Auction Policies

The below policies & procedures are available for download here.

POLICIES FOR AUCTION BUYERS:

POLICIES FOR PRODUCE AUCTION BUYERS:

Buyers must register at the office for a buyer’s identification number
Registry consists of a buyer’s name, company name, sales tax number, address, and telephone number.
Applicable sales tax will be charged unless a legitimate tax number is on file.
The buyer’s number is to be used whenever a purchase is made at the auction and is to be displayed for the auctioneer’s view.
The buyer is responsible for assessing the quality and grading of the produce offered for sale and place bids accordingly.
The auction shall not be held liable in situations where the seller has misrepresented the quality of his/her produce. It serves as an agent between buyers and sellers. However, Seaway Produce Auction shall serve as arbitrator in negotiating a settlement in an effort to satisfy both parties.
All items are sold as is, where is, unless otherwise stated by the auctioneer.
The buyers become the owners of the produce when the bidding is done. Seaway Produce Auction cannot be held responsible for theft, missing or damaged produce or property in loading, unloading, or transportation.
Buyers will not have the option of splitting lots.
There will be absolutely no sales transactions of any kind permitted on the auction property except through the auction.
Buyer is responsible for loading his produce onto his vehicle after purchase is made.
Buyer shall remove from the premises all produce purchased on the day of sale unless prior arrangement has been made with the manager. Seaway Produce Auction will not be responsible for any produce left behind after the sale. Any product still left on auction property the day following the auction will become auction property.
Immediately after the sale, the buyer shall pay in full for all produce purchased.
A $50 fee will be charged to the buyer on all returned checks.
All accounts must be paid in full before bidding at the next auction.
Any announcement made on the day of the sale shall take precedence over printed matter.
By registering for a buyer number, the buyer agrees to the terms set forth above.
Seaway Produce Auction Board represents the final authority on all auction-related questions.

Office personnel will gladly answer any questions.

Policies for Auction Growers & Sellers:

Growers must register at the office for the Seaway Produce Action for a grower’s identification number.
Registry consists of grower’s name, address, telephone number (if available).
Grower’s number must be used on all lots of produce offered for sale at the Seaway Produce Auction.
Any products requiring inspected facilities will not be accepted.
Grower is responsible for labeling, unloading, and stacking their produce.
Grower is responsible for the proper washing, grading, and packaging of their produce to the standards set by the Seaway Produce Auction.
Grower shall pack their produce in a new or good, used produce box. Produce not packed in this way will not be accepted. Boxes are the responsibility of the grower. New boxes can be bought at the auction house. Reference the Produce Packing Guidelines enclosed for full description.
Seaway Produce Auction reserves the right to refuse to sell any produce not meeting food safety guidelines or of inferior quality. The Auction Board members will define what is considered inferior quality produce or boxes.
Produce not grown by the seller or grown over 100 miles from the auction premises is not considered to be “local produce” and need to have the point of origin marked on the tag. These lots will sell after the local produce.
Where the grower has made a clear misrepresentation of quality of the produce, Seaway Produce Auction reserves the right to withhold payment until the grower has made proper restitution.
Checks will be issued in payment for produce sold at the Seaway Produce Auction on the first sale day of the following week. Growers will receive their payment at the Seaway Produce Auction office. Checks will be mailed to the grower if the check has not been picked up after the second sale of the following week.
A commission of 10% will be charged on all sales, unless otherwise stated, to support the auction.
Growers should not split lots of the same grading onto several lots or pallets.
Single boxes: Anything less than two full boxes will be sold in the small lot auction.
By registering for a grower’s identification number, the grower agrees to the terms set forth above.
Any announcement made on the day of the sale shall take precedence over printed matter.
Seaway Produce Auction Board represents the final authority on all auction-related questions.

Office personnel will gladly answer any questions.

Seaway Produce Auction Procedures

Uniformity is the key to a well-graded and packed product. Size, color, maturity, and shape should be uniform within a package. Misshapen, off-color, bruised or scarred produce does not belong in a package labeled as first quality.

