StateMedicare,

Six years ago, I had to be convinced to get a smart phone so I could check email while away from the office. Now I rarely don’t have the phone in pocket, whether I am in the office or on the farm. Toddlers  get frustrated when the encounter TVs that don’t respond to touch like IPADS. The world is changing. As I hear from time to time, “I saw on the internet that if it is on the internet it must be true.”

Ag is no exception. Online and televised auctions for livestock are becoming all the rage. Unfortunately, just because it looks like an auction, doesn’t always mean it is conducted like the auction at the sale barn. Basically, an auction is a series of offers (will you buy at this price) followed by a rejection (any other bidders) followed by a counter offer (okay your price is agreeable to me). Auctions are covered by federal regulation if they take a commission of the sale, those who are regulated can be found at  www.gipsa.usda.gov . Auctions that take a flat fee per animal may not be covered or regulated by the federal rules at all. Which makes it hard to deal with.  As always, it is good to do a little back ground work  and check the owners of the web site and auction company.

To report a problem you’ve encountered buying livestock, or to file a complaint, call 1-800-998-3447.