Education - The Durango Herald

Southwest Colorado eSchool holds first in-person graduation ceremony in Durango

Nine students walk across the stage Thursday at Rotary Park

DATE: May 17, 2025 | CATEGORY: Local News

Durango School District recognized for supporting students with disabilities

Districts are evaluated on 14 key performance indicators, including graduation rates, timely evaluations and inclusive education

DATE: May 14, 2025 | CATEGORY: Local News

Mancos Early Learning Center earns prestigious accreditation

This accreditation reflects the center’s dedication to early learning

DATE: May 13, 2025 | CATEGORY: Education

Celebrating our 2025 4-H Scholarship winners

The 4-H program is proud to recognize four outstanding youths who have been awarded this year’s 4-H scholarships. These young leaders have demonstrated hard work, dedication and a commitment...

DATE: May 13, 2025 | CATEGORY: From the Extension Office

‘The opportunity to succeed’: Fort Lewis College’s new president outlines bold vision

Heather Shotton to take over July 1 as first Indigenous president of FLC

DATE: May 12, 2025 | CATEGORY: Local News

Funding cuts land at Fort Lewis College

Greetings, stargazers. Federal grant cutting is finally hitting close to home. These grants have supported Fort Lewis College student activities for at least all of this century. Unfortunate...

DATE: May 9, 2025 | CATEGORY: What's up in Durango Skies

Progress slow in Durango teachers’ union negotiations

After 10 hours of bargaining with district administrators, sides are a ways from agreement

DATE: May 4, 2025 | CATEGORY: Local News

Graduates celebrated at Fort Lewis College spring commencement ceremonies

Keynote author: ‘What you really belong to is what you devote your time to’

DATE: May 3, 2025 | CATEGORY: Local News

Fort Lewis College celebrates 10th anniversary of Hawk Tank Business Plan Competition

San Juan College student claims grand prize

DATE: May 2, 2025 | CATEGORY: Local News

Three Bayfield superintendent finalists meet with residents

Candidates bring decades of education experience, close ties to La Plata County

DATE: Apr 29, 2025 | CATEGORY: Local News

Funding for Colorado ‘Head Start’ threatened by Trump’s budget proposal

Program relies on $120 million in federal funding annually

DATE: Apr 15, 2025 | CATEGORY: Regional News

Diné College closes main campus in wake of fire

Cause of fire remains unknown

DATE: Apr 15, 2025 | CATEGORY: Tri-Cities

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Photos: High County Cattle Auction

High Country Cattle Auction brings top-notch stock and country charm to Southwest ColoradoFamily run, generational business dates back to 1940s

BREEN – The family-owned and operated High Country Cattle Auction is “in the bones” of the Cugnini family, said third-generation owner Chris Cugnini. The business was founded by Chris’ grandfather, Pat Cugnini, in the 1940s. Pat then passed the business down to his son, Duane Cugnini, who then turned the business over to daughters, Becky Hawkins and Chris Cugnini, whose daughters plan to take over the family business one day. The auction, which takes place once or twice a month from April to January at 13062 La Plata Highway (Colorado Highway 140) near Breen, attracts ranchers, farmers and those in the cattle industry from far and wide.

Former Durango resident Steve Greenburg has been attending the High Country Cattle auction for more than 40 years, and continues to travel to Breen all the way from Arizona, where he now lives. He attended the September auction last week, where around 1,200 animals were up for sale. Greenburg said effective bidding takes concentration and a practiced hand. “You want to make sure you don’t pay too much,” he said. “And if you do, you want to buy the business.” Amber Belvin, employee of 15 years and Chris’ operations “sidekick,” said bidders are most often looking for signs of good health in an animal, like a plump, filled-out body. If bidding on a herd, a look of uniformity among the animals is key to a good purchase, she said.

Despite Greenburg already having a handful of filled out bidding cards marking the cattle he had won within an hour of the Sept. 23 auction, he said the day was young. One sale day last year culminated in Greenburg taking home 22 semi-trucks worth of cattle, he said. Chris said Greenburg is one of the auction’s longest-term and most generous supporters. “(Greenburg) pays top-dollar,” Chris said. “And (that) makes me feel good, because we’re giving back to (the sellers). I know these people around here, and they’re the hardest working people on the planet. If I can get them 10 or 20 cents more per pound, then that makes us happy.”

Cattle auction prices have gone up in recent years, both at High Country and nationally, Chris said. This year, animals are going for $2,500 to $3,000 a head – double and triple the average prices from last year. The increase, Chris said, is in part because of a screw worm making the rounds in cattle in Mexico, which has lowered the number of cattle coming in from the south, along with people subdividing and selling cattle branches, and local cattle herd numbers diminishing, which has increased demand.

Chris called the price increase “good and bad.” “It’s great if you’re a seller, because there’s prices that you’ve never seen before,” she said. “Older men come in, (and they) can’t believe the prices. Some of them do this for a living, and they count on that, so they’re so happy.” Belvin said some smaller farmers opt to buy less cattle during price surges like this, but echoed Chris’ sentiment about sellers being ecstatic about the unprecedented profit.

Local cattle farmer Lawrence Martinez entered 59 steers and 95 heifers in the auction Tuesday. Martinez has been involved in the High Country Cattle Auction “pretty much forever,” but recent years have been especially fruitful for sales, he said. “These last few years, we’ve been coming here to sell, because this is the place to go,” he said. “I wouldn’t sell anywhere else. (The market here has) been so good.”The auction’s community roots and generational touch doesn’t stop at the Cugnini family: Shane Hatch, the auctioneer, took over the job after his father’s death, Belvin said.

The auction serves as an opportunity for community members to get together and bond, Belvin said. “When we do have an auction, it’s a great place where local farmers and ranchers can get together and talk,” she said. “They come to the cafe, and they talk about the hay, and the drought situation, and I think it’s a good connecting point.” Chris and Belvin both expressed feeling glad the auction can supply so much generational value to the local farming and ranching community. “I mean, what other business can you think of around here that’s the same, right?” Belvin said. “We’re fair, and we’re very meticulous at our jobs. We take it very seriously, because this is (some peoples’) livelihood.”

For the Cugninis – and long-term employees like Belvin, who have become an honorary part of the close-knit High Country Cattle Auction family – the heart of the business aligns with the heart of the local farming and ranching community. “We’re just good, hard working people – Americans – that want to make a good living, and live off this great land,” Belvin said. epond@durangoherald.com

Family run, generational business dates back to 1940s