How to bid on the Turkey Bluffs farm lease for Illinois DNR

What Illinois DNR is leasing

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is seeking bids for agricultural use of approximately 254.41 acres of state-owned land near Turkey Bluffs State Fish & Wildlife Area in Randolph County. The lease is for crop year 2027.

The estimated annual value to the state is $28,494.17, based on $112 per acre. The invitation for bid has the detailed locations and acreage information.

Deadline and what to do before it

Bids are due November 25, 2026, at 2:00 PM ET. Submit before the deadline and follow the submission directions in the bid documents.

Who this opportunity may suit

This lease may suit agricultural businesses or operators prepared to farm state-owned land. Review the IFB’s acreage and location details to assess whether the property fits your operation.

How to access and respond

Open the bid’s detail page through “View original source.” The page and listed documents are publicly viewable without signing in.

To quote electronically, register a free vendor account on the State of Illinois procurement portal, BidBuy. Otherwise, follow the submission directions in the bid. The solicitation is 27-422DNR-REALT-B-54113.

Prepare a careful, competitive bid

Read the full IFB, including its maps and acreage details, before deciding what to offer. Check that your bid uses the requested unit-cost basis and accounts for the land included in the lease.

Allow time to complete any vendor registration and prepare your submission. Check your response against the IFB’s instructions, then submit early enough to avoid deadline problems.