Lettuce bid

Ladies and gentlemen, get ready to rumble. BREADA—the folks who keep you stocked with fresh produce from local farms—opens its annual silent auction Saturday during the Red Stick Farmers Market, giving shoppers a chance to try their hand at the fine sport of competitive bidding.

The auction supports Farm Fête, the nonprofit’s annual fundraising gala on Thursday, Sept. 24, 6-9 p.m. at the Main Street Market. 

So, while you’re picking up mushrooms from Maggie's or a carton of colorful chicken eggs downtown this Saturday, you can check out the auction items and bid on them. You don't have to attend the gala to bid on items and win.

BREADA has rounded up some interesting prizes, many of them tied to its mission of supporting local farms and food producers.

There’s a VIP tour of Abita Brewing for six; a wine-and-food tour of Bayou Sarah Farms for 20; a strawberry-picking day for four at Fekete Farms; a $100 gift certificate to Mizell Farms nursery; and a gallon of milk every month from Feliciana’s Best Creamery.

Then there’s the item we may have to bid on ourselves: a fancy Fellow Stagg EKG Pro electric kettle. We believe it’s the same one that’s been sitting temptingly for sale at the farmers market coffee shop for a while now.

Want to improve your odds at a silent auction? A few tips:

• Set a firm maximum before you start bidding, based on the item’s actual value and what you can afford.
• Check the bid sheet early, then come back close to closing time instead of repeatedly bidding against yourself and driving up the price.
• Try an odd, specific number—say, $127 instead of $125—to slip past those nice, round-number bids.
• If an item is in high demand, bid decisively, but don’t let things get personal. This is a silent auction, not a blood feud.
• Don’t overlook the less-flashy packages. That’s often where the best values are hiding.
• And remember: A bargain stops being a bargain the moment you pay more than it’s worth to you.