 6 in three tracts.

Tract 1, about 640 acres with 593 in cropland, 23 in grass and 24 in CRP, had about 350 acres planted to winter wheat. That tract sold for $925 per acre.

Tract 2, about 320 acres with 241 in cropland and 79 in grassland, brought $1,350 per acre, while Tract 3, about 320 acres with 45 in grass and 261 in CRP, brought $575 per acre.

The sellers were Nelson Land and Cattle Co. and the W.P. Ladenburger Family Trust.

Farm and Ranch Realty handled the sale.

Finney County
About 640 acres of land was sold at auction on Nov. 28 in three tracts.

Tract 1, the surface rights to 160 acres of irrigated land with a center-pivot system and all supporting equipment, brought $1,760 per acre.

Tract 2, surface rights to about 160 acres of irrigated land with a center-pivot system, brought $1,250 per acre.

Tract 3, surface rights to about 320 acres of irrigated land with a center-pivot system, had established alfalfa under the center pivot, about 68 acres of dry cropland and the balance in expired CRP. It sold for $1,050 per acre.

The seller was the Charles E. Blackburn Estate. Carr Auction and Real Estate of Larned handled the sale.

Stafford County
About 320 acres of dry cropland was sold at auction on Dec. 12. The property sold in two tracts.

Tract 1, surface rights to about 160 acres planted to wheat, brought $1,400 per acre. Tract 2, surface rights to about 160 acres of open ground with a livestock well, sold for $1,220 per acre.

The seller was PG Partnership. Carr handled the sale.

In a second Stafford County sale, about 40 acres of land was sold at auction on Dec. 6. The property was all dry cropland currently planted to wheat under a cash-rent agreement lease through the 2017 harvest. The property brought $1,605 per acre.

The Marjorie M. Hildebrand Estate was the seller. Carr handled the sale.

Hodgeman County
About 160 acres of land, 138 of it in expired CRP and the remainder in grass and fenced pasture, sold at auction on Jan. 9. The property brought $830 per acre.

Carl Setzkorn was the seller. Carr Auction and Real Estate of Larned handled the sale.

Meade, Greeley and Finney counties
Farmers National Co. offered 5,600 acres in three counties for sale at auction on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2. But as sometimes happens, at the end of the second day, a major offering was a "no sale."

A little over 3,200 acres in Greeley County did not attract suitable bids.

In Meade County, 1,920 acres of grass and quality cropland was offered in seven tracts.

Tract 1, about 640 acres of cropland, brought $1,650, while Tract 2, about 160 acres of dry cropland, brought $1,700 per acre.

Tract 3, about 320 acres of cropland, brought $1,600 per acre, while Tract 4, about 160 acres with 136 in cropland and 25 in grass, brought $750.

Tract 5, about 160 acres with 65 in grass and the remainder in cropland, was bid in at $600. Tract 6, about 160 acres with 145 in crops and the remainder in roads and grass, brought $1,100 per acre. The final tract, about 320 acres mostly in cropland, brought $600 per acre.

In Finney County, about 480 acres of land was sold in two tracts.

Tract 1, about 160 acres, mostly in cropland, brought $1,200 per acre, and tract 2, about 320 acres of dry cropland, brought $1,400 per acre.

The seller in both sales was UMB Bank, trustee of the Gano H. Pearson Trust.

Morris County
About 80 acres of Morris County dry cropland was sold in a single tract in December. The property brought $120,000, or $1,511 per acre.

Jeff Dankenbring handled the private treaty sale for Midwest Land and Home in Washington.

Republic County
About 250 acres of cropland sold in two tracts in Republic County in December. The first tract of 180 acres, with 92 acres of cropland and the balance in trees and wildlife habitat, brought $2,028 per acre.

The second tract, about 72 acres with 54 acres in cropland with abandoned railroad tracks on the north side of the property, brought $1,979 per acre.

Mark Uhlik of Midwest Land and Home handled the private treaty sale.

Washington County
About 85 acres of Washington County cropland was sold by private treaty on Dec. 5. The property sold in one track and brought $3,576 per acre.

Mark Uhlik of Midwest Land and Home handled the sale.

Marshall County
About 240 acres of good-quality Marshall County cropland was sold by private treaty on Dec. 5. The land brought $3,374 per acre.

Jeff Dankenbring with Midwest Land and Home handled the sale.

Morton County
December was a busy month for Faulkner Real Estate and Auction land sales in Morton County.

About 160 acres of dryland farmland was sold a private auction in December. The property brought $650 per acre. The seller was the Whitmer Family Trust.

In a second sale, about 157 acres of dryland farmland was sold at private auction. The property brought $500 per acre. The seller was Lafreniere, Warren & Pucket.

In a third sale, about 164 acres of native grassland was sold at private auction for $240 per acre. The seller was Manspeaker.

In a fourth sale, about 160 acres of dryland cropland was sold at private auction. The property brought $675 per acre. The sellers are Majors and Kalt.

Stevens County
A half-interest in 160 acres of producing minerals was sold at private auction on Dec. 31 in Stevens County. The interest was bid in at $26,000. The seller was the Darrell F. Fienup Trust. Faulkner handled the sale.

Stanton County
About 320 acres of irrigated farmland came up for private auction sale in Stanton County. The property brought $1,750 an acre. The Eyman Family was the seller. Faulkner Real Estate and Auction of Ulysses handled the sale.

Haskell County
Faulkner Real Estate handled the private auction sale of three parcels of land for one seller in Haskell County in sales that closed Dec. 29.

One parcel, about 138 acres of dryland with minerals, brought $1,500 per acre.

A second parcel, about 85 acres of dryland and minerals, brought $1,400, while the third parcel of about 480 acres of mineral rights was bid in at $90,000.

The seller of all three parcels was the L. Duane Murphy Trust.

Baca County, Colo.
Faulkner handled the sale of three properties in Baca County, Colo., in early January.

One property, about 40 acres of native grass with mineral rights, brought $415 per acre.

A second property, about 390 acres of irrigated farmland with mineral rights, brought $725 per acre, while 144 acres of grass with mineral rights brought $510 per acre. The seller of all three properties was Sandra Butler.

Texas County, Okla.
About 160 acres of dryland farmland was sold in a private auction sale in Texas County, Okla., that closed on Dec. 30. The property brought $625 per acre. Anita and Raymond McVey were the sellers. Faulkner Real Estate and Auction handled the sale.