Publication for Cowboys & Kids

It has been my extreme privilege and pleasure to partner with Mike Sorensen over the last 17 years. He is stellar and our sales reps and employees are the best.

-Mary Ann Allen / COO Livestock Plus, Inc.

For over 15 years, we have advertised in LPI and worked closely with Heidi to much success! What a great family to be associated with, and we will miss you!

-Karen & David Steiner /Clear Creek Farms #2 Inc.

We want to congratulate Mike and Dixie Sorensen on their very successful endeavor with Livestock Plus for nearly three decades. LPI has been a great publication for the entire livestock industry. We have worked alongside Mike from DAY ONE until the final issue. Mike has a great work ethic and is always ready before, and on sale day, to help his clients, Auctioneer, and fellow field staff. Thank you, Mike, for your tireless efforts and helping us with pre-sale duties and post-sale follow up at our sales. Last but not least, your endless phone calls to help sell livestock for your clients has never gone unnoticed. Your friendship and ability to make people laugh is priceless. Thanks again, Mike, for all the great times! Enjoy the next chapter and stay in touch!

-Al & Jeannie Conover/Conover Auction Services

Over the years there hasn’t been a magazine or newspaper that has a better shelf life and readership than LPI. Seedstock and Commercial producers have benefited greatly because of the hard work and dedication that LPI employees have put in, day in and day out, on the road serving their customers. See ya down the road!

-Dustin Carter / Auctioneer

I have great appreciation for Mike Sorensen and Family to make the tough decision to end their long and steady run with Livestock Plus. I have a lot of admiration for those who know when it is time to retire.

You can count on one hand, the number of blue collar people in this business that started their own publication and made it grow and sustain a family. Mike Sorensen is one of those. I listened to a man speak this past Fall about a person with perseverance. To me that word surely describes Mike Sorensen. He loves the livestock business he was raised in and proved many wrong that said he could never make the magazine work. He didn’t join this business with all the polish and glitter that some thought was necessary to survive, he earned it. He shook hands with his prospective customers. He drove on their place, looked at their livestock, took notes on the ones he liked, and sold them some advertising he thought was appropriate for their situation. Then he went home and thought about people that could benefit from owning some of that customer’s livestock and called them.

I’ve said it before, but while I was active in the business, no livestock magazine fieldman carried more bids in his pocket and actually bought more on order day after day than Mike Sorensen. He didn’t wear a black hat, but he was respected by those who were willing to give him their business one way or another. He will be missed. I’m sure his talent will be seen here and there down the trail in the near future. With great respect, enjoy your retirement Mike.

Craig Conover

THIS is definitely the most heart wrenching article I have ever written. I'm feeling very lost and praying to find some direction soon.

In spring 1995, I began my journey at Northwest Missouri State. That summer, Dad decided he wanted to start a livestock magazine, and I, of course, wanted to contribute. So while I continued my education in ag business, I also made basic ads, worked on ad layout and tried my business school skills with the accounting work. Our entire immediate family chipped in with some aspect of the magazine! Bulk mailing all the magazines in bundles was always my favorite because my grandparents would all come to help label, tie with string in various zip codes, then haul it to the post office. It sounds horribly tedious and even a bit awful, but it turns out we all believed in Dad’s dream and I will cherish those memories. I will even cherish the memories of when Mom would have to sit between Dad and me to literally referee or when she would drive me back to NWMSU to take a test because I was so exhausted from a deadline for the magazine!

THIS magazine/industry literally built me. I know everyone keeps saying not to worry and that I am just moving to the next chapter in life, but like my friend Angie (Dalbey) Mowbray has told me before … sometimes your head is miles away from your heart. As it happens, this magazine is my heart.

I have so many memories and amazing people that I will cherish no matter what happens. I am at the age now that I have spent way more years with the magazine than without it in my life. So, be patient with me and if I get a little tearyeyed when talking about it, don’t be surprised. If you all could see the pile of Kleenex that I have used while writing this article you would understand!

I want to truly THANK all the customers who have read the “best” article first (a couple pages in from the back). I cannot even tell you how much I enjoyed telling Dad when people would let me know they read my article before his!! Seriously though, we could not have done any of this without all of you! A big thank you to all of you that reached out after reading one of my articles over the years, it meant so much! Many times my articles seemed like an update of my kid’s activities and hearing how some would follow along every month, made it feel like my kids have multiple sets of grandparents across the country! Also, the sheer number of customers/friends that have reached out knowing this is our last issue warms my heart so much and makes me cry yet again.

I am so incredibly grateful Dad brought me along for the ride! What a ride it has been. We turned customers into friends and many into extended family. This agricultural industry is full of great people and we’ve been blessed with the best! I sure hope that all of you will keep in touch and I am always here to help and maybe now y’all won’t screen my calls at the first of the month!

As I close this, my final article, my heart aches knowing that this chapter of Livestock Plus, Inc. is closing. However my heart is also beaming with pride knowing that my hard headed, cowboy of a father took a leap of faith 28 years ago. Against a lot of odds, our share of hills in the path, this deal has been a great success. I’m so proud to be your daughter and to have been by your side!

I have faith that God has a plan and trust he is leading our path. For now, thank you and I love you all. Cowboys don’t say “good bye,” Cowboys say “see ya later.”

Looking forward to seeing you all down the road! Please continue to keep our military and our nation in your prayers always.

God Bless,