Annual bull sale attracts buyers
Capital Electric - June 1, 2011
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Attentive buyers prepare to bid as they watch the first few bulls come through the ring, at this year's Vollmer Angus Ranch bull sale north of Wing. |
When many of us think of rural electric cooperatives, we can't help but remember the reason co-ops exist: To provide electric service to consumers in less populated areas. The farmers and ranchers in Burleigh and Sheridan counties are great examples of Capital Electric Cooperative members who have been with their electric co-op from the start. For the last 65 years, they have relied on Capital to meet their evolving electrical needs as their operation expands.
Vollmer Angus Ranch north of Wing fits this category well. The Vollmer family has been ranching since before Capital's lines brought them their first experience with electricity. Alvin and Verna Vollmer started ranching at the current location in Burleigh County in 1952. Over the years, the Vollmer's ranching operation has developed into a top-notch registered Angus cattle production facility. Alvin and Verna's son, Allen, now operates this growing family business along with his wife, Bev, and the couple's son, Troy, and family: wife, Sara, and children Brooklyn, Haley and Callie. Alvin has passed away, but Verna still lives on the ranch.
To stay involved in the Angus cattle industry, the family is active in the North Dakota Angus Association. Allen is a past president and Troy is currently serving on the board of directors. Troy also serves as a Burleigh County Soil Conservation District supervisor. The family also keeps on top of industry trends globally by keeping connected online.
Bev explains, "The computer keeps us in touch with what is going on globally and allows us to view cattle sales several states away that we are interested in but can't attend in person. We are only limited by the amount of time we have to read, study and attend industry events."
The Vollmer's have joined the information age by developing a Web site at www.vollmerangus.com and maintaining a Facebook page.
Annual production sale
The Vollmer Angus Ranch has held an annual production sale for the past 34 years. Prior to February 2009, the sales were held at Kist Livestock in Mandan. In 2009 the family decided to build their own sales barn on the ranch and hold production sales at home. This past May, they held their 34thannual bull production sale. They were fortunate to have a beautiful, sunny day for this year's sale. Buyers came from a multi-state region, at least as far away as Nebraska.
Thankful for the sunshine, Bev mentioned, "We were due for good weather on sale day. It's been pretty bad in past years." The corrals were drying out as well, as buyers made their way through the bull herd to pick out their favorites.
The Vollmers usually sell some heifers at the sale, but this year they held them back to sell mainly to buyers from Kazakhstan, which was formerly part of the Soviet Union. The family ships the heifers via UPS to this country because it has a lot of acres of pasture but not many cattle.
"The buyers like our cattle because our climate in North Dakota is similar to theirs and the cattle do quite well there," explains Bev.
The sales barn filled up a half hour before sale time as Arlene Olson and Rosemary Hanson served burgers, salads and homemade bars. Roger Jacobs, an auctioneer from Billings, Mont., was on hand again this year to do the selling. Roger is a fixture at the Vollmer sale and does an outstanding job getting the most out of each bull.
Boyd and Shirley Hardy, residents of Fairview, Mont., have attended several of the Vollmer bull sales. "We love the quality of their stock and the bulls have great temperament. We are looking for one with certain attributes such as the right birth weight," says Shirley. "The Vollmers deliver the bulls to our ranch, which is a great benefit as well." Boyd and Shirley were typical buyers, with only positive comments for the Vollmer's cattle operation.
On sale day, the Vollmer family works hard to make it a great experience for each buyer. You'll find Allen and Troy walking through the corrals and answering questions, as Bev is taking photos. Sara works at the computer during the sale to keep track of what's happening as Verna holds little Callie while she sleeps. Brooklyn and Haley enjoy the commotion as well, playing and having a great time.
Building for the future
According to Bev, "Capital Electric was an integral part of getting the sales barn going. We are also grateful to BEK Communications Cooperative for our fiber optic cable which provides high-speed Internet. They have allowed us to integrate technology needed for our network at a very high level.
"Of course, without electricity, nothing would work," she continues. "Realizing that we are not in an area that offers a lot of customers per mile, we are always impressed with the service that is provided by both of our co-ops."
Troy Vollmer is thankful to Capital Electric as well. "We put electric floor heat in the sales barn and are very pleased with it. Capital Electric keeps the power coming and keeps us going," he says. When Troy's vision of building a sales barn was realized, he made a commitment to the future of the ranching business. He shares the optimism of a bright future in the cattle business with the rest of the Vollmer family.