Despite all the changes and challenges, life goes on and the Alameda 4-H club would traditionally be getting ready for their annual show and sale. Due to the current provincial regulations regarding COVID-19 physical distancing, the 4-H show and sale committee has decided to host the Alameda Regional 4-H Sale as on online-only auction.
The format is totally new for the club, but the possibility of still having a sale is really exciting. Jason Frey, who is organizing the event, explained that it will be a horse race style finish auction broadcast on dvauction.com.
“It is a modern-day version of a silent auction. Buyers can scroll through and find the one they want to bid on and bid on it anytime from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on June 13,” said Frey.
If someone is outbid, the prospective buyer will receive an email notification and then they can increase the bid if they so choose. After 7 p.m., the closeout will start. Every time when somebody bids, the sale will open for five more minutes. When five minutes are passed with no bidding, then the auction will be over.
“It could, in theory, go until 8-8:30 at night if people keep bidding.”
The steers will sell by the head this year instead of by the pound. The amount that people bid is what they will pay. All steers will be weighed using the Chopper K Auction Mart scale within one week of the sale to give buyers an idea of what they weigh.
Since no big gatherings are allowed, every club member selling a calf this year will be required to make a one or two-minute video, submit a picture ahead of time and upload it to the auction website for buyers to watch and make up their minds. In the video, they will need to tell a bit about themselves and their calves.
The committee plans to have 85 steers for sale this year. They will do a little bit of online advertising prior to the sale, but part of this responsibility also lays on the kids who are now getting their calves ready for sale with their parents’ help and guidance.
Frey noted that some members have been recently posting pictures of their progress working with calves online, in that way staying in touch with the club.
People planning to participate in the auction have to follow these simple instructions:
· Give Sarah Buchanan a call at (306) 681-5340 and she will set it up as quickly and easily as possible. People can also create a free account at www.dvauction.com under the “registration” tab.
· Apply for bidding approval by clicking on the “details” tab at least 24 hours prior to the auction. Participants will be notified once they are approved.
· Find the “Alameda Regional 4-H Online Sale” to view the entire sale offering videos.
· Place bids between 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Saskatchewan time on June 13.
· Proxy bidding – if someone can’t make time to keep an eye on the sale or be available for the closeout, they can register a proxy bid and let the DVAuction system represent their bid while they are away. To do so, look for the “proxy bid” tab on the auction listing and fill in your maximum bids. DVAuction will handle the rest in strict confidence.
For those wishing to resell the steers, there will be a sale in Alameda at Chopper K the week following the online auction.
