By Jared Groce

The rural land market held steady in July after the increase we saw in June, with nearly identical numbers of transactions and similar pricing. Buyer inquiries rose noticeably in July, with most agents and brokers reporting a sharp increase in calls and showings. Title companies and lenders also report more transactions since July 1, which suggests buyer sentiment may be picking up as summer draws to an end.

The gap between list price and sale price improved compared with June, with the sale-to-list ratio running much higher than the previous month. Total days on market dropped somewhat from June. Several larger tracts also closed in July compared with the rest of 2026 to date.

It is still a buyer’s market, and I expect that trend to continue through the year. Once the Fed lowers interest rates, buyer sentiment will likely climb even more and push us back toward a seller’s market, but who knows when that might happen. In the meantime, we are all fighting higher prices at the pump, higher input costs for seed, fertilizer and hay, and big jumps in insurance premiums across the board. The good news, if you are selling, is that cattle prices remain at an all-time high.

They say the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, and the second-best time is today. The same is true of buying land. Get some dirt on your hands.

County	Area	Acres	$/Acre	List Price	Sold Price	Sale/List	DOM
Clay	Henrietta	25.02	$13,789	$345,000	$345,000	100.00%	5
Clay	Petrolia	77.72	$4,825	$399,000	$275,000	94.00%	24
Clay	Average	51.37	$9,307	$372,000	$360,000	97.00%	15
Collin	Blue Ridge	11.03	$30,740	$358,400	$339,000	94.60%	58
Collin	Blue Ridge	11	$48,182	$550,000	$530,000	96.40%	325
Collin	Farmersville	20.97	$30,514	$625,000	$640,000	102.40%	443
Collin	Farmersville	32.9	$30,395	$1,149,000	$1,000,000	87.00%	315
Collin	Anna	14.2	$73,970	$1,200,000	$1,050,000	87.50%	50
Collin	Average	18.02	$42,760	$776,480	$711,800	93.60%	238
Cooke	Collinsville	11	$35,364	$389,000	$389,000	100.00%	343
Cooke	Gainesville	43.08	$15,669	$775,400	$675,000	87.00%	5
Cooke	Average	27.04	$25,616	$582,220	$532,000	93.50%	174
Denton	Krum	11.93	$25,086	$300,000	$299,204	99.70%	34
Denton	Ponder	14.92	$46,917	$988,200	$700,000	70.80%	170
Denton	Denton	22.37	$90,198	$2,017,730	$2,017,730	100.00%	160
Denton	Sanger	122.36	$26,153	$3,360,000	$3,200,000	95.20%	289
Denton	Sanger	328.06	$10,813	$3,608,000	$3,547,186	98.30%	11
Denton	Average	99.93	$39,833	$2,054,786	$1,952,824	92.80%	133
Grayson	Sherman	23.06	$13,010	$395,000	$300,000	75.90%	7
Grayson	Bells	11	$303,909	$360,000	$340,000	94.40%	356
Grayson	Collinsville	11.39	$49,109	$619,500	$559,350	90.30%	183
Grayson	Gunter	11.5	$69,000	$882,874	$793,500	89.90%	259
Grayson	Average	14.24	$40,009	$507,250	$449,675	90.10%	221
Jack	Jacksboro	29.17	$8,742	$261,072	$255,000	97.70%	191
Jack	Jacksboro	171	$11,809	$2,223,000	$2,019,298	90.80%	148
Jack	Poolville	202	$15,347	$3,434,000	$3,100,000	90.30%	312
Jack	Average	134.06	$11,966	$1,972,691	$1,791,433	92.90%	217
Montague	Bowie	10.01	$17,483	$175,000	$175,000	100.00%	5
Montague	Bowie	46.3	$10,043	$650,000	$465,000	71.50%	10
Montague	Bowie	56.02	$12,049	$700,250	$675,000	96.40%	30
Montague	Forestburg	212.17	$7,494	$2,697,000	$1,590,000	93.70%	369
Montague	Nocona	192.32	$11,716	$2,355,840	$2,300,000	97.60%	91
Montague	Nocona	575.87	$11,287	$6,910,440	$6,500,000	94.10%	56
Montague	Nocona	934.29	$8,244	$8,806,000	$7,701,855	87.50%	333
Montague	Average	290.14	$11,188	$3,042,076	$2,772,408	91.50%	128
Wise	Chico	11.4	$18,421	$210,000	$210,000	100.00%	170
Wise	Chico	14	$17,143	$249,900	$240,000	96.00%	18
Wise	Decatur	10.15	$28,498	$379,000	$289,258	76.30%	115
Wise	Decatur	10.15	$28,498	$379,000	$289,258	76.30%	115
Wise	Decatur	11.61	$28,498	$438,000	$330,865	75.50%	115
Wise	Decatur	14.58	$28,506	$524,880	$415,619	79.20%	115
Wise	Boyd	61.34	$11,575	$775,000	$710,000	91.60%	251
Wise	Poolville	115.69	$9,076	$1,300,000	$1,050,000	80.80%	75
Wise	Average	31.11	$21,277	$533,973	$441,875	84.10%	122

By Laura Nelson

Planting a seed may be the ultimate act of faith and hope. Giving it the right conditions to thrive takes action on our part.

