hometownsource. com / heartland / Stories of the Heartland • Sunday, April 19, 2026 Page 9
What also makes working enjoyable is that it gives him something to do and gets him socializing with people after his wife, Catherine, died three years ago.
With 10 minutes left before the auction starts at noon, a few of the men gather around the counter in the closedfor-the-season cafe to shake dice. It’ s a fun game to play while killing some time and bantering with one another.
The bidding begins
Noon rolls around and buyers and sellers have gathered near the auction ring. Most are seated. A few remain standing. On one side, a woman is seated next to her husband, tending to their young children, while he is focused on the sale ring. On the other side of the small auction hall, three young Amish men are waiting to see what one of their milk cows will sell for. Having traveled to the auction by buggy for more than 10 miles, they had brought the cow by letting it trot along behind the buggy.
Once the auction begins, the animals are brought one-by-one in and out of the ring quickly. Prior to even being let into the sale ring, the animal is weighed. This is easily done by segregating the animal to a small holding pen of which floor is a weight scale. As soon as the animal steps onto the scale, its weight is displayed on a monitor mounted on the auction booth.
Stacy Hiemenz, who has clerked at auctions for many years, knows the importance of the scale.
“ You’ ve got to let them know that they weigh, like average per head, and then they auction them off. Sometimes it’ s by the head and sometimes it’ s by the weight, so if it’ s like $ 1.50 per pound, you have to figure that out before that comes to the office. But for the most part, you just write down the price and the buyer on who buys it,” she said.
There is no way to miss when an auction is ongoing. Besides the loud sounds of gates being opened and closed is the auctioneer’ s bid calling chant and the bid spotters’ acknowledgments of bids.
Loading up
Before loading up the animals a buyer has purchased, he or she stops by the auction office to pay and get the necessary paperwork that shows he or she made the purchase. As sellers unloaded their livestock that morning, buyers bring their trailer around to load up. Before heading home, sellers stop by the office to pick up her check. All checks, Fellbaum said, are written by hand.
Waiting to help buyers load is Gene
Veterinarian Rochelle Hulinsky, left, and Veterinary Technician Ellie Raggenkamp with Long Prairie Veterinary Clinic check the cows and heifers for health and pregnancy.
Rooted in Community: The Heart of Lifestyle Lumber
Over the past two years, Owner and CEO Derek Mueller has grown Lifestyle Lumber by staying true to the farm-raised values he lives by.“ We’ ve stayed committed to our roots— putting my trust in God, valuing family, and treating customers like neighbors,” Mueller says. What began as a single-site operation has evolved into a multi-site business serving homeowners, farmers, and contractors across Central Minnesota. This includes the acquisition of the former Reis Lumber in Bowlus— a move Mueller saw as a mission to save a local staple.“ Growth, for us, has never been about becoming the biggest,” Mueller explains.“ It’ s about ensuring rural communities have access to honest service close to home.” It’ s a true family affair, with Mueller’ s wife, Sadie, joining the team and their children, Walker and Georgia, often helping at the yard. While the company has embraced modern technology and expanded its product line— from pole-shed packages to custom takeoffs— the mission remains simple: serve with honesty and reliability.“ We want to remain the kind of lumberyard where people are known by name and supported from the start of a project to the final nail,” Mueller says.“ Ultimately, our future is simple— stay true to our roots and keep small-town lumberyards alive for the next generation.”
CONTACT US: LIFESTYLELUMBER. COM |( 320) 548- 3459