The annual Bartholomew County 4-H Livestock Auction is about to get underway in a virtual format.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent restrictions, the auction format will be online. Between the time bidding starts at 5 p.m. today and when it concludes at 8 p.m. Friday, there will be 177 entries put up for sale.
“While we’ve really been trying to make this easier for the kids, the harder part has been on the buyer side,” livestock auction committee chairman Rebecca Speaker said. “It’s been a real learning experience.”
In order to help buyers better understand how the online auction will work, an instructional letter was mailed three weeks ago to past bidders. Nevertheless, livestock auction committee members have been taking a lot of phone calls from buyers with questions, Speaker said.
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The first thing buyers need to understand is that they have to get a bidder number online prior to the auction. Bidder numbers are available at: auctionsandrealestate.com/cgi-bin/mncal.cgi?mensendiek.
Unlike previous years, there will not be an option to purchase any animal for personal use processing. This will be a premium only auction, which means winning bidders do not actually get the animal, committee member Nathan Downey said.
However, 100% of winning bids will go toward 4-H members to help them cover expenses and prepare for their futures, according to a “Frequently Asked Questions” answer sheet.
The auction catalog will be organized as follows: Grand Champions, Beef, Dairy Beef, Sheep, Goats, Swine, Poultry and Rabbits.
Bidders, who are required to provide their email addresses while registering online, are also asked to provide their maximum bid for an animal. The auctioneers will “auto-bid” for those who are registered up to their maximum, the answer sheet states.
When the auction is over, all bidders will receive an email letting them know if they were out-bidded or had the successful bid.
Invoices will be emailed as soon as possible, while mailed statements will be sent out the following week. While full payment must be paid by either cash or check, the FAQ sheet emphasizes Mensendiek Auction has several security checks to ensure all financial information remains secure.
If you plan to participate in a large number of bidders, the group must create a separate bidder number through Mensendiek Auction for joint purchases, while the invoice will be sent to the person who created the bid account.
For this year only, checks can be sent for an specific 4-H member through the Friends of 4-H organization. This is an option for those who don’t want to participate in the auction, or just want to add to what the club member receives from the online auction, Speaker said.
All the checks need to be made out to Bartholomew County 4-H Livestock Sale. But on the memo line, the contributor can write whether it is a general donation or intended for a specific club member, she said.
Those donating to the Friends of 4-H can print off a Friends of 4-H form available on the Bartholomew County 4-H Fair, Inc. Facebook Page, and fill it out for advertising purposes before sending it off with a check, Speaker said. However, that is not required. All bidders will be contacted to ensure that the committee has the right names and addresses for advertising purposes.
All checks should be mailed to: Bartholomew County 4-H Livestock Sale, P.O. Box 342, Columbus, IN 47202.
Since an online auction is new for everybody, organizers won’t have any idea how much money was raised until the event is over Friday night, Speaker said.
“But I will say people have been generous with the Friends of 4-H organization,” she said. “They will be bidding as well, so if we don’t get a lot of people online, we’ll be using the Friends of 4-H money to direct some money toward the kids.”
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The online Bartholomew County 4-H Livestock Auction will begin at 5 p.m. today and concluded at 8 p.m. Friday.
In order to participate, you must register for a bidder number. This can be done by going online to:
auctionsandrealestate.com/cgi-bin/mncal.cgi?mensendiek
Once you reach the site, you can select any auction before registering to bid. However, you will be required to provide an email address.
Bidders are recommended to put in maximum bids, with will "auto-bid" for them up to their maximum. Bids are made in even dollar amounts and are bid for a total amount, not by the pound.
If there is a bid in the last few seconds, the time for that individual 4-Her will be extended by two minutes to allow other buyers to counter bid. Otherwise, the auction will start closing at 5:45 p.m Friday with two items per minute closing.
For example, Grand Champion Beef steer and Grand Champion Dairy Beef Steer will close at 5:45 p.m., assuming there are no last minute bids. Then at 5:46, Grand Champion Sheep and Grand Champion Goat will close.
This phased closing, which will last approximately 90 minutes, allows buyers to bid on later items if 4-Hers earlier in the sale receive higher bids than a buyer wants to spend.
At the end of the auction, emails will be sent to inform if another person outbid you, or if you were successful with your final bid.
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The Livestock Sale Bill, which features the grand champions first, can be seen online at
auctionsandrealestate.com/cgi-bin/mncal.cgi?mensendiek
Once you reach this webpage, click on "Bartholomew County 4-H Fair Livestock Online Only Auction." After reaching that page page, click "View Items and Bid."
You will be taken to a page that shows you photos of all 177 lots that will be sold, as well as the name of the 4-H member who entered the animal.
A video that better illustrates the animals being auctioned, as well as the students who raised them, can be obtained by emailing:
You can also leave a text at 812-350-1526. Whether you email or call, make sure to leave your email address, so the video presentation can be sent to you.
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If you wish to have someone place a bid for you – or have additional questions – contact one of the members of the Livestock Auction committee. They are:
- Rebecca Speaker: 812-350-1526
- Nathan Downey: 812-371-8461
- Zach Morey: 812-350-6191
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