By Dante Campana / Full360 Multimedia Reporter
This was not the heifer to lose the bid on. Auctioneer Larry Swartz rattled off the rapidly increasing price as the coveted cow was led by her handler for yet another lap of the show ring, his voice getting cut off more and more frequently by the calls of the ringmen as they indicated bids. The eagerness of the buyers was infectious, with bids quickly going back and forth between the buyers online and in-person. As the final price was declared at $11,700 and the cow was sold, a joyful smile emerged on her handler’s face: an all-time record sale price.
Delaware Valley University celebrated an important milestone last month when the student-run Green and Gold Dairy Sale held its 25th anniversary. The event attracted consignors, bidders, and alumni from across many states for one of longest-running student-led cattle auctions.
The event is organized by student members of DelVal’s Dairy Society and led by their three Dairy Sale Chairs of Nellie Hankinson, Jacob VanDoren, and Caitlyn VanDeusen. They and the rest of the Dairy Society manage the behind-the-scenes in the week leading up to the sale through their collective hard work.
The sale brings in dairy cattle from farms across several states including Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, and Vermont. When the cows arrive, DelVal students spend days grooming and preparing the animals before the main event. They clip, feed, and wash all of the cows to ensure they are in perfect condition for the show and milk the dairy cows twice a day, meaning students are at the barn around the clock for most of the week.
The auction takes place in the riding arena of the university’s equestrian center, where cattle are walked onto a stage and sold to bidders who are both online and in-person. All proceeds benefit the Dairy Society and its programs.
Samantha Salazar and I interviewed Caitlyn VanDeusen, the Dairy Society’s president and Dairy Sale Co-Chair, in order to learn more about the history of the Green and Gold Dairy Sale and what she and the other Dairy Society members were looking forward to this year.
VanDeusen mentioned “It’s a lot of fun seeing our dairy society members connect because we’re down in the sale barn 24/7 in-between classes, we have people overnight, so I’m looking forward to seeing all our hard work come together on Saturday”.
For more of this interview and a closer look at the efforts DelVal students undergo in preparation for this annual event, be sure to check out the video covering the 25th anniversary of the DVU Green and Gold Dairy Sale.
Caitlyn VanDeusen, Dairy Society President and Co-Sale Chair, stands with one of the calves being sold
Photo by Dante Campana