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CapitalPress.com
Friday, February 12, 2021
Klamath Bull Sale a success despite pandemic
By HOLLY DILLEMUTH
For the Capital Press
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. —
The annual Klamath Bull Sale
generally draws thousands of
attendees, but not this year, and for
organizers, that’s OK.
During the pandemic, the 400
to 500 people attending the sale
still made for a strong market,
according to Stan Gorden, Klam-
ath Bull Sale organizing chairman
and president of the Klamath Cat-
tlemen’s Association. While some
events were missing Feb. 6 from
the 61st Annual Klamath Bull Sale
— a horse sale, stock dog trials and
ranch rodeo — organizers saw just
as many consignors and buyers as
in years past.
The bull sale netted a combined
$452,000 in gross sales, according
to organizers.
It brought in buyers from the
Klamath Basin and around the
state, as well as California, Wash-
ington and Nevada. About 110 bulls
and four pens of five heifers sold at
market, with bull prices averag-
Courtesy of Cameron Duncan
The Supreme Champion Bull and Champion Halter Bull, consigned
by Country Inn Cattle Co., was bought by Craig and Maria Sharp of
Montague, Calif., on Feb. 6. The bull was one of 110 sold at the 61st
annual Klamath Bull Sale.
ing $3,705 and heifers averaging
$2,275.
Chiangus, Lim-Flex, Angus and
Red Angus, Charolais, Simmental
and Hereford and Polled Hereford
were among the breeds brought and
sold.
Gorden said he was humbled
to see how the industry contin-
ues to draw support from com-
munities near and far, despite the
pandemic.
“We had bulls from everywhere
and we sent bulls back those direc-
tions, too,” Gorden said. “They’re
half of the equation of a cow-
calf operation. You cannot have a
calf without a bull ... and no mat-
ter what pandemic’s going on, they
need bulls in order to create the
beef product that we need to feed
America.”
For the second year in a row, the
sale had an online bidding option,
and organizers saw a boost in use.
He emphasized the importance
of holding the sale in-person, how-
ever, in order to keep the beef
industry moving along.
“(Cattle ranchers’) livelihoods
depend on it,” Gorden said.
The bulls sold at the sale are in
their prime at two years old and
were raised as breeding stock.
“These animals don’t sit on a
shelf like toilet paper and can’t
be sold six months from now,” he
said.
Gorden said the profits may
be down slightly this year com-
pared to last, but that won’t keep
the committee from fulfilling its
commitment to fund scholarships
for eligible Klamath Basin stu-
dents. Students can apply as early
as March.
“Even though there’s a pan-
demic, that’s not going to change
the fact that these students are still
in need to pay for education and to
continue their education,” Gorden
said.
Despite the lack of event cen-
ter activities, organizers still held
a trade show with “essential ven-
dors” for the sales of cattle equip-
ment, feed and other products. The
Klamath Cattlewomen’s Associa-
tion also held a ticketed, drive-thru
dinner instead of a sit-down spread.
Organizers believe the changes
followed state safety guidelines.
Signage encouraged hand sanitizer
and masks, with masks available on
site, as well as more seating than the
sale has ever had. The roll-up doors
were all open, Gorden said, promot-
ing air flow during the events.
Glenda and Lee Stilwell of
Klamath Falls area-based Country
Inn Cattle, consigned the supreme
champion bull and champion halter
bull at the sale. The bull was pur-
chased by Craig and Maria Sharp of
Montague, Calif.
“Glenda serves on our com-
mittee also to help put on this bull
sale,” Gorden said. “They do a tre-
mendous amount of work to pull
this off.”
Pandemic forces change in animal protein industry Northwest Farm Credit gives
By CAROL RYAN DUMAS
Capital Press
The COVID-19 pan-
demic has caused a historic
shift in the U.S. to eating at
home, which impacted var-
ious sectors of the animal
protein industry differently.
With an expected slow
recovery in some segments
of foodservice, some in the
industry will have to realign
their marketing plans,
return to value-added pro-
cesses or reduce costs and
supply until foodservice
normalizes, according to a
new report by CoBank.
