The O’Brien family farm is a mixed-use operation, raising cash-grain crops (corn, wheat, and soybeans raised on 283 +/- cropland acres), cattle (two pastures totaling 79 +/- acres), three virgin prairie hay meadows (59 +/- acres, undisturbed from frontier homesteading times in the 1860s), natural gas production, logging, along with hunting and fishing activities. The current operation of the farm involves sharecropping the cash-grain crops and haying operation, cash rental of the two pastures to the sharecropping partners, and natural gas production. The farm also supports occasional logging activities that harvest trees along the Little Labette Creek that runs through the northeast part of the farm. Over the past five years, the average profit generated for the sharecropping partnership and related operations has been over $110,000/year with about 1/3 of this profit going to the owner and 2/3 going to the farm operator.

Soil conservation has been a priority on this farm going back to the 1930s when Edward E. O’Brien and his brother John began building terraces on the farm, supported by the Soil Conservation Act of President Franklin Roosevelt. At present, there are approximately 9.2 miles of terraces on the farm and six waterways that run for 1.06 miles. Ed and John O’Brien won several soil conservation awards in the 1930s and 1940s for their efforts in building and maintaining terraces and waterways on the O’Brien farm along with other soil conservation practices. These terraces and waterways have done a remarkable job over the past 90 years in preserving the quality of the farmland. Regular maintenance of these terraces that were built in the 1930s has been a priority of the farm management over the past 25 years. Soil conservation has been a priority on this farm for the four generations of O’Brien family ownership.

The USDA Farm Services Agency identifies the size of the farm as 471.96 +/- acres with 282.97 +/- of these acres being identified as cropland (60% of the entire acreage). The cropland typically produces corn, wheat, and soybeans. Crops are rotated such that in any given year approximately half of the cropland is raising wheat, followed by soybeans (double-cropped) and half is raising corn. The following year each field is rotated to raise the alternate crop. All of the crop farming follows a no-till approach where nothing is done to the fields after the harvest until it is time to plant the following rotated crop. This no-till approach helps preserve moisture in the fields, promotes diverse soil biomass, and reduces soil erosion. Soil types of Dennis, Bates, and Parsons, considered Class II and Class III make up the foundation of the acres.

Two pastures (35 +/- and 45 +/- acres in size) make up the second element of the farm. Together, these two pastures accommodate approximately 60 head of cattle. Each pasture has a large pond that has remained serviceable even in the most severe recent drought conditions. The pond in the north pasture is particularly resilient as it has a depth of 14 feet and holds approximately 1 million gallons of water. Pastures are well maintained with brush being managed and cut back on a regular basis.

Virgin prairie hay meadows make up a third element of the farm. These meadows have never been plowed and retain the legacy of the prairie grass that was a pre-eminent feature of this part of the Midwest when settlers first began homesteading in the area. There are three meadows (10 +/-, 40 +/-, and 9 +/- acres in size) that produce enough hay to feed cattle in the pastures over the winter. Virtually all of these meadows could be converted into cropland; these meadows are very flat and are adjacent to active cropland. Converting the hay meadows to cropland would increase the percentage of the farm that is devoted to cropland from 60% to 72.5%. Note, that more immediate income could be derived by converting these meadows to cropland, but this might compromise the cattle operation on the pastures. The owner has decided to keep the meadows in their natural state as they were when pioneer settlers first came to southeast Kansas in the 1860s (including his great-grandparents). The owner subscribes to the value of maintaining this legacy along with the pragmatic argument in favor of supporting cattle farming as part of a more diverse farming operation. A future owner of the farm would have a choice to make about preserving these legacy prairie hayfields or converting them to more lucrative cropland.

Retaining the three virgin prairie hay meadows on the farm is also a part of the farm’s soil conservation practices. These meadows have never been plowed and retain prairie grasses that defined the whole countryside when the owners’ great-grandparents settled as pioneers in this area in 1869. In addition to preserving the legacy of this part of the farm, these meadows have a practical role to play as they provide sufficient hay for the 60+ head of cattle that are raised on the farm’s two pastures. For 140 years these meadows have been a productive part of the farm, even if less lucrative than the cash grain crop parts of the farm. These prairie hay meadows could still be there in another 140 years with virtually no soil erosion happening on them.