TO KEEP DUST, DIRT, AND HORSEHAIR OUT, PRODUCE NEEDS TO BE WELL COVERED WHILE TRANSPORTING.

ALL PRODUCE MUST BE TAGGED with the following information:

The grower’s I.D. number
The number of boxes or units to be sold
A written description including size and grade

PRODUCE WILL BE CATEGORIZED BY QUANTITY:

Large Lot
- Minimum 2 boxes. Lesser quantities use carts or pallets.
- 50 or fewer cantaloupes sell as one lot of mixed sizes.
- 25 or fewer watermelons or pumpkins sell as one lot of mixed sizes.
- Make one display of the same grade and size instead of multiple lots of the same grade and size.
- 10 dozen or more ears of sweet corn.
Small Lot
- Anything less than 2 boxes
- Less than 10 dozen ears of sweet corn
- Do not sell items of very low or zero value. Minimum bid of $2.00, with some exceptions as announced day of auction.

WHEN YOU ARRIVE AT THE AUCTION FOR THE FIRST TIME:

Come to the office to register and receive a grower identification number or buyer number. Your grower identification number and buyer number is assigned to you permanently.

GROWERS PLEASE NOTE:

Unload produce in auction pavilion onto carts or pallets. IMPORTANT: Identify carts or pallets with grower identification number, amount, and description.
Read your “Packing Standards” carefully
Be certain to label #2 produce as #2 and NOT as #1
NEVER set boxes directly on floor or dirt!
Selling plants requires a greenhouse license
Buyers will come to know growers by their number and will pay well for superior quality.

Please direct all questions to the office staff.

Produce Packing Guidelines

PLEASE GRADE AND PACK YOUR PRODUCE ACCORDING TO THESE STANDARDS

ASPARAGUS: Make 1lb bunches; pack 10 lb in a ½ bu. box with the butt end down. Snap spears while heads are still tight. Grade by length and thickness. Cut white bottom off.

BEANS: Pack in ½ bu. Pick at early maturity. Beans should be free of scars and damage. Slim varieties are preferred.

BEETS: Tie 6-8 to a bunch so that 15 bunches fill a ½ bu. boxes. Leave tops on. Should be firm and well shaped. Fall beets may be packed in ½ bu. boxes without tops.

BLUEBERRIES, BLACKBERRIES, RASPBERRIES: Pack in 12-pint flats or 12-½ pint flats.

BROCCOLI: Pack in 1-1/9 bu. or bins box - marked head count on box. Leave 6 inches of stem on. Heads should be tight with dark green or purple buds. Long season varieties stay firm longer.

CABBAGE: Pack in 1-1/9 bu. box, bins, or corn bag - mark head count. Should be graded for size. Heads should be solid, hard and fairly heavy in relation to their size. Keep wrapper leaves on to preserve freshness.

CANTALOUPES: Bins by the count. Grade into 3 sizes. L=6-8#, M=4-5#, S=under 4#. Pick when stems let loose with minimal effort. Never let fruit get overripe in the field. Grade out seconds.

CARROTS: Pack in ½ bu. box. Clean well, cut top with 1” stub or leave tops on and pack in 1-1/9 bu. boxes.

CAULIFLOWER: Pack in 1-1/9 bu. boxes or bins – mark head count. Will accept white/creamy white, or lime green, or cheddar, or purple. The curds should be clean, firm, and compact – not spotted, speckled, or bruised. Leave some wrapper leaves on to protect heads.

CELERY: Pack in ½ bu. boxes.

CORN (ornamental): Pack in ½ bu. boxes with a uniform count. Pull husk back and bunch 3 uniform ears together by the husk using wire ties, rubber bands, or twine. Ears should be mature, dry, and well filled.

CORN (sweet): Sells by the dozen, packed by the 5 dozen corn bag, bushel box, or bins. Ears should be well filled and free from worm damage. Note in writing if there is any worm damage.

CUCUMBERS: Pack in ½ bu. box. Cucumbers should be well formed and straight, ideally 6 to 8 in. long.

