This week I did something a little different and visited the Central Missouri Produce Auction in Fortuna, Missouri. If you are ever out that way on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday morning between 10 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. it is well worth a look. I have been at the auction house for conferences but never to attend the actual auction. They have enlarged the facility since the last time I was there and it is very clean and nice.
Farmers from within a 100 mile radius from the auction arrive early in the morning to sign in and to give the manager time to list what will be auctioned off. Each farmer then pulls their trailers of produce into the center of the auction house which is lower than the area the customers are in so everyone can get a good look. The auctioneer starts the bidding off with a higher price and then always drops it down until someone places a bid. I had to really concentrate on not talking with my hands; I could have come home with cases of tomatoes. From what I saw they usually auction off the big lots first and the smaller lots last. If there is an item that is from farther than 100 miles away they save it for the very end and let the customer know where it is from. Today it was potatoes from Missouri but farther than 100 miles.
It was nice to get to catch up a little with James Ramer who manages the auction. James was a vendor at the City Market for years and always had the most beautiful flowers. I also saw Mark Zimmerman who had brought in a load to get auctioned off.
It is amazing what you can buy at the auction. I thought it was just produce but they also have jams and jellies, baked goods, bales of hay, corn stalks and a large horse made of corn stalks which sold for $210.00. And if you get a little hungry they have a snack bar where you can get some lunch. It was very fun and I was surprised to only see one of our vendors purchasing produce. I will have to plan a trip to the Jamesport auction in the near future.
Next week I will take a week off from my blog since it is a holiday week and I have fewer days to get ready for the weekend. Have a safe holiday and stop by the market to pickup everything you will need for all your holiday gatherings.
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