Large acreages of beautiful pastures of quality native grasses in “Heart of the Flint Hills” Chase County don’t often come up for sale, especially when they include a home and plentiful spring-fed ponds.

So it’s not surprising that an offering of 1,540 acres of pastureland by the E. Cross Cattle Co. brought out bidders at a Feb. 23 auction. Throw in a piece of history — the property includes the memorial site commemorating the plane crash that took the life of legendary Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne in March of 1931 — and you get plenty of interest.

The pastureland is divided into four pastures: the load-out pen pasture of about 35 acres, a home pasture of about 180 acres, and two large pastures of 725 acres and 600 acres, respectively. There are 12 ponds fed by spring water up and down both draws in the big pastures.

At the end of the day, the property had new owners in the Peterson family. The sale price was about $4 million, or about $2,600 per acre. Griffin Real Estate and Auction of Cottonwood Falls handled the sale.

Stevens County
About 780 acres of Stevens County irrigated cropland, including a homestead tract of about six acres, sold in a private auction that closed March 1. The cropland brought $2,925 per acre, and the separate tract brought $70,000. The sellers were John and Donna Brower. Faulkner Real Estate and Auction handled the sale.

Hamilton County
About 480 acres of Hamilton County land was sold at private auction in February. The dryland cropland, 320 acres, brought $450 per acre. The other 160 acres is enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program. It was sold for $450 per acre. The seller was Schone-Cook. Faulkner handled the sale.

Seward County
About 315 acres of dry farmland and CRP ground was sold at private auction in February in Seward County. The land sold in two parcels. The first, about 155 acres, a mix of farmland and CRP, brought $700 per acre. The second parcel, about 160 acres, also a mix of farmland and CRP, sold for $170. The seller was Fitzgerald. Faulker handled the sale.

Morton County
About 160 acres of farmland in Morton County was sold at private auction in February. The parcel brought $550 per acre. The seller was Fitzgerald. Faulkner handled the sale.

Haskell County
About 153 acres of irrigated cropland with an additional 4 acre homesite tract were sold at private auction in Haskell County in February.

The irrigated land brought $1,840 per acre. The 4.3-acre homesite sold for an additional $160,000. The seller was Triple L Farms. Faulkner handled the sale.

Meade County
The Powell Ranch, about 2,400 acres of native grassland in Meade County, Kansas and Beaver County, Okla., was sold at private action in February. The land sold together for $540 per acre. Faulkner handled the sale.

In another Meade County sale, about 640 acres of dry cropland in a good location on a blacktop road was sold at private auction sale that closed Jan.12. The property sold for $1,900 per acre, with the seller retaining all mineral rights. The seller was UMB Bank as trustee of the Gano Pearson Interim Trust. Farmers National Company handled that sale.

Barton County
About 863 acres of Barton County land was sold at auction on Feb. 22. The property was sold in four tracts.

Tract 1, about 308 acres with 202 in cropland and the balance in Walnut Creek and pasture, brought $1,500 per acre.

Tract 2, about 257 acres with 248 in dry cropland planted to wheat and the balance in waterways and a road, sold for $1,575 per acre.

Tract 3, about 63 acres with 15 in cropland and the balance in pasture, brought $2,050 per acre.

The final tract, about 235 acres with 118 in native pasture, 55 acres planted to wheat and the balance in trees, sold for $1,075 per acre.

The sellers were the Alvin and Louise Otte heirs. Carr Auction and Real Estate of Larned handled the sale.

Hodgeman County
About 308 acres of Hodgeman County land was sold at auction Feb. 26.

The property consists of about 281 acres of dry cropland currently cash-rente, and a 12-acre farmstead. The property sold for $825 per acre. Jack M. Bamberger was the seller. Carr handled the sale.

Rawlins County
About 950 acres of cropland and grass in Rawlins County sold at auction on Feb. 27. The property sold in five tracts and was billed as a “hunter’s paradise” in pre-auction advertising.

Tract 1, about 160 acres with 152 in crops and the balance in grass, sold for $1,900 per acre. Tract 2, also 160 acres, was 64 acres of cropland and 96 in grass, brought $1,000 per acre. Tract 3, about 400 acres, was 53 acres of cropland and the balance in grass. It was bid in at $1, 350 per acre. Tract 4, about 145 acres, all planted to wheat, was sold for $1,850. The final tract, about 85 acres of grass, brought $700 per acre.

The sellers were the Douthit heirs of Ralph and Vincent Pochop. Farm and Ranch Realty of Colby handled the sale.

Lane and Ness counties
About 320 acres of cropland and grass was sold in two tracts at public auction of Feb. 6.

The first tract, about 160 acres of excellent cropland with 85 acres planted to growing wheat, was sold for $1,375 per acre. The second tract, about 160 acres of Lane County land, with 78 acres in growing wheat, was bid in at $1,010 per acre. The sellers were Lawrence E. Foos and Celia Rowe. Farm and Ranch Realty handled the sale.

Rush County
About 160 acres of Rush County land with 103 acres of cultivated land with the balance in pasture sold for $715 per acre. Mineral rights, believed to be intact, went to the buyer. The seller was Seltmann Land LLC. Carr Auction and Real Estate of Larned handled the sale.

Lyon County
About 80 acres of Flint Hills grassland in Lyon County was sold at auction on Feb. 8. The property is good Native Bluestem and mixed grass pasture, maintained with good brush control. The pasture is watered by three ponds and fences are barbed wire with steel posts and hedge corners. All three ponds are stocked with fish.

The seller was not disclosed. Griffin Real State and Auction handled the sale.

Kit Carson County, Colo.
Irrigation adds price to cropland and a Feb. 23 auction of 188 acres in Kit Carson County, Colo., was no exception to that rule. The parcel included an irrigation well permitted for 400 acre feet at 490 gallons per minute. A 1194 Valley 7-tower electric sprinkler was included in the sale. The property brought $2,500 per acre.

The seller was Farm Credit of Southern Colorado. Farm and Ranch Realty handled the sale.

Texas County, Okla.
About 193 acres of farmland was sold at private auction in February. The land brought $625 per acre. The seller was Fitzgerald. Faulkner Real Estate and Auction of Ulysses handled the sale.