Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

October is Beef Month in the State of Alabama and CK Cattle finished it out by holding its annual cattle sale on Friday at their farm, located off County Road 37. 

The sale included 130 bulls and around 60 cows as local and out-of-state guests from as far away as Okeechobee, Florida, enjoyed the sale by live auction.

“We were extremely pleased with the turnout for the sale,” said Bradfield Evans, cattleman at CK Cattle. “We hosted about 250 guests from about 14 states and could not have asked for a better sale on the bulls.” 

In addition to the Friday sale, many of the out-of-town buyers who arrived Thursday evening were treated to Lowndes County District Judge Adrian Johnson strumming a guitar. 

Lowndes County, known for its agricultural stability, serves as a locale many travel to when seeking cattle since it is geographically at the very tip of the U.S. fescue belt. “This grass prepares cattle to handle the heat and stay slick in their haircoat,” Evans said. “People come to us because we put so much emphasis on raising cattle that work in the environment of the deep south.” The other reason that many cattlemen come from outside the region is the family environment they find at CK Cattle. 

CK Cattle is made up of three families – owners, Chuck and Katie Madaris; their son, Charlie Madaris; and their daughter, Kathleen Evans. Kathleen is married to Bradfield Evans, and they have two children, Ellis Ann and Shep. Charlie also has two children, Shelby and Molly. 

“The most rewarding part about running a family cattle operation is that I was able to raise my two children, Charlie and Kathleen, who are both working here now, in this operation,” Chuck said. “We are now raising four grandchildren in this operation, and it’s a huge blessing.” 

Kathleen Evans began her career as a math teacher and coach and would help with the cattle operation part time. She soon realized the lifestyle of farming and raising cattle was a

part of who she was and who she wanted to be in a larger way, so in 2016 she decided that she would begin working with CK Cattle full-time. 

“When you are raised on the farm, it’s part of who you are and what you do, so even when I worked full time, I was involved in what was going on here,” Kathleen said. 

Kathleen assists in many different areas, but where she helps most is the registration and collection of data on each cow. She also puts together the catalog for the annual sale. This transition has also allowed Kathleen to show her children the importance of the land, hard work, and the lifestyle of farming. 

“They learn that farming is a different way of life and though it can be difficult in today’s busy society, I think it’s really neat to raise your kids in this traditional atmosphere where you see family working together, learning how to live off the land, and leaving it better than you found it,” Kathleen said. “We feel so fortunate that God has blessed us with what we are working with so we want to do the best we can to maintain it and be good stewards.” 

In addition to the work that goes on to prepare for the sale there was also a great deal of work involved in preparing food for the 250 guests that arrived for the sale on Friday. “We are totally blessed to have so many good friends to come and help us,” Katie Madaris said. “It would not all get done if there weren’t so many who help us to pull everything off for that day.” One major change that occurred this year was the loss of Mark Eagerton. According to the catalog, Mark helped with each sale; picture taking, videoing and moving bulls. Mark passed away on August 3rd.