Photo: WayneRay / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Land and machinery auctions are still a big deal in rural Iowa. A good farm auction draws neighbors, buyers from around the state and online bidders.
Land auctions have become a key price signal. When a parcel of good north-central Iowa farmland sells, the price gets talked about at every coffee shop in the county.
Online bidding has changed equipment auctions. Buyers can bid from anywhere, and auction companies stream sales live.
Retirement sales often mark the end of a family’s farming career, and neighbors show up to say goodbye as much as to buy.
Curt Hanneman writes for Clarion News Online.