2004 Seedstock Producer Award Nominees
 2004 Seedstock of the Year nominees pictured (l to r) are S.R. Evans, 2004 BIF president; Vern, Harlan, Jerry & Vickie Rausch of Rausch Herefords; Elaine & Craig Utesch of Triple U Ranch; Rob Adams, Adams Angus Ranch; Shirley Symens of of Symens Brothers Limousin; David & Cindy Judd of Judd Ranch. |
Adams Angus Farm
Bob and Juliette Adams, Rob and Connie Adams, Alabama
Adams Angus Farm is a true family farm begun in 1939 by Sidney F. Adams, father of Bob Adams. The farm is located in southeast Alabama, seven miles east of Union Springs. Over the last 65 years, many things have changed as the farm has adapted to the ever-changing agricultural world. Today, cattle, timber and hunting leases are the only remaining sources of income left on this 925-acre farm. Now approximately 75 brood cows are maintained to calve within a 90-day calving season, beginning in late September for heifers and ending in late January for mature cows. Bob Adams was a charter member of the Alabama Beef Cattle Improvement Association in 1964 and saw the need, as many others did, to begin collecting performance records on his cattle to determine which cattle were truly superior. As record keeping became more detailed, the American Angus Association’s record keeping service known as AHIR was utilized. Adams Angus Farm has been actively evaluating their bloodlines through Alabama BCIA bull evaluations for years and are also utilizing carcass ultrasound on farm to collect carcass data. Artificial insemination was implemented on the farm in 1982, with the goal to produce at least 75% of calves by A.I. Today, the HeatWatch® estrus detection system is utilized with A.I. to produce calves with the best genetics possible. The ultimate goal is for Adams cattle to be known for their performance, but also that they will be efficient, easy fleshing, structurally sound cattle.
The Alabama Beef Cattle Improvement Association is proud to nominate Adams Angus Farm.
Click the link below to read an article printed in the Angus Journal about Adams Angus Farm.
Alabama BCIA: Still On The Move
Byland Polled Shorthorns
Mrs. L. Eugene (Marilyn) Byers & Dr. Jeff Byers and Jon Byers, Ohio
The late Dr. Eugene Byers and his wife, Marilyn, started raising Shorthorn cattle in the 1950s with the purchase of one bred cow. Gene was a practicing veterinarian and thus was exposed to all breeds of cattle and knew well what each offered in terms of positives and negatives. Shorthorns were selected because of their mothering ability and their problem free nature. Currently the farm is operated by Dr. Gene Byers’ two sons Jon and Jeff. Marilyn Byers is currently serving in her twenty-sixth year as Ashland County Commissioner and Dr. Jeff Byers stays busy with his veterinary practice, so Jon Byers currently manages the day-to-day operations of Byland Polled Shorthorns. The farm will calve 160 cows in 2004, mostly spring calving with a few fall calving cows to facilitate the embryo transfer program. Acreage consists of approximately 150 acres of alfalfa, 140 acres of corn, 70-80 acres of soybeans, and a few acres in small grains with the rest of the 800 acres in pasture or woodland. Most of the crops produced are fed on the farm. Byland Polled Shorthorns is a performance focused herd that strives to produce cattle both purebred and commercial producers find acceptable. Breeding cattle have been sold into nearly every state plus Canada and Australia. Many of these cattle, especially bulls, have gone on to be nationally and internationally successful for other breeders. All of the bull and heifer calves that fail to meet the strict selection criteria to be offered for sale or used as replacements in the herd are fed in the feedlot located on the farm and harvested at a local USDA inspected packing facility. Byland has been the largest contributor of carcass data in the Shorthorn breed through the years. The Byland prefix is found on more than seven percent of the sires in the 2004 Shorthorn Carcass Sire listing, and the farm has bred or owns 62 total bulls in all sections of the Sire Summary.
The Ohio Cattlemen’s Association and the American Shorthorn Association are proud to nominate Byland Polled Shorthorns.
Camp Cooley Ranch – www.campcooley.com
Klaus Birkel and Mark Cowan, Texas
Camp Cooley Ranch is a progressive beef operation located east of Franklin, Texas. Set on gently rolling hills, the 11,750 acre ranch is picturesque and home to Brangus, Angus and Charolais cattle. Klaus Birkel purchased Camp Cooley Ranch in October 1991. In 1993, he purchased the Brinks Brangus cow herd and moved the cattle from Kansas to Texas. Eventually, he added the complementary genetics of Angus and Charolais cattle. Today, the Camp Cooley Ranch umbrella has grown to include nearly 1,500 registered, breeding age females at the ranch and an additional 1,000 breeding age females at joint ventures in Mexico, Bolivia, Argentina and Brazil. The combination of Brangus, Angus and Charolais cattle offers Camp Cooley Ranch customers the opportunity to utilize the positive contributions of each breed in their programs. In rotational crossbreeding systems, the three breed make up provides options of environmental adaptability, maternal genetics, carcass traits, and performance for our customers. Camp Cooley Ranch has taken progressive measures to support and encourage ultrasound use by funding and participating in numerous research projects across the nation. Today, they continue to stay on the forefront of the industry with carcass research and the collection and analysis of carcass data. During the calendar year 2004, Camp Cooley Ranch will market more than 1,000 bulls through their annual production sale and by private treaty. At the annual sale and throughout the year, efforts are made to provide learning/educational opportunities for customers and cooperators. The International Brangus Breeders Association is proud to nominate Camp Cooley Ranch.
