CattleNetwork.com Staff  |   December 21, 2009

Sellers Feedlot was established as a commercial enterprise in 1972 by Steve Sellers, but its history is deeply seeded in the Kansas plains. Joseph Sellers, Steve's grandfather, purchased the ground that is home to Sellers Feedlot in 1917. The land was passed on to Steve's father Lloyd and eventually to Steve, the current owner.

As the farming business grew, so did the cattle pens. They had two pens when Steve was a kid then there were four, then five. They continued to build more pens. Business was different in those days and the Sellers increased their cattle holdings to help sell more farm product. Feeding cattle was a way to market grain. Eventually, it became a business in itself. Steve’s dad loved to farm so Steve took over the feedlot.

Sellers went commercial in 1972 with 1500 head. In the 1980s, Sellers was up to 30 then 40 pens. They added more pens in the1990s and they're getting ready to build more. Today, Sellers Feedlot can accommodate 10,000 head and has approval from KDHE (the Kansas branch of the EPA) to go to 12,000.

A critical and plentiful benefit to the central Kansas area is water. Initially, they just used irrigation water, but later converted to stock water, starting in 1964 with a 2000 gallon per m inute pump. It was upgraded in 1985 with capacity to serve 12,000 head of cattle. And water is critical for healthy cattle. In central Kansas, Sellers is in a high re-charge area. The Arkansas River Underflow is nice and close to the surface and they receive moderate rainfall. So the water is plentiful and of good quality. Sellers is far enough west to be out of the high humidity and rainfall, but not so far as to be in the arid areas of the high plains. And in the winter, the high plains get 10 blizzards to one in Lyons, Kansas.

To learn more visit www.sellersfeedlot.com