Insights

The USDA released its annual Land Values Summary for 2026 in late July, and farmland values are up across the country, particularly here in Minnesota.

Every pasture tells you something the second you walk it. Not every buyer searching for Minnesota farmland is looking for tillable acres. Some are looking for pastureland, ground meant for grazing rather than row crops, and it comes with its own set of questions.

For many families, farmland is more than a financial asset. It represents decades of hard work, family history, and often a significant portion of a family’s net worth.

Deciding to sell inherited farmland can take time, especially when the land has been in the family for generations and the decision follows the loss of someone close to it.

One question we hear often from landowners is whether they need an abstract of title to sell their property. You do not need an abstract to sell, but if one exists for your land, it is worth locating before you start the sale process.

If you want to sell farmland after harvest and close before the end of the year, the planning often needs to begin before harvest starts.

Some acres are difficult to farm consistently. Wet areas, highly erodible soils, irregular fields, and land near streams or drainageways may produce limited returns while adding inefficiencies to farming operations.

South central Minnesota has been on a roller coaster this year. We started 2026 looking at sub $4.00 cash corn with no real fundamentals to suggest a market correction was coming.

Selling land can be an emotional decision, especially when the property has been in the family for generations.