For Merv May, Burley Livestock Auction Is a Local Business Boost & Gathering Place
Story and photos by Dianna Troyer
Merv May, co-owner of the Burley Livestock Auction, appreciates his competitors.
The Rupert resident takes down a half-century-old business card tacked to a bulletin board in the office and often reads the backside. He says it reminds him of how to run the auction and sale yard, a cherished and vital enterprise in the Mini- Cassia area since it opened in the late 1930s at 1100 Occidental Ave.
“My friends are too polite to point out my weaknesses, but my competitors go to great expense to advertise them,” the card reads. “They make me continually search for ways to improve my services. My competitors prevent me from becoming lazy, incompetent, and careless. They have been good to me.”
The card has been in Merv’s family since his dad bought the Valley Livestock Commission Co. in Rupert in 1962. Merv was 5 years old at the time.
“I grew up in the business and became an auctioneer there,” he says. “Mom eventually sold it when she was ready to retire.”
After it sold, Merv worked as an auctioneer throughout the region. In 2002, he accepted an invitation from longtime friend Lance Udy, of Malta, to become co-owner of the Burley auction.
To Merv and Lance, the auction is much more than a place to sell livestock. It is also an economic stimulus for local businesses, a gathering place, and a convivial family enterprise.
“We’re here for the community,” Lance says. “The auction gives local businesses a lift, too. When people come to town for the sale, they buy gas and groceries and do some shopping. Then we have some regulars who come just to visit and have lunch in our cafe.”
When Lance bought the business in 2000, it had been closed for 3 months. He knew how important it was to ranchers.
“After it closed, they had to drive another 40 miles to Twin Falls to sell their livestock,” he says.
Lance had sold his farm near Bridge and was chopping hay for a local feedlot.
“The opportunity came up to buy the sale yard and make a go of it,” he says. “I kept chopping hay while working on getting it reopened. I knew I’d need Merv because he has a great reputation for knowing how to run a sale ring. He draws in a lot of people because they know they’ll be treated right.”
With Lance and Merv running the auction, ranchers were eager to sell their cattle there again.
On sale day, every Thursday starting at 11 a.m., 4 auctioneers and 30 employees work hard to keep a steady flow of livestock going for sellers and buyers.
“We’re known for getting cattle sorted and sold in a decent time,” Merv says. “Usually we’re done by about 3 or 4 p.m., but sometimes it’s been dark.”
Merv and Lance raise some cattle themselves.
“At times, we’ll both bid on cattle, too,” Merv says. “When our auctioneers help ranchers get a good price, it’s good for all of us.”
The weekly auction is like a reunion with friends who have become like family from Idaho, Utah, and Nevada.
“We’ve known a lot of these ranchers most of our lives,” Merv says. “We look forward to seeing them and visiting.”
The weekly livestock report on burleylivestock. auction shows sellers come from as far as Corrine and Tremonton in Utah; Ely and Owyhee in Nevada; and Montpelier, Soda Springs, Arco, and Malad.
“Some will go past other sale yards to come to us because they like how we take care of them and their livestock,” Lance says.
The buyers are not only feedlot owners and ranchers but also local families like Jake Goedhart, of Burley.
Jake and his sons, Case, Hank, Sam, and Pete, enjoyed lunch in the auction’s cafe before buying some beef cows.
“We come in the spring to buy 8 to 10 cows to keep the grass in our pasture under control, then sell them in the fall,” Jake says. “It’s the first time for Case to buy some cows with money he’s saved. It’s great we can buy and market the animals nearby.”
Merv and Lance’s family members are as committed to running the auction as they are. Merv’s stepson, award-winning auctioneer Kade Rogge, is manager. His wife, Jasmyn, works in the office. Lance’s daughter-in-law, Lindsey, manages the office.
Although the sale is on Thursdays, Lance and Merv come into the office regularly.
“They’re a great team,” Lindsey says. “Lance is the PR guy and is known for being easygoing. Merv is the out-front guy who sells the cattle and works the ring. He has auctioneered for years and is very talented at that.”
Lance, 83, and Merv, 67, say they will retire someday—but not in the near future. They enjoy keeping the sale yard going.
“Even on hectic days, Merv and Lance keep us smiling with their humor,” Jasmyn says. “When they retire, they’ll still need to stop by from time to time on sale day so they can visit with friends they’ve made. Over the years, they truly have built a relationship with their producers and sellers. That’s a legacy we plan to continue.”
Lance says their families understand how important the auction is to the community.
“They’ll keep it open,” he says.
Merv tacks the business card back up on the bulletin board before walking into the sale ring to take his turn auctioneering.
“We appreciate the community support all these years,” he says. “That’s what keeps the business going.”