(KIWA) — Farmland sold for as much as $21,300 per acre during an O’Brien County auction on November 5th, with winning bids climbing through successive rounds of bidding.
Vander Werff & Associates conducted the sale of the Sampson property, offering 552.60 surveyed acres in Center Township across seven tracts.
Auctioneer Shannon Rydberg says the format allowed buyers to select an individual tract or combine multiple parcels.
“Last week’s auction generated a unique circumstance,” Rydberg said.
She says several prospective buyers came to the sale looking for a single quarter-section, describing the Sampson property as “the best of the best.”
The land featured high CSR2, or Corn Suitability Rating, values. Three tracts also included wind turbines.
Bids Rise Through Successive Rounds
| Bidding Round | Tracts Selected | Price Per Acre |
|---|---|---|
| First | 1 and 3 | $21,100 |
| Second | 5 | $21,200 |
| Third | 2 | $21,300 |
| Fourth | 4 and 6 | $21,300 |
| Final parcel | 7 | $16,000 |
One buyer ultimately purchased Tracts 1 through 6. A young neighboring farmer purchased Tract 7 for $16,000 per acre.
Northwest Iowa Land Values
O’Brien County had Iowa’s highest estimated average farmland value in Iowa State University’s 2025 Land Value Survey, at $16,269 per acre. That countywide estimate is separate from the price paid for a particular farm at auction.
For comparison, a 35.51-acre tract northwest of Orange City sold for $32,000 per acre on December 1st, 2025. Iowa Appraisal reported that the Sioux County sale set a state record for land used to produce corn and soybeans.
In reporting on that sale, Iowa Appraisal’s Jim Rothermich told Farm Journal that Sioux County’s livestock and dairy operations help support demand for land to grow feed and apply manure.
