Around 300 people attended the June 22 auction and once more turned the sale barn back into a hive of activity.

Stormont’s Krol family sells dairy herd at Winchester auction

Nelson Zandbergen
Farmers Forum

WINCHESTER — Stormont County’s Krolane Holsteins’ dispersal sale went off without a hitch as Hugh Fawcett Auctions in Winchester hosted its first live sale in five years.

Approximately 300 people turned out to see Joe and Joy Krol’s 54 animals go on the block on June 22. A 3-year-old cow named Grumpy went for $3,850 and was purchased by Vandelh Farm of Maxville.

Four animals from a couple of other local dairy producers were also sold on consignment. One of those fetched the highest price of the day: ‘Casmira,’ owned by John Wynand’s Cardinal farm, sold for $4,300 to Francois Cayer of St. Albert.

“There was certainly a buzz in the ring that day,” Dianne Fawcett, wife of auctioneer Hugh, said. The first auction at the sale barn since 2019 proved to be quite a social occasion, with many families and children in attendance. “We had so many kids because I think a lot of the parents of farm families brought their kids to see a live auction. Plus it was a Saturday.”

She said that a short supply of labour makes it challenging to hold auctions anymore, though Hugh hasn’t ruled out having another. “Everything — restaurants, grocery stores — is short of help, and it’s the same with us. Our crew is older and some of them aren’t working anymore. But we did get some younger help, and that was really, really good.”

Joe Krol, who milked cows for 40 years, said he was pleased with the sale. He and his wife, Joy, are now cash-cropping their 200-acre farm outside the hamlet of Berwick. They hope to do this for another 10 years, he said.