22 Violet Road, Mifflinburg PA 17844
Each week, several times a week, truck loads of produce are brought from all over and sold at auction. Some of it is local, some of it is not. This is where the local farm markets purchase items in bulk, to resell.
I love farmers markets, they are where I do the bulk of my shopping. But there is a difference between a farmers market, and a growers market. At a Growers Market, everything at the market was grown, or made, locally, typically by the person running the stand. You won't find a watermelon at a local growers market in May.
At a farmers market... well, a good bit of the products have been shipped in from other states. Some Farmers markets also have local growers stands too, and some stands will have a combination of locally grown items, and shipped in items.
The little Farm Market stores throughout our area all shop at the same place too - the twice weekly Buffalo Valley Produce Auction.
While it is not practical for most of us to buy a skid of oranges, sometimes it is very practical for the average person to buy planters, or flats of flowers, at the sale. Just know what you are buying - almost always you have to purchase the entire pallet - which could be 20 planters, or 8 flats, depending on the item.
Price is almost always per a piece, times the number on the pallet. So if there are 15 planters and you bid $12, that will be 15x$12 - or $180. Sometimes the sale were be by the plant - 180 plants in flats, $1 a plant, $180 would be your total. It's important to pay attention to the auctioneer, and sometimes it can be hard to follow, as there are typically two auctioneers selling at once, just an aisle apart.
Read the details for how to buy at the auction here: http://www.buffalovalleyproduce.com/buyinperson.html
Important points to note include: you must be pre-approved to write a check, there's a 3% charge on all credit card purchases.
There's a small food stand.
And often there are unique things to see. This Bird Of Paradise plant was at a sale in April 2021 - it's the first I have seen one in person.
From early April through Mid June, the auction begins at 9:30am on Tuesdays and Thursdays. From Late June through September, there are three auctions a week, Tuesdays, Thursdays at 9:30, and Fridays at 10:30. In September and October, produce is sold on Mondays and Fridays, and Tuesdays and Thursdays are for ornamentals and pumpkins only. In November, there are a couple of Christmas Tree sales.
Find the full schedule on their website here:
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