More than 11,000 acres of North Dakota farmland are scheduled for auction throughout September, according to data compiled by Successful Farming . Listings span 20 counties and range from 76.7–2,009 acres, reflecting a diverse mix of cropland, pasture, mixed‑use parcels, and large multitract offerings across Land Sales Bulletin’s Midwest reporting state of North Dakota.
Key Summary Points
Benson County: 621.45 acres offered in four tracts north of Esmond, including cropland and fenced pastureland. SPI values range from 50.8–65.7, with Tracts 2 and 3 drawing strong interest from local farmers.
Mountrail and Williams Counties: A 2,009.46‑acre hybrid auction includes 16 parcels near Stanley, offering cropland, native grass pasture, farmsteads, and building sites. Several parcels feature livestock water sources, pasture infrastructure, and mature tree shelterbelts.
Towner County: Three adjoining parcels totaling 1,200 acres north of Rocklake include 587.25 crop acres with SPI ratings from 63–63.4, and more than 279 acres above SPI 70. Parcel 2 encompasses an entire 640‑acre section.
Additional Auctions: Activity spans eastern, central, and western counties, including Grand Forks, Pembina, Kidder, Sheridan, Emmons, Stark, Adams, and Golden Valley. One of the largest offerings is a 1,708.81‑acre Adams County property selling online Sept. 24.
Economic Conditions: Tight margins, higher borrowing costs, and softer commodity prices are contributing to a slowdown in cropland demand, while pasture values remain comparatively strong due to cattle prices and livestock expansion interest.
North Dakota’s September auction lineup highlights a geographically diverse land market with opportunities for crop producers, cattle operators, and mixed‑use buyers statewide.
Midwest farmland activity remained steady heading into August, with finalized sales reported across our Midwest states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin, as well as Kansas. DTN Progressive Farmer’s Landwatch highlights a mix of cropland, CRP acres, timber value, and recreational tracts that continue to shape our Midwest regional market momentum.
Key Midwest Highlights:
Illinois: Whiteside County farm sold for $10,811 per acre with 93 CRP acres generating annual income through 2029
Indiana: Randolph County tract sold for $10,667 per acre, including tillable acres, wooded ground, a home, and a large barn
Iowa: Hancock County farm reached $18,500 per acre with strong corn and soybean PLC yields
Kansas: Decatur County cropland and grassland sold for $1,500 per acre with solid access and water availability
Minnesota: Becker County property sold for $9,565 per acre featuring CRP acres, wooded areas, low ground, and strong deer habitat
North Dakota: Pembina County farm sold for $1,994 per acre with wheat and soybean base acres and an 82 productivity index
Wisconsin: Grant County parcels averaged $16,158 per acre, both enrolled in CRP with solid soil ratings and blacktop access
End of July’s Midwest farmland activity highlights strong demand for high‑quality row‑crop ground, CRP‑enrolled parcels and mixed‑use tracts. Our Midwest reporting states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin, as well as neighboring Kansas and Missouri, all posted notable sales. Upcoming August auctions for Illinois, Iowa, and North Dakota echo expected strong farmland activity. Below is a state‑by‑state breakdown of finalized sales and upcoming offerings sourced from DTN Progressive Farmer and Successful Farming.
Randolph County: 30 acres sold for $320,000 or $10,667 per acre including tillable acres and a barn Link: https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/news/article/2026/08/01/august-2026-recent-farmland-sales
Decatur County: 320 acres sold for $480,000 or $1,500 per acre including 159 cropland acres, 154 grassland acres, 65 corn base acres at 84 bpa and 33 wheat base acres at 42 bpa plus good access and a strong water well Link: DTN Progressive Farner Landwatch Farmland Sales Report 7-31-2026
MINNESOTA
Recent Sales
Becker County: 115 acres sold for $1.1M or $9,565 per acre including CRP, wooded areas and deer habitat Link: https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/news/article/2026/08/01/august-2026-recent-farmland-sales
Our Midwest reporting state of North Dakota enters August with more than 2,570 acres of farmland scheduled for auction across 12 counties, according to Successful Farming. Listings range from large cropland parcels with high Soil Productivity Index ratings to lakefront tracts offering hunting, fishing, and future homesite potential, reflecting broad buyer interest statewide.
