Attending a Local Plant Auction

Posted by Amy Urquhart May 31, 2008

Earlier this week I attended a plant auction, held by the local chapter of Canadian Organic Growers that I belong to. I wasn’t sure what to expect as I carpooled over with two other members, and I didn’t anticipate there being too many edible plants up for auction that evening.

The auction was held in a meeting room at a local school board building, and the place was packed! The turnout was really excellent, with many members of the organization, as well as simply interested individuals from the community who had seen signs posted in local libraries and at the intersection nearby.

I brought several plants with me to offer up for auction, mostly perennials I had divided from my own garden, including one of my favourite herbs, Anise-hyssop.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that there were ten long banquet tables filled with plants for the auction, and many of them were vegetable and herb plants. Perfect! As the auction got underway, I could see that most of the attendees were on the prowl for low-maintenance ornamental plants, but the competition was less fierce for the edible plants that were up for grabs.

Most of the plants were priced low to start. One attendee had provided 27 San Marzano tomatoes for the auction, and they went for a quarter a piece for whoever was willing to bid. I ended up taking two of them home. I also scored some other edible plants, including:

• Emerald Evergreen heirloom tomato
• Brandywine heirloom tomato
• Black Beauty eggplant
• Butternut squash
• Starburst squash
• Chocolate mint
• Sweet cicely
• Broccoli (variety unknown)
• Red currant

I spent a total of $17.75 for two flats of plants and the red currant, and enjoyed the fact that the money raised at the event, a grand total of $819.75, would go toward the COG chapter I belonged to. What a steal!