Preston Farmers Market market report — October 23, 2026

Terra Alta, WV · Friday sale · USDA report published 10/24/2026 · Sale days

Head sold

181

Last week 38 (+143)
Last year 39

5-wt steers (500–599 lb)

$375.00† /cwt

$2,239 per head · 2 hd
vs last week +0.17

7-wt steers (700–799 lb)

$310.00† /cwt

$2,278 per head · 1 hd
vs last week −25.00

Above average attendance for the Bred Cow Special today, buyer interest mostly active throughout. Feeder Offering somewhat up and down in quality, Steers sold mostly steady to slightly lower; Heifer demand on a lower trend, especially for 5 to 6 weights. Average dress Slaughter Cows on a lower demand again this week, $10 to $15 per cwt lower for Breaker and Boner Types; Lean Cows bucked the trend and sold steady to slightly higher. Bulls also following lower trend by $13-$14 per cwt. Baby Calves up to $220 per head. A lot of quality quite a few younger Cows in the run of Bred Cows. Young Cows, mostly $2500-$2800 by the head; middle-aged Cows, mostly $1600 to $2200 by the head; aged Cows, $1500-$1800. Many in the second trimester mostly bred 4-5 months, first trimester mostly bred 3 months.
USDA Market News reporter, October 23, 2026

Feeder steers — Oct 23

Steers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 16. Last year = sale of Oct 24. Value added = lots USDA marks as value added (weaned and vaccinated programs). No. 2 = lighter-muscled cattle, a separate grade line in the USDA report. These are kept out of the main price. † Based on fewer than 5 head; treat as a rough price.
Weight	Head	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	vs last week	vs last year	Value added $/cwt	No. 2 $/cwt
300–399 lb	3	347 lb	$425.00†	$1,473	+6.00	+35.04	—	—
400–499 lb	1	435 lb	$420.00†	$1,827	—	+15.00	—	$260.35 (2 hd)†
500–599 lb	2	597 lb	$375.00†	$2,239	+0.17	+13.55	$386.00 (5 hd)	—
600–699 lb	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	$303.78 (7 hd)
700–799 lb	1	735 lb	$310.00†	$2,278	−25.00	—	—	—
800–899 lb	1	880 lb	$270.00†	$2,376	−24.50	—	—	—

Feeder heifers — Oct 23

Heifers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 16. Last year = sale of Oct 24. Value added = lots USDA marks as value added (weaned and vaccinated programs). No. 2 = lighter-muscled cattle, a separate grade line in the USDA report. These are kept out of the main price. † Based on fewer than 5 head; treat as a rough price.
Weight	Head	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	vs last week	vs last year	Value added $/cwt	No. 2 $/cwt
300–399 lb	2	318 lb	$305.28†	$971	−24.72	−58.98	—	$320.00 (1 hd)†
400–499 lb	6	453 lb	$351.93	$1,595	−53.07	−12.56	—	$292.50 (3 hd)†
500–599 lb	3	548 lb	$276.67†	$1,517	−46.89	−21.44	$324.64 (7 hd)	—
600–699 lb	9	620 lb	$288.40	$1,788	+10.52	−6.42	—	$257.76 (3 hd)†
700–799 lb	7	764 lb	$292.15	$2,232	+72.09	—	—	—
800–899 lb	2	853 lb	$212.46†	$1,812	—	−69.44	—	—

Slaughter cows — Oct 23

Grade	Dressing	Head	Avg wt	Avg $/cwt	Range $/cwt
Boner 80-85%	High	2	1,438 lb	$132.03	$129.00–$135.00
Boner 80-85%	Average	9	1,399 lb	$119.27	$114.00–$126.00
Boner 80-85%	Low	5	1,271 lb	$110.33	$106.00–$113.00
Breaker 75-80%	Average	6	1,579 lb	$121.82	$114.00–$125.00
Lean 85-90%	Average	5	1,250 lb	$102.71	$96.00–$109.00
Lean 85-90%	Low	1	1,060 lb	$81.00	$81.00–$81.00

Price trends

Steers 500–599 lb Steady

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $375.00/cwt
4-week average: $369.41
13-week average: $371.91
4-week vs 13-week: −0.7%

52-wk low $337.67high $484.43

Sales in 5 of the last 13 weeks.

