Sisters hosts major farmers’ auction

Trampled grass and a few stray bidders’ numbers caught under the bitterbrush are the only reminders of one of the biggest auction events held in the U.S.

The Small Farmer’s Journal Annual Horsedrawn Equipment Auction and Swap Meet took over the Sisters Rodeo grounds April 21-23.

Hundreds of carriages and horsedrawn farm implements, thousands of people and about a zillion pieces of miscellany passed through the auction tents and vendors booths. The auctioneers, office staff and a legion of volunteers worked late into the evenings to make sure each item consigned got its moment of exposure.

Ray Rogers, from Redding, California, summed up the essence of a swap meet by saying he brings up a load of junk he doesn’t need and takes home a load of someone else’s.

Friday’s auction saw farming implements and work wagons go under the hammer. Much of the day’s selling took place outside, as the pieces were too unwieldy to bring into the tents. There was a palpable buzz in the chilly afternoon air as one approached the crowds surrounding the auctioneers. Stern-faced bidders vied for the bid-spotter’s attention, with the successful purchaser often giving a satisfied nod after holding up his bidder’s number for identification. Occasionally a buyer would look bemused as if wondering what he’d just bought and why.

While the big items were gathering a crowd, inside the tent the auctioneers were chipping away at the massive piles of smaller stuff. A buyer could walk away with a bridle, a tin washtub, a hitching post or any number of thingamajigs. Smaller items continued to be sold at regular intervals each of the three days.

Saturday, the day the carriages and buggies are sold, always creates a sense of anticipation. At any auction, all it takes are two determined people wanting the same item to make the audience hold its collective breath as the bidders battle it out to the final fall of the hammer. This year, the buyer’s interest was spread throughout the offering and several of the finest carriages were passed without reaching the seller’s reserve. A sheepherder’s camp sold for $10,500. This wagon, a canvas covered affair kitted out inside with wooden cabinets, a sleeping loft and a woodstove, is the purist’s answer to an RV.

Sunday’s big-ticket items were the horses, and there was a good quality lineup, according to Small Farmer’s Journal Publisher Lynn Miller. “About the best we’ve ever had,” he said. Most were big horses and teams, with a few riding horses, youngsters, and two mules.

In an emotional moment, tribute was paid to the McInnis family of Reedville, Oregon. Long respected for their contribution to the draft horse world, but now forced out of it due to encroaching urbanization, the family put up a fine team of six Belgian geldings. The geldings all sold, to several buyers. Miller took a moment to thank the family for their support and to recognize the end of an era.

Each year, the Small Farmer’s Journal Auction brings people from all the corners of the U.S. and abroad. This year, the prize for traveling the furthest went to Lester Rowntree from Nelson, New Zealand. A deer farmer from the top of the South Island, Rowntree bought seven buggies and several farm implements, which he will use on his property. He figured he might as well buy enough to fill a container. Rowntree was most delighted with the purchase of a 1903 Amish buggy, something he knows will be unique in New Zealand.

The trip was rather spur of the moment, Rowntree said. A couple of weeks ago, he saw a copy of the Small Farmer’s Journal with an ad for the auction.

“I’ve been wanting to go to America for about 20 years,” he said. “This seemed as good a time as any.”

When asked about his impressions of Sisters and the auction, Rowntree said the friendliness and quality of the people stand out. He hadn’t heard an unkind word since arriving in Sisters.