Russell Sale Barn Lunchroom Revival

It is hard for anyone from Russell, Iowa to try and tell people from other parts of Iowa just where you are from or where Russell, Iowa really is. Sometimes we have to say you have probably heard of Chariton, Iowa.
Then in your talking with them you mention the Russell Sale Barn (now known as the Russell Livestock Market) it seems like most people come alive and say, oh yes, we have heard of that or yes, we have been there many times.
So when the kitchen at the Russell Sale Company was gutted by fire in October, 2013 everyone around the area was very sad. Most all farmers around this area have sold livestock at this sale barn for years. The sales kept going on but the food was very limited through out the winter months.
So when we started seeing a structure being built next to the barn we were very excited. The new kitchen and dining area opened on March 31, 2014. It has a large modern kitchen, and a large dining area where you can sit and watch the sale going on a TV as you eat your lunch . They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner (if the sale goes late in the evening) which includes sandwiches of all kinds, a special of the day, and of course pie. The kitchen is only open on sale days and also on any day they are having a special sale.
We, in the Russell area, would to say a big THANK YOU to Tony & Meshara Ballanger, Shawn and Jana Murphy, the owners of the Russell Livestock Market, for all your hard work. We know that Russell will stay on the map with the sale barn being so popular.