During a typical class period on a Thursday morning in December 2023, high school special education teacher and drama instructor, Gwen Boyce, altered her routine. Between helping individual students improve their study skills, she glanced at her computer. It showed the live online auction of her family’s farmland — with no sound. She called on her drama skills to keep a calm face as the value climbed beyond expectations to set a county record for land sale price.
The farm, northeast of Tuscola, Illinois, originally belonged to her great-grandfather. It was passed down to single heirs, eventually belonging to her father, Joseph Hackett. Though he didn’t live in the area or farm, he intentionally pointed it out to his children when visiting the area.
Joseph had relied on farm management services from First Mid Ag since 2005. When he passed away in September 2023, ownership transferred to Gwen, her two brothers, and her sister.
“We had the option to continue with the tenant or to sell the farm,” Gwen explains. “None of us had any interest in farming. And making decisions, even with farm management services, is more complex with four heirs than with a single heir.”
The siblings unanimously decided to sell the 120 acres of farmland as part of settling their father’s estate.
“Dad always chose his services based on personal connections,” Gwen said. “He had told one of my brothers that if we ever sold the farm, we should work with First Mid because of their outstanding service and because they know the community.”
As executor of the estate, Gwen reached out to Justin Wheeler in First Mid’s Decatur office to discuss selling the farm.
“I immediately saw what my dad did — a personal connection,” she says. “Justin clearly knew my dad. And he patiently walked us through every step of the sales process.”
As a licensed real estate broker and auctioneer who knows the area well, Justin recognized the fireworks potential of an auction environment. He and the First Mid Ag Services team reached out to the community to promote the auction, market the ground, and capitalize on a competitive market.
“Justin kept us very well informed throughout the process,” Gwen says. “He asked us about our goals and a range we hoped to sell the ground for, he managed our expectations to keep them realistic, and then the team worked hard to help us achieve those goals.”
The farm was held in two tracts. Leading up to the auction, aggressive pre-bidding pushed the land value well into their goal range, and live bidding exceeded their expectations.
“I could tell Justin really cared about the outcome on our behalf, and that he sincerely wanted us to succeed,” she says. “I don’t have words to adequately express how outstanding Justin and his team were every step of the way, and their hard work paid off. My siblings and I were blown away by the results. We’re glad we followed Dad’s recommendation to work with First Mid.”
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