By David Bau, Extension Educator At the end of each year for the last twenty-four years, a survey has been conducted of farm land sales in fourteen southwestern Minnesota counties. The survey reports bare farm land sales to non-related parties for the first six months of each year. Land values had been steadily increasing until 2014. After reaching record high prices in 2013, the upward trend was broken as prices declined in 2014 and continued down through 2017. The trend changed to an increased in 2018. The summary report for this survey is available at the county extension offices in Chippewa, Cottonwood, Jackson, Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, Martin, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, Rock, Watonwan and Yellow Medicine Counties. This year the increase across the fourteen counties averaged 3.9%. Average land values had not increased since 2013 when the average SW Minnesota land prices peaked at $8,466 per acre then declined in through 2017 to $6,340 until increasing in 2018
