NATALIE FIFER
Written Work
JANUARY 2024
A Loyal Companion
We often hear a dog described as "man's best friend." That holds true for Cole, the 2024 Missouri Farm Bureau Farm Dog of the Year.
Cole is a purebred Australian Shepard owned by Aaron Brown of Concordia. Cole's trademark facial feature - one brown eye and one smoky blue eye - stems from heterochromia, which is an endearing trait for the breed. Not only did this feature catch the attention of our judges in Brown's application, but it was also what originally brough the dog and owner together.
MAY 10, 2023
2023 LMA Annual Convention & WLAC to be hosted in Florida
The 59th World Livestock Auctioneer Championship (WLAC) is set to take place in conjunction with the Livestock Marketing Association’s (LMA) Annual Convention June 7-10, 2023, in Punta Gorda and Arcadia, Fla.
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A total of 31 semi-finalist auctioneers will compete in the championship event. The auctioneering contest will begin with the interview portion of the competition where each WLAC semi-finalist must clearly establish and demonstrate their knowledge of the livestock marketing industry. The second part of the competition will take place during a live sale at Arcadia Stockyard in Arcadia, Fla., where contestants will sell cattle to actual bidders in the seats.
APRIL 13, 2023
Economic impact study shows livestock auctions are growing in importance for rural vitality; $2M in total value-added dollars to community
A 2023 economic impact study, which updated a study from 2017, found that livestock auction markets continue to be important for the growth and vitality of rural communities. The study of an average, fixed-facility livestock auction market revealed that the market provides approximately $2 million in total value-added dollars to its local community. This result is up from $1 million identified in the 2017 Livestock Marketing Association (LMA) Economic Impact Report.
JANUARY 30, 2023
Livestock Marketing Association Announces New Scholarship Program
The Livestock Marketing Association (LMA) is pleased to announce the release of a new scholarship program. With the goal of investing in the next generation, the program is designed to award five (5), $2500 scholarships to individuals that are interested in or display knowledge of the importance of the agriculture industry and its supporting entities, with plans to use their career to advocate for or advance the livestock marketing industry.
September 2022
Worth the Investment - Sell at Auction!
Imagine this. It's sale day: the day your efforts are rewarded for your hard work and investments made into livestock getting ready to be sold. People from surrounding areas, and potentially other states, gather to fill livestock orders, discuss their operation wins and challenges and watch the sale. As the auction owner sets out a price to start the cattle, buyers flash their cards from their seats. But there's a catch - the auctioneer stops after the first bid, and the sale is final. Thankfully, this isn't the way the auction method of selling works.
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(Pages 4, 6-7 at link below)
APRIL 25, 2022
Living the Dream- Gulf Coast Livestock Auction
Growing up, we all have lofty aspirations, built on the foundation of passions and goals. They inspire us to work harder, learn, grow and eventually, those dreams turn into reality. For the past seven years, Eddie Garcia has been living his lifelong dream through his role as the owner of Gulf Coast Livestock Auction (GCLA) in Alice, Texas.
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The Garcia family originally moved to southern Texas after being awarded a Spanish Land Grant in the early 1800s, but quickly established roots in their community and surrounding areas through the introduction of Indu-Brazilian cattle. Located in Encino, Texas, the family was instrumental in bringing the first Brazilian bulls across from Mexico in 1946. Eventually, Eddie’s family transitioned into another sector of the livestock industry where he was initially introduced to the livestock marketing sector.
MARCH 1, 2022
Generations of Tradition – Dos Palos Y Auction Yard
Located five miles north of Dos Palos, California, stands a multi-generational business with over 70 years of history devoted to livestock marketing. Operated by the Cozzi family, the Dos Palos Y Auction Yard is a foundation of years of hard work and customer-driven service.
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Like many local, family businesses, the auction’s beginning was built from a combination of passion and the desire to better serve customers in the area. In between milking cows on his family’s dairy and farming with his brothers on Cozzi Road, the late Tony Cozzi auctioneered for a neighboring livestock market. Realizing that several cattlemen were not getting a “fair shake”, he decided to open a livestock auction built on the values of honesty and truthfulness.
MAY 14, 2021
Carving The Path for Others – Women in Livestock Marketing
For decades, the livestock and livestock marketing industries have been influenced by male figures. To many, cow–boys and cattle-men are individuals who spent hours on horseback, driving cattle across the country and pouring blood and sweat into establishing the American West.
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While they certainly left an impact on the foundation and modernization of our current-day operations, women have also trailblazed paths, opening doors for all to feel a sense of belonging in the livestock sectors.
FEBRUARY 27, 2021
Relationships Build Resiliency
While snow is melting and sunshine-filled days have recently cast across much of our nation, many communities are still facing the remnants of the unprecedented and historic winter weather faced just a short week ago, especially those in Texas.
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Prolonged days of below freezing temperatures and beyond normal amounts of precipitation affected nearly 245 counties in the state, spreading from the panhandle to the coast and down into the valley. A power grid failure left homes and businesses with little–to–no electricity or water and created added stress for those in the livestock industry.
NOVEMBER 25, 2020
A Season of Thanks & Giving
With the holiday season upon us, stores have begun stocking the shelves with holiday dinner items, Christmas decorations, and aisles of gifts for loved ones. Though the holidays seem full of cheer and joy, the season can also cause financial strain for many families across the United States.
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Franklin County Livestock Market, in Carnesville, Georgia, has seen the need to financially assist families during the holidays. But a small program that started with assisting only local families has launched into a Toys for Tots program designed to give toys to children in need across northeastern Georgia.
OCTOBER 9, 2020
Auction Outreach Beyond the Block
It‘s no question the livestock and agricultural industries have seen the importance of community sacrifice and spirit in 2020. A global pandemic, economic market swings and unexpected natural disasters continue to challenge rural livelihoods. But much like the livestock they raise or the crops they cultivate, ag communities continue to prove resilient.
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Livestock auctions have been a source of economic opportunity and community morale for decades. Though this year posed numerous obstacles to those in the livestock industry, auctions continue to invest in the health and longevity of their communities.