Somewhere between boots and saddles, briefcases and taxis... » Faith Livestock

Faith Livestock Market

Jess Peterson — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 01:00:34 +0000

Today was another great day in the Dakotas! Faith Livestock had its Monday cattle and sheep sale. Scott and Gary Vance were kind enough to give me some time to speak from the auction block. It was a good opportunity to give an update on USCA’s activities in Washington, D.C. Auctioneers Doug Dietterle and Seth Weishaar were auctioneering at this market too—you know I really need to figure out a way to “pickup” pool with these guys to the sale barns!

In the audience, I had a good time catching up with several folks including Eddie Miller, Chase Adams, and Tom Miller. Again the “rough” crowds who attend these auctions makes a guy glad he always does this run a couple times a year! In all seriousness, I can’t say enough good things about the folks here in the Dakotas. USCA is lucky to have their support and will work hard to keep it!

What’s in store for this week?

Jess Peterson — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:10:31 +0000

I zipped out of the Dakotas for a quick weekend at the ranch in Hathaway! Saturday evening found me stacking hay. The ranch is looking pretty good for the first of August. It felt good to do some “real” work for once!

Now, I am headed back to South Dakota for meetings. I will be speaking at the Faith Livestock Market at 12:30 CDT on Monday August 3rd. On Tuesday, August 4th, I will join Chase Adams for his presentation on the status of the American Horse League. The meeting starts at 11:00 am CDT in Newell, South Dakota. If you would like more info, call me at 202-870-3867 or Chase Adams at 605-347-1730.

St. Onge Livestock Market

Jess Peterson — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 23:34:45 +0000

Friday found me enjoying yet another South Dakota livestock market. The St. Onge Livestock Market has been a great promoter and supporter of the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association. Highly competitive bidding and impressive grass cattle make this sale a hard one to beat. A good friend, Justin Tupper, manages this market along with the help of a great group of ladies that run the front office. I give those ladies a lot of credit for the work they do in making this barn tick. As for Justin, well, he is a professional, and, as I mentioned, a friend, so I won’t tell all the good stories about his involvement in the March 2009 USCA fly-in. All I will say is that Washington really can’t handle Tup!

In all honesty, he is a great spokesperson for the industry and relays points and issues better than seasoned beltway lobbyists. Tupper is assisted at this market by a host of top notch auctioneers and fieldmen… and I place Doug Dietterle, Seth Weishaar, and Ron Frame in this category. I think they belong in a special category somewhere between characters and actors. I am joking, of course, as I have the good fortune of seeing these guys on a regular basis and always enjoy catching up and sharing a laugh or two. In closing, today was a hard one, because I wouldn’t know any of these guys without the introduction through my good friend Tom Connelley. Tom left this world way too soon this past June. We miss him dearly and his absence leaves a noticeable void among this group. Tom will always be with us, and this cast of characters will always keep him grinning as he looks down over St. Onge and the rest of South Dakota!

What’s next — well I plan to fly under the radar at the ranch in Hathaway this weekend. Next Monday, I will be at the Faith Livestock Sale in South Dakota [see http://www.faithlivestock.com/upcomingsales3.html for more information] … we’ll talk then!