One Saturday every summer, this Amish farm in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin, becomes the site of an auction to raise money for the Amish school that serves the area.
 

It is an important annual event for the many Amish who donate items to be sold or auctioned, who work at the auction, and who buy things here for their homes and farms.  And it is a popular event for the many "English" folks who attend, hoping to go home with some bargains and/or a unique handmade treasure.

There are various auction locations at the farm, and there are often two auctions going on at the same time.  At one location, livestock and large farm equipment are sold.  At another, about an equal number of Amish and English men bid on hand tools, work clothes, guns, and other "guy things."
 

In a mowed field near the house, there are rows and rows of used items brought to the farm by both Amish and English folks for a consignment auction -- among other things, old wringer washers, toys, TVs, air conditioners and furniture that has seen better days.   Looking over the items in that field brings to mind the saying, "one man's trash is another man's treasure."
 

Before this old kitchen furniture was auctioned off, it provided a convenient spot for a group of young Amish men to gather for a visit.
 

The most popular auction is in the barn where new handmade Amish furniture, baskets, rugs and quilts are put up for bids.  That auction goes on ALL day long, and receives a lot of attention from English and Amish alike, but for different reasons.

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