SOUTH WHITLEY, Ind. (September 30, 2026) - 176.5 acres of farmland and mature woods in Whitley County, Indiana, sold for $1,935,000, an average of $10,963 per acre, with Schrader Real Estate and Auction Company conducting the event.
“The tillable portion of this farm carries a 138 Productivity Index on Blount, Pewamo and Haskins soils, and that is what the bidding on Tracts 1 through 4 was about,” said Kevin Jordan, co-manager of the auction. “Sugar Creek and the timber gave the offering a second audience entirely. Most importantly, the seller was pleased with the outcome.”
The auction drew 21 registered bidders from Indiana and Ohio, and two emerged as buyers, according to Kevin Jordan, CAI, who co-managed the auction. All bidding took place in person at the Whitley County 4-H Community Center in Columbia City.
Tracts 1 through 4, totaling 129.5 acres and more than 75 percent tillable, sold together for $1,640,000, or $12,664 per acre. That combination carried 121.15 FSA cropland acres, frontage on both CR 700 S and CR 475 W, the existing barn on Tract 2, and 2.04 acres enrolled in CRP through 2031. Tract 5, 47 acres of mature woods, sold for $295,000, or $6,276 per acre.
“Tract 5 was offered as a swing tract, so a bid on it by itself could come only from an adjoining landowner, and that is how it sold,” said Ritter Cox, co-manager of the auction. “It is a woods with flowing water and established trails, and the hunting value is apparent the moment you walk it.”
The farm lies in Cleveland Township and is subject to three recorded conservation easements held by Wood-Land-Lakes RC&D Land Trust. All three name agriculture as the primary use of the land and were put in place to protect its open space, woods, wetlands and wildlife habitat. The easements stay with the land through any sale, and Wood-Land-Lakes monitors the property with annual visits.
Before the auction, Wood-Land-Lakes approved a plan to adjust the easement boundaries depending on how the tracts sold. The South and Central easements each allow one replacement residence, while the North easement grants no residential rights. Because Tract 5 sold separately, the Central easement’s building right is confined to Tract 3, and the woods carry no residential rights. The buyer of Tracts 1 through 4 holds both replacement residence rights.
Individuals seeking additional information about buying or selling in Schrader auctions may visit www.schraderauction.com or call 800-451-2709.