The bidding starts at $100 and quickly escalates. The auctioneerâÄôs words start to jumble together as he rapidly calls out higher and higher bids. âÄúTwo hundred forty,âÄù he yells as bid cards fly up in the audience, slowly pushing the price past $250 toward $300, his cadence only broken by the squealing and oinking of the pigs up for auction. About 50 pigs from breeders throughout the state were up for auction Sunday at the University of MinnesotaâÄôs Block and Bridle clubâÄôs annual pig sale. More than 70 people spent the afternoon at the Livestock Pavilion on the St. Paul campus, searching for the perfect pig to raise and compete in the summerâÄôs upcoming livestock fairs. There were pigs of all different breeds and colors on hand at the auction, with most only a few months old. Potential buyers were given time before the auction to chat with breeders and inspect the pigs to see which one they wanted to buy. Although pig sales take place around the state each spring, the sale at the University is one of the only ones in the metro area, Katie Church , a Block and Bridle member who helped organize the event, said. âÄúThere are a lot of 4-H kids around this area, but most of sales are in southern Minnesota,âÄù she said. âÄúWe just offer a little more convenient location to try and target a different group of kids.âÄù Block and Bridle adviser and University lecturer Kyle Rozeboom said in addition to building community, the event gives students an âÄúopportunity to learn about sale management and hosting a sale.âÄù Helping give the sale a sense of community is the decision by the Block and Bridle club to only allow breeders with ties to the University to sell pigs at the auction. Although he graduated from the University in 2008, Kyle Compart was back on campus selling pigs for the OC Swine Genetics Farm. Compart, who helped start the sale four years ago as a member of the Block and Bridle club, said when looking at pigs to compete, people usually are looking for wide, long-bodied pigs with plenty of muscle. First-time buyer Dani Gunder traveled from Elk River to the event looking to buy a pig to compete in the Minnesota State Fair. Gunder wandered from pen to pen at the pavilion, checking out the different pigs offered. She said she was looking for a âÄúblue-butt barrelâÄù pig, a particular breed of swine, which she could also take to market after she competes at the fair. With a few months still to go before competition, Gunder said after taking the pig home, sheâÄôll be practicing showmanship skills with her pig to prepare for the fair. The UniversityâÄôs swine barn was also represented at the sale and had nine pigs up for auction Sunday. As he stood in the pen with the UniversityâÄôs pigs, Sam Holst , an animal science junior and manager of the swine barn, poked and prodded the pigs to keep them up and moving for potential buyers to see as he fielded questions about the pigsâÄô breed, age and parents. After showing pigs for years when he was younger, Holst said it was fun to be the one helping kids get started with a pig. âÄúI really got a lot out of 4-H and FFA [Future Farmers of America],âÄù he said, âÄúso itâÄôs nice to give back and give these kids the chance to have the same experiences that I had.âÄù