Value
Working Together Creates By Jacey Pella & Dale Sandlin
Sitting at his desk at Northeast Georgia Livestock, Todd Stephens is constantly in motion. Between phone calls, staff updates, and paperwork, he balances the needs of those whom he and his staff serve: the producers. Northeast Georgia Livestock, located in Athens, Ga., typically has about 650 head of cattle running through their stockyard each week, in addition to their graded feeder calf sales and video auctions. Stephens grew up in the industry in Dacula, working with his granddaddy and uncle in their chicken houses and cattle herds. His uncle had Holstein springers and a registered Angus herd and led Stephens to buy his own flock of chickens. A graduate of the University of Georgia (1989), Stephens earned a degree in Poultry Science, simply because he could easily find a job. After graduation, he went to work for Harrison Poultry as a manager – and this is where he learned one of the greatest skills that still serves him well today: how to manage relationships. “The stockyard business is all about relationships. It comes down to knowing who you are working with and 30
GEORGIA CATTLEMAN | JULY 2022
trusting that they are going to do what they say they will,” Stephens explains. That is one of the hallmarks of many of the stockyards: They sell millions of dollars’ worth of cattle to people where they may never see the cattle. The trust that they have developed with both buyers and sellers provides the basis for good business, where each party is looking out for mutual benefit. Video auctions are yet another avenue that Northeast Georgia Livestock has developed to help provide value for producers. Add to that their dealer account; they are able to work with producers from several states across the Southeast, with producers bringing their cattle sometimes more than 150 miles away to market. One of the best ways for these transactions to go well is for producers to take action on the farm. Cattle producers who vaccinate and castrate their calves set the calves up for long-term success. These calves are more adaptable and reduce the potential for problems during and after the transaction. Having good genetics is another way to help provide for more value for the producer. “‘They are all just alike’ is the worst tale told,” Stephens believes. “The same buyers are the ones bidding on them
