FOUNTAIN CITY, Ind. – A new auction house in Indiana for livestock, hay and straw is off and running. The first bidding at Midway Auction Barn in Fountain City was May 14.

Omer Kauffman, a co-owner and one of the auctioneers, said the facility, containing about 16,000 square feet of space at 10927 N. U.S. 27, is more for larger producers in the area to connect with buyers.

“This gives them an additional outlet,” he said.

Kauffman, who’s experienced as an auctioneer of livestock, farmland and estates, said it was about a $2 million investment to build the mostly pole type structure with enough parking for about 200 vehicles, including trucks pulling trailers.

The surface of the parking lot is mostly gravel on about 5 acres while the rest is grass.

There are 86 stalls for animals to be viewed by prospective buyers prior to bidding. He estimated one stall can hold as many as “20-30 goats and sheep.”

Kauffman said the main show ring has enough seating for about 400 people while the other show ring can accommodate an audience of roughly half that size.

“It’s big and roomy and lots of space,” he said.

Other features of the facility include a good-sized lobby and a cafeteria where catered food is available for purchase.

“There will be good meals here,” he said.

Kauffman said auctions are every Wednesday beginning at 11 a.m. for hay, straw and firewood. The bidding for livestock begins at noon for swine then cattle, sheep, goats and equine.

Small animals like chickens and rabbits start will be offered beginning at 5 p.m.

Kauffman said he expects most of the livestock will go to slaughterhouses in bulk purchases but feels most people in the audience will be looking for just a few chickens to place in their backyards.

“There will be a lot of homeowners here just looking for a few goats or sheep,” he said.

Kauffman said he expects the number of animals coming to the auction house to increase from a few hundred at the beginning to more than a “couple of thousand” as word spreads over time.

“Obviously, it’s going to grow,” he said.

Kauffman based his projections on the area near the Ohio state line not having another auction house that size within a one-hour drive.

He said the need was such that an ownership group of mostly farmers and business owners formed to construct and operate the facility. Kauffman said the auction house was designed to move large amounts of animals in and out quickly for the convenience of sellers and buyers.

“Some of the stock will only be here an hour or two,” he said.

It took longer than expected, perhaps, for the auction house to be constructed.

The plans were partially held up in a legal challenge by some neighbors complaining about the impact it would have, but their appeal was denied in court.