Seedstock Nominees

10 seedstock producers nominated for Seedstock Producer of the Year.

Bar T Bar Ranch, Winslow, Ariz.

Owners/Managers: Bob and Judy Prosser

The Bar T Bar Ranch has been in Judy Prosser’s family since the late 1920s. Bob and Judy acquired it in 1990. The ranch encompasses about 326,000 acres of private, state and forest service lands in northern Arizona, between Winslow and Happy Jack.

Cattle are raised on the range year-round. They are moved to high-elevation, Ponderosa-Pine and Pinon-Juniper country in the summer, then down to high-desert, shrub country in the winter. Annual precipitation averages 12-18 inches (in.) in the summer country and 5-7 in. at the winter elevations. The average annual stocking rate is one cow per 160 acres.

Bar T Bar has a commercial herd of 700-800 cows and a seedstock herd of 400 head. In addition, 500-750 head of yearling heifers are bred for replacement heifers or for sale. The seedstock herd is primarily Balancer®, with some purebred Angus and some purebred Gelbvieh. The cow herd calves from March 1 to April 15, with 50% of the calves sired by artificial insemination (AI) sires.

Bar T Bar is the second-largest breeder of Dams of Merit in the American Gelbvieh Association, achieving this in a low-rainfall, low-input environment.

The commercial herd calves March 15 to May 15.

The Bar T Bar Ranch is proudly nominated by the American Gelbvieh Association.

GV Limousin, Garnett, Kan.

Owners: Gene and Virginia Raymond • Managers: Gene Raymond and Arne Hanson

GV Limousin is a purebred Limousin and Lim-Flex operation in east-central Kansas. Owned by Gene and Virginia Raymond, the operation has been producing registered Limousin cattle since 1976, but the operation dates back to the 1950s, when Gene first began with a 4-H project.

Originally, Gene raised and showed polled Hereford cattle. He then transitioned to a commercial operation. GV Limousin was the result of Gene’s daughters' junior show projects. It was then that he began to purchase Limousin bulls. Since then he has built his operation to more than 400 registered Limousin females.

GV Limousin calves in spring and fall to meet the demand of their commercial bull customers. In 1991, Gene and Virginia’s middle daughter and son-in-law returned to the operation, and they have been building their own herd of Limousin females.

Shortly after they began raising Limousin bulls, GV Limousin began retaining ownership to the rail and realized the breed’s advantages. They focus on producing superior genetics that are backed by expected progeny differences (EPDs) and carcass data that are demanded by commercial cattlemen. A large percentage of GV Limousin customers are repeat buyers and work with Gene to market their calves. Exceptional customer service and industry-leading genetics have been GV Limousin’s focus since 1976.

The North American Limousin Foundation is proud to nominate GV Limousin.

Jungels Shorthorn Farms, Kathryn, N.D.

Owners: Dennis, Rita, Derek and Brock Jungels

Jungels Shorthorn Farms started in 1953 with the purchase of a registered Shorthorn heifer. A herd of registered and commercial cows were maintained until 2000 when son Derek graduated college. At that time, the herd aggressively expanded and began marketing Shorthorn cattle to a more diverse customer base. Intense emphasis was placed on cow fertility.

In 2007, Jungels decided to hold their first “Durhams for Denver” Bull Sale. This private treaty bid-off is held annually “In the Yards” and has grown to become a fixture of the National Western Stock Show (NWSS) for Shorthorn enthusiasts. The Jungels family currently exhibits and sells 40 head of Shorthorn bulls in Denver in addition to a group of 2-year-olds and yearlings marketed directly off the ranch. The 2011 Durhams for Denver Sale marketed bulls from Pennsylvania to California, and from Texas to North Dakota.

Jungels Shorthorn Farms maintains a spring-calving herd of 185 head, 100 of which are registered females with the balance of cows being utilized as recipients for a growing embryo transfer (ET) program. The fall-calving herd consists of 80 registered females, with the emphasis on marketing bulls at 18 months of age. Elite females are marketed to purebred operations, with 20-30 heifers retained as replacements.

Jungels have more recently added a heifer development segment to the operation in which 100 heifers are purchased, developed and then mated to Shorthorn bulls. Most of the heifer calves are acquired directly from current bull customers and marketed in bred heifer groups to commercial producers.

The American Shorthorn Association is proud to nominate Jungels Shorthorn Farms.

McDonald Farms, Blacksburg, Va.

