Changes for the Small Farmer’s Journal Auction and Swap

by Lynn Miller

When I was a little boy I used to love the background elements of stories, the weather, the minor characters, the kid sisters, the escaped pig, the smell of lightning, the colored flags waving, the hecklers and hawkers trying to distract the love-struck kid, the look of grapefruits carefully stacked into pyramids and most of all the market days. You know, like the one Jack went to to sell the family cow in Jack and the Beanstalk, or those lavish Arabian street markets that Sinbad darted through, or those wild high plains rendevous’ where mountain men and Sioux met to trade goods. Theater, it was all theater – and urgency – and reunion – and celebration. I wasn’t more than ten when I imagined what fun it would be to try to organize such things. And then I grew up and stumbled on to auctions. Scary stuff, but frequently a good kind of scary. Everybody watching as you timidly raise your hand committing to pay some dollar amount BUT only if you are the last one to raise a hand. And did that mean you won or lost? Could be either; had to wonder if the person or people you were bidding against knew something you didn’t. “Has the horse moonblindness? Or is that plow beam bent?” Ah… but in the moment it was such grand fun mixed with serious business. Wouldn’t it be fine to discover an auction where the management actually tried to do the business end honestly? With the passage of time I came to find myself actually organizing an auction. And I was able, because I was in charge, to fill in around the edges.

Right from the beginning. the concept was to do an event that was one part auction, one part education, one part theater, one part street market, and one part reunion. And that’s just exactly what’s occurred. I can say without reservation that we are very proud of the event. It has evolved and matured to become a thing unto itself. Thirty some odd years worth.

So why on earth would we decide to change it now? Because we want it to swell, we want it to give off more music, we want it to become even more relevant to the regulars, we want it to attract more newcomers, we want it to swirl its long multi-colored skirt of market and theater and auction and education ‘til everyone it touches bursts from the shear useful pleasure of it all. So here’s what we’ve set out to do for 2010.

Dates

April 14th through the 17th, 2010. Yep, that’s four days instead of three and we’ll explain why in a moment.

Location

Yes, we are most definitely sticking with the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, in Madras, a lovely small town plopped down dead center of a vibrant farming region in Central Oregon. We were treated like royalty last year and the overtures have continued for this next one as well.

If you weren’t with us last round, this is an old-timey fairgrounds with a big enclosed arena, several typical agricultural buildings, nice grass all over, ample livestock pens and lots of parking. A very welcome feature for campers were the showers. It also features an extra nice full-hook-up RV park that got filled really early last year.

What’s To Be Included

As of press time we have decided on a schedule for those four days. But we reserve the option to subtract only if we have to; and to ADD as the whim and opportunities present themselves. Here’s what we’ve got penciled in.

Wednesday the 14th is to be the final check-in day for EVERYTHING slated for auction (that’s equipment AND animals). ALSO on Wednesday we will be offering a horse and mule plowing competition. We have land just west of the fairgrounds that is suitable. The number of plots will be limited, so a shot at the contest will be first-come first-served. Men, women and children will all plow against one another in just two classes; walking and sulky plow. No big hitches this year. We are hoping to have a celebrity judge from back east. We are definitely looking for volunteer help to pull off this important addition to the event. Stalls will be available to stable the contestant animals so folks can stay for the sale. All day Wednesday will be swap meet and trade fair peppered with demonstrations, clinics and meetings. Wednesday evening we will sell tickets for a catered meal and possibly enjoy some light entertainment.

Friday the 16th all day Swap Meet and Trade Fair and we will start back in the arena with harness and tack. At eleven a.m. we will feature the opening of the horse auction with our premiere select animals. For the first time we will be encouraging consignors to submit video tape clips EARLY to our sale jury. If the jury deems your animals as worthy of the premiere select portion of the sale and you elect to pay an additional entry fee, you will be given an assigned number in the selling order AND your video clip will be made accessible through the website. This will give people an opportunity, well ahead, to see what your animals can do and how well they do it. The animals will be offered as jury selected.Following the premiere select animals will be our general horse auction conducted as it has been done in the past.

Also Friday evening we are hoping to feature a mini concert of old time music with Ryan Foxley and his cohorts from up North. Ryan has a brand new CD release, Follow the Plow, which is all about what we do.

Following the premiere select animals will be our general horse auction conducted as it has been done in the past.

Anyone purchasing animals and wanting to stay on for the rest of the sale will be given access to enclosed and secure stalls.

Saturday the 17th all day Swap meet and trade fair. In the morning the auction commences with small items, tack and harness. At ten in the morning we will start the Carriage sale in the arena with Premiere select vehicles. Based on a set of photos sent in before the early deadline, the auction jury will determine which entered vehicles are eligible to purchase a predetermined sales position in the opening premiere select. These vehicles will be given added advertising exposure and enjoy a guaranteed early sales position. Following the premiere select will be the remaining horse drawn vehicles.

And Sunday is the cleanup and go-home day.

Sandwiched in this busy schedule we plan to have clinics and demonstrations such as Doc Hammill and John Erskine’s Ask a Teamster Clinic, a collar and harnessing fitting demonstration, carriage and wagon building demonstrations, livestock and farming features and much, much more.

The swap meet and trade fair is sure to fill up fast, as are the clinic time-slots, so DO NOT WAIT to sign up if you want to conduct a clinic. See page 88 for specifics. Once again we will be publishing a program in which your ad will surely attract important future customers attention AND we are looking for folks who will help us pull this off with sponsorships. The time is ripe to join us for what will be the largest and best event we have ever held. Thanks for your time. LRM