Angus Journal: A Cover Worth a Thousand Words

Thirteen-year-old Mckenna Martens combines creativity and passion to illustrate her family’s sale book cover each year.

By Peyton Schmitt

In a season when sale books fill the mailbox, cattle producers constantly seek new ways to stand out from the stack accumulating in the barn office. Mckenna Martens, a 13-year-old from Bellevue, Iowa, has sketched out a way to set her family’s sale book apart. 

When prospective buyers pick up the Martens Angus Farms offering, they are greeted by a hand-drawn illustration by Mckenna herself. This newfound tradition not only lets Mckenna pay tribute to her family’s lifestyle, but has also become highly anticipated by their customers.