Jim Johnson, Noble Research Institute’s senior regenerative ranching advisor, says building the right conditions in your soil will improve the odds of successful germination and growth.

“Building healthy soil is something we work at every day, all year long,” Johnson says.

Whether you’re planting a cover crop for the first time or trying to add diversity to your pastureland, new seeds have the same requirements for a good start: viable seed, good seed-to-soil contact, adequate moisture, proper temperatures and available oxygen.

“Those aren’t necessarily things that you can just take care of the day you decide to go plant,” Johnson says. “They’re soil management actions that we take every day.”

Start with the best seed

Start with high-quality, vigorous seed.

“A vigorous seed is going to be more forgiving if conditions are less than ideal,” Johnson says. A laboratory can run a cold germination test or a stress test to give you a good idea of a seed lot’s viability.

When comparing seed of the same species, look at the number of seeds per pound. If one rye cover crop has 26,000 seeds per pound and another of the same variety has 16,000, the 16,000-seed lot has bigger seeds.

“You want big, plump seeds for that variety, because the bigger and plumper seeds typically have more of the stored energy they need to get started,” he says.

Maximize seed-to-soil contact

A seed has to soak up moisture from the soil to soften and swell for germination. Picture each seed as a cube. Broadcast it on the surface, and only one side touches the soil. Push it down a little, and parts of the other sides touch the dirt around it. Push it down and firmly cover it with soil, and all six sides can make contact, but only if the soil structure is in good condition.

Hard, compacted soil makes it difficult to get seed into the ground and to get the soil to close back around it. Loose, fluffy soil is full of air gaps that prevent seed-to-soil contact. You want to plant into friable soil that crumbles easily when squeezed, about the consistency of cottage cheese or a moist chocolate cake. That gives the seed its best chance.

Ground cover helps build more friable soil, but too much residue can keep seed from reaching the soil. A well-calibrated, well-maintained no-till drill can plant through tons of residue. If you’re broadcasting seed into grass or a crop field with residue, Johnson suggests using livestock to graze off or remove excess cover first. Used correctly, high-density, short-duration grazing can also help tread broadcast seed into the soil.

If livestock aren’t an option, consider another limited, well-timed disturbance to get the seed in touch with the soil. A quick pass with a disc to chop residue while incorporating the seed, or burning residue just before seeding, can give new plants a fresh start.

Adequate moisture matters

Seed-to-soil contact only works if the soil holds enough moisture to reach the seed. In general, a seed needs at least a quarter inch of precipitation to germinate, plus another quarter to half inch for the plant to establish.

A good, well-timed rain is the quickest path to success, but encouraging diverse root systems over the long term builds a moist, fertile environment.

“We always have to be thinking about how we can set the soil up to absorb and hold water,” Johnson says. Heavier residue helps hold moisture and protects the surface from evaporation, and living roots open pore space so water can find its way in.

Healthy soil that holds moisture helps insulate a seed waiting for rain. If you see noticeable erosion on your land, your water cycle is broken. Keep the ground covered to slow water down and help it soak in.

Keep the temperature right

Many seeds tolerate soil temperatures from just above freezing into the low 100s, but the ideal range for germination is typically 65 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. You’ll want to be confident soil temperatures will stay in the right range for that seed for at least three days in a row, and ideally five. A forecast showing a favorable trend can work, too.

“If we’re planting a cool season crop in the fall, we might be able to plant into soil we know is too hot to germinate,” Johnson says. “But if the days are getting shorter and cooler, and we have a little rain in the immediate forecast, we’re trending in the right direction.”

Timing always matters, but your temperature window widens as your soil health improves.

“We know we can plant earlier or later if we have good, healthy soil,” he says. Healthy, covered, root-filled soil holds a steadier temperature regardless of the air temperature.

Give it room to breathe

Waterlogged or compacted soils starve seeds of the oxygen they need. A heavy rain may soak a seed and trigger germination, but the seed will drown if it sits underwater for more than a couple of days.

One problem often leads to another. Wet soils compact easily, so keep animals and machinery off waterlogged ground, especially before planting. The right amount of ground cover will also soften the effects of compaction.

To show how much ground cover reduces compaction, Johnson often lays his hand on the ground during Noble’s Land Essentials course and invites the biggest student in the class to stand on it. First, though, he gathers plant residue and litter and covers his hand.

“It’s a pretty powerful demonstration when they can stand on my hand, and I hardly feel it,” Johnson says. “That’s how big a cushion residue makes for our soil surface.”

Preventing compaction, building organic matter and improving water absorption also help keep the soil surface from crusting over a seed, another obstacle to a good stand.

“All these things matter and make a difference in your seed germination,” Johnson says. “Healthy soil with good soil structure is easier to plant into, easier to get all the conditions your seed needs to germinate and establish, and easier to get a good stand in.”

Unpredictable weather can still wreck the best-laid plans, but good soil conditions give your seeds their best chance whether you drill or broadcast your new forage crop.

By Lindsey Monk

Fall works are starting in Montana and Wyoming! Ranchers are gathering cattle for preconditioning ahead of weaning and shipping, which means early mornings and whole days spent horseback.