Et cetera : FFA Labor auction brings tribute to retiring advisor Duane Fisher

Duane & Duane, together at auction block one last time: Johnson sells Fisher at FFA labor auction.

Officers Amy Andrews and Rylie Pflughaupt recorded sales transactions during FFA labor auction.

For more than 30 years, Duane Johnson has been auctioneer for the annual FFA fund-raising event.

Duane Johnson sells FFA member Jeremiah Janssen.

Mattie Walker takes her turn on the VS FFA Labor Auction block. The event raised $8,600.

Duane Johnson jokes with Emily Meyer before beginning her auction.

Emily is the third Olson sibling in FFA; her parents attended 10 consecutive FFA Labor auctions.

The familiar cowboy hat in the VSHS gym means Duane Johnson is back for another FFA Labor auction.

In 2011, Louise Fleming will be last on the auction block. The new FFA advisor attended 2010 event.

Duane Johnson accepts bids for the labor of Gordon Harrison and Grant Wittmer.

Duane Fisher speaks to the crowd before he was sold; a group of supporters bid a record $1,600.

Duane Fisher thanks the FFA families and supporters for their contributions to the VS chapter.

Money, according to the old cliché, talks.

Thursday night, money in the form of well over a dozen area farm families and businesses, told Vinton-Shellsburg FFA Advisor Duane Fisher "Thank you for 37 years of service.

The VS FFA Chapter held its annual fund-raising Labor Auction Thursday in the high school gym.

A total of 29 students took their turn on the auction block. The highest bidder gets eight hours of work from the student he "buys."

The students raised $7,000 from their auction.

Then it was Mr. Fisher's turn.

And as he has always done, Mr. Fisher stood on the auction block, taking his turn for the last time.

Auctioneer Duane Johnson offered some words of tribute to Fisher, remembering their more than 30-year association at the annual Labor Auction.

When the bidding began, the price rose quickly. Soon the bidding was more than $1,500. The final price: $1,600

Without telling Fisher what he was going to do, Johnson had quietly spent the past few weeks organizing a special fund-raising tribute to Fisher.

He spoke to businessmen, farmers and area families who have benefitted from FFA over the past 37 years that Fisher has served the VS FFA. They all donated. And Thursday night, they were ready.

FIsher looked on in disbelief as the bidding rose to the highest amount ever for a single bid at a VS FFA Labor Auction.

"I just thought we were donig the usual fund-raising thing," said Fisher the morning after the auction.

Fisher was clearly moved by the show of support.

"It means a lot," he said. "It shows the community support and the impact that the program has and the fact that someone has made a difference."

Yet, said FIsher, the tribute was not directed to him, but to the success of the entire VS FFA program.

"They are paying back the students and the program," he said of the donors and auction bidders. "It's svery positive that the community is willing to step up and say you are doing a good job — and keep doing it."

The donors for the special auction for Mr. Fisher included: Bill and Paul's Ag Service (Paul Schellhase), Brian Carlson (Pioneer Seed and PHI Ins.), Robert Hanson (Pioneer Seed), Cedar Valley Bank & Trust, Eden Mutual Insurance, Farmers Savings Bank & Trust-Vinton, Interstate Swine, LLC (Ross and Todd Wiley), John and Mary Buhr and family, Alan and Susie Henkle, John Holst, John and Ellen Olson family, Johnson Auction, Sales and Real Estate, Inc., Tama-Benton Co-Op, US Bank and Wayne, Linda, Neal and Austin Siela.

While Johnson honored Fisher for his 37 years, he also introduced Fisher's replacement. Louise Fleming, a Union High School FFA member, has been teaching Ag and advising the Jesup FFA for several years. She will replace Fisher next year. She was at the auction with her husband and three young children.

80th Anniversary Celebration April 24

The VS FFA Chapter will mark its 80th year with its banquet on Saturday, April 24.

National FFA President Levy Randolph of California. is scheduled to speak at the event in Vinton. Fisher said Randolph is trying to arrange his schedule to make that appearance possible.