Buffalo Valley Produce Auction—A First Year Success
BY CRAIG BINGMAN
Snyder Co. Correspondent
Not many new enterprises can
boast that their 3 month old busi
ness is such a success that expan
sion is inevitable. But at Union
County’s Buffalo Valley Produce
Auction, the response has been so
overwhelming that plans for larger
facilities are already underway.
“We’re going to have to expand
because we built it too small,” says
Maynard Loss, local producer and
Vice President of the corporation.
“Since we opened 3 months ago,
the auction has grossed close to
$125,000 in sales.”
The idea for the auction began
late last summer when local grow
ers of fruits and vegetables met to
discuss a problem overproduc
tion. The Central Susquehanna
Valley is a mecca for small grow
ers since the soils and climate are
ideal for watermelons, cantalopes,
peppers, cucumbers, sweet com,
etc. Because of the increase in
growers and production, a market
ing alternative was needed.
Thanks to the time and efforts of
many grower-volunteers as well as
assistance from Penn State Exten
sion Agents, the produce auction
idea was organized in March of
this year. Growers voted to form
their produce auction under Sub
chapter S corporation, which
means that it is limited to 35 stock
holders. Currently, there are 31
stockholders of which all, by cor
poration by-laws, must be
producers.
On June 16, the Buffalo Valley
Produce Auction opened its doors
to the local farmers from surround
ing counties, which now include;
Union, Snyder, Northumberland,
Montour, Lycoming, Clinton,
Centre, Dauphin, Juniata, Colum
bia, and as far away as Lebanon.
To date, almost 100 growers have
brought produce to the auction.
Ken Martin, local producer as
well as President and Auction
Manager, says that the farmers
needed an outlet because the local
market was saturated. “We look at
it as a marketing alternative,” said
Ken. “We’re good growers, but not
good marketers. It’s actually a
separate business, but it has the
farmer in mind.”
With the money collected from
the farmer-shareholders, building
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materials and excavating services
were obtained. The 2100 square
foot building was erected by vol
unteers in one day while the
remainder concrete and filling
work was completed in about a
week. The new facility boasts a
loading dock for tractor trailers,
pickups, or wagons, an office,
restrooms, and a variety of equip
ment to accommodate the
operators.
The auction building is located
midway between Mifflinburg and
Lewisburg near Route 45. This
location is ideal for the many plain
farmers in the Central Susquehan
na Valley who haul their produce
by wagon.
As the growing season winds
down, the auction is open about 2
days a week. At the height of the
produce season, Buffalo Valley
was operating five or sometimes
six days a week; a large increase
from the original Tuesday and
Thursday sales.
Ken Has singer, auctioneer as
well as shareholder and producer,
is quite pleased with the progress
of the new corporation. “I’m sur
prised that we came along this
fast,” says Hassinger. “But we are
selling some quality produce
here.”
Success has been evident by the
many buyers representing produce
wholesalers, roadside market
operators, restauranteurs, and far
mers. Buyers from New York,
Maryland, Virginia, as well as dis
tant cities in Pennsylvania have all
attended to purchase goods from
the central Pennsylvania
producers.
Current officers in the Buffalo
Valley Produce Auction are: Presi
dent and Auction Manager - Ken
Martin, RD#3, Mifflinburg; May
nard Loss - Vice President, RD#l,
Middleburg; Paul Zimmerman -
Secretary-Treasurer, RD, Mifflin-’
burg; Directors: Patrick Mitchell,
RD#2, Middleburg; Leroy Scnse
nig, RD#2, Lewisburg; Dale
Whitenight, RD#6, Danville;
Harvey Hoover, RD, Mifflinburg;
Auctioneers: Kenneth Hassingcr,
RD#2, McClure; Neil Courtney,
RD#l, Richfield.
Though the board of directors
started the produce auction to pro
vide a marketing service to grow
(Turn to Pago A 34)
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Ken Hassinger auctions off produce with the help of Paul Zimmerman, left, Alan
Martin (2nd from right) and Ken Martin, right.
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View of selling area.
Close up of building.
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Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 3, 1987-A27
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