Progress is a necessity on the Guide Rock, Nebraska, ranch where Troy Anderson manages a commercial Angus herd, small grower yard, his 10-year-old son, and a testing environment. Troy’s approach includes respect for his livestock, people and land. For that, Anderson Cattle was honored with the CAB 2023 Commercial Commitment to Excellence Award.
First-generation seedstock producers Kevin and Lydia Yon, along with their children, Drake, Sally, and Corbin, have been continuously improving their farm since they drove the first fence posts on what was a 100-acre abandoned peach orchard in 1996.
The subject of herd improvement is more nuanced than, “Buy better bulls.” Yet, that’s a pretty foundational place start. This Black Ink column explores the idea of buying better.
Two fishing cabins stood on the edge of the San Marcos river in 1919. Sixty years later Bodey Langford connected the two, as brick-by-brick, he built a home where he and Kathy would raise daughters Anna and Callie. There on his late father’s ranch near Lockhart, Texas, he also built his herd with purpose.
“Value” in feeder calf marketing is a relative term. All calves have some and the trick is to capture your share, said Paul Dykstra. Success is rooted in your customers he said. Customer changes through the supply chain from feeder, to packer to consumer.
The Steib family has expanded their farm and feedlot operation into a dynamic ranch. Today, they raise the calves they eventually feed out, having a hand in quality decisions every step of the way.
Raising cattle had been a dream for the Idaho couple from the start of their marriage, even though neither had prior ranching experience. After years of dedication and faith in each other, the Brown family now operates a large cow-calf operation focusing on quality Angus genetics.
They’ve been retaining ownership of their calves for more than a decade, finding success in the practice – but that’s not where they stopped. Cattlemen Blake Robertson and Virgil Ast are continuously selecting Angus bulls and cows with quality genetics to improve their end product.
With goals of increasing CAB acceptance rate, the brand has updated Targeting the Brand™ requirements to help commercial producers improve beef quality through bull selection.
Their success with quality Angus cattle disguises the fact that the Boyer brothers are first-generation farmers. Originally from Detriot, the brothers moved to a farm in Missouri 46 years ago with no prior knowledge of raising cattle. Today, their best pen of finished steers marked 100% Certified Angus Beef with all but one Prime.
