Kathol For District 27 Attends Local Bull Sale
- Anthony Kathol
- 3 hours ago
- 4 min read
Today, I attended the Harris Brothers’ 3rd Annual Bull Sale at the Martin Livestock and Sale Barn Café and had the pleasure of seeing many familiar faces from across Bennett County.
The sale began at 12:30 PM MDT, with strong attendance both in person and online. I could sense the excitement within the arena. While I can only imagine what was going through the minds of Kalen and Klay Harris as they stood beside the auctioneer, Kalen’s smile near the end of the sale suggested they were pleased—with the turnout, the bidding activity, and the prices their bulls commanded.
A total of 34 bulls were auctioned, with the top bull bringing $18,000. After reviewing the catalog, attending the auction, and asking questions afterward, I gained a deeper appreciation for the time, effort, and precision required to operate a bull-raising business. I also learned that success and reputation in this business depend on accurate data and disciplined recordkeeping, enabling buyers to make informed decisions with confidence.
Klay mentioned that one of the most meaningful measures of success will come a year from now—based on the bulls' breeding performance in the field. Time will ultimately tell that story.
The Harris Brothers represent just one example of the many agricultural producers who drive our local economy. As I’ve noted in a previous post, our Ag producers support small-town businesses at every level—purchasing groceries, fuel, equipment, and services; banking locally; and supporting restaurants and pharmacies. In short, agriculture and small business together form the economic backbone of communities like Martin. Without them, rural towns would struggle to survive.
After the event, I also had a thoughtful conversation with a local voter about the future of the beef industry, including concerns about checkoff dollars used to support the production of lab-grown adulterated meat by foreign-backed packing plants.
During the recent legislative session, HB 1077 was passed by both the House and State Senate to label a cultivated-protein food product as adulterated food (aka: "fake meat"). By classifying the cultivated-protein food product as "adulterated" under South Dakota Codified Law 39-4-2, it would have prohibited the "fake meat" from being distributed and sold in grocery stores across South Dakota. However, the bill was vetoed by Governor Rhoden on February 9, 2026. His veto was supported by the South Dakota Farm Bureau, the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association, and the South Dakota Retailers (1). You can read Governor Rhoden's letter on why he vetoed the legislation here: https://mylrc.sdlegislature.gov/api/Documents/Veto/302320.pdf.
In contrast, Senate Bill 124—signed into law by the Governor on March 11, 2026—watered down the bill and establishes a five-year moratorium on the distribution and sale of cell-cultured protein products.
In my opinion, this moratorium kicks the can down the road, allowing more uncertainty rather than long-term protection for our beef producers. Five years from now, the legislative landscape may look very different, and these adulterated food products could gain a stronger foothold in the market. With grocery prices remaining high, consumers may increasingly face pressure to choose lower-cost alternatives. Questions remain about how adulterated food products could intersect with programs like SNAP, the school lunch program, or Meals on Wheels for seniors, and how they may be incorporated into the broader food supply. Will the packing plants add cultivated protein filler to the beef product, and still sell it at a premium, calling it 100% beef?
These are important considerations for consumers and producers alike. They ultimately raise a broader question: What kind of food system do we want to promote and support? If big packing plants had their way, they would prefer to see the beef industry aligned with the pork, poultry, and dairy industries to monopolize the source of our food supply chains. This is not the America that I want to see. As a consumer of beef products, I will stand up and support legislation that protects our beef producers in Western South Dakota.
For me, supporting local beef producers is about more than economics—it’s about preserving a way of life. Ranching is deeply rooted in our cultural and ancestral heritage. It is why I support the Harris brothers, the "little guy," in making sure their business thrives and does not get squeezed out of the market by the big packing houses. As my father once told me, agriculture would look very different in 25 years—and he was right. Today, family operations face increasing pressure from consolidation, and younger producers in their 20s and 30s often struggle to enter the industry without inherited land or significant capital. Owning a ranch or farm operation is becoming further out of reach for a new generation of Ag producers. If we want the next generation of agricultural producers to succeed, we must take steps to protect the viability of family-run operations.
If elected to the State Senate, I will advocate for producers like the Harris brothers and for the small businesses that sustain our rural communities and preserve our agricultural heritage. Our rural small-town economies depend on them, and I tip my hat to the men and women who work every day to keep them strong.
To celebrate the success of today’s bull sale—and in honor of our beef producers—I’ll be grilling an Angus New York strip steak tonight. Cheers!
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