More Than 4,800 Acres of Iowa Farmland Will Hit the Auction Block in Feb. 2025

According to data compiled by the Successful Farming team, more than 4,800 acres of Iowa farmland are set to be auctioned in Feb. 2025. Listings range from single tracts of less than 40 acres to a multi-parcel auction that includes 1,350 acres. Here’s a closer look at the farmland expected to change hands across 18 Iowa counties.

Hardin County

Eight Hardin County tracts totaling 1,350 acres will be sold at public auction on Feb. 19, 2025. Online bidding will be available. All the tracts will be sold via buyers choice method.

This means the winning bidder will have the option to purchase any combination of the tracts they desire. They could also take all of the tracts. “Our last big sale in Hardin County, the winning bidder took all the tracts. I think it’s possible they could do the same here,” said Cody Skinner, land broker for Iowa Land Company.

Iowa Land Company will handle the sale on behalf of owner Abigail Farms, LLC.

Skinner notes the listing has had “a fair amount of investor interest.” Seeing this many acres for sale at once is a rarity, he noted.

Tracts range in size from 63.71 to 318.39 cropland acres. CSR2 ratings range from 86.8 to 61.6 across the parcels.

Guthrie County

Eight Guthrie County tracts totaling 636 acres will be sold at public auction on Feb. 20, 2025.

Online bidding will also be available. All the tracts will be sold via buyers choice method.

Whitaker Marketing Group will handle the sale on behalf of the Vernon and Frances Chaloupka Trusts. A number of the parcels have been in the Chaloupka family for 150 years.

In preparation for the auction, two homes with accompanying acreage were surveyed off and will be sold by Laura Kemble of Sunset Realty. The main homestead is located near Tracts 4 and 5. A second home borders Tract 1 and is situated along Highway 141.

Agent Ann Whitaker of Whitaker Marketing Group expects to have a really strong sale. “We’ve already had strong investors reaching out to us. The local buying power is going to be strong beings that a lot of the farm hasn’t sold for 150 years. We’ve had 1031 interest as well,” she said

Tracts range in size from 150.56 to 22.85 tillable acres. CSR2 ranges from 89 to 82.4 across the parcels.

Sioux County

In November 2022, farmland in Sioux County sold for a record $30,000 per acre in a transaction handled by Zomer Company Realty and Auction. The company is scheduled to hold another auction in the same county on behalf of John J. and Judith E. Solsma Revocable Trust on Feb. 11, 2025.

The upcoming auction includes two tracts. The auction will be held at Tract 1, which consists of 77.06 acres of farmland with an average CSR2 of 90.7. This farm is leased for the 2025 crop year and the buyer will receive the full rent for 2025 at closing, “plus an attractive rent subsidy.”

After Tract 1 is sold, Tract 2 will be auctioned. Tract 2 consists of 44.29 acres and has an average CSR2 of 83.9.

Other Farmland Sales

At least an additional 20 farmland auctions are expected to be held across the state in February.

Method of sale ranges from in person and online to sealed bids. At the 2025 Land Expo, Jim Knuth Senior Vice President of Farm Credit Services of America explained, “Auctions and listings have been the seller method of choice. Frankly, private sales have declined the last couple of years.” He said, “As much as we want to believe that loyalty and relationship mean something, the sellers are taking their asset to auction. They’re listing it. They’re going to want to maximize the value of the asset.”

Several tracts will be sold with agricultural infrastructure such as grain bins or hoop building which may impact the final selling price.

A majority of these auctions are in western Iowa, with just five scheduled east of Interstate 35.