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Flowers, plants, trees, furniture go on auction block
Items up for bid in Loveville on Saturday
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
 Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photos by JAY FRIESS
Professional auctioneer Rob Curley works the crowd to move the plants for sale Friday at the Loveville Produce Auction. Flowers, herbs, trees and occasional handmade furniture were up for auction and will be for sale on Saturday, May 2.
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A small wooden swing made by hand sold for $70 on Friday. It would normally go between $150 and $200. "Someone just got a deal," said Shawn Stauffer at the Loveville Produce Auction house.
Some cherry trees sold for $17 each, while some herb plants sold at 50 cents a piece.
"A lot of times" a bidder can find a good deal, Stauffer said, but at the same time, Mennonite, Amish and other growers heavily rely on the auctions to bring in income. Sometimes the bids have to tilt toward the seller. Overall as long as the bidders and sellers do about equally well, the system of give and take works fine.
In March auctions were held on Fridays. This month, they expanded to Mondays and Fridays. This Saturday, May 2, is one of two Saturday auctions held there during the year, and then auctions are regularly held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays until October.
Stauffer said of this Saturday's auction, "It'll be worth the time to come out for multiple items. If they want to do their yard up with flowers, there's a whole variety here."
Friday saw the dirt parking lot nearly full at the corner of Bishop Road and Loveville Road. Palates of flowers and other plants were pushed along on hand trucks amid the groups of bidders.
Rob Curley, a professional auctioneer, rattled off in a steady cadence the offers made on a variety of plants, which are mostly grown locally in greenhouses.
"There's a lot of deals today," Stauffer said.
Among the leafy goods, sometimes wooden planters, lawn furniture, tables and swings can be found in the mix – "stuff you wouldn't find at Walmart," said Bob Schaller, director of St. Mary's County Department of Economic and Community Development.
About 90 percent of annual income comes from sales there at the auction site, Stauffer said of the 200 growers involved. "Ever since this has been here, we're not looking for anyone else," he said in terms of new growers.
The growers have to offer a wide variety of produce to be successful. "It would be easier to grow one variety" of plant, he said.
But "you can't put all your eggs in one basket," said Donna Sasscer, agricultural specialist with the economic and community development.
"It's hard work for what you get," Stauffer said, but "if it wasn't fun a little bit we wouldn't do it."
A lot of the growers also end up doing some buying and many of the customers keep coming back.
For those new to auctions, it's best to watch in person for a while to prepare to bid, Stauffer said. There will be food for sale for the Spring into Spring Home Auction and he suggested bringing the family out to make a day of it.
And hopefully the weather will cooperate. "This whole flower deal is solar powered," Stauffer said.
