Things to Know: Produce Auction
Have you ever been to a produce auction? This is a great way to supplement your garden vegetables with locally-grown produce and get some bulk vegetables for winter when your own garden doesn’t produce quite enough. This past weekend, my Mom and I took an adventure out into the county and visited the local produce auction. I had never attended a produce auction, much less bid and purchased any vegetables so I knew this was going to be quite the experience.
Things to Know: Produce Auction
When I arrived, people were milling about studying the produce. You could tell that some of the people had done this before. They were marking their cards with the pallet numbers and perhaps estimating what each lot should go for.
Me on the other hand? I was looking around trying to figure out how this process worked. Was this a silent auction like the local elementary school fall festival? When you bid, are you buying 1 cantaloupe or the whole pallet? Mom and I wandered around until we found someone who looked like he would have the answers. Turns out, we picked the perfect person.
Know the Rules
Each produce auction has its own set of rules. Before you start bidding, make sure you learn the rules. For this auction, you bid on single items but have minimum requirements for how many products you buy.
- For example, If you bid on a pallet of cantaloupes, you bid for one but are required to buy the whole pallet. The bid for this box of cantaloupes went for $2.00. That seems great, right? But you are actually buying the box of 95 cantaloupes. So that’s a great price if you have your own farmers market in town. But I can’t even begin to imagine what I would do with 95 cantaloupes. Sure glad I didn’t bid on those!
- When you bid on a box of tomatoes, you bid for one box and then are required to buy 2 or more boxes. Something to note: not all tomatoes are sold equally. I ended up buying two boxes of beautiful tomatoes for the same price I could have purchased the ‘canners’. Next time, I will be a little more selective on what I bid on so I can get the best produce for what I plan to do.
Sign Up So you Can Bid
When you arrive at the auction you will need to sign up at the front desk/table so you will be able to participate in the sale. Then when you make your purchase, they will make a note on your items so you can pick them up, pay, and take them home.
Check the method of payment
If you attend an auction sponsored by the Mennonite or Amish communities, they may not accept credit cards. So come prepared to pay cash or possibly a check. Plan ahead so you can pay for the items you win.
Will I go Back?
Absolutely! This was a super fun experience and I got a good price on something I needed. I have a feeling that if you go multiple times, you will get pretty comfortable with the process and find some pretty good prices for locally-grown produce, flowers, and seasonal decor.
Produce auctions are a win-win in my book. I’m supporting local gardeners and my family gets to eat food that was grown right here in our local county.
Looking for a produce auction near you? Just do an internet search for your state + produce auction and you should be able to find something close by. If you are in Kentucky, here’s a great resource.
Have you ever attended a local produce auction? What do you bid on when you attend? I’d love to hear!
