The Rural Voice, 1994-09, Page 3750 years of Co-operation at Northern Cattle Sales Network
For half a century, Northern
Cattle Sales Network has been
representing farmers who
market their own farm -fresh cattle.
They began in Manitoulin and soon
spread across Northern Ontario.
Over the years they've continued to
expand across Grey and Bruce
Counties as word spread about
their operation.
Today Northern Cattle Sales are
the only network of co-operative
sales in Ontario and their buyers
come from across Ontario,
Manitoba, Quebec and the United
States.
According to Promotions and
Advertising Manager, Gordon
Mitchell, Northern Cattle Sales got
together to organize dates, prevent
conflict, to share ideas,
experiences and finances.
This year Northern Cattle Sales
will hold about 25 sales between
August 27 to November 15, where
over 25,000 cattle will be sold.
The continuing success of
Northern Cattle Sales has a lot to
do with the emphasis they place on
keeping in close contact with their
buyers. They have set up the only
toll free 1-800 line in Ontario where
farmers can receive market
information about upcoming sales
including the kinds of cattle and the
expected numbers. They can also
receive same-day results of the
sale. Northern Cattle Sales also
sends out individual mailings, listing
the dates and times of the year's
sales, to over 900 previous buyers.
It is this long and in-depth
association with their buyers that
keeps them coming back every
year. In fact, Gordon Mitchell
states that farmers who come back
to the sales will quite often buy their
cattle from the same man, year
after year.
He also says that farmers are
often willing to pay more for the
cattle sold at Northern Cattle Sales
because of their great reputation.
"The price of cattle is often better
than many of the other cattle sales
that day, because the cattle are
farm -fresh," states Mitchell.
Northern Cattle Sales have been a
leader in the cattle sales industry
for several decades. They were
holding pre -conditioned and all -
vaccinated sales in Lindsay even
before the Red Meat Program was
introduced in 1984.
Another important date for NCS
is the first Thursday of every
September when all eyes in
the cattle business look to the
Wiarton sale in Grey and Bruce
counties to set the stage for prices
that year. It has become a keynote
sale for both eastern and western
Canada as prices from the Wiarton
sale are often quoted in both
Calgary and Quebec. Government
officials, bankers and farmers alike
attend the trend setting sale in
Wiarton every year. This year the
sale is September 1.
If the first half century has been
any indication, farm -fresh cattle
and great customer relations will
continue to make Northern Cattle
Sales Network a leader in the cattle
sales business well into the next
half century. 0
NORTHERN
CATTLE
SALES
Sat., Aug. 27
Thurs., Sept. 1
Fri., Sept. 9
Sat., Sept. 17
Thurs. Sept. 22
Sat., Sept. 24
Wed., Sept. 28
Thurs., Sept. 29
Thurs., Sept. 29
Sat., Oct. 1
Wed., Oct. 5
Thurs., Oct. 6
Fri., Oct. 7
Sat., Oct. 15
Thurs., Oct. 20
Sat., Oct. 22
Sat., Oct. 22
Sat., Oct. 22
Wed., Oct. 26
Thurs., Oct. 27
Sat., Oct. 29
Wed., Nov. 2
Wed., Nov. 9
Thurs., Nov. 10
Tues., Nov. 15
1xrrwexx
1994
AUGUST
9:00 a.m. Stratton - 1000 Head 75% Yearlings/25% Calves
SEPTEMBER
10:00 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
1:00 p.m.
10:00 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
9:00 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
9:00 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
1:00 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
12:00 p.m.
Wiarton - 2000 Yearlings
Manitoulin - 2000 Yearlings 60/40% Steers/Heifers
Galetta - 400 Yearlings/200 Calves
Wiarton - 2000 Yearlings
Selby - 500 Steers/Heifers
Thessalon - 1600 Yearlings
South River - 900 Head 70% Calves
Hoard's Station - 500 Calves
OCTOBER
Stratton - 1500 Yearlings
Lindsay - 500 Yearlings
New Liskeard - 1100 50% Calves/Yearlings
Amos - 700 Calves
Galetta - 900 Yearlings/Calves
Hoard's Station - 400 Calves/300 Yearlings
Stratton - General Livestock Sale
Thessalon - 700 Calves
Selby - 400 - 500 Steers/Heifers
Lindsay - 1200 Hcad - 70% Yearlings/30% Calves
Wiarton - 1600 Calves
Thessalon - 100 Head
NOVEMBER
10:00 a.m. Lindsay - 1600 Pre -con or Vaccinated
70% Calves/30% Yearlings
10:00 a.m. Lindsay - 1500 Hcad
75% Calves/25% Yearlings
11:00 a.m. Hoard's Station - 600 Calves
1:00 p.m. Simcoe/Dufferin - 700 Head
Market Information 1-800-461-9622
24 Hour Toll Free
NORTHERN CATTLE SALES NETWORK
- HAVE QUALITY CATTLE - CHOOSE THEM!
SEPTEMBER 1994 33