Two farms sold, two passed in Upper Mid North but strong bidding at auction in SA

One of the first big farm sales this spring, agents not only from Ray White Rural are hoping the Shanahan sale will set the tone for the sales to come over the next few months..

The Shanahans have made a strategic decision to offload the four-farm Wild Dog Creek aggregation near Melrose in the lower Flinders Ranges they first bought into in 2005.

A good crowd attended the auction at the Melrose Town Hall for the 1143 hectares (2824 acres) "very rarely offered in this highly regarded farming region of SA".

The aggregation was offered in its four farms with views of Mount Remarkable.

Sold first was Sanders 257ha (635 acres) for $2.4 million or $3780 per acre.

Then offered was Wild Dog Creek (368ha, 910 acres) sold after negotiation for $6 million at $6593 per acre.

The third lot offered was Rookhatt across 68ha (168 acres) where bidding stalled early on at $850,000, lifted to $950,000 after negotiation but then was "held over" by auctioneer Geoff Schell.

The final lot to be offered was The Plains block across 449.5ha (1111 acres) which Mr Schell proposed a vendor bid of $800,000 but failed to win any live bids and was also passed in

Tom Shanahan is a fifth-generation farmer who began working his family's farm in Freeling, bordering the Barossa Valley.

He and wife Carolyn manage the farm business called Hillsview Props Farming which bought the original Wild Dogs Creek in the Melrose area, 260km north of Adelaide, and they later bought and leased more farm country in the area.

Their business is involvement in hay production and contracting, grain sales and storage.

The business also produces straw for chicken sheds under contract.

The Shanahans also run an Australia-wide transport business.

Agents say the district is highly recognised for its suitability and flexibility to broad enterprise options including growing cereals, oil seeds, legumes, hay production, prime lamb and wool production.

The Shanahan's aggregation focuses on integration from broadacre cropping and hay production benefiting from scale, operational efficiency, fertile soils and strategic location within close proximity to markets.

Improvements across the aggregation include lots of machinery, hay and fertiliser sheds.

There is also a shearing shed with attached yards, a weighbridge, substantial rain water storage, grain storage, feedlot and a manager's residence.

Agents say the owners have adopted leading agronomic practices including variable rate fertiliser application and minimum tillage.