KALKASKA, Mich.  — You know you are in the country when you see a “Cattle Xing” sign. When you look across the road from that sign and see the likeness of a Holstein cow fashioned from items from around the farm, you know you have arrived at what was formerly the Shetler Family Dairy in Kalkaska.

Established in 1979 by George and Sally Shetler, the dairy quickly became know for its quality milk, yogurt, and ice cream products that were delivered to schools and sold in stores for miles around. In his opening announcements, Auctioneer Jim Lambert reminisced, “This is kind of a hard day today because I have known George for 30 years. George had a dream and that was to milk cows. He said that in order to make it worthwhile they had to find a way to double their income, and he did find a way. He started bottling his own milk and did it his own way. And he knew how to do it.” 

Forty years after its establishment and after a series of life-changing events which included the death of Sally in 2018 and then George less than a year later, the Shetler Family Dairy closed its doors in August of 2019.  While many of the Shetler’s personal treasures and farm equipment were offered at public auction on Aug. 29,  the very essence of the family business, the bottling equipment, production techniques, and trademark recipes had been acquired by Farmers’ Creamery in Mio, Mich., a newly established dairy of similar design.

Items that spoke to the classic farm-visit experience included 20 plus antique milk and cream cans. For upwards of $45 apiece, bidders were able to take their pick of which one they wanted to take home as a memento. The smaller cream cans were first pick, while others were gradually selected as the price dropped to $17.50 each.  For $70, a bidder took home an extra long picnic table upon which many meals had undoubtedly been shared by both family and customers over the years.  Similarly, a vintage ice cream parlor table with matching chairs found a new home for $60, and a matching set of four vintage ice cream bar stools followed suit for $40.

Household items varied from modern to antique. Among the bedroom sets displayed on the lawn stood a Thermal Life sauna that had not previously been assembled until it had been placed in the auction lineup. It was clearly a favorite among bidders at a final hammer price of $1,300. A few pieces of antique furniture stood out among the rest.  A large, ornate, curved-front curio cabinet with a mirrored back and four solid wood shelves sold for $325 while an antique two-tone wardrobe with beveled-mirrored doors and ornate trim followed close behind at $300.  Another solid oak piece in a lighter finish but of a much larger scale had previously held George’s toy farm implement collection. It sold for $200 and will soon be used to store a collection of antique books.

Smaller collectibles included a vintage gossip bench ($50), a wooden WE Meyers & Sons Merchandise Mart Laundry Kart complete with wicker clothes basket ($100), a pair of lightening rods with glass balls ($65 each), and numerous boxes of carefully wrapped cow figurines from various eras ($32.50 each).

Auctioneer Greg Zuiderveen commandeered the second auction ring, which was dedicated primarily to farm equipment and was broadcast live online through Hibid.com starting at 11 a.m. First up was a Co-op 4, wide front tractor that was not in pristine condition but had been running earlier in the week.  It sold for $700. The Massey-Harris parked next in line resulted in the same final bid amount; however, bidders raised their sights with a Case 995 ($1,500) and a John Deere B ($1,700). 

As models increased in size and horsepower, selling prices increased in turn.  A Case 885 loader tractor sold for $4,000, a Massey Ferguson 1805 articulating tractor followed for $4,250, and a Case 2090 with dual PTO outlets and 6261 hours finalized at $6,200.  The newest model, a John Deere 6420 power quad with 105 HP and 5795 hours found a new farm (and fields to travel over) for $25,000. 

A variety of other farm implements spoke of the many tasks involved in raising crops and feeding and caring for livestock. Equipment included a Burchfield disc ($1,900), a Hesston 2-row chopper with hay head ($900), Brillion cultipacker ($1,200), John Deere disc ($2,100), and Star Caddy hay rake ($2,950). A hay wagon once used to transport bales of hay around the farm and that had since been converted to serve as a people mover for farm tours sold for $650.