Auction Fever was alive and well during the 2010 National FFA Alumni Benefit Auction held October 22nd during the 83rd National FFA Convention at the Indianapolis Convention Center. This year’s convention set an all-time event attendance record with a total crowd of 54,942 members, advisors, sponsors and guests.

The annual live auction was conducted by veteran auctioneers Mike Jones, president of United Country Auction Services and Shawn Terrel, vice president of United Country Auction Services. Jones and Terrel have conducted the auction the past four years on behalf of the National FFA. In addition to United Country’s Kansas City, Mo., home office team, owners and staff members of United Country – Bonham Auction and Realty of Indianapolis, Ind., and United Country – Coffey Realty & Auction of Bloomington, Ind., assisted in conducting the auction.

Every table at the live auction event was filled to capacity with 736 people registering for the live and silent auctions. Online simulcast bidding was made available by United Country for those who could not attend in person.

One of the major highlights of this year’s auction was a 2011 Ford F-150 Supercrew XLT donated by Ford Motor Company, which produced a final bid of $29,500. Other highlights included a six month New Holland tractor/baler lease for $7,250, a New Holland Rustler utility vehicle for $7,100, a 2010 Yamaha Grizzly ATV for $4,650 and a trip to Germany donated by CLAAS for $3,750. Proceeds for the live and silent auction were approximately $120,000.

“Future Farmers of America” was founded by a group of young farmers back in 1928. Their mission was to prepare future generations for the challenges of feeding a growing population. They taught us that agriculture is more than planting and harvesting– it’s a science, it’s a business and it’s an art. FFA continues to help the next generation rise up to meet those challenges by helping its members to develop their own unique talents and explore their interests in a broad range of career pathways.

Today, the Future Farmers of America members are our nation’s future biologists, chemists, veterinarians, engineers and entrepreneurs of America. United Country representatives hope that some of the 523,309 FFA members will consider a professional career in real estate or auctioneering. There are 7,487 chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.