Steers 700–799 lb Steady

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $310.00/cwt
4-week average: $306.67
13-week average: $306.67
4-week vs 13-week: 0.0%

52-wk low $275.00high $377.00

Sales in 3 of the last 13 weeks.

Heifers 500–599 lb Easing

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $276.67/cwt
4-week average: $300.49
13-week average: $307.21
4-week vs 13-week: −2.2%

52-wk low $276.67high $430.28

Sales in 5 of the last 13 weeks.

Direction compares the 4-week average with the 13-week average: Rising +1% or more, Steady within ±1%, Easing −1% to −3%, Falling −3% or more. Weekly prices are head-weighted averages of Medium and Large No. 1 and 1–2 feeder cattle, regular lots.

The label describes recent prices; it is not a forecast. In our backtest of every barn since 2019 (about 35,000 barn-weeks), barns labeled Falling went on to beat other barns' average move over the next 13 weeks 61% of the time, and barns labeled Rising trailed it 56% of the time.

Last 52 weeks

Weekly average $/cwt4-week average

Price history since 2020

Weekly average $/cwt

When to sell: the seasonal pattern

5-weight steers

Not enough history yet for a seasonal pattern.

7-weight steers

Not enough history yet for a seasonal pattern.

Recent sales

Last 13 weeks. † Based on fewer than 5 head; treat as a rough price. Download the weekly history as CSV.
Sale	Head sold	Steers 500–599 $/cwt	Steers 700–799 $/cwt	Heifers 500–599 $/cwt
Fri Oct 23	181	$375.00†	$310.00†	$276.67†
Fri Oct 16	228	$374.83	$335.00†	$323.56
Fri Oct 9	80	$372.80†	—	$324.18
Fri Oct 2	97	$355.00†	$275.00†	$277.56†
Fri Sep 25	74	—	—	—
Fri Sep 18	429	$381.92	—	$334.06
Fri Aug 28	73	—	—	—
Fri Aug 21	66	—	—	—
Fri Aug 14	57	—	—	—
Fri Jul 24	108	—	$377.00	—

Special and graded sales

The last 12 months of this barn's special and graded sales, $/cwt, Medium and Large No. 1 and 1–2 regular lots (value-added lots where a sale has only those). A sale counts in the weekly trend only when it is a regular feeder sale: a plain special where feeder steers and heifers are most of the head. Graded, replacement, cow-and-pair, preconditioned and Holstein sales stay out.
Sale	Type	Head	Steers 500–599	Steers 700–799	Heifers 500–599	In trend
Sep 30, 2026	Special Graded Salegraded	721	$373.35	—	$335.40	No
Apr 17, 2026	Special Graded Salegraded	632	$481.28	$369.89	$389.80	No
Oct 1, 2025	Special Graded Salegraded	649	$361.12	$301.00	$339.77	No

Nearby barns this week

Straight-line distance between towns. Barns tagged unweaned show unweaned-calf prices. Every West Virginia sale this week.
Barn	Distance	Sale	Steers 500–599	Steers 700–799
Buckhannon Stockyards Livestock Auction, Buckhannon	48 mi	Oct 21	$371.73	—
Weston Livestock Marketing, Weston	57 mi	Oct 17	$387.58	$315.03†
Jackson County Regional Livestock Market, Ripley	124 mi	Oct 17	$394.97	—

Sale days

Sale	Latest report	Head	Sales in 52 weeks	USDA report
Friday	October 23, 2026	181	27	AMS_1876
Special Graded Sale graded	September 30, 2026	721	3	AMS_1874

Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, “Preston Farmers Market - Terra Alta, WV” (AMS_1876); “Preston Farmers Market Special Graded Sale - Terra Alta, WV” (AMS_1874). See something wrong? Report a correction. Feeder prices are Medium and Large frame No. 1 and 1–2 cattle, $/cwt, grouped into 100-lb bands by average weight and weighted by head count. Value-added, unweaned and No. 2 lots are shown in their own columns; other lot types (fancy, fleshy, thin-fleshed, spayed, replacement) are left out. $/head = $/cwt × average weight ÷ 100.