Kansas land values have softened considerably in the last two years, but good quality land, especially with irrigation in the arid western third of the state, is still bringing solid prices.

On March 28, for example, 480 acres of Stevens County irrigated cropland was sold at auction.

Tract 1, about 160 acres with about 120 under irrigation, brought $2,050 per acre while Tract 2, about 120 acres planted to wheat, was bid in at $1,875 per acre. The farmland has two Zimmatic sprinklers with one well on Tract 2. Both sprinklers are nozzled at 500 gallons per minute.

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

Meanwhile, Faulkner Real Estate and Auction reported three separate sales in Stevens County in April, all at strong prices.

In the first sale, about 400 acres of irrigated farmland was sold at private auction in Stevens County. The land brought $1,675 per acre. The seller was Norton.

The second sale was 160 acres of irrigated farmland which was bid in at $3,500 per acre. The seller was Leonard.

In a third sale, about 290 acres of irrigated land brought $3,000 per acre. The seller was Munson.

In a large fourth sale, about 1,600 acres of land sold in six tracts.

Tract 1, about 630 acres of irrigated farmland and Conservation Reserve Program land with a 10-acre home site, sold for $2,550 per acre. Tract 2, about 160 acres of irrigated farmland and CRP land, sold for $2,025 per acre, while Tract 3, about 160 acres enrolled in CRP, brought $650 per acre.

Tract 4, about 10.2 acres with homes, brought $92,000.

Tract 5, about 472 acres of irrigated farmland and 8 acres of home sites, was bid in at $2,225 per acre, while Tract 6, about 160 acres of dryland cropland, brought $2,578 per acre. The seller on that land was not disclosed.

Finney County
About 314 acres of land in Finney County was sold at auction in a deal that closed on Jan. 10.

The property, located about 12 miles north of Garden City, has about 258 acres under irrigation with corners in CRP.

The property brought $1,600 per acre.

The seller was not disclosed. Mark Callendar with Farmers National Co. in Dighton handled the sale.

Rice County
About 374 acres of Rice County land was sold at auction on May 2. The property includes 245 acres of cropland, all open ground. The property has two water-right files for 212 acre-feet, but the wells have not been pumped for a number of years.

The property brought $1,900 per acre. The seller was the Peter family. Carr Auction and Real Estate of Larned handled the sale.

Ness County
About 160 acres of Ness County land was sold at auction on April 20. The property was about 160 acres with two CRP contracts on about 95 acres, with a total annual payment of $3,262. The balance of the property is in pasture with no current tenant.

The property brought $600 per acre. The seller was Sandra S. Gaona. Carr Auction and Real Estate handled the sale.

Sherman County
About 480 acres of cropland with expired CRP and grass was sold at auction on April 28 in Sherman County.

The property was sold in two tracts. Tract 1 was about 160 acres with 141 in cropland, 5.1 in CRP and the remainder in grass, roads and waterways. It sold for $1,150 per acre.

Tract 2 was about 320 acres with 305 of that in expired CRP and the remainder in grass, roads and waterways. It brought $725 per acre.

The sellers were the Harden Family and WDMG. Farm and Ranch Realty of Colby handled the sale.

Gray County
About 160 acres of Gray County land was sold at private auction in a deal that closed Feb. 17. The property, located near Montezuma, has 93 acres of cropland and 62 acres of pasture, with the remainder in buildings. It sold for $1,666.25 per acre.

The sellers were Eugene and Linda Fry. Mark Callender with Farmers National Co. in Dighton handled the sale.

Lane County
About 194 acres of dryland farmland were sold in a private auction in Lane County in March. The land brought $1,475 per acre. The seller was Snyder. Faulkner Real Estate and Auction of Ulysses handled the sale.

Morton County
Faulkner Real Estate and Auction handled three separate sales of Morton County farmland in March and April.

In the first sale, about 160 acres of land enrolled in the CRP was sold at private auction. The land brought $375 per acre. Krey was the seller.

In the second sale, about 160 acres of dryland farm ground was sold at private auction. The land brought $625 per acre. The seller was Bitner.

The third sale involved about 850 acres of native grassland and land enrolled in CRP. The property sold in five tracts.

Tract 1, about 80 acres of native grass, brought $350 per acre. Tract 2, about 160 acres enrolled in CRP, brought $550 per acre while Tract 3, another quarter of CRP, was bid in at $610 per acre.

Tract 4, a half-section of CRP, brought $440 per acre, while Tract 5, about 130 acres of CRP, was sold for $600 per acre.

The seller on those acres was Davison.

In another sale in Morton and Stanton counties, about 306 acres of land was offered in two tracts and sold at private auction. The sale closed on March 1.

Tract 1 was comprised of about 160 acres in Morton County while Tract 2, about 146 acres, is in Stanton County. The two tracts are both primarily enrolled in the CRP. The two tracts sold to one buyer for $480.72 per acre. The seller was the Nobel M. Melencamp Trust. Cole Owens with Farmers National Co. at Garden City handled the sale.

Clark County
About 1,442 acres of Clark County land was sold at auction in a deal that closed March 1.

The large, contiguous tract of pasture and cropland with excellent wildlife habitat is located in Kansas Deer Management Unit 16. The sale involved surface rights only, and the tract lies adjacent to the Cimarron Bend Wind Farm Project, but is not currently leased.

The property brought $850 per acre. The seller was the Noble M Melencamp Trust. Matt Roos with Farmers National Co. at Spearville handled the sale.

Seward County
About 956 acres of pastureland was sold at private auction in April. The property brought $480 per acre. The seller was Browne. Faulkner Real Estate and Auction of Ulysses handled the sale.

Haskell County
About 315 acres of dryland farm ground in Haskell County was sold at private auction in March. The property brought $1,250 per acre. The seller was Hall. Faulkner handled the sale.

Stanton County
Faulkner Real Estate and Auction handled two Stanton County sales in March and April.

In one, about 240 acres of Stanton County land was sold at private auction in April. The property brought $700 per acre. The seller was Josserand.

In the other sale, about 3,680 acres of pasture and CRP ground was sold in two tracts. The first tract, 3,360 acres of pasture, brought $435 per acre. The second tract, about 320 acres of CRP, brought $525 per acre. The seller was Claggett/Kolb.

Baca County, Colo.
About 1,800 acres in pasture and CRP was sold by private auction in Baca County, Colo. The property brought $360 per acre. Streeted was the seller. Faulkner Real Estate and Auction of Ulysses handled the sale.

In a second private auction sale, about 1,083 acres of pastureland in Baca County was sold for $365 per acre. That seller was the Davis Ranch. Faulkner also handled that sale.

Kit Carson County, Colo.
About 320 acres of cropland was sold at auction on March 31. The land was described as excellent cropland. It brought $975 per acre. The seller was Scott E. Smelker. Farm and Ranch Realty of Colby handled the sale.