In western Kentucky, stockyards are few and far between for farmers in Union county. In order to expose our farmers to new and larger markets, the Union County Cattlemen’s Association sent five producers to visit Bluegrass Stockyards in Lexington, Kentucky. Jim Akers lead the group around the facility and explained how they are able to handle over 1,000 head during large sale days. We were also given a tour of the businesses and classrooms located inside the building which provided a new insight on how we can better educate the public on raising beef. On the day we visited, there was also a smaller auction taking place with around 550 head being sold. Once our tour was over, Jim connected our group with a local backgrounder named Rusty. Rusty provided insight on how he was able to make his herd profitable along running a large hay business. He gave the group a tour of his feed and chute setups, herds, and hay fields which prompted a great discussion about how he maintains his farm compared to those locally. While driving home, the farmers had discussions about how they could implement similar ideas on their own farms in order to increase profitability. They agreed that more trips and programs related to this area would help them not only gain new ideas but also increase their business.