Northwest Iowa Livestock Barn Going Silent

On the northern part of Sioux Center Iowa, the auctioneer's voice has rang out for almost a century. Tri-State Livestock began as the Sioux Center Livestock Sales Company in 1930.

Late last week the sale barn sold its last livestock. Friday was the final day as the owners decided to close the business.

According to the Sioux Center News, the decision to close in Sioux Center is due to the changes the dairy industry has gone through in recent years.

Located an hour southeast of Sioux Falls I remember the stories my nephew would tell of his employment at Tri-State when he was still in school.

“At one time, besides Sioux Falls Regional, this was probably one of our busiest barns. But the writing’s on the wall."

The current owners also own Sheldon Livestock and Sioux Falls Regional Livestock in Worthing, S.D. They purchased the Sioux Center sale barn in 2006, according to the report.

Sioux Center News points out that the plan is to sell the property, with a stipulation in the contract that it not be used for hosting auctions.

Sioux Center is a small community of just over 8,000. It also has the Pella Manufacturing plant, Dort College, Western Iowa Tech Community College, Tyson Foods, and Seaboard Triumph Foods.