England Cattle Company recently held its 2nd annual Brahmans on the Rio.
At England Cattle Co. in Mercedes, Texas, those attending this virtual cattle sale were able to get to the location. They could see the cattle before placing a bid, as its video was shown.
It was an advancement from last year.
According to fourth-generation farmer Karen Waters, “There were still auctions, but the auctions are based all online. So, people couldn’t really come out and see the calf in person. So, I think having these kinds of auctions where they do get to come in person is great because they actually can see how the cattle works and how it walks. Because sometimes people and other auctions, they didn’t really do that; they didn’t really show how they walk, they just hope for the best and people would buy.”
The people at this cattle auction say that they are happy that, unlike last year, they can get out this time and interact with others, without having to be worried about being stuck at home or forced to wear a mask.
“I’m really happy to see it. Life has to go on,” England Cattle Co.'s Kenduil Sellman states. “We have the vaccine now, people know how to stay safe.”
“Just the smile on their faces and seeing how happy everybody is to be around each other. Because I’ve missed hanging out with my friends and family, and now, that the mask mandate is up, you can actually see what people are thinking and see how they’re smiling. It just feels great to be around people,” Waters adds.
While COVID stopped a number of industries, farmers had to keep going.
“It took a toll on everybody, but the thing is, you know, there’s other businesses: retail, restaurants, everything. They were able to shut down. Obviously, it hurt them really bad, but agriculture, it can’t stop. People still have to eat. People still have to wear clothes on their back,” Sellman explains.
“If you think about it, farmers, they weren’t shut down during COVID, because they are the backbone of this country, pretty much. So my dad as a farmer, he had no days off and he kept going.” Waters states.
Active cattle sales like this are a great way to keep the economy active as well.
“The world’s got to get going again! We can’t just go back into a hole and let our economy rot and everything,” Sellman notes. “So, especially with the agriculture industry, we have to keep going. So, I’m excited to see everybody getting out, gathering in crowds. It helps everybody, I think.”
Many of these ranchers say that they were able to keep much of their activities going during the peak months of the pandemic because they were socially distanced already.