“There are reps from Grand Island who’ve been showing up at every county sale,” Tom said.

“They buy for out-of-state clients.”

“They want eighty acres of Kearney pasture?”

“They want everything,” Tom said.

“They buy it, lease it back to a tenant farmer, and hold it on their balance sheets.”

Luke pushed his hands deeper into his pockets.

“Can we compete with them?” Luke asked.

“That depends on where their margins get too thin,” Tom said.