Seven Blackfoot Ranch brings record prices in March auction

The Seven Blackfoot Ranch drew a huge crowd to the tiny community of Milesville, S.D., for the St. Patrick’s Day auction of 12,000 acres. This was also the largest ranch ever sold by auction in Haakon County. This scenic ranch was owned by Dave and Sandy Solberg and their family.

This ranch had a nice cross section of grassland, draws, and breaks, with acres of prime farmland and three homes situated throughout the nine tracts. Bidders arrived from seven different states. After very spirited bidding, the nine tracts sold to six different individuals at an average price of $ 1238 per acre. Prices ranged from $ 850 to $ 2000 per acre.

Tract One, 600 acres of farmland with some growing wheat, sold for $2,000 per acre. Tract Three was 625 acres of mostly level pasture land with good water, and it brought $1,200 per acre. Tracts Two, Four, and Six were considered farm ground, and sold at $1,750, $1,675 and $1,550 per acre. Tracts Five, Seven, and Eight were mostly pasture with some hay and possible farm ground. These larger acreages, from 2128 acres to 2604 acres, each had a home and a few outbuildings. Their prices were $1,050, $1,030 and $850 per acre.

Tract Nine was an 18.5 acre site set up with four camping lots. It had electricity, rural water, and a commercial septic system. It sold at $1,975 per acre. Auctioneers were Dan Piroutek of Piroutek Auction Service and Lonnie Arneson of Arneson Auction Service.