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Few acres change hands this fall

Despite the drop in land transactions at present, the real estate industry expects sales to pick up by year-end.

Jennifer M. Latzke, Editor

October 20, 2023

1 Min Read
Windmill on prairie at sunrise
GRASSLAND FAVORED: Grassland in northwestern Kansas continues to see good demand. marekuliasz/Getty images

Just a handful of auction reports were found for September and October in Kansas. But real estate professionals expect sales to pick up in the last quarter of 2023.

Grassland continues to bring a decent price. Consider the 1,100 acres of Logan County grassland west of Winona, Kan., up for auction in late September. The land sold in one tract, and included 600 acres of Conservation Reserve Program land, 1,060 acres of grass and 42 acres of cropland with a tenant farming it.

There was a good water well rated at 10 gallons per minute or more, and a waterline to three tanks for livestock. And all of the seller’s mineral rights interest transferred to the buyer.

The land sold for $1,125 per acre. The sellers were Herl and Finley. Farm & Ranch Realty Inc., Colby, Kan., handled the sale.

Graham County. About 620 acres of Graham County land was sold at auction Sept. 12. The land sold in two tracts, and is located just west of Palco, Kan.

Tract 1 was 613 acres, consisting of 372 acres of cropland with a tenant who retained 100% of the 2023 sorghum crop and 100% of the 2024 wheat crop to be planted under the current cash-lease agreement. It also included 239 acres of grassland, one producing oil well and one saltwater disposal well. Tract 1 sold for $1,375 per acre.

Tract 2 consisted of a 1,720-square-foot house with a two-car attached garage, steel siding, partial basement, a 30-foot by 80-foot shop and other outbuildings. ‘

The property sold for $72,500. The seller was the Bowman Farm Trust. Farm & Ranch Realty Inc., Colby, Kan., handled the sale.

About the Author

Jennifer M. Latzke

Editor, Kansas Farmer

Through all her travels, Jennifer M. Latzke knows that there is no place like Kansas.

Jennifer grew up on her family’s multigenerational registered Angus seedstock ranch and diversified farm just north of Woodbine, Kan., about 30 minutes south of Junction City on the edge of the Kansas Flint Hills. Rock Springs Ranch State 4-H Center was in her family’s backyard.

While at Kansas State University, Jennifer was a member of the Sigma Kappa Sorority and a national officer for the Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow. She graduated in May 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications and a minor in animal science. In August 2000 Jennifer started her 20-year agricultural writing career in Dodge City, Kan., on the far southwest corner of the state.

She’s traveled across the U.S. writing on wheat, sorghum, corn, cotton, dairy and beef stories as well as breaking news and policy at the local, state and national levels. Latzke has traveled across Mexico and South America with the U.S. Wheat Associates and toured Vietnam as a member of KARL Class X. She’s traveled to Argentina as one of 10 IFAJ-Alltech Young Leaders in Agricultural Journalism. And she was part of a delegation of AAEA: The Ag Communicators Network members invited to Cuba.

Jennifer’s an award-winning writer, columnist, and podcaster, recognized by the Kansas Professional Communicators, Kansas Press Association, the National Federation of Presswomen, Livestock Publications Council, and AAEA. In 2019, Jennifer reached the pinnacle of achievements, earning the title of “Writer of Merit” from AAEA.

Trips and accolades are lovely, but Jennifer says she is happiest on the road talking to farmers and ranchers and gathering stories and photos to share with readers.

“It’s an honor and a great responsibility to be able to tell someone’s story and bring them recognition for their work on the land,” Jennifer says. “But my role is also evolving to help our more urban neighbors understand the issues our Kansas farmers face in bringing the food and fiber to their store shelves.”

She spends her time gardening, crafting, watching K-State football, and cheering on her nephews and niece in their 4-H projects. She can be found on Twitter at @Latzke.

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