Brookover Feed Yards in Kansas: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Brookover Feed Yards of Garden City, Kansas, opened in 1951 and is described by Kansas Sampler Foundation as the first commercial feed yard in the High Plains. Two family-owned yards have a combined capacity of 80,000 head and sit within 60 miles of five major packers.
| Location | Garden City, Kansas (Finney County) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1951, by Earl Brookover |
| Sectors | Commercial cattle feeding; on-site feed milling |
| Scale | Two yards with a combined capacity of 80,000 head (Kansas Sampler Foundation) |
| Why it is notable | First commercial feed yard on the High Plains per Kansas Sampler; still family-owned |
| Ownership | Family-owned |
| Official website | Brookover Feed Yards official site |
History of Brookover Feed Yards
The Kansas Sampler Foundation's 8 Wonders of Kansas Commerce page says Earl Brookover started commercial cattle feeding in the High Plains with the Garden City yard that opened in 1951. The company remains family-owned.
The location suited the business. Kansas is a leading cattle feeding state, and the yards are within 60 miles of five major packers, which shortens hauls for finished cattle.
What Brookover Feed Yards Grows and Raises
There are two yards: Brookover Feed Yard north of Garden City and Brookover Ranch Feed Yard south of town, together holding 80,000 head. Cattle are received around the clock, weighed on the truck and moved to a receiving pen with hay and water.
Each lot receives a program based on the cattle's type, origin and history, with standard steps such as implanting, a permanent lot ID, deworming and vaccination. Cattle are then moved to a permanent pen on a starter ration and finishing ration. Bunk readers set daily feed amounts, cowboys ride pens to find and treat sick cattle, and feed is made in the company's own mills. The company says continuous pen cleaning can improve performance by up to 20 percent.
How Brookover Feed Yards Makes Money
Commercial feeding
The yards feed cattle through a managed program from arrival to finish, a service described on the Kansas Sampler page. Revenue details are not published and none are stated here.
Selling finished cattle
The company says it sells finished cattle and relies on selling expertise and consistent quality; proximity to five major packers supports marketing.
Own feed milling
Operating its own mills gives control over ration quality and supply, a major cost center in cattle feeding.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Brookover Feed Yards
Location is a business asset. Being close to packers and feed grain lowers freight and gives flexibility when marketing finished cattle.
Standard protocols build consistency. Processing steps by lot and daily pen riding are repeatable, which customers and buyers can rely on.
Longevity comes from reinvestment. A seventy-year-old yard that still runs its own mills and two sites shows how steady upgrades keep a family business competitive.
A feed yard that has been receiving cattle around the clock since 1951 sets the standard for farm satire shifts, and the writers at farm.FM would need a full night crew to keep up. Our farm humor staff tips its hat to any pen that is cleaned continuously, and the ranch humor stays light about 80,000 head at supper. We keep the farm jokes affectionate and the bunk readers undisturbed.
Part newsroom, part radio dial, farm.FM bills itself as America's first satirical farm site and plays Tractor Tunes, its country music for farmers. Browse a farm.FM writer's back catalog to see the style.
How to Contact Brookover Feed Yards
Website: https://www.brookover.com/
The domain brookover.com appeared in the Kansas Sampler Foundation write-up, but I could not open the site, so no address, phone or email is listed here. Confirm contact details through the website. Information as of November 2026.
Brookover Feed Yards Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Brookover Feed Yards - Official operation site
- Kansas Sampler Foundation - Independent profile naming it a Wonder of Kansas Commerce
- Kansas Livestock Association: cattle feeding - State producer association listing of Kansas feed yards
- USDA NASS Kansas Cattle on Feed - Official Kansas cattle feeding inventory report
- USDA NASS Census of Agriculture - Official county and state data on Kansas farms and sales
Brookover Feed Yards FAQ
Where is Brookover Feed Yards?
Garden City, Kansas, with one yard north and one south of town.
When did it open?
Kansas Sampler Foundation says 1951, founded by Earl Brookover.
How large is it?
The two yards have a combined capacity of 80,000 head.
Is it family-owned?
Yes, the Kansas Sampler Foundation says the company remains family-owned.
Brookover Feed Yards remains a landmark of High Plains cattle feeding. Find other Kansas operations in our Kansas farms guide.