It's not often that big acreage ranches go to public auction, but that is exactly what happened in when 14 square miles of land owned by TLW Land & Cattle, were sold on Tuesday (May 24).

Schrader Real Estate and Auction, an Indiana company that specializes in big farmland sales, offered the ranch in five tracts but a single buyer bought the 9,480-acre cattle operation, sold to a single buyer for $8,343,000.

“It was a great outcome, and most importantly, the sellers were pleased,” said R.D. Schrader, president of the auction company.

BIG LAND SALE: More than 9,000 acres of land in Finney and Haskell coiunties were sold at public auction for more than $8 milllion on Tuesday.

Schrader spokesman Carl Carter said it was clear from the beginning of the auction that most of the interest was in the operation as a whole, pointing out that the ranchland in Finney and Haskell counties just southwest of Garden City is a fully integrated operation.

Schrader said the success of the auction could mean more landowners planning transitions in the next few years will consider the Kansas markets favorable for making a sale.

"We’ve enjoyed a lot of success in Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and surrounding areas, and we’ll continue to put a lot of focus on the region,” he said.

TLW Cattle has a 950-head feed yard and a carrying capacity of up to 20,000 head.

Schrader will be shifting back to the Midwest for Indiana auctions in the coming weeks with the sale of 512 acres in Switzerland County scheduled for June 27 and 389 acres in Sullivan County set for June 30.

More details on properties coming up for auction by Schrader can be found on the company's website at www.schraderauction.com.

Schrader Real Estate and Auction Company, based in Columbia City, Ind. is a leading auctioneer of agricultural land throughout the United States and is a five-time USA Today/National Auctioneers Auction Marketing Campaign of the Year winner.