Click the link below to read an article printed in the Angus Journal about Camp Cooley Ranch.
PREP School for Profit
Eaton Charolais
Eaton Families, Lee Eaton, Montana
Our great-grandfather, Charles Eaton, and his three oldest sons left Iowa to homestead on the vast Eastern Montana prairie in 1909. Our parents Cecil and Esther purchased his 320 acres in 1942. They had ten children, five sons and five daughters. Sons Elner, Lee and Tom, along with their sons and families run the Montana operation. Ben and his two sons manage the North Dakota operation and Ed is retired and lives in New Mexico.
We have been running the family business since 1960, when our dad had a heart attack. We have expanded the family business to about 50,000 deeded acres and 25,000 leased; the majority is leased from the Bureau of Land Management. We purchased our first Charolais in 1965, at the time we had just a few cows. Since, we have expanded our Charolais herd to more than 1,000 head of purebred cows and 1,000 commercial cows.
We finish thousands of cattle at Dinklage Feedyards in Nebraska, of which we are part owners. Our program is a linebred program using the best young bulls out of our best young cows back in our cow herd. We only calve in the spring, don’t creep feed and breed our cows in single sire pastures. We haven’t AI’d any cows for a long time, but do AI yearling heifers (to our own bulls) in our Montana feedlot. All of the Eaton families are involved in the management and operation of the family business. The cow herd, both purebred and commercial, Charolais bulls, feeder cattle, extensive dry land wheat, barley and hay production, and our trucking and equipment maintenance keeps the whole family busy.
The American-International Charolais Association is proud to nominate Eaton Charolais.
Flat Branch Cattle Company
J. Ben Curtin, Illinois
Flat Branch Cattle Company is owned and operated by J. Ben Curtin. The purebred Angus operation is located in Taylorville, Illinois, which is in Christian County. Others involved in this seedstock operation are Ben’s father, Bill Curtin, wife, Linda, and two children, Lori and Jess. Flat Branch Cattle Company was the recipient of the IBA Seedstock Breeder of the Year Award on July 15, 2003. The Curtin family has been raising registered Angus cattle for three generations. Bill started Flat Branch Cattle Company in 1934 as a ten-year-old 4-H member with an Angus cattle project. During the 1970s there was a brief shift to exotic cattle. They began raising Chianina, and Maine Anjou cattle as well, but still remained committed to the Angus breed with a small herd. Today this purebred Angus operation consists of 40 mature cows, 200 acres of pasture and hay fields, and 700 acres of corn and soybean fields. For the purposes of this operation, calving season begins in early January and continues through the end of March. Calves spend anywhere from four to six months out on pasture and are then weaned during the months of June and July. The breeding program is completely based on artificial insemination with a large emphasis on performance.
The University of Illinois Extension is proud to nominate Flat Branch Cattle Company.
Judd Ranch, Inc. – www.juddranchinc.com
Dave and Cindy Judd, Kansas
Judd Ranch, Inc. is a family owned and operated seedstock enterprise located on the northeastern edge of the Flint Hills just west of Pomona, Kansas. Dave and Cindy Judd purchased the operation, along with a Polled Hereford herd, in 1981 after Dave finished his Animal Science degree from Iowa State University. Brangus females bred to Gelbvieh bulls quickly were added to the herd. Impressed with the results of Gelbvieh-influenced calves, the Judds purchased a large number of half-blood and 3/4 blood Gelbvieh females in 1982 and began working toward a purebred Gelbvieh herd. Gelbvieh was the breed of choice due to U.S. Meat Animal Research data showing Gelbvieh as number one for pounds of calf weaned per cow exposed. Today, Judd Ranch consists of 572 registered Gelbvieh females and 100 recipeint females, with another 150 registered Gelbvieh heifers developed each year as replacements. A small group of Red Angus females is used to produce purebred Red Angus and Balancer bulls. The Judd Ranch program has both fall (August 14 – October 1) and spring (January 25 – March 10) calving seasons. About 90% of the females are artificially inseminated (AI), with the remaining 10% pasture bred to Judd Ranch herd sires. A majority are the same AI sires used by fellow producers. For the past several years, a 100% calf crop has been weaned, with twins supplementing this percentage. In addition to its extensive AI program, Judd Ranch’s top genetics are propagated via embryo transfer (ET), flushing 15-20 females three times a year. Judd Ranch is comprised of 5,000 acres, 4,500 deeded acres and 500 leased acres. Of this, 626 acres are farmed, with the remaining being native grass.