Owners: McDonald Family • Manager: Bill McDonald

McDonald Farms is a National Bicentennial Farm that was settled in 1763. It was a self-sufficient operation that served as a supply source during the later part of the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War. It currently is a diversified livestock operation producing seedstock cattle, sheep and horses. The forage resources of the farm are utilized through grazing, hay and silage production, with a limited amount of purchased commodities.

The seedstock operation consists of 150 Simmental, Angus and SimmAngus females. The entire herd calves in the spring, with a 60-day calving period for cows and 45-day calving period for heifers. McDonald Farms was instrumental in the development of the Southwest Virginia Beef Cattle Improvement Association (BCIA) Bull Testing Program and has evolved to an on-farm “Pick of the Pen” bull sale hosted annually in April.

The McDonalds have always been supportive of extension and youth livestock programs and have hosted local and state educational programs, field days and livestock judging team workouts at the farm. Bill has served as a leader in the local and state cattle industry, including the board of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Policy Division and is currently a board member and serves as the vice chairman for the American Simmental Association.

McDonald Farms is proudly nominated by the Virginia BCIA.

Monogram Farms, Terry, Miss.

Owners: Roland and Doug Preuss & Families
Managers: Roland and Doug Preuss

Monogram Farms was started by Roland and Doug Preuss’s father in 1956 with commercial cattle, hogs and, later, sheep. The registered Angus herd began as 4-H projects in 1963 by Doug and Roland, who grew the herd over the years to where it numbers 200 head today. Monogram Farms’ cow herd is located in Hinds and Lawrence counties in Mississippi.

Performance testing began in 1968 through Angus Herd Improvement Records (AHIR®). A fall-calving season (September to December) is utilized on 90% of their cow herd, with the remaining cows calving in January and February. The herd has been closed for 21 years.

The majority of the cows trace back to five foundation cows, one of them originating in 1963. Ultrasound was incorporated in 2005. They have participated at bull tests in Mississippi, Texas and Oklahoma. They have tested bulls at the Hinds Community College Bull Test every year since its inception in the early 1980s. The Mississippi BCIA sales have been a valuable tool in marketing the top bulls from their calf crop. Monogram Farms is the only farm to have participated in nearly every MBCIA bull sale in its 40+ year history, and it has had some of the top-selling bulls in many of those sales.

Cattle are their sole source of income, and they strive to be low-input operators. Some practices on the farm are only employed when they have the funds to carry them out. Borrowing money from a bank to make certain expenses is a last resort, which they use sparingly.

The Mississippi BCIA is proud to nominate Monogram Farms.

Mushrush Red Angus, Strong City, Kan.

Owners/Managers: Mushrush Ranches LLC partners Robert & Oma Lou Mushrush, Joe & Connie Mushrush, Daniel & Christine Mushrush
Managing Partner: Joe Mushrush

Mushrush Red Angus is a family-owned and managed operation located in the heart of the Kansas Flint Hills in Chase County. Literally scattered from one end of the county to the other, Mushrush Red Angus utilizes about 8,000 acres of native tallgrass prairie. While fairly diversified across segments of the cattle industry, the operation is unique in that every endeavor encompasses the use of Red Angus genetics.

The main enterprise consists of 500 registered Red Angus cows split evenly between spring- and fall-calving herds. About 150 bulls are sold yearly in a spring production sale and private treaty sales throughout the year. The target customers are commercial cattle producers. In addition, a bred heifer program has been developed. Between 400 and 500 heifers, sourced from commercial customers using Mushrush genetics, are developed, bred and sold every year. Heifers not meeting the quality of their breeding program, bulls not meeting criteria to be seedstock, and Mushrush Red Angus-sired steers purchased from customers are fed to finish in their on-site 1,000 head feedlot or run through the stocker phase on grass pasture and then put on feed. All fed cattle are sold on a value-based grid to U.S. Premium Beef, with full carcass data collected.

Started by Robert and Oma Lou Mushrush in the early 1950s, the operation first accumulated 40 years experience in the commercial cow-calf business. When Joe and Connie Mushrush joined in 1980, the first registered Red Angus cows were added, in addition to an extensive stocker cattle enterprise. The feedlot was added in 1990. This extensive involvement in all segments of the cattle industry has given Mushrush Red Angus a unique insight into the needs of the commercial cattlemen.

Mushrush Red Angus is proudly nominated by the Kansas Livestock Association.

