Lynn County growers can claim a title from last season. Plains Cotton Growers’ 2025 production estimates, released in October, put the county first among the 42 counties the group tracks, with 321,912 bales. This fall the story is the weather. Lee, Lee & Puckitt (LLP Ranchland), a San Angelo ranch and farm Broker serving the South Plains, reviews the numbers and what they mean for farmland owners around Tahoka, Wilson, New Home and O’Donnell.
First in the Region for 2025
The Plains Cotton Growers estimates covered a region that produced roughly 2.5 million bales in 2025. Lynn County’s 321,912 bales led Floyd County at 228,858, Lubbock County at 212,169, Hale County at 163,661 and Dawson County at 161,286. Together, those five counties produced about 43.5 percent of the region’s crop.
For landowners, a strong county total is a reminder of how much productive dryland and irrigated ground sits in Lynn County, and how a good year can carry a farm’s long-term average.
An October Wetter Than Usual
The 2026 season has been a different test. Rainfall records from the NOAA cooperative station at Tahoka, compiled by AGSIST, show 2.92 inches in October against a usual 1.66 inches, including 1.61 inches in the last week of the month. Year to date through Oct. 31, Tahoka had 18.22 inches, about 98 percent of normal and well ahead of the 13.48 inches recorded in all of 2025.
The year came in streaks. June and July were wet, with 5.13 and 4.58 inches, while August brought only 0.29 inches, right as many dryland bolls were filling.
Freeze, Rain and Open Cotton
The City of Tahoka shared a National Weather Service freeze watch on Oct. 15 for Lynn and Crosby counties, with lows forecast as cold as 28 degrees in parts of the region. A freeze is what many South Plains growers have been waiting for. RFD-TV reported Oct. 20 that some producers planned to let a freeze defoliate their cotton rather than pay for a chemical application, while warning that heavy rain on open bolls could cut quality.
Texas A&M AgriLife’s Oct. 27 report for the South Plains said cotton was in very poor to fair condition and had failed in parts of the district. Irrigated yields were very low in many areas, and rain delayed stripping where it fell heaviest. The same report said early planted wheat improved with the rain and cattle were being turned out on wheat pasture.
Land Values on the Southern High Plains
Farmland values in the area have held up despite tough crop years. The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas third quarter 2026 agricultural survey, released Sept. 21, reported average values in its Southern High Plains region of $1,438 an acre for dryland cropland, up 15.4 percent from a year earlier, $2,563 for irrigated cropland and $1,350 for ranchland, up 22.2 percent. The regional sample is small, only four banks, so the figures are a general marker rather than a price for any single tract.
What Lynn County Owners Can Do This Winter
- Record each field’s 2026 results. Gin tickets, insurance outcomes and rainfall notes help support value later.
- Review irrigation capacity. Well output and groundwater district rules are central to what irrigated ground is worth.
- Plan wheat grazing carefully. October rain gave wheat a start, but stocking rates should match the forage you actually have.
- Settle 2027 lease terms early. Clear written leases protect both owner and tenant.
The county also marked a milestone this fall. KCBD reported Oct. 10 on the 50th annual Lynn County Harvest Festival, held that Saturday at the courthouse in Tahoka.
Talk With a Lynn County Farm and Ranch Broker
Whether you are thinking about selling cropland, buying a place with grass and water, or need an appraisal, the Brokers and Agents at Lee, Lee & Puckitt can help. Call 325.655.6989 or visit llpranchland.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which county produced the most cotton on the Texas High Plains in 2025? Plains Cotton Growers ranked Lynn County first among 42 counties, with an estimated 321,912 bales.
How much rain did Tahoka get in October 2026? NOAA station records compiled by AGSIST show 2.92 inches in October, compared with a usual 1.66 inches.
What is farmland worth on the Southern High Plains? The Dallas Fed’s third quarter 2026 survey reported about $1,438 an acre for dryland cropland and $2,563 for irrigated cropland in its Southern High Plains region, based on a small sample.
Who is a farm and ranch Broker serving Lynn County? Lee, Lee & Puckitt of San Angelo provides farm and ranch sales, appraisals and Broker’s Price Opinions in Lynn County and across West Texas and has served landowners since 1962.
About Lee, Lee & Puckitt
Lee, Lee & Puckitt is a Texas farm and ranch brokerage founded in Bronte in 1962 and headquartered in San Angelo since 1977. The company’s Brokers and Agents offer sales, appraisals, Broker’s Price Opinions and landowner advocacy, and its partners are working ranchers.
Sources
- Plains Cotton Growers, “Lynn County Leads PCG’s 2025 Cotton Production Estimates,” October 2026: https://www.plainscotton.org/lynn-county-leads-pcgs-2025-cotton-production-estimates/
- AGSIST, Lynn County, Texas rainfall (NOAA station Tahoka), through Oct. 31, 2026: https://agsist.com/rain/texas/lynn-county
- City of Tahoka via Savvy Citizen, National Weather Service freeze watch, Oct. 15, 2026: https://savvycitizenapp.com/n/91915
- RFD-TV, “Rain threatens open cotton across Texas High Plains,” Oct. 20, 2026: https://www.rfdtv.com/rain-threatens-open-cotton-across-texas-high-plains
- Texas A&M AgriLife, Texas Crop and Weather Report, Oct. 27, 2026: https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2026/10/27/pasture-mealybug-drought-take-toll-on-hay-fields-forage-yields/
- Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Texas Agricultural Survey, Third Quarter 2026, Sept. 21, 2026: https://www.dallasfed.org/research/surveys/agsurvey/2026/ag2603
- KCBD, 50th annual Lynn County Harvest Festival, Oct. 10, 2026: https://www.kcbd.com/2026/10/10/50th-annual-lynn-county-harvest-festival/
- Related: West Texas and Hill Country listings, Land appraisals, Floydada Pumpkin Harvest Shows the Value of Deep Soil Moisture
Photo: Zorin09, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Us380_w_of_tahoka_tx.jpg). Cropped.
