County opens bids for two farm parcels; Favor Brothers LLC and Volander Organic Farms LLC submitted high offers

County staff opened two sealed bids for county-owned farmland at the board meeting and described next steps for lease execution and tax responsibility.

A staff presenter said the first parcel is roughly 15 acres with about 10 acres tillable and near the landfill; the high bid was $150 per acre, totaling $1,500 for the year, from Favor Brothers LLC. The second parcel, about 11.8 acres east of the highway department, received a high bid of $253 per acre from Volander Organic Farms LLC, which staff recorded as a $2,985.40 annual bid.

The presenter said the county will work with the high bidders to establish lease agreements and that taxes on leased public land are due; staff noted the county will apportion tax responsibility proportionally. When a commissioner asked whether bidders must pay taxes on the whole parcel or only on the rented portion, staff said they will compute a proportionate share. Staff provided an estimated tax bill of approximately $700–$800 based on the prior three years and said that amount would be discounted off the rent proportionally.

The board did not take an immediate vote to award leases at the meeting; staff indicated they will prepare lease documents and return with formal award steps. The bid openings were conducted on the record to comply with the county's bid-opening process.

Next steps: county staff will contact the high bidders to finalize lease terms, calculate pro rata tax obligations and return with lease agreements or recommendations for board approval.