Panther Creek Angus, Bowen, Ill.

Owners/Managers: Mike and Kati McClelland

Panther Creek Ranch has been in the purebred seedstock business since 1953 with the purchase by the late Larry McClelland of two purebred Angus heifers. This has resulted in the continual increase of the herd with more rapid expansion over the past several years. Presently, the number of bred females has leveled off at 400, including 300 brood cows and 100 bred heifers. There are both fall- and spring-calving herds consisting of 90 calving in the fall with the remaining 310 calving in the spring. Panther Creek Ranch comprises a number of locations throughout Hancock and Adams counties. The total farming enterprise consists of 3,000 acres, with 1,400 in row crops and the remaining 1,600 acres in pasture and hay ground.

At Panther Creek Ranch, cattle are handled strictly commercial. The cows and heifers must breed, calve and wean a calf on fescue pasture. Cattle are not pampered, and cows are maintained in average condition. Cows that cannot survive under these conditions are soon removed from the herd. The ranch philosophy is different from most purebred operations. Only the heifers are AI'ed. Tremendous emphasis is placed on the bull battery, since all cows are bred naturally. The traits emphasized at Panther Creek are similar to what is demanded by commercial producers. Also, emphasis is placed on scrotal circumference and udder conformation, along with EPDs that excel in light birth weight and high weaning and yearling weight. Maternal milk is left to fit the fescue environment, and carcass traits are not ignored, but not overly emphasized.

Panther Creek Ranch is a family operation. The patriarch of the Angus operation is the late Larry McClelland, who started the Angus herd. Larry passed away in 2004 while mowing pasture on the ranch. His wife, Karol, is still actively involved in the total farming operation by producing noon meals many days and providing guiding advice to the next generation. The Larry McClelland family comprises three children — Mike, Valerie and Vicki. Besides Mike and Kati McClelland and their three children, Bailey, Tristan and Kolby, there is the Peterson family consisting of Steve, Valerie, Shelby and Kayla. In addition, John, Vicki, Kod, and Cole Eilers help out during the annual sale. Kenneth Mowen is also important to the operation as he has been part of Panther Creek for the past 11 years.

The University of Illinois Extension and Illinois Beef Association is proud to nominate Panther Creek Angus.

Ridgefield Farm, Brasstown, N.C.

Owners: Steve and Mary Beth Whitmire
Manager: Nathan Clackum

Ridgefield Farm was founded in 1954 and has been in the same location since that time. The farm consists of 1,023 acres, plus about 600 acres of leased land for additional pasture, hay and corn, existing in both North Carolina and Georgia. The farm was the 1994 NCBA Environmental Stewardship winner for Region II.

The farm began as a commercial cattle operation. Then, from the late 50s until the mid-60s it was run as a Shorthorn operation with about 100 registered cows. In the late 60s a change was made back to a commercial operation. From the late 60s until 1998 about 200 commercial cows of mixed breeding were run, with about 60% being black, with calves sired by Charolais bulls. Calves were sold by video/telephone auction. Upon the death of E.J. Whitmire in 1998, a decision was made to purchase 120 registered Angus cows, to introduce the use of Braunvieh bulls to the commercial herd and to retain ownership of calves to obtain performance data.

In 2000, a decision was made to become a seedstock producer of Braunvieh cattle, offering a Progeny Purchase Plan, whereby a contract was provided to bull buyers guaranteeing to purchase the calves sired by Ridgefield Farm bulls, paying them a premium. The calves were then fed out in the Midwest and sold on the grid. In 2008, they made the decision to develop their own branded beef program, establishing Brasstown Beef, which offers a complete line of “Aged, All Natural” beef products. All calves purchased under the Progeny Purchase Plan are now brought to Ridgefield Farm and fed out, harvested and delivered to restaurants, meat markets and grocery stores. Ridgefield Farm is a “Step 4, GAP” rated livestock operation with its Brasstown Beef being sold in Whole Foods Stores and offered on the menu in multiple restaurants on The Biltmore Estate, as well as other fine restaurants in the Asheville and Highlands area of North Carolina and distributed by Sysco and IFC to fine restaurants in the Atlanta area.

In addition to all breeding stock being fully tested and ultrasounded, and being evaluated for feed efficiency on Ridgefield’s Grow Safe System; a cut of purchased feeder calves, from Ridgefield sires, is also feed efficiency and performance tested in order to close the feedback loop on Ridgefield’s genetics. Results of feeding and carcass quality (based upon ultrasound results since there is no USDA grading available), and carcass weights are provided to feeder calf suppliers.

