1965: 50 years ago

A.J. Fairchild of near Dunreith, Ind., a well-known farmer, trucker and sale barn operator for nine years, announced the opening of his new building on State Road 3 south of New Castle, with sales being conducted every Monday evening. A special feature of the new arena is a weight light – the light will show the weight of the animal when it is brought into the ring for selling.

A theft of 19 head of cattle from the Paul Nay farm, located in southwestern Shelbyville, was reported. The cattle weighed about 600 pounds each and 11 of the cattle were registered. Valued at $175 per head, this brought total loss in the theft to $3,325.

Mr. and Mrs. C.M. Bottema Jr. and their son, C.M. Bottema III, a Holstein family from Marion County, won first prize in a national dairy cattle judging contest. They ranked first among 2,237 family entries from 48 states, Canada and Chile.

1975: 40 years ago

Real estate for sale: Oceans of it; 160 acres grass! Fenced and well-watered by two spring-fed brooks, some wooded shelter belts, secluded area, $350 per acre bracket – Franklin County, Ind.

Auctioneer Arthur Comer moved more than 100 lots of cattle through the ring in a little over two hours at the Southeastern Indiana Feeder Auction near Osgood. The overflow crowd appraised the 631 steers and heifers, averaging 478 pounds, at $28.58 per hundred.

Thomas J. Beckman of Greenwood, a senior at Purdue University majoring in both animal sciences and agricultural education, has compiled a perfect 6.0 graduation index through seven semesters of work and was honored as the Outstanding Senior in the School of Agriculture.

1990: 25 years ago

The federal minimum wage increased from $3.35 to $3.80 the first of April and is set to rise again next April to $4.25.

Indiana Gov. Evan Bayh announced the appointments of Robert Jennings of Jeffersonville and David White of Indianapolis to the Indiana Standardbred Board of Regulations.

University of Kentucky copped first place in the recent Southeastern/Northcentral Intercollegiate Livestock Judging Contest held recently at Virginia Tech University. The Ohio State University placed second, with OSU’s Mark Hara placing third overall and Todd Raines in sixth place.

2005: 10 years ago

Up-North Plastics, Inc. – bale wrap, 20-inches-by-6,000-feet, $56.50 per roll, and 30-inches-by-5,000-feet, $67.75 a roll; bunker covers, 40-by-100-feet $130, 50-by-150-feet $235, 50-by-200-feet $310, 60-by-200-feet, $357; silage bags, 8-by-150-feet $235; 9-by-135-feet $231; 9-by-200-feet $330; 12-by-500-feet $1,116.

Farmall tractors were the choice items at the recent sale run by auctioneers G.L. Smith and Ralph Walker in Boyleston, Ind. Some tractors bringing premium bids were a Farmall M, $3,600; Farmall B, $1,500; Farmall C, $2,000; Farmall H, $1,400; and a 1929 Ford Model A, $4,400.

The Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) announced it will begin trading contracts on South American soybean futures this month. This is the first agricultural contract with international delivery points that CBOT has done.