http://www.newsok.com/land-war-rages-in-oklahoma-panhandle/article/3550313

It's an Oklahoma story, but thought you farmers/ranchers in the Panhandle might be interested.

Whenever I hear a story like this, I can't help but think there's plenty of blame to go around on all sides of the issue.

Funny, I've been involved in a very similar situation, losing a lease to folks who bid what I thought was WWWAAAAYYYY too much for it.

While it's hard not to wish for the opportunity to engage in a little Schadenfreude when it blows up in their face, I haven't bothered with any gossip or vandalism. Heck, I even avoid driving by the property in question.

Not my problem anymore, and karma will either bite me or them in the butt without any help from me.

My oldest brother used to farm some school land in Oklahoma. He said that was generally the worst farmland around.

Since it was leased, not owned, and you could lose your lease the next time it came up, there was nothing to gain by fertilizing the land. And generally the school land had little or no available water.

According to him, most of the land was abandoned during the Great Depression and subsequently turned over to the school systems. Those farmers who had good water and good land could generally hang on, but those with poor land and little water couldn't make a living and couldn't sell it, so they'd just leave.

He also pointed out that the leases on the school land generally go based on what a farmer can be reasonably sure about making year to year. Someone from elsewhere might see the cheap land and think it is worth much more and jump at the chance to win the leases by bidding higher, but that means that they are likely going to be losing money most years.

I went to the Texas County school land auction in Guymon last fall just to see what it was like. I would say over half of the properties went for the minimum with only 1 bid. Maybe those were the ones that would get you shot at if you ended up outbidding the guy!