Auction takes Sisters back in time

The 30th Annual Small Farmers Journal Horsedrawn Auction & Swap Meet will be in full swing at the Sisters Rodeo Grounds this weekend, April 18-20. This is the place to be if you want horsedrawn farm machinery, a carriage, harness, a horse to put in the harness and pull the carriage or simply a bit of yard art.

Founded by Small Farmers Journal publisher Lynn Miller, the auction is reminiscent of an old-time country market day. People walk around with bidder's numbers peeking out of their shirt pockets as they look at and finger the auction items. Browsers wander through the swap meet searching for the perfect bargain. Wonderful aromas blend in the food court, harnesses jingle as the horses are shown off, and over all is the sing-song patter of the auctioneer.

Every year there are items consigned that cause a wave of anticipation as they come through the selling tents. This year one of those items is an 1860 vintage T. Desilet Victorian hearse, mounted on sleigh runners but also able to have the runners removed and wheels attached. Accurately restored, the hearse still has many of its original features. A funeral museum and several funeral homes have all expressed interest in the hearse.

A bit of whimsy is found in some of the items. And who's to know if the stories attached to those items are strictly true. For instance, two original outhouses from ranches in Ashwood, a ranching and mining community north of Madras, have been consigned. One of them has what appear to be raspberry canes attached to the back wall.

According to auctioneer Dennis Turman, who delivered the outhouses, the story is that an occupant of the building ate fresh raspberries for breakfast one day. The canes were discovered growing there some time later.

An undisputed fact of the event is the impact it has on Sisters.

"We fill every motel in town and several in Bend," said Miller. "Also, this year we did something different and advertised the event in The New Yorker."

Miller said that estimates from last year put attendance figures at around 4,000 people.

The auction and swap meet might be a victim of its own success. It is the largest event of its kind in the world, said Miller, and has stretched the available resources to their limit. Miller, who farms in the Sisters area, would like to keep it here but concedes that there is a threshold to the number of people who can jam into the auction tents. They do so with good attitudes, and indeed that cheerfulness is a hallmark of the SFJ auction. Miller is considering other options for the future.

Friday's sale includes horsedrawn farm implements, tools, miscellaneous and household items. Saturday is the carriage auction, and Sunday is the horse sale. The swap meet runs each day. Hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 9 a.m. to finish on Sunday. For more information visit smallfarmersjournal.com.