4-H Beef sale

[rmhay]

Our local 4-H beef club just had their annual show & sale. Usually the members sell their steers to local busineses and supportive individuals and receive a hefty premium over market price for their efforts. I believe this is common elsewhere as well. This year the prices were dismal to say the least. We're not in a agriculturally dependant area so can't lay the blame on tough times there. I'm curious to know what sales are like in other areas.

[grassfarmer]

Rimbey interclub last week saw 44 calves average $1.55 ranging from $1.20-$1.925.

[cswilson]

Our local sale was last week and was sad to say the least-some calves got to 60/lb before they got a bid-what goes around comes around some businesses won't be getting much 4H money this coming year.

[cswilson]

Our local show involves three clubs and the steer price was steady around $2.25 a pound. The lowest price was $1.50 for a 1580 pound steer.
The kids do a lot of promoting the show and sale throughout the area, and that pays off on achievement day.

[rmhay]

Thanks for the replys. I was hoping to go out to the 4H sale in Lethbridge today, but can't fit it in, so if anybody gets results from there I would appreciate a reply. As an add-on to my original post, our local Agco/Kubota dealership bought 4 steers at our sale, and our John Deere dealer chooses to give the club a "donation" instead. A whole $100. And they expect us to keep buying green??? I think not!

[cswilson]

rm your JD dealer almost sounds as pathetic as the support Nilson Bros. gives to our sale-roll in for half an hour-collect your commish-**** the busnessmen on the buybacks then roll out-whats with those pirates letting calves get 15 bucks under the fat market without them even bidding. Pretty sad but don't worry these kids don't forget things like that and some might even ranch some day.

[cswilson]

One family of auctioneers has sold every 4-H sale for 40 years here and NEVER charged one penny commission. They annually move their sound truck and the entire bunch of auctioneers to the sale location and do all the selling, and even supply a liner to haul calves to the abbatoir. As a leader I used to point out to the members each year the dollar amount the commission would have cost, and try to make them aware of the fantastic support this family has given over the years.
Local grocery stores, oilfield service companies etc. bought calves here this year. The former Esso agents used to buy a couple of calves each year,but the party that bought them out won't even donate a trophy. The UFA Bulk dealer also used to by a couple of calves but this year they made a sizeable cash donation to each of the three clubs involved vs buying. They have supported with trophies, buying calves, and providing beef on a bun some years, and always drop in sometime during the show to look at the calves and wish the kids good luck.

[cowman]

Businesses are often hard pressed to support every charity in the country! Bonspiels, ball tournaments, rodeos etc.
Where does it end?
Perhaps these businesses should just state "We are in business. We sell and we buy and we do it as well as we can. We don't factor in charity in our budget"
Apparently some businesses don't think they are getting much bang for their buck at the 4H sale? Why would any business spend money if they can't hope for a return? Or maybe they want to see results in the immediate future rather than in the distant future? Most businesses don't last very long anymore and so why invest in a longshot?
I buy more whisky, every year, than your best drunkard! I don't drink whiskey...but I do understand the concept of "one hand washes the other"! It is a neccessity in my business.

[cswilson]

ohh trust me some that didn't buy are 'BANGING THE RANCHER'S HARD'-our problem I think is three big mills going hard-the equipment dealers and auto guys tend to forge agriculture. I was getting an oil change in out truck-bought locally I might add-the salesman was giving us a pitch for a new quad-I told him the kids would be right over to spend the money he'd spent at the 4H sale. No kid expects to get rich there but no kid should be embarrassed either.

[grassfarmer]

Not saying they are right to forgoe supporting 4H club sales but some of these businesses in ag supply in small towns are on the leading edge of this farm income crisis - their business just dried up when producers had no money to spend - and unlike us producers they got no bailouts. I do feel sorry for the likes of the local vet - but they were still buying.
What about Tyson and Cargill though? do they actually buy calves anywhere? Canada Safeway does so why shouldn't these two wealthy corporations be supporting the cause? It's a cushy number for them getting the top 4H cattle bought for them by town businessmen at twice commercial price yet they only pay the going rate for them once the small businessman has taken his $500 loss to support local kids.

[kpb]

cs wilson, I don't know why Nilsson Bros. should act any differently at a 4-H sale than at any other venture they are involved in. Their reputation in my area is, shall we say, less than shining and for good reason. I see that they have just closed the Edmonton Stockyards which was in operation for a long time under the careful management of Ted Woods and Jennifer Woods. Nilsson bought them out and closed the operation just this week because, it seems, there are better uses for that land.

And what about this--you get to sell your cows at their auction marts, but only if you sell your calves there too.

We all like to talk about the packers as taking advantage of our situation but Nilsson Bros. are home grown. Aren't we all proud of the way they treat their fellow ranching cousins?

kpb

[kpb]

grassfarmer, you make a very good point about local businesses feeling the effect of the crisis. Our little local general store has been in the same family for 50 year, and has given credit to most folks for that long. The opening of Walmart in town has hurt their business, the end of this month is the end of charge accounts at the store and I don't blame them one bit.
I don't think that businesses are obligated to support 4-H, but it is certainly not a charity. Many businesses think nothing of throwing a couple of thousand bucks at the local bonspiel or golf tournament and in my opinion, supporting a youngster and having good steak on the BBQ, makes one hell of a lot more sense than bankrolling the annual 'drunk' !!!
Sorry cowman, I have lived in the oilpatch for far too long to really appreciate the whiskey deals that do on !!! Seen far too many problems arise from empty bottles !!!

[cswilson]

Trust me guys the businesses who should support 4H aren't suffering in our town-were booming right now and as far as Cargill or Nilson's -I just sold some fats on the grid that dollared back to 90 cents live so I'll deal with them anyday over Nilson's.

[cswilson]

many businesses here use their 4-H purchases as income tax deductions and more power to them, at least they are supporting youth activities at the same time.
There were more buyers than steers at the sale here this year. Not one steer went to the auction market to be resold after the sale, over ten percent of them went for slaughter and the beef donated to the food bank.
We started a 'Businessmens Showmanship' class years ago and went out to every business including the downtown stores and asked someone from the business to participate in the class. It got so popular that business people were calling me wanting to show a calf, and the average sale price went up as more and more businesses came out to support the kids. Many of them had never been to a 4-H show before and didn't have a clue what it was all about.
I would really encourage any club that feels they aren't getting the support of the local businesses to consider trying it, by contacting business owners in person and asking them to become a part of the show it may create more interest and bring in a few more people to bid on the steers.

[cowman]

Nilsons tried to pull that "if you don't sell your calves here we won't buy your cows" thing at Red Deer, too.
When they told me that last year I said" Okay then I won't sell you my damned yearlings either"!
The fact was that the mart at Innisfail has a much better calf market as well as a good presort sale, with sorters who really know what they are doing.
So now I sell anything I own at Innisfail. I doubt I get much less, but then I've only sold a couple of cows in the last two years. I do know it sure is a hell of a lot easier hauling them to Innisfail than coping with the crazy traffic in Red Deer.