Key North Dakota Highlights:
McIntosh County: 274.44 acres offered across six tracts near Ashley, including a 160‑acre tract with roughly 110 acres of dry ground, more than 1,900 feet of shoreline, and established deer, pheasant, and waterfowl habitat
Burleigh County: 474.11 acres offered in three parcels north of Bismarck, including more than 443 crop acres with an SPI of 84.1 and over 130 acres rated 98, supported by contiguous Temvik and Grassna silt loam soils and one mile of frontage along U.S. Highway 83
Logan County: 320 acres across two tracts combining productive farmland, pasture, wetlands, and wildlife habitat, including a 160‑acre recreational tract in the prairie pothole region and a second tract with 50 tillable acres (CPI 56) and fenced pasture
Statewide Auctions: at least nine additional farmland auctions spanning Cavalier, Towner, Emmons, Logan, and McIntosh counties, with offerings ranging from roughly 110 to 186 acres and multiple hybrid live‑and‑online formats available for bidders
Midwest farmland activity remained steady heading into August, with finalized sales reported across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. DTN Progressive Farmer’s Landwatch Weekly highlights a mix of cropland, CRP acres, timber value, and recreational tracts that continue to shape our Midwest regional market momentum. Key Midwest Highlights:
Illinois: Whiteside County farm sold for $10,811 per acre with 93 CRP acres generating annual income through 2029 .
Indiana: Randolph County tract sold for $10,667 per acre, including tillable acres, wooded ground, a home, and a large barn .
Iowa: Hancock County farm reached $18,500 per acre with strong corn and soybean PLC yields .
Kansas: Decatur County cropland and grassland sold for $1,500 per acre with solid access and water availability .
Minnesota: Becker County property sold for $9,565 per acre featuring CRP acres, wooded areas, low ground, and strong deer habitat .
North Dakota: Pembina County farm sold for $1,994 per acre with wheat and soybean base acres and an 82 productivity index .
Wisconsin: Grant County parcels averaged $16,158 per acre, both enrolled in CRP with solid soil ratings and blacktop access .
U.S. sunflower acreage rose 5% this year to 1.35 million acres, according to USDA estimates, with the strongest growth coming from South Dakota and North Dakota. Oil‑type and non‑oil sunflower varieties both saw year‑over‑year increases, reflecting tight stocks, strong demand, and elevated prices heading into fall.
Among the eight major sunflower‑producing states, the Dakotas stand out. South Dakota posted the largest increase in planted oil‑type acres, up 56,000 acres from last year . North Dakota followed with a 30,000‑acre increase . Non‑oil sunflower acreage also expanded sharply, with South Dakota again leading all states with a 21,000‑acre jump .
For Land Sales Bulletin readers, this is a positive regional signal: both North Dakota and South Dakota—key LSB Midwest reporting states—are driving national growth in a crop tied to strong market fundamentals, tight stocks, and early‑harvest price premiums expected later this season .
South Dakota: Largest oil‑type acreage increase (+56,000 acres) and largest non‑oil increase (+21,000 acres).
North Dakota: Strong oil‑type acreage growth (+30,000 acres).
Market Context: Tight stocks and strong demand expected to keep prices firm into September.
National Trend: U.S. sunflower acreage up 5% year over year.
Recent farmland sales across our reporting states of Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin continue to show strong buyer interest and steady demand in core Midwest markets. In Fremont County, Iowa, a 197‑acre farm sold for $10,000 per acre , while Faribault County, Minnesota saw a 123‑acre tract reach $12,200 per acre at auction . North Dakota’s Steele County recorded a multi‑tract sale averaging $3,430 per acre across 790 acres of cropland . In Sauk County, Wisconsin, a two‑tract, 190‑acre offering averaged $6,775 per acre, reflecting continued interest in mixed‑use and recreational acreage .
These transactions highlight ongoing resilience across Land Sales Bulletin’s Midwest reporting states, where our finalized sales data helps farmers, producers, lenders, and rural land professionals stay ahead of market shifts.
May is National Beef Month and we’re celebrating our top ranked Midwest states: Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota!
Join us in showing appreciation for the cattle ranchers who rise early each day to rustle up their herds and provide food for the world; the U.S. beef industry is still the largest in the world! See a complete list of all U.S. states:May is National Beef Month and we’re celebrating our top ranked Midwest states: Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota!
Join us in showing appreciation for the cattle ranchers who rise early each day to rustle up their herds and provide food for the world; the U.S. beef industry is still the largest in the world! See a complete list of all U.S. states: U.S. Head of Cattle – January 1 2025 and 2026
A major North Dakota land auction—spanning 4,398 acres across four counties, brought in $21.82 million, landing nearly even with its two‑year‑old appraisal. The results highlight what we’re seeing across the region: buyers remain active, but they’re more selective than in past peak years. Some tracts soared above 120% of appraisal values, while others settled lower, reflecting a market that rewards high‑quality soils, strong access, and proven productivity.
