The Mission Valley FFA Alumni have restored the FFA stockyards in Ronan through donations and manual labor.  

The stockyards, which provide local producers and 4-H members with a livestock scale and loading chutes, were built around the 1950s. With old wooden beams holding the yards together, the FFA alumni decided it was time for some improvements.  

Over the last two summers, the Mission Valley FFA Alumni poured almost $50,000 of funding and donations into the stockyards, rebuilding the loading chutes, improving the grounds and upgrading the corrals.  

“It’s a really valuable asset for the ag community to not have this falling down but actually improving it,” said FFA alumni Paul Guenzler. 

Cody Sherman and his son, Coleton, spent about three weeks this summer removing the old posts, bringing in new gravel and putting in new metal fencing.      The new metal corrals hold calves ready to be shipped on Sept. 4. The supplies for the corrals were donated to the Mission Valley FFA Alumni. (Emily Messer / Leader)

“The facilities right now are a lot nicer than they used to be,” Coleton said. “I hope we can do a lot more here.”  

Guenzler explained that last summer they were able to rebuild the loading chutes, leaving this summer to finish up the project before shipping season.   

The FFA Alumni group charges local producers a fee to load cattle at the yards and utilizes that money to help fund Mission Valley FFA students travel to various leadership development events and contests.  

Coleton, a recent Ronan High graduate involved in FFA, said last year they held district livestock judging at the stockyards and he’s hoping they can host again in the future.  

His dad explained the certified scale at the yards is convenient for local producers to use and the funds they raise ultimately go back to the students. Throughout the year shipments are made weekly to the Montana Livestock Auction and calves are shipped to feed lots from September to November. Guenzler said 20-30 producers use the sale barn portion of the yards weekly.  

Many organizations and businesses from around the valley have donated supplies. The list includes Ag West, Northwest Counties Farm Bureau, Western Montana Stockman's Association, Lake County 4-H Market Committee, Zempel Fencing, Glacier Lake Sand Gravel, Sherman Contracting, CHS Mountain West Co-op, Access Montana and Cropland Seed.   

“We appreciate the producers and the businesses that have donated and have commitment to us for the future,” Guenzler said.  

The Mission Valley FFA students helped with a final clean-up at the stockyards on Sept. 3, and for the next few months the yards will be loud with cattle and haulers as shipments head out.  

    Paul Guenzler, a member of the FFA alumni and the Mission Valley FFA officers pose in front of the stockyards. The FFA officers came down on Sept 3 to help with a final cleanup. (Emily Messer / Leader)