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Historic St. Joseph, Missouri stockyard closing down

The St. Joseph Stockyards in Missouri is closing after 134 years of operation.

“Obviously we were all in it to make money, but you create a lot of friendships and relationships there,” St. Joseph Stockyards veterinarian Adam Acklin said.

Acklin reminisces about his experience working and selling his own cattle through the facility.  

“The comradery that goes along with it and healthy competition, we all like healthy competition,” he said. “Other producers and friends of mine, we always talk about what our calves brought and what they weighed and that’s where all farmers and ranchers like to go.”

Acklin tells Brownfield the St. Joseph Stockyards was a hub for many producers with high quality beef to make a name for themselves with feed lot buyers. 

“That’s what a producer and farmers [and] ranchers are working towards,” he said. “Whenever your cattle walk into the ring and people remember your name, and it’s happened for a lot of people at St. Joe.”

Acklin said the facility was unique as one of the last remaining river markets. The final sale hosted at the St. Joseph Stockyards will be on May 19^th.