It is once again the time of year cow-calf producers and seedstock producers begin to look forward to, and prepare for, the upcoming seedstock producers’ annual sales. Every day, we see examples of how technology is moving and shaping the world around us. The cattle industry, as resistant to change as it might be, is no exception.
Computers, video cameras, smartphones and satellite communication systems are becoming integral parts of the cattle business. These technologies, combined with ongoing cattle-handling education programs such as Beef Quality Assurance (BQA), are the foundations for such evolutions in the industry as the ones we are witnessing with some seedstock producers’ annual sales.
Jon and Liz Marchi
Jon and Liz Marchi raise and sell registered Wagyu cattle near Polson, Montana. For 20 years, the Marchis took their bulls to a sale barn in Kalispell, Montana, for the annual production sale. A few years back, a huge snowstorm caused the sale to be a disaster, and the bulls were stuck in the pens for a week before the driveway could be cleared and the bulls hauled home.
Liz Marchi says, “After the sale ring we used for 20 years was sold, we tried another facility which was built for horses. That was really painful. We had two bulls get out on Highway 93, and it’s a super-busy highway. I told Jon, ‘We breed for temperament.
Why are you spending all of this time and money selecting for good temperament, and then you are putting all the animals on a tractor-trailer truck, shipping them an hour away, putting them in a strange place and then whipping them up in a sale ring?’”
Shortly thereafter, the Marchis brought the sale home to the ranch, but that came with its own growing pains. Extreme March and April storms made the sale difficult and issues with facilities, and the labor required to put on a traditional sale, encouraged the Marchis to continue modifying their sale to find the right fit.
Over the next few years, the Marchis’ sale evolved into a silent auction, and they moved the sale to May.
The Marchis eliminated much of the traditional preparation and handling of the bulls but still strive to provide an experience to the buyers that make them look forward to the annual event.
Liz Marchi says, “Our hay barn looked like a junk barn. I told Jon we needed the hay barn for our sale tables. So I got my hay barn cleaned out. Now we put our signs out, and I mow my lawn. I always do different themes on our tables for sale day.
We change up our menu a lot, but we usually serve some form of our Wagyu beef. We try to make it really festive.
“If the weather is cool, I try to have roasted marshmallows for the kids. We have a fire pit out there and, if it’s cold, we have a fire. It’s usually cold enough in Montana to have a fire no matter when. We put out stock pots filled with water and ice – one for beer and wine, and another for water and soda.
It’s really worked out to be something we look forward to rather than something we dread. The biggest pain for the sale now is renting the porta-potty.”
Today, the bulls can be viewed in their backgrounding pens throughout the week leading up to and including sale day. Because there is less time required to prepare the physical facilities, Jon now has more time to spend with buyers – showing animals and answering questions. “We are very relationship-minded regarding our customers,” says Liz Marchi.
Hueftle Cattle Company
Much like the Marchis, Hueftle Cattle Company of Cozad, Nebraska, has moved away from the tradition of bringing each bull through the sale barn.
Anita Hueftle says, “We were blessed to purchase a facility that made a very functional sale barn. It is divided into two sections. The west end is heated with a cement floor and indoor restroom and office. This is where buyers check in and where all the paperwork is handled.
The east half includes the stands and sale block. We started using the video auction when we moved to the new facility, so we are no longer working with alleys or chutes on sale day.”
When asked about the preparations required for the Hueftle Cattle Company annual sale, Anita Hueftle says, “As with any barn, much of the pre-sale preparation has to do with cleaning, wiping down tables, counters, bleachers, chairs and deep-cleaning the facilities to give the barn a professional look. Our whole extended family helps with everything from cleaning to food preparation.”
The shift to a video auction has added a new dimension to sale preparation. “It’s extremely important to make sure the internet connections are ready, running, and you have adequate bandwidth to set up, connect and run the sale live over the internet.
We also have a cellphone booster in the west side of the barn for our customers using their cellphones during the sale, as well as for those who are bidding by phone,” says Hueftle.
It is the small details that count. On the north wall hangs a military burial flag belonging to Anita’s husband, Neil’s, mother. “The start of each sale begins by honoring the flag, thanking our veterans and saying a prayer,” says Hueftle.
And don’t forget about comfort and fun. The west side of the sale barn also contains a kitchen area for meals and snacks, and there is also an area for the kids to play equipped with a toy barn and farm animals, foosball table and a sand box.
“I think it is important customers feel comfortable and can bring their kids as well. That means providing a place that is clean, safe and with adequate room to move around,” says Hueftle.
Millar Angus
Jon and Breezy Millar, Millar Angus, Sturgis, South Dakota, have also moved away from bringing the cattle through the sale barn and also have incorporated the video auction into their annual seedstock sale.
Breezy Millar says, “We have three different sets of bleachers that came out of an old school gym we are able to push back out of the way the rest of the year to free up space for other functions.
As far as preparations, this is when the sale barn gets the once-a-year cleaning. Everything is pretty much in there – it just takes a lot of cleaning.”
When asked how the Millar Angus sale operates, Breezy Millar says, “We don’t have a physical sale ring, so I mock up a ring. We set up 60-inch flat-screen TVs in front of each set of bleachers, and we do everything through the video. It works out really well for us. People like how they can see the cattle move on the video. They have accepted it really well.”
The Millars set up portable viewing pens right outside the door to the sale barn and bed the pens with straw. The walking areas are graveled, and Millar says, “If it’s muddy, we throw a little more gravel in there.”
The Millar Angus annual sale is the third Wednesday of February and, upon occasion, some snow removal is required. Millar says, “Last year, we got hit with quite a bit of snow prior to the sale.
The guys did have to spend some time digging out – with the snow blower – in different areas so people could get around easy, making sure we had ample parking and make it comfortable for the people to view the bulls.”
The Millars are very conscious of their customers’ comfort. The fully finished sale barn is heated, contains a fully functional kitchen, office and restrooms.
Millar says, “Jon and I want people to come to our bull sale and really enjoy the day at Millar Angus. I try to pay attention to the little details when I’m planning the ribeye steak sandwich meal, homemade pies and drinks. I think the little things add up.” 
PHOTO 1: A youngster explores the grounds on sale day at the Marchi Wagyu operation. Photo provided by Liz Marchi.
PHOTO 2: A view of the sale block from the Hueftle Cattle Company sale in Cozad, Nebraska. Photo by Maloree Barnes of Smilin Images & Designs, provided by Anita Hueftle.
PHOTO 3: Potential buyers inspect the bulls in viewer pens at Hueftle Cattle Company. Photo by Maloree Barnes of Smilin Images & Designs, provided by Anita Hueftle.
PHOTO 4: The mock sale ring shows big-screen TVs at Millar Angus. Photo provided by Breezy Millar.
Michael Thomas is a freelance writer based in Salmon, Idaho. Email Michael Thomas.
