The much-anticipated auction for nearly 2,000 acres of Garst Farmland near Coon Rapids was held yesterday (Tuesday). The 1,998.04 acres were divided into eight parcels and sold to five local farmers for a total of over $19.26 million. This averages out to about $9,640 per acre. Winning bids ranged from $4,900 to $11,700 per acre. People’s Company and Community Insurance handled the sale for the grandchildren of agricultural innovator, Roswell Garst. The Garst homestead at Whiterock Conservancy is the location of an historic visit by Soviet leader, Nikita Khrushchev in 1959, during the height of the Cold War. As a part of the sale agreement, all of the land is to remain in a first-of-its-kind soil conservation easement managed by Whiterock Conservancy.