Illinois Mennonite Relief Sale
scheduled for March 18-19

The 53rd annual Illinois Mennonite Relief Sale is Friday and Saturday, March 18-19, at the Interstate Center in Bloomington, Ill.

The Illinois Mennonite Relief Sale Board said the 2010 sale raised $190,000 to help feed the hungry. Each year, 80 percent of the net proceeds are used by the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), an international relief and service agency located in Akron, Penn. MCC has volunteers working with people in need in 60 countries, including the United States.

Food pantries and relief agencies in Central Illinois will receive the other 20 percent of the net proceeds. Some of those receiving funds are: The Salvation Army in Peoria, Bloomington, Pekin and Pontiac; the Midwest Food Bank in Peoria and Bloomington; Peoria Rescue Mission, Bloomington Center of Hope and many food pantries.

Admission and parking are free. The sale is open to everyone and offers food and fellowship.

The auction will include:
•New Holland model 115UV Rustler
•One Angus steer - sold in three packages (two split sides and one half)
•H.P. Probook Computer with a 15.6-inch screen
•Amish wood furniture
•Cub Cadet 21-inch lawn mower
•Kitchenaid appliances
•Scale model farm toys
•Wooden toys and games
•Collectible coins
•Tickets to local events
•Tools
•Golf at Weaver Ridge
•Many quilts

An all-you-can-eat pancake and sausage breakfast is $7.
For $16 sale visitors can buy half of a barbecue chicken or two catfish fillets for two people.

There are 44 relief sales throughout the United States and Canada. The events raise about $5 million each year. MCC turns that into relief efforts throughout the United Sates and the world.
MCC has already re-entered Egypt, and it is prepared to enter other areas of the Middle East, too.

The theme this year is A Table Of Sharing. For more, visit the sale’s website at illinoismccreliefsale.org

Kansas farm equipment auction draws 430 bidders

CIMARRON, Kan. — An auction of tractors, combines and other equipment attracted a field of 430 bidders as farmers and other buyers from at least 26 states and five countries registered to bid, according to Schrader Real Estate and Auction Co., which conducted the auction for Tim Dewey Farm and Cattle, one of the nation’s largest farming operations.

“We had several factors come together to make this one of our biggest farm equipment auctions in history,” said Ritter Cox, who managed the sale for Schrader.

“Strong commodity prices have fueled an increase in demand for farm equipment, and there’s actually a shortage of equipment right now. We had some late-model tractors, combines and other machines with the latest technology, so you had a ‘perfect storm’ of factors leading to a great sale.”
One of the higher-valued items was a 2010 John Deere 9770 combine, which sold for $217,000.

The sale also included two 2009 John Deere 9770 combines and seven tractors, including a John Deere 9530 4x4 and a 2009 John Deere 8530. Other machinery included stripper heads, corn heads, row crop heads, grain carts, seven Peterbilt 379 semi tractors and other items.

Tim Dewey Farm and Cattle had decided to sell the equipment at auction because of a change in its operations.

“As a business decision, Mr. Dewey evaluated and decided that it makes more sense for the land to be custom farmed, and that meant they had a lot of equipment to sell,” said Cox. “This also allows Mr. Dewey to focus more resources on his trucking and hay businesses.”

The equipment auction was unrelated to Schrader’s upcoming auction of the 9,698-acre DF&D Ranch in northwest Oklahoma for other members of the Dewey family.

That auction will be conducted Wednesday, April 13.

Schrader Real Estate and Auction Co., based in Columbia City, Ind., is a leading auction company selling farms, ranches and farm equipment throughout the United States. Individuals seeking additional information about the firm may visit www.schraderauction. com or call 800-451-2709.