BCCD to recognize local agricultural business owner
Larry Martin, owner of the Fort Scott Livestock Market, said keeping the fescue and native prairie grass that he grazes his cattle on healthy is essential to his business.
"Grass is what we use as our main source of feed for our livestock," Martin said. "If you don't have grass, it's pretty hard for them (cattle) to gain any weight."
Martin's practices in keeping the grass and the land healthy earned him this year's Grassland Award from the Bourbon County Conservation District. The award will be presented at the BCCD's annual meeting at 6:30 p.m., Saturday at Uniontown Junior Senior High School. Martin said one of his two sons will probably accept the award on his behalf, because Saturday is a sale day at the livestock market, and Martin will not be able to attend the meeting.
Martin, who co-owns the livestock market with his father, Jim Martin, said he helps maintain and preserve the grass by spraying for potentially damaging brush, sericea lespedeza and cedar trees.
"We do it because it's how you make a living," Martin said. "You have to take care of it. You take care of your land, it will take care of you. That's just kind of that way it is."
Maintaining the grass is essential for the health of the cattle and the success of the livestock business. Much of what Martin does involves backgrounding and grazing the stocker calves, 350-pound steers and heifers, before putting them up for auction. Backgrounding involves weaning unweaned calves that are purchased as part of a preconditioning program, Martin said. When the cattle are ready, they are sold as feeder cattle or they are sent to the feed yard.
The livestock market, located on Old Highway 54 at the west edge of Fort Scott, was established by Martin's grandparents, Charles and Leatha Griffith. Martin said he and Jim took it over in the early 1980s. Since then, he said, he and his dad have simply operated the business to the best of their ability, trying not to foul it up.
Martin added that his two sons, Tyler and Kyle, along with his wife, Deb, help with the operation, as well.