Thank you - The Durango Herald

Community members grateful to vaccine volunteers

My husband and I were fortunate enough to receive our first COVID-19 vaccine at the La Plata County Fairgrounds on Jan. 30. Oh my! What an amazing event that was organized for all of us. Fro...

DATE: Feb 16, 2021 | CATEGORY: Community

Thank you from the Jenners

I want to give a big thank you and a large amount of gratitude to everyone at the COVID-19 vaccine event Jan. 30. It was so organized and unbelievably thorough. Everyone was compassionate an...

DATE: Feb 5, 2021 | CATEGORY: Community

Wolfwood Refuge believes in Santa

Wolfwood Refuge, like many other nonprofits, struggled last year and had to make changes. All of our events were canceled, and we are still not in a position to schedule for 2021. ...

DATE: Feb 5, 2021 | CATEGORY: Community

Thank you to the COVID-19 vaccine volunteers

I had the first vaccine shot at the La Plata County Fairgrounds this weekend. First, thanks to all the volunteers who make this such an easy thing. Everyone was friendly, nice and helpful. I...

DATE: Feb 5, 2021 | CATEGORY: Community

Resident grateful for COVID-19 vaccination clinic

My husband and I were fortunate to have been vaccinated at the vaccination clinic that took place at the La Plata County Fairgrounds this past Saturday. We were so impressed by how smoothly ...

DATE: Feb 5, 2021 | CATEGORY: Community

Thank you from Boys & Girls Club of La Plata County

Dear La Plata County residents: It gives me great pleasure to announce the Boys & Girls Club of La Plata County reopened for in-person after-school programs Jan. 25. Throughout t...

DATE: Feb 5, 2021 | CATEGORY: Community

Comfort Keepers grateful for access to vaccine

Comfort Keepers In Home Care would like to thank the many professionals, agencies and community volunteers for their countless hours obtaining and administering the COVID-19 vaccine. Our cli...

DATE: Jan 29, 2021 | CATEGORY: Community

Sheppards grateful to health department, Zink and volunteers

Saturday, Jan. 23, was a really big day for something like 300 people. We were lucky enough to be among the senior recipients of the vaccinations offered at the fairgrounds led by Karen Zin...

DATE: Jan 29, 2021 | CATEGORY: Community

Thank you to La Plata Integrated Healthcare

We would like to commend and thank La Plata Integrated Healthcare, part of the Axis Health System. We were shocked when, as a patient of the clinic, Ron received a call asking if he wanted t...

DATE: Jan 29, 2021 | CATEGORY: Community

Thank you to the director of the Durango Food Bank

The Durango Food Bank Board of Directors would like to publicly thank and acknowledge the incredible hard work and dedication of its director Sarah Smith. The past year has been ...

DATE: Jan 15, 2021 | CATEGORY: Community

Durango Botanic Gardens grateful to La Plata Cares and Local First

Durango Botanic Gardens would like to extend our sincere thanks to La Plata Cares and Local First for grant money that we received because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The gardens n...

DATE: Jan 15, 2021 | CATEGORY: Community

Lumien Apartments community grateful to community partners

Our team at the Lumien apartments wanted to share our heartfelt gratitude for the numerous community partners that have supported us in our first year of operations at Lumien 2. ...

DATE: Jan 1, 2021 | CATEGORY: Community

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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

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Skyhawks off to best start since 2006

Photos: Durango High School football takes on Piedra Vista High SchoolDemons’ defense dominates in 17-0 victory on Friday night

Demons’ defense dominates in 17-0 victory on Friday night

Skyhawks beat Lubbock Christian 2-1 in season opener on Thursday

Photos: Four Corners Motorcycle RallyLots of motorcycles and tattoos were on display on Saturday

Lots of motorcycles and tattoos were on display on Saturday

Photos: Four Corners Motorcycle Rally Rodeo

Photos: Durango High School football opens its seasonDemons lost 35-14 to Montrose at home on Friday night

Demons lost 35-14 to Montrose at home on Friday night