July 2026 - Land Sales Bulletin

Midwest Farmland Sales: Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota See Active Summer Markets

Jennifer Moran | July 13, 2026

Progressive Farmer’s Landwatch Weekly column highlights another week of active farmland sales across the Midwest. While Kansas is not part of Land Sales Bulletin’s official reporting region, its inclusion offers valuable context for our readers following regional trends. Strong demand, diverse property types, and notable per‑acre values were seen across Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota.

Highlights:

Iowa – Buchanan County: 51-acre farm sold for $1.7M, including a 39-acre cropland tract at $16,196/acre
Kansas – Barber County (non‑reporting state): 311-acre farm sold for $799,655 ($2,575/acre) with wheat, canola, and corn base acres plus pasture and ponds
Nebraska – Garden County: 523-acre recreational ranch sold for $1.2M ($2,296/acre) featuring ponds, pasture units, and a ranch home
South Dakota – Beadle County: 161-acre pastureland farm sold for $693,966 ($4,305/acre) with virgin sod and cropland conversion potential

See the full report and breakdown from Progressive Farmer: Recent Farmland Sales in Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota

Minnesota Farmland Auctions Gain Momentum This July: Highlights from Successful Farming

Jennifer Moran | July 10, 2026

Successful Farming reports more than 1,160 acres of Minnesota farmland heading to auction this July across multiple counties. Here’s a concise breakdown aligned with Land Sales Bulletin’s Midwest reporting region.

Faribault & Freeborn Counties (Hertz Farm Management)

429.66 acres offered in five parcels (sealed bid, July 16).
Mix of smaller and larger cropland tracts.
High‑quality soils; select parcels feature CPI ratings above 90.
One parcel includes a turnkey farmstead with significant grain storage.

Faribault County (Wingert Land Services)

75‑acre tract near the MN–IA border (July 29).
Strong soils with a CPI of 93.5.
Well‑drained and positioned for competitive bidding.

Waseca County (Wingert Land Services)

160‑acre farm selling July 31.
CPI of 93.6, well above county averages.
Includes CRP acres and grain storage; attractive for both operators and investors.

Additional Auctions Across Minnesota

Several more July auctions statewide, many featuring homesteads, grain bins, and machine sheds.
Majority located south of Interstate 94.

Market Context:

Strong interest expected for high‑CPI tracts.
Buyer enthusiasm moderated by grain prices, input costs, and interest rates.
Most sales expected to land near county averages.

LSB Perspective

Minnesota remains a key part of Land Sales Bulletin’s Midwest reporting region. These July auctions reflect what our finalized sales consistently show:

Steady demand for quality soils
Selective bidding shaped by credit conditions
Continued resilience across Minnesota farmland markets

Read more from Successful Farming: More Than 1,160 Acres of Minnesota Farmland Head to the Auction Block in July 2026

FarmDoc Daily Illinois Report: Farmland Prices and Government Programs July 7, 2026

Jennifer Moran | July 9, 2026

Illinois farmland values rose sharply from 2020 to 2023, then held steady or eased slightly through 2025, even as farmer returns fell and turned negative on many cash‑rented acres. Excellent‑productivity farmland climbed 57 percent during the upswing, then declined only 5 percent from its 2023 peak.

Cash rents followed a similar pattern, rising quickly during strong return years, then barely adjusting downward when returns weakened.

Federal programs, including crop insurance, ARC and PLC, and recent ad hoc assistance, continue to buffer income and slow cost‑structure adjustments across Illinois agriculture.

These dynamics explain why farmland prices have not retreated meaningfully and why rent negotiations remain tight heading into 2026 for our Midwest reporting state of Illinois.