Foodservice
sales
declined by more than half
in April year over year.
They improved in the sum-
mer to a decline of 15%,
but they were down 22%
in December, Will Sawyer,
lead animal protein econ-
omist with CoBank, told
Capital Press.
Those slower sales are
Agri Beef
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted various sectors
of the meat industry differently.
really concerning, he said.
Full-service restaurant
sales were down 36% year
over year in November and
35% to 40% in December,
he said.
“Full-service is quite
weak, and that’s where
we’re seeing the closures as
well,” he said.
The National Restau-
rant Association estimates
110,000 restaurants closed
in 2020, and that number
will probably increase in the
first quarter of 2021 and into
the summer, he said.
CoBank expects it’ll be
the back side of 2022 before
foodservice gets to pre-pan-
demic levels, but there is
some good news on that
front, he said.
“We don’t see COVID
going away in its entirety, he
said.
But large chain restau-
rants are saying if restau-
rants survived and have cap-
ital, they’ll be able to expand
more easily than before the
pandemic because of lower
real estate costs, he said.
“What’s great is that food
demand has remained really
strong,” he said.
In addition, consumers
still want convenience. They
didn’t become great cooks
during the pandemic, so they
still want value-added prod-
ucts and take-out, he said.
But the pandemic resulted
in fewer value-added and
convenience products, such
as boneless hams. Many of
those products still demand
a human hand, and absen-
teeism is a significant issue
in meat plants, he said.
Apply less, expect more?
$2 million to UI ag programs
By BRAD CARLSON
Capital Press
Northwest Farm Credit
Services has donated $2 mil-
lion to the University of Idaho
College of Agricultural and
Life Sciences, UI announced
Feb. 2.
Michael Parrella, the col-
lege’s dean, mentioned the
gift in a Feb. 2 presentation to
the Idaho Senate Agricultural
Affairs Committee. When
industry partners contrib-
ute to the college’s facilities
and programs, investments
by the college and Legisla-
ture go farther as benefits to
local economies, students and
the state’s agricultural sector
increase, he said.
The gift includes $925,000
to support the planned Agri
Beef Meat Science and Inno-
vation Center Honoring Ron
Richard, which is planned on
the Moscow campus and will
serve as the new home for
Vandal Brand Meats.
It also included $25,000 to
establish a chapter of national
student organization Minori-
ties in Agriculture, Natural
Resources and Related Sci-
ences; $25,000 for student
scholarships; $500,000 for
the Idaho Center for Agricul-
ture, Food and the Environ-
ment in the Magic Valley;
$500,000 for
the Wayne
T h i e s -
sen Potato
Research
P r o f e s s o r-
ship Endow-
Michael
ment; and
Parrella
$175,000
for the Idaho
Center for Plant and Soil
Health at the Parma Research
and Extension Center.
UI “has been an excel-
lent resource for farmers
and ranchers throughout
the state,” Northwest Farm
Credit Services Idaho Presi-
dent Doug Robison said in a
release. “In addition to pro-
viding cutting-edge research,
the university provides direct
support to Idaho’s produc-
ers through their extension
programs.”
He said the contribu-
tion to UI will “boost their
research efforts and their abil-
ity to strengthen all of Idaho’s
ag sectors. We are excited to
see the benefits of our gifts on
the university’s projects and
research.”
Parrella said the long his-
tory of support from North-
west Farm Credit has helped
UI and the college solve prob-
lems and identify opportuni-
ties for agricultural producers
through research and outreach.
USDA NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE
Local Work Group Meeting for Marion County
February 26th, 2021 • 9:00am - 11:00am
650 Hawthorne Ave SE, Suite 130, Salem, OR
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81893247527?p-
wd=Z0tKUW9mOVN1M0dGMHdhOW5KeWJQZz09
Join by phone: 1+253 215 8782
Meeting ID: 818 9324 7527 • Passcode: 099612
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