Agricultural land values across the Upper Midwest are showing remarkable resilience, with recent auction results highlighting the market's continued strength. From Burke County farmland bringing $3,400 per acre to an exceptional Emmons County property fetching $7,500 per acre, today's buyers are proving willing to pay premium prices for quality land.

The pattern is clear throughout North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota – premium cropland continues to command top dollar while more marginal properties sell for predictably lower values. This growing price disparity reveals how sophisticated agricultural investors have become in evaluating productivity potential, soil quality, and long-term value. In Wells County, quality cropland sold for $3,100 per acre while nearby pasture land brought $1,250, perfectly illustrating this market dynamic.

Even more impressive has been the extraordinary machinery market we're witnessing this spring. Four-wheel drive tractors remain the stars of equipment auctions, with well-maintained units bringing stellar prices. A John Deere 9560R with 2,500 hours sold for $240,000 at our Bowman consignment sale, while a 2015 model 9620R with similar hours fetched $275,000 at a farm retirement auction.

The transportation segment has been particularly remarkable, with semi-trailers reaching unprecedented values. A 2012 Wilson grain trailer recently sold for $50,000, and even older cattle trailers from the late 1990s are bringing $30,000 to $50,000. This reflects both limited new inventory and the essential nature of these assets for agricultural operations.

Looking ahead, we highlight several exciting opportunities for buyers, including a 3,000-acre working ranch auction in Golden Valley County on May 8th and an extraordinary 840-acre property in Custer County with direct views of Mount Rushmore coming up in July. Whether you're a farmer expanding operations, an investor seeking agricultural assets, or someone dreaming of your own piece of the Black Hills, these upcoming sales offer rare opportunities to acquire exceptional properties.

Join us each week for the latest insights on land and equipment markets across the region, and visit Pifers.com to explore our complete inventory of upcoming auctions and past results.

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Step into the fast-paced world of agricultural auctions with this engaging conversation between host Jim Sabby and special guest Cliff Sanders, a veteran livestock auctioneer who recently joined the Pifer's team. Their friendship spans decades, beginning at auctioneer school in Mankato, Minnesota, where both men stood out wearing cowboy hats among their classmates.

The auction market remains remarkably strong despite economic uncertainties. A recent Fent tractor sold for $395,000, highlighting how premium equipment still commands top dollar. The podcast showcases several upcoming sales, including the Sheely auction in Drake featuring pristine 2017-2019 John Deere equipment that was professionally maintained and stored indoors. Another upcoming sale in Mandan features a 2012 Bobcat with just 35 hours – virtually new despite its age.

Sanders brings a distinctive livestock auctioneer's cadence to machinery sales, maintaining the faster pace that livestock auctioneers are known for. His territory covers eastern North Dakota, including the Devil's Lake region where he previously worked at the auction barn. Throughout the conversation, both auctioneers emphasize that live auctions with online bidding consistently outperform online-only formats, drawing buyers from across North America.

The social dimension of auctions emerges as a central theme. As Albert Roerick from Pifer's Steel location explains, "Building relationships is the main thing with all the sellers, buyers." These relationships extend beyond individual sales, with auctioneers often connecting buyers with specific equipment they're seeking. In rural communities, auctions serve as gathering places where neighbors reconnect, highlighting their importance beyond just commerce.

Join us to discover why quality farm equipment continues to bring strong prices, how the hybrid auction model maximizes returns, and why the personal connections forged at rural auctions remain irreplaceable in our increasingly digital world. Check out Piferscom for upcoming sales across the Upper Midwest!

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Farming isn't just about what you grow above ground—it's also about what lies beneath. The fertility of your soil could be worth thousands in tax savings through a little-known provision that's been hiding in plain sight for over 60 years.

Stephanie Scherbinski from Arthur Companies joins us to unpack Section 180 of the IRS tax code, a powerful tax strategy allowing farmers to depreciate soil nutrients when purchasing farmland. While farmers have long been able to depreciate equipment, buildings, and improvements, the land itself has traditionally offered few tax advantages—until now.

We explore how this overlooked tax provision works in practice. When you purchase farmland, comprehensive soil testing can identify valuable nutrients—from nitrogen and phosphorus to zinc and boron—that represent a depreciable asset. The numbers are striking: farmers in the Red River Valley are seeing deduction values of $1,800-$1,900 per acre, while those in central North Dakota average around $1,200 per acre. On a quarter section of land, that could mean tax savings approaching $100,000 for farmers in higher tax brackets.

Stephanie walks us through who qualifies (active farmers, inherited land) and who doesn't (gifted land), while addressing common questions about the process. Unlike some tax strategies, Section 180 can be utilized repeatedly as land changes hands through inheritance, creating multi-generational tax advantages for farm families.

As land prices continue to climb and margins tighten, this tax strategy could be the competitive edge farmers need when expanding operations or helping the next generation get started. Whether you purchased land recently or years ago, Section 180 might be the financial tool you've been overlooking.

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Contact the team at Pifer's