the history of Sackmann Cattle — “...nuts, butts, and guts...”

 Agriculture is in my blood. Whether you look at Germans from Russia, hog farmers in Kentucky, blueberry farmers in Oregon, or cattle farmers in Warden, my family has it all. The first Sackmanns were Germans from Russia and first set foot on U.S. soil in 1901. Gottlieb and Lydia Sackmann raised a family of 17 children to adulthood in Lind, WA. On their homestead, the boys raised multiple dryland crops, cattle, and hogs. Lydia and the girls took care of the house while raising a huge garden, chickens, ducks, turkeys, and geese. Grandma Sackmann was very proud of the one white hair she ever had, telling her daughters, “Don’t you dare pull that out; I've earned it!” Their family even made their own sausage, a tradition that still stands today. Reinhold Sackmann was the 16th child and my great-grandfather. His progeny are still involved in agriculture and living off the land to this day. One of Reinhold’s grand kids, (my dad), and his family raise hay crops, a garden, fruit patches, cattle, chickens, goats, and formerly hogs. We still get together with Reinhold’s other children and great grandkids to make sausage and share stories every winter. Often, meat has been raised by our family our selves, just like in the old days. The first day everyone helps to mix, season, and pack different types of meat products. The second day, the boys are in charge of watching the smoke house while playing games of pinochle. That evening, the family gathers to wrap the sausage and then share an evening meal of breakfast together. That is the one tradition that we have managed to keep despite our busy schedules with the Sackmann Cattle business. My parents bought their first cattle from a farmer in Lind in 2002. Two pairs and six heifers turned into a booming Registered Angus cattle herd 23 years later. The main business is selling bulls as seedstock to ranchers around the country. He’s sold bulls to ranchers in Montana, Wyoming, Minnesota, and Kansas, just to name a few. Bull semen was even sold to a cattle rancher in South America! The evolving technology of video sales has helped to make the sale process more widely available and stress-free for everyone involved, including the bulls. Dad’s philosophy is based on customer service, long road trips, good feet, and “nuts, butts, and guts.” I remember my little brother repeating that phrase when he could barely talk! Sackmann Cattle is a deeply rooted family business. Al though my siblings and I often complain, Dad’s favorite “cow crew” is his wife and kids. We’ve been pulled out of school on more than one occasion to help sort, move, haul, weigh, vaccinate, clip and photograph bulls and/or cows to help Dad. In the past, my parents have photographed, videoed, made advertisements, and catalogs with only their kids’ help. My parents are very self-sufficient when it comes to the cattle business, especially my mom. She keeps the wheels spinning on the backside of the opera tion with everything from re cord keeping to advertisement deadlines. Sackmann Cattle Company holds two sales a year; in March Sackmann Cattle Sackmann Cattle the history of the history of and November along with our sale partner, JR Ranch. Come on down to Othello to see some stout Angus bulls or look us up on YouTube and Facebook! As I think back on the Sackmann family history in AG, I hope that Gottlieb and Lydia Sackmann are looking down at us and feeling proud for fol lowing in their footsteps and continuing the values of family, livestock, and agriculture.