As the farm economy continues to struggle, prices for farmland have adjusted downward, but high-quality land, especially under irrigation, still draws a hefty price. That was borne out in the sale of more than 700 acres of irrigated and dryland cropland in Ford County on March 27.

The land, which includes Arkansas River frontage, sold in 6 tracts, including one tract of mineral rights to two cropland tracts.

Tract 1, about 241 irrigated acres with two irrigation wells and two center pivots, sold for $4,200 per acre, while Tract 2, about 57 acres of dryland cropland, brought only $1,500 per acre. Tract 3A, mineral rights to Tract 1, brought $450, and Tract 3B, mineral rights to Tract 2, brought $425.

Tract 4, about 163 acres of irrigated land with one irrigation well and a Valley 8-tower pivot, brought $4,300 per acre, while tract 5, about 183 dryland acres, sold for about half that price at $2,100 per acre. Tract 6, about 38 acres of dryland cropland, was bid in at $1,900.

The seller was Sellard Land LLC. Farm and Ranch Realty of Colby handled the sale.

Haskell County
About 150 acres of irrigated cropland and a 4.3 acre homesite were sold at private auction in Haskell County in March. The land brought $1,840 per acre. The homestead was bid in at $70,000. The seller was Triple L Farms. Faulkner Real Estate and Auction of Ulysses handled the sale.

Stevens County
About 80 acres of land, some enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program and the remainder planted to native grass, was sold at private auction in Stevens County. The grassland brought $640 per acre. The seller was Clark. Faulkner handled the sale.

Greeley County
About 1,120 acre of Greeley County of highly productive dryland cropland was sold in private auction sale that closed on Jan 12. The property was sold in four tracts, with the seller retaining all owned mineral interests. Tract 1 was 640 acres, and the other three tracts were each 160 acres. All four sold together for $1,232,000, or $1,100 per acre.

The seller was UMB Bank, acting as trustee of the Gano Pearson Interim Trust. Farmers National Co. handled the sale.

Meade County
About 640 acres of highly productive dryland cropland in Meade County was sold in a private auction that closed Jan. 12. The land included 146 acres of growing wheat, 285 acres of wheat stubble and 195 acres of grain sorghum stubble. The seller retained all mineral rights. The property brought$1,216,000 or $1,900 per acre. The seller was UMB bank acting as trustee of the Gano Pearson Interim Trust. Farmers National Co. handled the sale.

Gray County
About 160 acres of Gray County land was sold by private treaty in a sale that closed Jan. 12. The property brought $1,306 per acre. The seller was not disclosed. Farmers National Co. handled the sale.

Finney County
About 162 acres of Finney County land was sold by private treaty in a sale that closed Jan. 12. The property brought $1,260 per acre. The seller was not disclosed. Farmers National Co. handled the sale.

Edwards County
About 332 acres of Edwards County land was sold in two tracts in an auction on March 20.

Tract 1, about 160 acres of dry cropland with 80 acres planted to wheat, sold for $1,225 per acre. Tract 2, about 172 acres of dry cropland with 87 acres planted to wheat, brought $825 per acre. The seller was the Jon and Lorene Frohling Living Trust. Carr Auction and Real Estate of Larned handled the sale.

Thomas County
About 640 acres of cropland and grass was sold in two tracts in an April 3 auction. Tract 1, about 525 acres of cropland, brought $1,975 per acre. Tract 2, about 116 acres of grassland with a roadway, brought $1,025 per acre. The seller was Jerry Kuska. Farm and Ranch Realty of Colby handled the sale.

In a separate Thomas County auction on March 13, about 800 acres of irrigated, dryland, CRP and grain bins was sold in five tracts.

Tract 1, about 308 acres with 224 under irrigation and 84 in dryland, brought $4,200 per acre. Tract 2, a 5-acre bin site, brought $174,000. Tract 3, about 160 acres with 154 under irrigation, bought $2,200 per acre. Tract 4, about 160 acres of dryland cropland, was bid in at $1,350 per acre, while the final tract, about 160 acres with 31 in grass and 129 in CRP, brought $950 per acre. The sellers were Keith and Karen Reed. Farm and Ranch Realty handled the sale.

Rooks County
About 960 acres of cropland, grass and CRP were offered for sale at public auction on March 21. The property was divided into four tracts, but bids for tracts 1, 2 and 3 were rejected. The fourth tract, about 160 acres of Rooks County dryland cropland, sold for $1,375 per acre. The sellers were Hambright and Andreson. Farm and Ranch Realty handled the sale.