Sheep and Wool Festival auctions offer something for everyone

The 15th annual Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival, held Sept. 8-11 at the Jefferson Fair Park, will host a variety of auctions sure to please Festival attendees.

The Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festivals’ Used Equipment Auction will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10. Consignments of sheep or fiber related equipment are still being taken and can arrive as late as 9 a.m. the morning of the auction.  Auction items typically include feeders, scales, spinning wheels, trimming stands, water tanks, gates, small farm implements and more. A livestock trailer will be among many items already consigned to this year’s auction. Consignments are not limited to sheep related equipment, many small/hobby farm equipment items will be offered or items with multi-species purposes. For more information to consign or view present consignments. visit www.wisconsinsheepandwoolfestival.com and click on the Auctions & Sales tab.

The 2016 Stock Exchange is a private treaty-style auction that is a great opportunity for breeders and new comers to the sheep industry to buy registered, commercial, fiber or meat type stock. Lambs, yearlings, brood stock, rams and ewes will be available for purchase. Sellers will have their sheep on display in the goat barn for buyers to evaluate any time between Friday morning and Sunday afternoon of the festival. See the Stock Exchange tab.

Looking for a beautiful fleece?  The Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival boosts a fleece show as well as both a private treaty and silent auction for one of the largest sales of fleeces held in the Midwest. The silent auction will be held Saturday, Sept. 10 from 6 to 7 p.m., and the private treaty auction will be offered Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Consignments are open to anyone whether they participate in the fleece show or not. More information can be found on the Fleece Shows & Sales tab on the Festival website.

New for 2016 is an EliteShepherds Auction held in conjunction with the Wisconsin Sheep Breeders Co-op Lamb dinner. This event will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the Activity Center. Ten elite packages will be auctioned off with something for everyone to enjoy. For golf enthusiasts, the “Golf for Four” basket includes dinner, greens fees, cart rentals and customized putter to keep. The “Relax at the Lake” basket is an relaxing overnight stay at the Blue Harbor resort in Sheboygan. The “Seed Down the Farm” basket will offer package deals from Pioneer that include 20 acres worth of alfalfa, grass and turnip seed.  If you’re looking to add lamb to your menu, the “Lamb BBQ for a Year” basket will include one whole processed lamb, weber grill and BBQ set.  A complete list of Elite Shepherd’s Auction basket supporting the Wisconsin Sheep Breeders Cooperative youth and education fund can be found on the Auctions & Sales tab on the Festival site.

Finally, the ever favorite silent auction will also be held Saturday, Sept. 19th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.  The popular silent auction is a great opportunity to bid on unique gift items, sheep supplies, fiber, fiber products, equipment and more.

For more information on all auctions, visit the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival website at www.wisconsinsheepandwoolfestival.com.