The Bath County Produce auction has been in existence for a number of years.  The original goal was to provide local and regional producers an opportunity to diversify their operations, transition away from tobacco and increase farm revenue.  Even though the market has provided an opportunity to do these things, it has not grown in the past 8 years and has not been able to recruit the buyers needed to establish a wholesale market in the area.  This year, the extension office has worked with the market board to focus on the recruitment of both large scale, wholesale buyers and large scale producers to participate in the Bath County auction.  In order to improve the marketing opportunities for our growers, the market established a wholesale line with minimum quantities.  This line sales first each evening.  The thought behind this is to encourage producers to move up to larger scale production and to make it convenient for our wholesale buyers to purchase the larger quantities they desire without having to sit through the entire auction trying to buy small quantities and put together the amount they needed.  Not having the wholesale line has prevented the auction from attracting many buyers over the years.  This change was made a little late for many growers to make the changes and plans needed to upscale production for this year, but the ones who were able, have been pleased.  The large scale buyers have greatly benefited from the wholesale line and we are seeing more of them attending the sales and also seeing the prices received on the wholesale line steadily increasing.  2018 will be the year that we will know if the recruitment efforts for growers and buyers and the change of adding a wholesale line has added to overall net farm income, but in the later stages of this growing season, the work done by the office and committee seem to be paying off for some producers.  Current market sales are up about 4% of the past 5 years average..