The Kansas Livestock Association is proud to nominate Judd Ranch.
Rausch Herefords – www.rauschherefords.com
Jerry, Vern, Shannon and Joel Rausch, South Dakota
Brothers Jerry and Vern, and Vern’s sons, Shannon and Joel, run a purebred Hereford and commercial ranching operation in north central South Dakota. Jerry and Vern’s older brothers and their father started the Hereford herd in 1946. The ranch runs 600 registered Hereford and 200 commercial baldy cows. They purchase top bull calves from other brothers’ and nephews’ registered herds at weaning and performance test and market them with their home-raised bulls. Seventy-five bulls and 150 replacement heifer calves are offered in the annual bull and female sale, which is in its 47th year. An additional 75 bulls are sold private treaty. Rausch Herefords are nearing 400 females qualifying on the American Hereford Association’s (AHA) Dams of Distinction list. They lead the nation annually in the total number of cows to qualify for the list the past 23 years. Qualifying female requires a heifer to calve early in life and maintain a calving interval no greater than one year. Other qualifications require reproductive efficiency and weaning weight ratios above 105 percent. South Dakota has four pronounced seasons. Rausch cows are stressed through the winter and calved in the spring. They are then flushed on spring green growth and naturally bull bred on the prosperity of summer growth. The hardened fall growth adds pounds to the calves and fleshens the dams. We think these, along with proper culling, are some of the reasons we qualify cows on the Dams of Distinctions list. Rausch Herefords have merchandised nearly 6,000 bulls and 6,000 females to the commercial cattle industry.
The American Hereford Association is proud to nominate Rausch Herefords.
Reynolds Ranch
Genie, Ric and Rod Reynolds, Colorado
Reynolds Ranch is located in the San Luis Valley of south-central Colorado. The ranch consists of hay meadows and farm land used to produce enough winter feed for approximately 450 mother cows. Limousin make up the majority of the cows, with Angus, Shorthorn, and Maine cows used in a cross breeding program primarily for show steers. The cattle summer in the mountains of Colorado and northern New Mexico at elevations of 8,000 to 10,500 feet. Ric and I are the fourth generation of ranchers to work the cattle on the ranch. With a desire to produce cattle with more production, our father started a crossbreeding program using Brown Swiss bulls. This cross developed more milk and growth along with a better disposition in our cattle. With the inception of Limousin cattle into the United States over 30 years ago, we began using them through Artificial Insemination. We then began to market these cattle as seedstock and now sell about 100-120 bulls annually along with a select group of females. We are a hands on, no frills operation that has worked long and hard to develop cattle that work for us, our neighbors, and the industry in general.
The Colorado Cattlemen’s Association is proud to nominate Reynolds Ranch.
Silveira Brothers Angus and Diversified Farming – www.silveirabros.com
Darrell and Dudley Silveira and Rick Silveira Blanchard, California
Silveira Brothers is located in the Central San Joaquin Valley in the towns of Mendota and Firebaugh, California and has been farming row crops and raising Angus cattle for over 30 years. This operation started with two small farms that Darrell and his wife Carole started with son, Rick, and grew from a hobby to a full time cattle operation which included Darrell’s brother, Dudley, who is the controller accountant and Darrell’s son, Rick, who is now a managing partner on the ranch in Firebaugh, CA. The business consists of 300 spring and fall calving mother cows and using embryo transfer and A.I. along with natural breeding. We have two production sales a year, September for bull sale, October for the female sale as well as participation in the Signature Collection Sale in Wilton, CA, in June and the Show Girl Revue Sale in Reno, Nevada, in April. This operation only exists through two families dedication and passion for our cattle business which we have breathed and co-existed with every day of our lives.
The California BCIA is proud to nominate Silveira Brothers Angus.