EGGPLANT: Pack in 1-1/9 bu. box or ½ bu. box. Eggplants should be well-formed, free from scars, uniformly colored, firm and heavy relative to their size. Pick in tender stage, not old and leathery.

GARLIC: Sold by the count. Heads should be dry, sorted by size. Peck or ½ bu.

GOURDS: Small assortments should be packed in ½ bu. boxes or bins while larger sizes should be packed in 1-1/9 bu. boxes or bins. Gourds should be well shaped and completely mature with hard shells. A good assortment of shapes and colors is desirable. Wash and grade for size.

HERBS: Pack in ½ bu. box. 12-14 bunches to a box.

LETTUCE: Pack in 1-1/9 bu. boxes with uniform counts of 12 to 24 in every box. Lettuce should be fresh with full heads with good color. Leaf lettuce may be in bags.

ONIONS: Pack in 10lb bag or ½ bu. Onions should be dry, firm, and shiny with a thin skin. Leave 1 inch of stem on.

ONIONS (green): Tie 6 to 9 in a bunch and pack 24 bunches in a ½ bu. box. Pull onions when the neck is medium sized.

ONIONS (green bulb): Harvest when tops are still green and bulbs are 1 ½” to 2 ½” in diameter. Cut with 6” stem, wash well. Sold by the piece, pack in ½ bu. box or tomato flat.

PEAS: Pack ½ bu. or peck. Pods should be bright green, velvety to touch, and fresh in appearance.

PEPPERS (bell): Pack in ½ bu. or 1-1/9 bu. box. Grade for size and quality. Small size should have about 90 to 1-1/9 bu. box, medium 75 to 85 per box, large 60 to 70 per box, and extra large 45 to 55 per box. Should be well formed and firm with a thick flesh. Sort peppers by color. Pack misshapen peppers separately as choppers.

PEPPERS (hot/sweet banana): Pack in pecks or ½ bu.

PICKLES: Pack in ½ bu. box. Sort by size.

POTATOES (new): Pack in pecks or ½ bu. box. New potatoes gently clean, do not scrub.

POTATOES (winter): 10, 25, or 50 lb bag.

PUMPKINS: Bin. Miniature in ½ bu. box. Pumpkins should be clean, solid, and free from cuts and bruises. The stem should be solid. Grade for uniform size and quality.

RADISHES: Pack in pecks or ½ bu. box. Tie 6 to 12 in a bunch. Should be well formed, bright and crisp and crack/worm free.

RHUBARB: Pack 2# bunches in ½ bu. box. Trim off all leaves.

SPINACH: Pack waxed ½ bu. box. Wet down and keep cool.

SQUASH (summer - zucchini): Pack in ½ bu. box. Summer squash should be firm with a tender and shiny skin that is free from cuts and bruises. Harvest regularly. Ideal sizes is 6-8 in. long. Grade for size and quality.

SQUASH (winter): Pack in 1-1/9 bu. box or bin. Should be mature, well formed, hard-shelled, and heavy for their size. Grade for size and quality.

STRAWBERRIES: Pack in pints or quarts in flats.

SWEET POTATOES: Pack in ½ bu. box, 1-1/9 bu. box or bins. Should be well shaped and firm.

TOMATOES: Pack in 10lb flats or ½ bu. tomato box. Tomatoes should be well-formed and free from cracks, scars, and blemishes. Pick at pink to orange color and ship when orange to firm red. Grade hard for quality and size. Make holes in a piece of plywood to gauge the following: small 2 to 2 ¾”, medium 2 ¾” to 3 ¼”, large 3 ¼” to 3 ¾”, x-large 3 ¾” and up. If you have heirloom varieties, mark them as such. Cherry tomatoes packed in 12-pint flats.

TURNIPS: Pack in ½ bu. box. Should be firm and well-formed. Harvest when turnips are 2 to 2 ½” diameter. Trim tops to 1 to 1 ½”.

WATERMELONS: Bins by the count. Should be firm but not hard. Symmetrical in shape and a waxy skin. Harvest when prime ripe. Grade for size and quality.