CADIZ, Ohio – Scio Livestock Auction, believed to be Ohio’s oldest livestock auction barn, changed ownership July 8 at an auction in Scio, Ohio.
A time to retire. Owner 77-year-old Dick Snyder is looking forward to retirement, after running the Scio Livestock Auction for more than 50 years.
“I’ve really enjoyed it all my life, since 1946,” Snyder said.
“It’s a lot of work. I’ve met a lot of people and I’ve enjoyed doing it, but my age caught up to me.”
New owner. New owner, 33-year-old Mark Murdocco of Brewster, Ohio, saw the auction barn was for up for sale in the Farm and Dairy and thought it would be a good chance for him to get the barn back up and running.
“It was very successful,” said Murdocco. “I hated to see it get torn down; there are not too many sales around.”
Murdocco, who is an electrical contractor and part-time beef farmer, raises mainly Hereford and some Limousin beef cattle and harvests hay and grain on 200 acres.
Murdocco said he didn’t know Snyder but knew the auction barn from going to the sales every week.
Stay or change? Murdocco plans to start in September. Advertisements will be made to announce when the sales will continue.
Sale day will change to Friday, but the sale will continue to offer hay, straw, cattle and cattle on the rail.
There will also be some special feeder sales and Murdocco is planning a couple of machinery sales.
The sale barn once had horse sales in the spring and fall but Murdocco is not sure if he will continue them or not.
He will have the restaurant open and space will be available for flea markets and produce vendors.
At this year’s Harrison County junior fair livestock auction, Snyder welcomed Murdocco and his wife Christel and son Wyatt into the ring to introduce them to the community as the new owners.
Help. Although this is a new venture for Murdocco, he is not alone. Snyder said he would be there to help him get on his feet.
“I’m going to do everything I can to get this going,” Snyder said.
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