Research Findings:
- Social Relationships Strengthen the Culture of Place
- Social Relationships Enhance Personal Well-Being (this page)
- Social Relationships Bolster Knowledge and Trust
- Social Value Extends Beyond the Sale Barn
- Additional Social Value Subthemes
Social Relationships Enhance Personal Well-Being
The livestock industry can be a high-stress environment, with sellers and buyers facing financial and operational pressures, and the sale barn owners navigating through market and technology changes. One of those stressors discussed was the cattle industry’s volatile nature, with the costs of feed, cattle, and land being a primary concern, as well as the weather. However, the sale barns can provide spaces that support mental health, as the social interactions and sense of community fostered there give an outlet to help individuals cope with the challenges of their work and isolation. In this way, the sale barn provides an environment where farmers and ranchers can access and offer support to one another without the stigma associated with directly addressing mental health concerns. This support is provided through casual comments of recognition and more in-depth, personal relationships.
Note: To ensure anonymity, the names of the participant quotes have been altered.
Value of Personal Recognition
At each location, a strong sense of community, appreciation, and emotional support was evident within the sale barn environment. Sellers were observed thanking buyers for their purchases, buyers complimenting sellers on the quality of their stock, and auctioneers recognizing families for their livestock practices and support of the livestock sale barn. There appeared to be sincere appreciation and gratitude amongst all parties throughout the observed market sale days. For instance, at one location, the brand inspectors were observed to be on friendly terms with the ranchers, laughing and joking while remaining serious about their work. One brand inspector shared that she returned to this sale barn because she loved working there—the people were great, and that was important to her.
The value of recognition extends beyond the sale ring and business. Well-placed personal comments can lead to deeper relationships among attendees. Researchers observed many conversations taking place outside the arena, in the lobby, café, or outside the livestock barn. People were sharing their “latest” happenings in the family, offering condolences and providing comforting physical touches. In one instance, a gentleman with a visual impairment was assisted in navigating the sale barn property by either friends or family members and was recognized by many others present.
Creating Community
Interviewees expressed camaraderie and support for others during the interviews. Most individuals enjoyed being part of the sale barn social environment, sharing conversations with strangers and long-time friends. Observers noticed these sentiments also in the sale ring. In one instance, a goat owner was having a hard time emotionally while her goats were being sold. The ring employee noticed and went over to talk to her, shared a laugh, and appeared to have helped her relax during the sale. On the other hand, due to medical or business reasons, a few interviewees expressed minimal desire for conversations, at least while the auction was in progress.
Quotes About the Value of Personal Recognition
When I used to sell, you know I sold for years, and somebody would buy my cattle, I'd buy them a cowboy hat, you know one of those real good ones. It's just kind of a, you know, friendly gesture. You want to thank them.
-Richard, Producer
I'm pretty young yet, […] but to get that pat on the back, or a good job and attaboy is always a good feeling when you're doing a good job for somebody or trying to do a good job, and they come back and respect the work that you do.
-George, Producer
You always gotta ask how the grandkids are, or the kids and the ball games. And you know, there's usually a good story about the new cow dog pup that somebody thought they needed to have, and is having buyer’s remorse (laughter).
-Bill, Producer
I even ran for a political office in the past, and when I ran for the political office, I had many people at the sale say, ‘I've never voted before in my life, but I think I'm going to register, so I can vote for you.’ That is cool.
-William, Producer
Yeah, [there are] some friends that I've had for years through the seasons of sales. [I] talk to them through the sale barn. And there's some women there too, you get to visit with them and sometimes they'll tell you more than men will on things. I've got a lot of friends, that way.
-David, Producer
Quotes About Creating Community
So, when you go to a sale barn and see some other people at the kind of gives you a better outlook for the day, sitting there and shooting the bull with people, and so that instead of just sitting in a vehicle and talking on a phone, or sitting there with your own thoughts.
– George, Producer
I don't hear well, so if the auctioneer is chanting, I've got to concentrate on that to hear it. So, as far as visiting with other people during the auction. I just don't do that.
– Vincent, Producer/Buyer
I guess I'm an extroverted introvert is what I've been classified as, people tell me. So, I usually don't do a whole lot of socializing. I'm doing my homework. In watching the other cattle come through and trying to compare notes.
