Fall Cattle Sale a success

We sold 934 head at the Stratton Sales Barn on Saturday for $1,425,348.76. The hard work and financial support are really proven its worth. The newly installed tag reader had amazing accuracy and tags read quickly. We were slightly short staffed but like always those that show up put in extra efforts to get things done. Our next two sales are looking like we are going to have some big numbers so please let James know if you have cattle to consign and or if you would like to work! Thank you to everyone that brought cattle, worked, and made our sale another successful one. Last week I had the pleasure of showing our Financial Partners from FedNor and NOHFC around our facilities. They were both very impressed and proud to be a part of this project that supports the entire North-West.

Last week I was asked to speak about the Rainy River District to a group of individuals in the Agricultural Advance Leadership Program. The group was touring around the Thunder Bay District. I was able to Zoom in and share with them the many positive attributes we have in District. We are often overlooked but in fact this District has a lot going on and we are fortunate with the infrastructure we do have.

After a rough year of food shortages and a lack of cattle for the spring auction, the district’s ranchers were back in the swing of things with a successful fall auction. – Ken Kellar photo

I decided to hold my own calves back and sell at the next auction. I did end up taking two cows to the abattoir and two cows and a bull to the Sales Barn. I have one more cow to go and I need to figure out what I am keeping for heifers. I have plenty to choose from as I ended up with a large heifer crop. I had one other cow that seemed to have developed similar pneumonia like conditions to the cow that I lost. This one I held back after we preg-checked and though I am scared to speak to soon, she is doing very well. I moved the big group to some new grass again, but I am hoping that I have that nightmare behind me.

The Research Station has been very busy! We have one more line of Hops to harvest and now we need to start collecting the crop from our Three Sisters Project. It looks like some of the jobs I thought we might do (like cutting more hay) will not happen. I get frustrated when I don’t get things completed at home, but it is double the frustration at work. I am thankful for what we are getting accomplished don’t get me wrong! It has been a very tough harvest for our producers as well so I should not complain. The weather looks like it might help a bit this week but as we all know the days are just much shorter! I still don’t know what to think about our soybeans but maybe after the frost we get these next couple nights I will be able to get a better understanding of them.

This Sunday (October 2) at the Emo -LaVallee Community Centre (Arena) they are honoring my dad between 2 and 4 p.m. Please if you are able to come out, bring your skates and enjoy a free skate. My dad absolutely loved the Arena…. Our family is touched that the community is taking the time to do this for him.