The remaining 49 +/- acres of the farm include timberland, the Little Labette Creek, waterways, and other wooded areas. This part of the farm provides recreational activities such as hunting, hiking, and fishing, and also supports an occasional harvest of lumber (mainly oak and walnut trees). The farm's wooded area supports ideal hunting for deer, quail, and turkeys. Timberland, crop fields, and prairie hay meadows provide good cover for these and other animals. Each time on the farm you will most certainly see bountiful wildlife. Even the variety of bird species thriving throughout the farm is a thing of beauty. The two large ponds provide endless fishing opportunities as well. The farm is about 5 miles away from two boating and fishing areas, Lake Parsons to the northeast and Big Hill Lake to the southwest of the farm.

The farm has operated in a sharecropping partnership between the landowner and the farm operator family for 30 years; this partnership could continue if desired by the future property owner. The current sharecropping partnership includes a father and son who operate the farm as part of the approximately 3,000 acres that they farm. The subject farm is the largest and the best quality out of all the farm tracts they operate. The sharecropping partners have very up-to-date equipment, keep up exceptionally well with best farming practices, and work closely with the owner in making strategic decisions to promote the efficiency of the farming operation and soil conservation. The sharecropping agreement is negotiated on a yearly basis. In 1993, L. B. Myers began a sharecropping arrangement with the current owner’s father, one which he continued with after his father’s passing in 1998 and up until 2016 when L. B. retired from farming due to health considerations. At that time, L. B.’s brother-in-law Bryan Hucke assumed the sharecropping responsibilities along with his son, Brent Hucke, and they have farmed with the owner ever since.

The sharecropping arrangement with Bryan and Brent Hucke is as follows. Bryan and Brent provide all of the equipment and labor to operate the farm with the owner providing the land. They share equally in the costs of fertilizer with the owner receiving 1/3 of the proceeds of cash crops that are harvested (corn, hay, soybeans, wheat, and canola seed which was successfully raised one recent year). This arrangement is not as favorable financially as is common on other farms in southeast Kansas where ordinarily the same ratio of costs for fertilizer would accrue to the sharing in the crop proceeds. The owner has continued this arrangement, which was started by the owner’s father, who wanted to exert more influence over the farming operations in compensation for paying more of the fertilizer costs. The owner uses this extra cost that is paid as leverage to ensure that things like soil conservation are kept at the top of the farming agenda, and that crop rotation and other optimal farming practices are followed. A future owner may want to renegotiate this cost-sharing arrangement. The owner leases on a cash basis the two pastures to the sharecropping partner who maintains two herds of cattle on the farm. The sharecropping partner has responsibility for managing any brush or scrub trees that start growing in the pastures. The sharecropping partner also has responsibility for maintaining terraces on a regular basis (dealing with any terraces needing repair, building up the terraces to a minimum height of 2.5 feet in elevation, on an annual basis). The owner is responsible for building and maintaining waterways and inlets into the waterways. Any changes in the configuration or operation of fields are the responsibility of the owner and decision.

In 2023 the sharecropping partner, Bryan Hucke, won the same county-wide soil conservation award as Edward E. O’Brien, 75 years later. Hucke won this award for his no-till farming practices that minimize the need to disturb the land between crop plantings, preserving moisture and limiting topsoil erosion. Tenants have been carefully selected as sharecropping partners that share the owner’s high priority for soil conservation.