– Sam, Producer
Mental Health And Wellness
Although researchers did not observe individuals outwardly dealing with mental health issues, the topic was mentioned during the in-depth interviews. Many participants expressed the importance of social relationships to help maintain balance and combat the stigma associated with mental health care. Two primary factors, stress and isolation, were identified as impacting their mental health. As interviewees discussed health, physical health issues were also addressed.
Ranching and Farming Stress
Livestock producers face numerous stressors throughout the year, including weather, drought, health issues for their livestock, market value fluctuations, high production costs, and high interest rates, all of which contribute to business stress, which doesn’t include family issues.
Combatting Isolation
Rural life can be isolating for producers, often due to the long distances between neighbors. Travel to the nearest town may be limited by both distance and the rising cost of fuel, leaving some producers with little interaction beyond their immediate family – or, at times, no one at all – for days at a stretch. In addition, livestock production is a labor-intensive occupation that demands significant personal commitment, further reducing the time available for social connections.
Impacts on Physical Health
Inherent to livestock sale barn environments are the dust, dander, and ammonia smells associated with animals in a confined space, primarily the sale ring. According to some interviewees, longterm and consistent exposure in the arena does have health implications.
Quotes About Mental Health and Wellness
Well, like I said, some days it's good. It's really good, and other days it's not so good. It affects your health that way, I guess you could say. You come home, and your wife's looking at you like, What happened? Other days, while you're grinning, she knows what's happened then. It could be up and down like that stuff.
-David, Producer
I guess it's drilled into us, especially as males versus females, you're to be strong, tough, not show a lot, and that ain't always the healthiest way to do it. And I will tell you I learned it the hard way. Oh, I had! I lost my dad, and things were pretty tough, and my wife made me go talk to somebody. […] Probably about the 3rd visit in, I thought, maybe there's something to it, and come to find out, there was. […] I found out that there was a simple chemical imbalance in my body, and they prescribed me a medicine that I wished I had found 20 years earlier. […] But now I'm never afraid to tell somebody.
-Bill, Producer
I always think of ranchers. They deal with a lot of death, no matter if it's at their hands or not. And when you work hard at keeping something alive, and then you're the one who has to put it out of its misery. If you take that well, then you probably should be talking to somebody. But the more you do it, the easier it becomes, and then we probably need to look at ourselves and think maybe it shouldn't be that easy. I get it. It's part of the job. But you know, I don't know any cowboy that thinks it's easy to do it. But the ones that do, [,,,] those are the ones that probably need to look back and see if somebody can give them a hand.
-Bill, Producer
You know, it's just nice, a sense of pride and an accomplishment that seeing your own cattle go through. They're already off the cow. They're already. The work's been done. You can kind of say, you know, a breath of relief in essence and gratefulness, gratitude, pride.
-Sam, Producer
Those of us in the in the cattle industry talking to cows is probably better for us than talking to people, but for our mental health, that's probably the opposite.
-Bill, Producer
I'll be the first to say cowboys are not known for being open-minded to mental health issues. Even though, I'll go out on a limb and say, they are probably in the top 10% of job titles that probably deal with the most mental health issues just because of all the stressors that they have. So, anything people can do to help that without having to say it, or acknowledge it, is better.
-Bill, Producer
Quotes About Combatting Isolation
You know, there's been a couple of weeks where I haven't made it to a sale, because I got other things going on, but I just love going to them in the first place. And it's because you're kind of what we do, we're kind of lone wolves. We sit in a vehicle and don't have much social interaction most days. So when you go to a sale barn and see some other people, it kind of gives you a better outlook for the day.
-George, Producer
But you know, it’s just mainly getting off the place. Getting out of your normal, everyday routine. Interacting with other people is very beneficial.
-Abe, Producer
Well, it's something to do. Gets you out of the house and off the ranch […] I'm believing that just sitting around doing nothing is bad for your health.
-Richard, Producer
You know, I mean, I don't just go to the sale barn just to take up space. I mean, I have a reason for going down there when I do go down. But when I do, it's just a great break from the day and break from the place.
-Shane, Producer
Quote About Impacts on Physical Health
A sale barn is not a very healthy place to be. As hard as they try, they are still dirty and dusty. You're gonna have cattle dander and ammonia smell and all those other kinds of things. So their quality isn't great around sale barn.
– Vincent, Producer/Buyer
I've bought cattle in the sale barn, and the heart rate goes up a little bit when your cattle come into the ring and you know it. Yeah, we could probably get some more exercise instead of sitting there all day. But they don't allow smoking in sale barns anymore. So that helps.
– George, Producer