As one of Land Sales Bulletin’s Midwest reporting states, North Dakota continues to demonstrate that while the market isn’t at the highs of 2022, it remains far from collapsing. Demand is steady, capital is active, and buyers are selective, reflecting a more mature, disciplined phase of the land cycle. Farm Progress:North Dakota auction shows a disciplined but still strong land market
Across the Midwest, farmland is more than acreage—it is heritage, livelihood, and the foundation of rural communities. Yet despite its importance, reliable information about what land actually sells for can be surprisingly difficult to find. That’s where Land Sales Bulletin plays a vital role.
For more than three decades, Land Sales Bulletin (LSB) has served as one of the Midwest’s most trusted sources for rural land sales. In a region where agriculture shapes local economies, family legacies, and community identity, LSB provides something essential: accurate, timely, recorded county‑level land sale data. Our data provides a clear, factual picture of the land market—free from speculation, rumor, or inflated auction chatter.
What Land Sales Bulletin Does
LSB focuses exclusively on recorded land sales of 20 acres or more, across 10 core Midwest states: Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, pulled directly from county courthouse records. This means:
No pending sales
No auction estimates
No unverifiable numbers
Just finalized, documented transactions that reflect real market activity.
Each sale includes county‑level detail—acres, price, land type, soil ratings, PINS, and buyer/seller information when available—giving farmers, landowners, brokers, lenders, appraisers, investors, and rural communities the transparency they need to make informed decisions.
Why This Matters to the Public
Even for residents who are not involved in agriculture, land sales influence daily life:
Local businesses depend on strong farm income.
Schools and infrastructure rely on stable property valuations.
Community planning requires understanding how land use is changing.
Economic development hinges on the health of rural land markets.
Accurate land‑sale reporting puts boots on the ground and helps ensure fairness, transparency, and informed decision‑making across the region.
The Human Story Behind Every Sale
Every land sale represents a turning point:
A retiring farmer passing land to the next generation
A young operator expanding to stay competitive
A family settling an estate
A community adjusting to new ownership
LSB’s role is to document these transitions with accuracy, timeliness and regard. By preserving the facts, LSB helps ensure that decisions—large and small—are grounded in facts.
Midwest Land Use: What the Data Shows
LSB’s 10 Midwest states remain among the most agriculturally productive in the nation. According to the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture:
Iowa leads the region with nearly 30 million acres of farmland.
Nebraska, Illinois, Minnesota, and South Dakota each maintain more than 20 million acres.
North Dakota remains heavily agricultural, dominated by row crops and small grains.
Michigan and Ohio have smaller totals but maintain diverse production bases.
Wisconsin continues to balance dairy, forage, and specialty crops.
Across the region, one trend is clear: fewer farms, larger operations, and continued consolidation. Iowa was the only state in the group to gain farms between 2017 and 2022; all others saw declines.
When combined, LSB states contain roughly 260 million acres of farmland—representing nearly 30% of all U.S. farmland. That concentration underscores the Midwest’s role as the core of U.S. food, feed, and fuel production.
How Land Sales Bulletin Supports the Region
LSB’s subscriptions provide:
Completed, documented land sales of 20+ acres
State and county‑level detail on actual recorded sale transactions
Historical back data for market trend analysis
Reliable benchmarks for appraisals, lending, and estate planning
Consistent reporting across 10 states that anchor American agriculture
Because nearly one‑third of U.S. farmland lies within these states, LSB’s reporting helps shape national understanding of land values and market trends.
What Sets Us Apart
Our strength lies in our hands-on analysis of land sales data by local Midwest-trained land sales data specialists. This expertise ensures every documented land sale transaction is carefully reviewed and contextualized, providing unparalleled insight into the true market dynamics of the region. Our specialists bring knowledge and experience, making our data not just accurate, but actionable for farmers, landowners, realtors, lenders, investors, and appraisers alike.
Additionally, Land Sales Bulletin distinguishes itself through its commitment to transparency and consistency. We source data exclusively from official county courthouse records, ensuring that every sale reported is a complete, documented transaction. This rigorous approach eliminates speculation and provides stakeholders with trustworthy, timely information. Our ongoing dedication to quality makes us the Midwest’s most reliable land sales resource and choice for rural land sales data.
A Clearer Future for Midwest Land Markets
With rising farmland values, increasing investor participation, and ongoing consolidation, the need for transparent and documented land sale information has never been greater. Land Sales Bulletin is committed to delivering the clarity, consistency, and integrity Midwest rural real estate professionals rely on—supporting informed decisions and honoring the land and communities we serve.
