REITER’S BLOCK

The Fire Has Started!

The other day I was working the annual Angus sale at Schaff Angus Valley in St. Anthony, ND. While opening the auction Joe Goggins said “In the next 2-3 years the highest priced feeder cattle you have ever sold in your life will be sired by the bulls you buy today”. I think that statement – coming from someone like him that really ought to know – was accurate and exciting and prescient; all the pieces are in place for an historic rally. Whether you sell them by the pound or by the head, what a great time this is to be in the beef business as the rising tide lifts all boats and it will be exciting to be involved with! Whether the opening speech had anything to do with it or not, we went on to have an amazing day at SAV selling more than $9M in Angus cattle in one big event that averaged over $14,000/animal. It was one for the record books for sure. Afterward I went out to dinner with friends and saw the photo above of JFK (yes, that JFK) helping to sort some cattle in the area stockyards. Can you imagine one of our presidents doing that today?

A few days earlier I helped with The Program Bull Sale at Cardinal Cattle in Wyoming, IL. Jeff and Lucas Wisnefski presented a very impressive offering of bulls in 4 breeds. There was strong quality from start to finish and they were rewarded with their best average yet. The top bulls were both sons of Cardinal True North with one bringing $44,000 to Baty Livestock, CO, and another at $35,000 to Young Cattle, OH. It was a packed house full of optimism and happiness, all showing strong support for The Program. I have that auction lodged in my memory banks as well. It’s true. The cattle you buy this spring will have a major impact on the level of your profitability and enjoyment of this great business for the next few years. If you have done it long enough then you know the power of the best cattle and how they affect things in your herd for generations to come. The spring season is upon us and it’s time to make some big bovine decisions. I am proud to be a part of it and I am excited to watch it all unfold. Happy hunting. Buy. Sell. Be Happy.

Craig Reiter, Publisher