Auction markets have changed from the traditional business model to more sales being conducted online with video auction markets. Such was the case with Shasta Livestock Auction Yard, which held its last auction Feb. 12.
At the closure, Ellington Peek, founder of Shasta Livestock Auction Yard, stated it was “a tough day,” as the auction yard served Northern California, Oregon and parts of Nevada for 60 years.
The auction yard started in Anderson, CA, in 1962 before outgrowing that facility and moving to the Cottonwood location in 1966. The business continued in Cottonwood until its last auction.
“I mean, there’s 50 to 100 different reasons,” Brad Peek, general manager of Shasta Livestock and now of Western Video Market, told WLJ.“But the thing was, we needed to focus on what really worked well for us, and that’s the video market and country sales division. And, frankly, there’s just not enough time to put forth the attention to everything, so we wanted to focus on the video and country sales.”
According to Shasta’s website, “The Peek Family had been searching for a future business model for the past 15 years. … We feel the time has come to make a change.”
At the last auction, buyers turned out from all over, wanting to see the last auction and catch up with each other. One question was, “What is to become of the rectangular wooden plaques, each featuring the name of a rancher below their brand burnt into the wood, and the photos that lined the hallways?”
“All brand plaques and original pictures will stay with the Peek Family as part of Ellington Peek’s legacy,” read a notice posted at the last auction.
Legacy
Western Video Market was started in 1989 by Ellington Peek, John Rodgers of the Stockman’s Market and Andy Peek (Ellington’s son). They were looking for ways to help western ranchers present their cattle to a national marketplace.
Before the closure of the auction yard, over 400,000 head were sold annually at the yard, online and through the country sales market.
Peek said the video business has increased over the years, as it is a convenient way to buy loads of cattle off the ranch and a more efficient way for sellers to market their cattle. Western Video has also expanded into the sheep and lamb market, and that has “really taken off.”
While video and internet auctions have become a big part of selling cattle, Peek feels there is still a big role for auction houses.
“I think the auction barns are very important,” Peek said. “There’s got to be a place to take the extra cattle or the cuts or the cull cows. Then there are some individuals who are not larger ranches or are not necessarily set up to do sales directly from the ranch, so the auction barn is a great way to take their cattle.”
Peek noted the auction barns do a good job of “sizing up” cattle and making them attractive to the buyer, which benefits the producer.
Peek said that it was a “very trying decision” to close the auction yard, as it put a burden on some of the local producers in the area, but there are some “really good quality auction barns” that are fairly close to the producers.
Peek noted the country sales division would continue, and it started before the video market. It will always be an important part of the business, acting as a middleman between buyers and sellers.
“We have sellers calling us wanting to sell their calves, but they can’t wait until the next video auction, or buyers looking for a load of 700-pound steers, and we will try to negotiate a sale,” Peek said.
As for the auction yard, Peek said the place is still for sale; someone has leased the Branding Iron Restaurant, and the Cottonwood Veterinary Clinic and Diamond D Feed store are still open. Peek said some people are interested in the yard, but those interested have indicated they want to keep things the way they are, including the offices for Western Video Market. — Charles Wallace, WLJ editor