Symens Brothers Limousin
Irwin, Paul and John Symens, South Dakota
Symens Brothers Limousin is located in northeast South Dakota at Amherst. The partnership began in 1966 when father Wilbert retired, and is currently owned by brothers, Irwin, Paul and John. The operation consists of 1,500 acres of cropland raising corn, alfalfa, and soybeans; a feedlot, feeding about 2,000 head per year; and a purebred Limousin herd of 300 registered Limousin cows with 240 spring calvers and 60 fall calvers. The original cow herd consisted of 120 crossbred cows from Red Angus, Shorthorn and Hereford. In the late 60s, some of the cows were A.I.'d to Charolais, then Limousin, Chianina, Normandy, and Maine Anjou. Limousin fit the goals and likes of the Symens Brothers the best and the purebred operation was born. Through A.I. and embryo transplant, as well as purchasing fullblood Limousin sires and cows, the herd has expanded rapidly. Bulls were sold private treaty until 1981 when the first production sale was held. From 1975 to 1993, Symens Brothers marketed fat cattle under a Limousin Lean Label and also sold beef directly off the farm. Presently most of the fed cattle are contracted with Laura’s Lean Beef under a natural, lean label. Carcass data is returned and each animal is priced according to its lean beef yield. The operation leases 1,900 acres of pasture for grazing and raises all the feed for the feedlot and winter cow feed. The next generation is represented by Irwin’s son, Brad, and Paul’s son, Warren. They, along with one full-time employee are also supported by the operation.
The North American Limousin Foundation is proud to nominate Symens Brothers Limousin.
Touchstone Angus – www.touchstoneangus.com
Brad and Cathy James, Wyoming
The American Heritage Dictionary defines a touchstone as: 1. A hard black stone, such as jasper or basalt, formerly used to test the purity of gold or silver by comparing the streak left on the stone by one of these metals with that of a standard alloy. 2. An excellent quality or example that is used to test the excellence or genuineness of others. The program was named Touchstone Angus to symbolize the pure strain of Emulous cattle that the program began with. Touchstone Angus has been in operation for more than 10 years beginning in Elizabeth, Colorado, in 1993 and relocated to Lusk, Wyoming, in 1999. The registered Angus cow herd calves in the spring and numbers around 170 linebred Emulous cows. Annual sales are held in Lusk each spring to market registered bulls and females. A significant part of the program is a branded beef product began in 1994 called Touchstone Angus Natural Beef. It is a “natural” product from grain-fattened Touchstone bred steers. Selling natural beef built a link directly to the consumer that greatly influences breeding priorities and philosophies.
The Wyoming Beef Cattle Improvement Association is proud to nominate Touchstone Angus.
Triple U Ranch
Craig and Elaine Utesch, Iowa
Triple U Ranch is located in the northeast corner of Woodbury and the southwest corner of Cherokee counties in the rolling hills of northwest Iowa. Craig Utesch is one of three brothers who are the third generation of Utesches to farm this land. His grandfather purchased the original farm in 1944 and fed cattle with Craig’s father, William (Bill), in the 1950s. Bill and his wife, Mary, purchased the farm from Bill’s father’s estate in 1960, and together they farmed and raised their family – Craig, brothers Brad and Kirk, and sister Cathy.
Today, Triple U Ranch encompasses some 3,200 acres owned by the family members and rented back to the farming operation. Of these acres, approximately 1,000 acres are pasture or timbered pasture and 2,200 acres are row cropped.
Triple U Ranch is a combination of three enterprises - a 250 head cow-calf herd, a 3,000-head one-time capacity feedlot, and a 2,200-acre row crop operation. Each of the brothers manages a specific area: Craig manages the cow/calf operation, Brad manages the feedlot, and Kirk manages the row crops. This has allowed each to specialize their knowledge of their area of management. Family meetings which include the spouses and Craig’s mother, Mary, keep all family members up-to-date on the major management decisions of the family farming business.
In 1977, Craig purchased some rougher land and decided to begin a cow herd, originally purchasing about 40 crossbred cows. In 1978, he began production testing the herd and keeping his own replacements. He originally developed three separate herds – a purebred Simmental herd stressing black genetics, purebred Gelbvieh herd, and a commercial herd to capitalize on the crossbred genetics they were able to create for the feedlot.
Craig’s first venture into the seedstock business came in the spring of 1981 when he sold his first production tested bull at the Iowa Beef Improvement Association sale in Storm Lake. This first bull was a brown Simmental which sold for $900. In the twenty-three years since, Utesch and his family have continued to market seedstock through the Iowa Beef Improvement Association, the Iowa Cattlemen’s Bull and Heifer Test program, the Iowa Beef Expo, at local livestock auctions, and by private treaty sales from the ranch.
The seedstock breeding herd currently consists of 29 registered Angus cows, 15 registered Gelbvieh cows, 117 registered purebred Simmental cows, and 43 registered percentage Simmental cows.
The commercial herd consists of 45 cows, predominantly Angus-Simmental crossbreds. Triple U heifers begin calving February 15, with the cows starting on March 15. Calving will finish up by May 15 each spring.
The Iowa Simmental Association is proud to nominate Triple U Ranch.