A beef enterprise that spans four segments of the cattle industry helps supplement the family business in Fairview. A fixture in western Illinois for more than eight decades and operated by the Fidler family since the 1960s, the Fairview Sale Barn isn’t just a building, it’s part of a community and network of cattlemen. But, in order to operate a successful auction market, it’s important for the Fidlers to understand all aspects of the beef business and that starts with their own cattle enterprise. They calve out a primarily SimAngus commercial cow herd at different times of year and breed to proven sires with an emphasis on performance. Those calves are backgrounded and then finished at their feedlot in Illinois or custom fed in Nebraska before being marketed through the sale barn. The Fidlers have knowledge of the auction business that spans generations and hope to continue to serve cattlemen and operate a multi-faceted family business for years to come.