Where's the beef? Cattle production reigns in West-Central Colorado.

• Author: Romig, Suzie
• Position: REGIONAL REPORT

Palisade peaches have the name recognition, and Western Slope wineries and vineyards have been media darlings in recent years. So who knew cattle production is actually king in West-Central Colorado?

The value of cows and calves sold in Mesa, Delta and Montrose counties had already hit $80 million during the most recent U.S. agricultural census in 2012 when 131,667 head of cattle and calves were sold, said Stephen Koontz, an agricultural economist and professor at Colorado State University. Fall 2014 was huge for cattle marketing when prices reached an all-time high--30 percent to 40 percent above normal.

"Cattle and calves are clearly No. 1 for these three counties," Koontz says.

Supplies were low from fall 2012 through 2014, as many ranchers reduced the size of their herds due to drought conditions; but with the fairly weak U.S. dollar, exports for beef remain in demand. Koontz and other experts forecast consistently strong prices throughout this current selling season.

Mesa County resident Bill Martin knows just how cattle rules as the top agricultural commodity in the tri-country area. Martin is co-owner of Western Slope Cattlemen's Livestock Auction in the small, unincorporated community of Loma where his staff includes a full-time veterinarian and up to 30 contract laborers who corral up to 4,500 head of cattle each week during their busy season from October to February.

"That's a whole lot of cattle to keep separated, fed, watered and cared for," says Martin, 57, the son of a cattle buyer.

The Loma livestock operation, which opened in January 2008, handles some 80,000 animals each year, Martin says, with 60,000 of those run through the sales ring surrounded by seating for 250 spectators. Another 10,000 head of cattle are sold via video auction, and 10,000 are sold via "private treaty," or direct sells to previously established buyers. The large auction provides a popular selling place for hundreds of ranchers from within a 200-mile radius.

"A lot of them (ranchers), that's their whole year's income, and they trust us to care for their cattle and to find the best price," Martin says. "The trend in the last 25 years is to sell cattle over video auctions. That supposedly put auctions out of business, but there's still a real need from a service aspect to take care of cattle."

The city of Delta is home to a long-time livestock auction, open since 1951. The Delta Sales Yard runs 50,000 head of cattle through the operation, or up to 2,500...