Ridgefield Farm runs approximately 125 registered Braunvieh females, 100 registered Angus females and 75 Commercial females. The females are all AI’ed once, or have embryos implanted, followed by clean-up bulls, which are left in for 60 days. The goal for calving is from the first of February to the end of March. Bulls are semen-checked prior to breeding season and all cows found open upon palpation are sold for slaughter. All bull calves that weigh more than 95 pounds (lb.) are castrated at birth. All heifers with less than 475-lb. 205-day weights, and bull calves with less than 550-lb. 205-day weights are culled and placed in the Brasstown Beef Program.

Ridgefield Farm is proudly nominated by the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association and North Carolina Cattlemen’s BCIP.

Schuler Red Angus, Bridgeport, Neb.

Owners: Schuler-Olsen Ranches, Inc. and the Darrell Schuler Family
Manager: Butch Schuler

Located in the panhandle of western Nebraska, Schuler-Olsen Ranches was started by Darrell and Mary Lou Schuler in 1959 with commercial Hereford cattle. A crossbreeding program was implemented in the early 1970s, and after witnessing the benefits of heterosis and breed complementarity first-hand, a registered Red Angus herd was started in 1976 to develop seedstock for use on the ranch’s commercial cattle and to sell to neighboring operations.

The seedstock herd expanded in the 1980s and was improved through AI, utilization of EPDs and a complete performance-testing program. Recognizing the need for identifiable carcass traits, in 1991 Schuler Red Angus began finishing its commercial progeny and collecting carcass data with the assistance of University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Beef Cattle Specialist Ivan Rush. This program expanded to include structured carcass testing, including customer cattle sired by Schuler Red Angus bulls. Greater than 25% of the Red Angus breed’s high-accuracy carcass trait sires have been proven by Schuler Red Angus. A composite cow herd was started in 1992, which included Red Angus, Hereford, Gelbvieh and Simmental genetics.

The current ranching operation encompasses 17,000 acres, including 2,000 acres of private pasture leases and 1,250 acres of irrigated farm ground. Butch and Susan Schuler and their children Stephanie and David manage the operation today with approximately 1,000 head of spring calving females. The Schuler’s hosted their 29th production sale this spring, selling 150 registered Red Angus and Schuler Red composite bulls and 20 head of registered Red Angus heifers.

Schuler Red Angus is proudly nominated by the Nebraska Cattlemen.

Sunshine Farms, Clanton, Ala.

Owners: Tim Minor, Gary Minor, and Jimmy Durbin
Cattle Manager: Jamie McConnell
Genetic and Marketing Manager: Tommy Brown

Sunshine Farms is part of a family-owned, diversified farming operation, which has been in business for over 50 years near Clanton, Ala. The farming operation includes the Sim-Angus seedstock division, a large peach production unit to market the famous Chilton County peaches under the Jim Durbin Farms brand, a u-pick strawberry field, a tomato production unit, a timber production unit, a small band of brood mares to produce working ranch horses, and the Mulberry Creek Homestead unit that provides agricultural education for more than 1,000 elementary school kids each fall based on corn mazes, a u-pick pumpkin patch and other agricultural product displays.

The Sim-Angus seedstock division began in 1993, with the purchase of 30 purebred Angus cows, and has grown to 400 breeding-age females. An additional 500 cows, owned by 10 cooperator breeders, are used to produce the 175 bulls marketed through the annual Carcass-Merit Bull Sale hosted the first Saturday in December and by private treaty. The Sunshine Farms Sim-Angus program is data-driven and maintains complete records for all traits and is recognized as an early pioneer in the use of ultrasound data to improve carcass merit. Sunshine Farms has one of the largest ultrasound databases in the Simmental breed and has tested more young sires in the American Simmental Association’s Carcass Merit Program than any other Simmental breeder.

Short-term goals for Sunshine Farms are to provide genetically superior bulls to commercial bull buyers to optimize profitability. Long-term goals are to provide bulls with genetic ability to produce feeder calves with efficient growth in the feedlot and the potential to produce 10% Prime, 90% Choice with 100% YG 1s and 2s with carcasses that will provide a product that is tender and acceptable for consumers.

The Alabama BCIA is proud to nominate Sunshine Farms.

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