SFA students to host eighth annual Purple Premium Cattle Sale

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Students in Stephen F. Austin State University’s advanced beef cattle course will host the eighth annual Purple Premium Cattle Sale at 10 a.m. Nov. 12 at the university’s Beef Center, located at 442 County Road 123 in Nacogdoches.

Attendees can bid on high-quality registered and influenced Beefmaster bulls, heifers and genetics at the sale, which is free and open to the public.

“The advanced beef cattle class has been hard at work preparing for another successful cattle sale,” said Dr. Erin Brown, professor of animal science at SFA who teaches the class. “This is one of the only 100% student-organized sales in the country.” 

The class helps students learn through hands-on experiences, said Bryan Bagley, a junior animal science major from Carthage. “The sale has helped in making me a better team member through all the responsibilities that come with being part of a successful team,” Bagley said.

Students coordinate with businesses, cattle producers and local community members to prepare for the sale. They handle every aspect of the event, from sourcing cattle from producers to planning and marketing the sale. Students gain skills in oral and written communication, explore the seedstock industry, and establish industry contacts throughout the process.

This prepares students for real-word careers, said Emma Ray, a senior animal science major from Alvarado and this year's sale manager.

“As a student gearing up to enter the workforce, the experiences I have gained have been conducive to understanding production agriculture and how the cattle industry fits into it,” Ray said.

To learn more about the Department of Agriculture in SFA’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, visit sfasu.edu/atcofa.