News

Hay auction a service to the community

From November until April, ASE Feed and Supply in Plain City (Ohio) holds a hay auction every other Saturday.

Ken Jewel the owner of ASE says the hay auction meets a need for both buyers and sellers.

“A lot of the folks coming in to buy may have storage in a stall where they can only put 30-40 bales in,” said Jewel. “The other thing is they basically look at what their checkbook says can do for that week, so they can buy a little more often and don’t have to lay out quite as much money at one time.”

Audio: Ken Jewel, Owner, ASE Feed and Supply (5:40 mp3)

Charlie Glass who farms north of Westerville has been buying hay at the Plain City auction for many years. Glass says he likes the way the auction is run, but he also says you never know who you’ll be bidding against.

“It could be there first time here,” Glass said. “There’s a lot of ladies that bid here, especially the horse people, horse people drive the auction, that’s why I like the clover, they stay off of it, but horse people are big competitors.”

Audio: Charles Glass, Westerville, Ohio, hay buyer (4:40 mp3)

Ray Rausch who farms west of Plain City has been selling hay at the auction for a long time. Ray says while he may have an idea of what his hay will sell for, you just never know.

“Well I kind of think about it, but it’s hard to tell,” said Rausch. “It varies from sale to sale and by what buyers are here and how many.”

Audio: Ray Rausch, Plain City, Ohio (2:50 mp3)

The hay that sold at the Saturday, January 11 auction averaged $4.91 per bale, straw averaged $2.90 per bale. The next hay auction at ASE Feed and Supply will be held Saturday, January 25 at 10 a.m.