Natural gas exploration and production have been a part of the farm since an initial gas and oil exploration lease was signed in 1903. The current round of natural gas production is operated by River Rock Energy in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Two active wells are located on the farm property and have been regularly producing gas for the past 20 years. A third well is located in the northern half of the northeast quarter of Section 12. An injection well is located on the property and leased to the gas company on an annual basis. The average income from these wells to the owner over the past five years has been $5,519 (1/8 of the proceeds of the gas produced). There are eight inactive wells on the property and the owner is in the process of having these wells removed by the Kansas Corporation Commission. These wells were drilled in the 1970s and 1980s and have been inactive for a number of years. None of these wells has ever leaked to the owner’s knowledge or been a particular problem, but the owner is working to have them permanently sealed because the gas company's assessment is that they lack sufficient natural gas to warrant production. Note, that the Kansas Corporation Commission is in the process of evaluating these inactive wells for being removed and sealed.

Geographically, the farm is located in Osage Township in Labette County, Kansas, Section 12, Township 31 South, Range 18 East (12-31-18). The farm consists of the northwest and southwest quarters of Section 12, the southern half of the northeast quarter, and the western half of the southeast quarter. Note, that a 10 +/- acre piece on the northwest quarter of the farm was sold in 2016 along with the farmhouse and three out-buildings near the farmhouse. No building structures are located on the current farm. The farm is bounded by 26000 Road on the north, Irving Road on the east (which only runs part way between 26000 Road and 25000 Road, with a grass lane being maintained for right-of-way access to our land east of the Little Labette Creek), 25000 Road on the south, and Harper Road on the west.

The farm is in an area served by the Parsons Rural Water Authority that is linked to Parsons, Kansas. The water source for the city of Parsons is Lake Parsons which provides an abundant supply of water for the city and surrounding rural areas. Lake Parsons is located only four miles from the farm. If desired, a house, or multiple houses, could be constructed and connected to this water source.

During the winter months, the Labette County Public Works Department plows and maintains all of the roadways surrounding the farm allowing for eased year-round access on multiple points. The north adjoining roadway to the farm is paved (26000 Road) with the others on the west and south being rock-covered.

The Parsons Tri-City Airport is approximately 8 miles from the farm, providing private airplane access nearby to the farm. Highway 400 runs less than two miles south of the farm and Highways 59 and 169 are also near the farm. The farm is 2 miles north and 5 miles west of Parsons, Kansas. Other nearby towns include Coffeyville (34 miles), Pittsburg (43 miles), Joplin (62 miles), Miami, Oklahoma (62 miles), and Fort Scott (68 miles). Tulsa, Oklahoma is 107 miles to the south, Wichita is 123 miles to the west, Kansas City is 147 miles to the north, and Fayetteville, Arkansas is 153 miles to the southeast. Southeast Kansas is often referred to as being part of the Four State Area of Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.

With this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own one of the larger tracts of ground in the county, this centennial farm is incredibly special and a rarity, to say the least. The seller is seeking to pass the ownership over to continue the stewardship, preservation, and legacy. The seller will be reviewing any offerings on the farm with a request for a proposal that will summarize the intention of the future of the farm. The deadline for proposal submission is August 15, 2024. Contact Brenda Doudican with Midwest Land Group at (620) 794-8075 or bdoudican@midwestlandgroup.com for additional questions, information, copy of Request for Proposal (RFP) and to schedule a property tour.

Property Features

-470 +/- acres

-283 +/- acres cropland

-79 +/- acres of native pasture

-59 +/- acres of virgin prairie hay meadows

-49 +/- acres of hardwood timber stand

-140 years of family ownership since 1884

-Soil conservation award recipient multiple years

-Dennis, Bates, and Parsons soil types

-Exceptionally-maintained terraces and waterways

-Currently in no-till farm practice

-Little Labette Creek running throughout the northeast side of the farm

-2 ponds with 1 additional that is seasonal

-5-strand perimeter fencing with interior cross-fencing

-Natural gas production with income

-3 year averaged annual income of $71,156.29

-All minerals intact and transfer

-Ample hunting opportunity with whitetail, turkey, and quail

-Mature timber majority Burr Oak and Black Walnut

-Neosho Rural Water District #4

-Approximate 2023 tax: $4,371.44

-7 miles northwest of Parson, KS

-43 miles from Pittsburg, KS

-62 miles from Joplin, MO