Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Area sale barn closes

After careful consideration, Mike Cox, owner of Clark County Livestock MMC, has decided to discontinue the cattle sale held each Monday at the barn.

After a brief shut down of the barn in November of 1998, Cox along with his partner at the time reopened the barn in February of 1999. Many thought the brief shut down damaged the barn's reputation and might not ever recover.

However, they were proven wrong. The barn was brought back to a fully running sale barn with hogs, cattle goats and a horse sale. Later on Cox decided to add a feed store to the side of the barn.

Cox said many people weren't raising cattle anymore. That left him with the cost of running the barn being higher than what was coming into it. Cox hates to close the barn, but feels as if it is the only thing to do.

However, not all the news in this story is negative. Cox said no one working at the barn full-time would lose their job. He plans to use all of his remaining help to run his feed store.

In the past few months the store has become very busy and Cox plans to stock it with more feed, more veterinarian supplies and all kinds of tack for horses and riders.

Cox also knows that many people who still own cattle will have to take them elsewhere to sell.

Cox said he will to continue to haul cattle for people. The closest sale barns are in Hope and Glenwood. However, the closest place to sell hogs now is Texarkana.

Although the Monday cattle sale is gone, you can still call on Mike Cox for cattle hauling and all you feed and tack needs. Cox will also continue to hold the third Saturday of the month horse sale at the barn in Arkadelphia.