A 1,277-acre farm in Edwards County sold for $10.5 million during a July 9 auction, averaging $8,222 per acre.
The property, located near West Salem and Albion, was divided into 22 tracts, with 19 tracts totaling 1,151.82 acres selling at auction for more than $9.3 million. Three additional tracts totaling 125.18 acres were sold privately before the auction. Farm equipment sold separately brought the overall sale total to nearly $11 million.
Kurtz Auction & Realty agent Jason Blue said the bidder’s choice auction wrapped up in less than an hour, drawing 68 in-person bidders, 43 online bidders, and standing-room-only attendance.
Most of the property was purchased by 12 local buyers, with Blue estimating about half of the acreage will be farmed by the new owners while the remainder will likely be rented to local producers.
Blue said the farm’s size, productive soils, and location made it especially attractive, noting that high-quality farmland of that scale rarely comes on the market in southeastern Illinois.