Auction season ......pffffttt

[SHALER]

Traditionally in my area of the county, during the 1st half of February you would start to see or hear of farm auctions appearing on the auctioneers schedules. Sales genrally would be advertised 3 to 6 weeks in advance for proper promotion, sale would be held in late February/March and then 45 days to close, which would give the new owners possession in time for spring planting. Im seeing hardly any farm auctions coming up this year. Corn/Bean/wheat are up good, is everyone thinking its 2006 again and we are going to be making money for the next 8 years? Have all the inefficient operators been weeded out of the system and only BTO's left? Dont know what the answer is but curious to know if other area of the country are not seeing much spring auction activity. As an aside, I do seem to be seeing more home residence auctions and little acreages (say one to 5 acre) places on the schedule.

 

[NY 986]

Sadly, most of the small farms are gone hence fewer and fewer auctions. I would say that anybody that is in it now is in it for a while unless health or finances become an issue. Who is to decide what is inefficient? A guy working 20-30 thousand acres might decide anybody smaller than him is inefficient. Are you going to wander off into the woods for the wolves or bears devour you because some guy decides that you are obsolete. I'm not and I only work not even 300 acres. Other careers around here are pretty darn scarce so I am keeping with the farming until they drag me away.

 

[Hayfarmer]

Auctionier south of me about 30 miles. Has a yard and normal auctions spring, summer, fall. Now gone to online due to nnalert. I am on the west coast, Washington.

 

[moresmoke]

Housing real estate is real hot most places right now.

Here on the Northern Plains, ag real estate sales are about at a normal pace. It is rare anyone sells out the farm. Mostly it is a quarter or 2 being sold to settle an estate or the extended family is cashing in. Land that has been cash rented for some time. Most farmers that retire sell the equipment but keep the land for income.

 

[paul]

Fewer auctions, less farmers, more online stuff.

Our season waits to Arch to start, February is snow and deep freeze season. We are in for a week of below 0 f temps, in fact.

There were a lot of late summer auctions here, there was a breif window when the govt dictators allowed outdoor gatherings.

I suspect there will be more this spring, if allowed. But not as many as in the past.

A good old farm auction is basically my travel adventure fun for the summer. Love to go to them.

Paul

 

[SHALER]

To be clear, for purposes of this posting, an auction is an auction whether it is "traditional" or on-line.

 

[paul]

I see more combined on line auctions now. All the bigger spendy pieces in a week long bidding.

Or the consignment auctions, live or online.

I miss the live auctions, so I guess I was looking at it that way.

There were a few more retirement auctions the past 24 months I thought, not counting last spring with the virus issues.

The 3 years before that, so starting 5 years ah
Go, there were not many at all in my location.

They had made a bit of a comeback.

I’ve pretty much outfitted my farm with the live farm auctions, in my life I’ve really only bought one used small tractor, 2 gravity wagons, a chisel plow, a snow blower, and a plow from a dealer. Everything else has been auction or a rare private sale.

 

[1206SWMO]

In the past 10 years there have been fewer and fewer farm sales in my part of the country as theres so few farmers left..Theres lots of 3000-6000 acre farms in my area and about all of them will still be in business in 2021...One of the biggest farmers in my area recently passed but the family will keep it going...I do have one farm sale to go to the end of February and there will probably several more..

 

[David G]

That is absolutely the truth, less farms mean less sales.

The larger farms also have newer equipment, usually in lease.

 

[Traditional Farmer]

Still a lot of small farms in my area but not as many true farm auctions,consignment auctions have gotten very popular.

 

[1206SWMO]

Heres a link to the farm sale that I will attend on Feb 20th...I'm sure glad that it isn't tomorrow as we will get 1-3" of snow..Then on Feb 13th it will only be 12 degrees....I hope that it has warmed up by Feb 20th..
Farm sale

 

[Traditional Farmer]

Looks like an AC CA in the one picture I'd definitely be on that.Looks like a fun auction.