Download their report (PDF): https://farmdocdaily.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/fdd070726.pdf

American Farmland Owner: Notable Midwest Land Sales for June 2026

Jennifer Moran | July 8, 2026

Recent land sale transactions highlights a highly variable Midwest land market. Premium tracts commanding up to $18,100 per acre while marginal acreage traded as low as $2,500 per acre. For industry ag professionals, these spreads reinforce that valuation is strictly localized and dictated entirely by CSR2/PI scores, water access, and regional buyer competition. Find sales details for our featured Midwest reporting states of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin in American Farmland Owner’s June report: American Farmland Owner June 2026 Notable Sales

Nebraska Farmland Sales Hold Steady Across Key Regions

Jennifer Moran | July 6, 2026

Nebraska’s land market continues to show strength this summer, even with limited inventory. According to Farm Progress, high‑quality farms remain in demand, with more buyers than sellers across the state.

Representative sales from five counties highlight the range of values and land types moving this season.

Garden County (Panhandle): 159.59 acres sold for $1,785/acre, featuring superior soils and strong ag plus recreational potential
Merrick County (East): 78.08 acres sold for $9,925/acre, a well‑managed Platte Valley irrigated farm with excellent water access
Lancaster County (Southeast Lincoln area): 124.06 acres sold for $18,499/acre, driven by transitional development potential and strong location advantages
Hall County (Central): 76.54 acres sold for $11,039/acre, positioned near strong grain markets and an ethanol plant
Johnson County (Southeast): 160 acres sold for $10,500/acre, with 96% tillable acres and completed conservation work

Nebraska remains a core state in Land Sales Bulletin’s Midwest reporting region, and these sales reflect a market where quality land continues to attract strong buyer interest. Farm Progress: Farmland sales hold steady across Nebraska

Minnesota Farmland Snapshot: Recent Sales Across Key Counties

Jennifer Moran | July 2, 2026

Minnesota’s farmland market continues to show resilience heading into the second half of 2026, supported by recent sales across several counties statewide. While values have softened slightly, the market remains stable, with widening gaps between excellent and moderate-quality tracts as buyer demand shifts.

3 Key Things to Watch in the Second Half of 2026

2026 Crop Outlook — In‑season yield expectations will heavily influence farmer optimism and market aggressiveness
Geopolitics — War, trade, interest rates, and tariffs continue to shape commodity prices and input costs, with potential rate hikes and shifting global commitments on the horizon
Government Support — Additional assistance programs may help producers manage rising fuel and fertilizer costs and provide underlying support for land values

As a key Midwest reporting state for Land Sales Bulletin, Minnesota continues to demonstrate steady strength in the Midwest land market. Farm Progress:https://www.farmprogress.com/management/3-things-to-watch-as-farmland-market-readies-for-second-half-of-2026

Summer 2026 Farmland Values: Stability Across Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota & Nebraska

Jennifer Moran | July 1, 2026

Farmland values across Land Sales Bulletin’s Midwest reporting region continue to show steady, resilient performance heading into Summer 2026, according to Hertz Farm Management’s latest update.

Iowa remains stable, with farmland values increasing 1.3% from September 2025 to March 2026 . Over the past 12 months, Iowa posted a net 0.3% gain after a brief dip earlier in 2025.
Illinois shows a choppy‑sideways trend. “Excellent” quality land declined 3%, while “Good” and “Average” land remained flat and “Fair” land increased 2% . Despite near‑term caution—61% of respondents expect prices to decline in 2026 —values remain 49–54% above 2020 levels.
Nebraska cropland values softened, declining 1–3% statewide, while grazing land rose up to 7% on strong cattle prices . Overall agricultural land values fell 1% year‑over‑year, marking a second consecutive annual decline.
Minnesota remains resilient, with modest increases in non‑irrigated cropland prices and ranchland rents, while irrigated rents declined . Lenders remain cautious, with 64% expecting farm incomes to decrease in the year ahead.

Across the Corn Belt, limited land supply, steady buyer interest, and stable long‑term fundamentals continue to support values despite tighter margins and broader economic volatility. Read more from Hertz Farm Management: https://www.hertz.ag/blog/detail/farmland-values-update-summer-2026