By Tyler Trieglaff

Notes from the Chief

Notes from the Farm…Sale day was last Monday, and it is always like a little holiday for the farm. For beef farmers, there are one or two major paychecks each year. This year we sold 56 steers and heifers that were born last April, May and June. We sold at the Perham Stockyards this year and this is the third year we have taken the calves there.

We have gone to Bagley in the past, but it is much easier to haul cattle to Perham than to Bagley. Each farmer makes this choice depending on the market or just where you like better. Motley, Fergus Falls and Sisseton, S.D. are also some favorite places to sell calves.  

Each sales barn has its own crop of buyers, and some buyers travel to multiple locations each week, depending on what orders they need to fill. Each sales barn may also have its own niche market.  

Last Sunday I made five trips with calves to the Perham Stockyards. Three loads for our farm, one load for my cousin Barry and another trip with five animals for another neighbor. We could have made it in four trips had I planned a little better, but it did not work out that way. The stock trailer I have is a 2015 Wilson Ranch Hand, 32-feet long and I pull it with a 2003 Ford F450 with a six-speed manual transmission with a low granny gear.  

With the 32-foot trailer, the largest load we hauled was 23 heifers and we could have maybe gotten a couple more in, but then we would have had steers mixed with heifers.  Our steers then went into smaller loads, 15 and 18 per load. It was dark in the corral, and we just wanted hauling to be done for the day.  

We left the Perham Stockyards at about 7:30 p.m. Sunday night. After hauling that many loads, I sure am glad that we brought them the day before rather than trying to haul them all for the 10 a.m. sale on Monday.

The main check for the year now needs to last most of the year, but we will have some others that will go down the road this spring or summer. There are eight cows that calved in the fall so we will have those to sell. We also have six steers in the fat pen that will be going to market as well. Whether they go to the sales barn as fats or get sold to friends and neighbors as quarters and halves is yet to be seen.

Have a good week!

Friday, Jan. 30

12:25 p.m. Asked by school staff to be in the area for a meeting.

2:39 p.m. Report of two dogs running by Maple Ave. Owner was out looking for them.

Monday, Feb. 2

4:55 p.m. Assist with a medical.

4:55 p.m. Traffic complaint on U.S. Hwy 10. Frazee officer found vehicle and driver had a new phone and was using it for directions.  

Tuesday, Feb. 3

3 p.m. Report of suspicious activity at a house, possibly drug activity. Under investigation.

5:02 p.m. Assist with a stalled semi-truck and trailer on Lake St. N. Officer directed traffic while the issue was fixed.

6:03 p.m. Assist with a warrant arrest.

11:01 p.m. Assist with a carbon monoxide alarm.

Wednesday, Feb. 4

12:22 p.m. Local resident stopped by the PD asking about his driving status.  

1:10 p.m. Assist with locating a person from a gas drive-off.

2:04 p.m. Welfare check on a female who is in the Frazee area. Unknown exactly where in the area.

Thursday, Feb. 5

1:43 p.m. Assist with an issue between high school boys in the midst of an old-fashioned school yard brawl that did not happen. School handled the issue.

3:26 p.m. Traffic complaint with a school bus (not from Frazee) stopped on Lake St N and letting kids off and into the school.

4:07 p.m. Resident called reporting a stray cat at their doorstep that looks like it got beat up. Officer told resident that there is not a cat ordinance in town, thus we do not pick up stray cats.

5:14 p.m. Report of a female with a suitcase by the Otter Tail River bridge on 87. Unable to locate.