The gavel drops at Shasta Livestock

BIDDING FAREWELL

SUPPORTERS GATHER IN SUPPORT & CELEBRATION AS RESPECTED INDUSTRY ICON HOLDS FINAL EVENT

by Managing Editor Stevie Ipsen

As the final gavel fell on Feb. 12 at Shasta Livestock Auction Yard in Cottonwood, there was plenty of what cattlemen and women across the west have come to know Shasta Livestock for good cattle, good prices and good people. Only at this culminating event, there were also plenty of tears shed as Peek Family friends packed into the iconic sale barn to pay respect to Ellington and Betty Peek for being an integral part of their own family businesses for decades. The Peek Family business – literally built from the ground up – is six decades in the making and though the final live sale has been held and the yards are now empty, with a plethora of photos, brands and California cattle industry history now being taken down to preserve, Brad Peek emphasizes that this is just the beginning of a new era for Shasta Livestock.

Founded in 1961 by Ellington Peek, Shasta Livestock Auction Yard, in the heart of the California/Oregon/ Nevada cattle triangle has been one of the largest auction markets in the west, selling more than 80,000 head of cattle each year and a similar number in country deals. Shasta also represents close to a quarter-million head of cattle annually on Western Video Market satellite and Internet video auctions.

“Of course it is sad. It was a somber announcement for us to make as the familiy business evolves,” said Brad Peek, who is now the co-owner of Shasta Livestock alongside his sister Callie Wood. Both Brad Peek and Wood have been with the family sale yard business in one capacity or another for most of their lives and together will lead the family business in a new direction.

“Due to my dad’s vision in 1961 and his experience even before that, our parents have built a true legacy that their family and all four of us children are so honored by. We are truly honored to be the children of such great people, “said Brad Peek on the day prior to the final sale. “This familyran operation – for 60 years – has been a big part of this great local community. We have a lot of feelings going into the final event but it has been a happy time as well, as my dad has had conversations with friends and customers who have been part of that 60-year story.”

“As we speak there are gooseneck trailers rolling in, delivering cattle for tomorrow’s sale and it is really hard, not just for us as a family but for the cattlemen and women who rely on this auction barn to sell their livestock,” Peek said.

The final sale started off at 8 a.m. and to anyone familiar with the weekly sale event, the day started off like any normal Friday morning. The crowd was light but the feeling in the air was somber as friends and family trickled in. Within an hour of the sale starting the mood was jovial and the seats were full. By the sale’s end their was standing room only as prices were high, laughs were plentiful and Ellington Peek occasionally chimed in to tell a short story or thank his longtime staff of secretaries, yard crew and of course auctioneers.

Ellington shared his appreciation for those work Andy Peek’s name. crews both up front and behind the scenes who worked Speaking on behalf of the Peek Family, Brad Peek to make each Friday sale a success. He made sure to give expresses sincere appreciation for the work crews and a special thank you to Col. Eddie Bailey who had worked as Shasta Livestock’s longest-serving auctioneer. The sale was attended not just by locals, buyers and sellers but also by friends from across the country, auctioneers who have worked the microphone at Shasta Livestock and auction customers who have made their day-to-day operations such a pleasure “Everyone involved from consignors to buyers to our staff has been a big part of our family and I hope we have been a part of their’s, I like to look at it this way, yard owners from throughout California who respect the Shasta Livestock is still in business, we just aren’t having a Peek Family as friends first, competitors second. weekly sale anymore.” ,

Jim Keegan, Williams, has done business in one way or another much of his life and said the news of the sale barn’s closure took him by surprise and while he has his concerns about what the loss of the auction barn means for the cattle industry in Northern California, he isn’t letting his concerns overshadow his admiration of what Ellington Peek has done for the livestock industry.

“There aren’t many people in my life I respect more than Ellington Peek. The reputation he has built through the way he runs his businesses and the way he treats others is something to truly be admired,” Keegan said. “His word is his bond and trusted others to live that way as well.”

Keegan also pointed out that Shasta was always setting standards for other auction yards to live up to.

“Even up until recently they were making the facility Ellington Peek took the microphone several times during the better and finding ways to make the industry as a whole final sale event to thank buyers, staff, sale yard crew and to tell better.” Keegan said. “Maybe that is the way Ellington stories of his experience as the founder and owner of the Shasta wants to do it – finish while he is still on top. We are County facility.fortunate to still have him in our corner even if it’s not on Fridays at Shasta Livestock.”

For other cattlemen and women based in the northern California region, the concern of the closure of the auction barn seem to be similar to the sentiments expressed by Keegan. The inconvenience of hauling stock to a different facility and finding a new crew to market cattle with is of little concern compared to the sentimental loss of the facility and weekly sale event.

Shasta Livestock has long been a landmark for the region and a fixture in the Cottonwood community, so the camaraderie found by walking through its doors or sitting down for a morning cup of coffee at the Branding Iron Cafe will be sorely missed. While cattle marketing has been what the Peek Family is known for, the family began championing a new cause in 2007 after the loss of Ellington and Ellington Peek looks on as Col. Jim Settle takes bids from the enormous crowd on Feb. 12. Betty’s son Andy to pancreatic cancer. A major face of Shasta Livestock and Western Video Market, Andy’s death hit the ranching and cattle marketing community hard. Rather than wallow in the sadness of such a profound loss the Peek Family did what they are known for and perservered by started a scholarship in Andy’s memory. Since 2009, 156 scholarships have been awarded totaling $210,000.

Because Andy Peek was such a fixture in both family businesses and in the livestock community, it is only fitting that he too be honored at the final event in the Shasta Livestock Auction ring. To raise money for Andy’s scholarship fund, Darrell and Callie Wood donated a Charolais cross heifer to the sale, with all proceeds going to the scholarship fund. That heifer sold not once, but was given back and resold for a total For locals and auction yard buyers and sellers the Branding Iron of five times with $78,000 raised for scholarship in Cafe will be greatly missed.

END OF AN ERA AT SHASTA LIVESTOCK

Betty Peek with daughter and son-in-law Laurie and Jerry Norene of Wheatland at Shasta Livestock on Feb. 12.

Betty Peek with daughter Callie Wood and grandson Ramsey Wood, wife Trisha and their children. Betty Peek with grandaughter Dallice Wood Nuttall, her husband Logan and their children.

Mason and Rhonda Peek at the sale on Feb. 12 in Cottonwood.

© All photos by Crystal Amen Photography

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