Kansas Family’s Forward Thinking Earns 2022 Progressive Partner Award

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By Kylee Kohls Sellnow

October 11, 2022

Progress. For many, the word is one that often feels intangible, hard to grasp or clearly define.

“Progress means that we are measuring improvement, coming up with a benchmark and knowing where we are today and where we want to go,” says Debbie Lyons-Blythe. “Not always making change, but always moving forward.”

Adapting Angus cattle to perform better, in tandem with the land, and create a better end product is a labor of love 33 years in the making for the Blythe family. Every year they’ve improved one breeding decision, management change, farm tour and conversation at a time.

“Cattle producers and consumers are all vitally important to the progress of our environment, animal welfare and making sure our businesses are profitable,” Debbie says.

Working toward a better beef business for themselves and the industry earned Blythe Family Farms the 2022 Certified Angus Beef (CAB) Progressive Partner Award. They accepted the award at the brand’s Annual Conference in Phoenix on Sept. 30.

Succession plans aren’t traditional dinner table conversation for most parents and their 20-something years-old children and spouses. But it’s a frequent topic at Blythe Sunday dinners.

Duane and Debbie may have many more able years ahead, but they’re already transitioning the farm to their five children.

“Working together, we’ve helped them and created an opportunity for them to learn the best practices from us,” Duane shares. “They’re going to find ways to build a better fence down the road, but they’re not going to make the same mistakes I made.”

The transition kit includes digital photos of pastures, plants and notes on weather and dates. Debbie says it’s easy to reference management when questions arise on when to move cattle or burn a pasture.

This record-keeping practice and forward-thinking model helps find ways to make the farm better.

“Progress is difficult to define without the ability to compare to a baseline,” Debbie says. “We have to be able to utilize this land in such a way that it will raise more food. We have to follow best-management practices and make sure we are doing a better job with what we have.”

Doing so led to 175 registered Angus cows, 225 commercial females and a 375-head heifer development program.

With the rich native grass resource, they decided 17 years ago their time, skills and resources would be best spent in a commercial heifer program.

“We typically purchase heifers from families with cattle that have genetics we know,” Debbie says. “I prefer weaned and preconditioned with two shots and bunk broke, but we’re willing to do the work. The longer we own them, the better those heifers settle to AI.”

After artificially inseminating (AI) once to a proven sire, heifers go to native grass with Blythe Angus bulls for 60 days for a tight calving interval starting February 1. Debbie uses an EPD (expected progeny difference) benchmarking system created to find ideal matings. Birth weight, weaning weight and marbling are priorities.

“We rely heavily on genomics when we’re selecting bulls,” she explains. “I believe strongly in carcass EPDs, especially marbling. If the hot new bull doesn’t have a good marbling score, I won’t use him. I just feel like it’s my responsibility to be able to create good beef.”

Bull customers rely on her decisions, too.

Many have commercial herds and retain ownership of their calves, but they leave the EPDs to Debbie. Making sure they meet both cattle customer and beef consumer demands, the Blythes often retain ownership on their calves at Tiffany Cattle Company.

A pen sold in 2021 graded 97% Choice or Prime, with 90% making CAB or Prime. Just more data pointing to progress, if not quite perfection.

The connection to the plate doesn’t stop there. The Blythes are constantly building bridges for people who want to know who raised their food. The modern cattle business is only sustainable with demand for high-quality beef raised on productive land and food influencers and customers who understand that.

Many food bloggers, chefs, foodservice salespeople and retailers have had their first ranch experience at Blythe Family Farms. Whether it’s opening the gate or giving time to industry endeavors, the beef industry can often count on the Blythe’s to share their time, talents and treasures. Most recently, Debbie was elected Chairman of the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (USRSB).

“Sustainability is taking care of the land, animals, people and making money,” she says. “My involvement in the USRSB is part of what will make it possible for my kids to continue to farm and ranch.”

Progress with tools, data, continuing education and a willingness to have the hard conversations over the dinner table or in the board room make their legacy a defining one that will only get better with time.

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Ranch Covey Hill Earns Canadian Commitment to Excellence Award

By Miranda Reiman, freelancer for Certified Angus Beef

October 10, 2022

“To have cattle on a hill.” That was Emmanuel Chenail’s dream. In 2015, after a career as president of the family’s construction business, the Havelock, Québec, dreamer sold his company and Ranch Covey Hill was born.

“My wife Brigette and I were out on a drive when the name came to us, just like that,” he says. “It’s perfect for this hillside.”

That’s where a winding driveway leads through front pastures and up to the well-appointed ranch headquarters. Bits of history mix with modern buildings and their completely remodeled home. Off to the west, the maple forest or “sugar bush” flourishes with more than 20,000 taps ready to produce syrup come late winter. Near the sugar shack sits the carefully planned salebarn.

“What inspires me every morning is, we’ve started something that isn’t over yet. It’s just beginning,” Emmanuel says. 

The family saw potential in what was a run-down country estate.

“When we first bought this place, I don’t think anybody would believe it looked that way, compared to now,” says eldest daughter Sabrina. “We couldn’t get through the main driveway, couldn’t even tell there was a pasture there – no fences, rock chains everywhere, no barns – the house was not habitable.”

The family, which includes daughter Camille and son Raphael, checked projects off the list one by one, dedicated employees providing steady support.

“One day we might be done, but we’re always working on it,” Sabrina says.

That continual pursuit of the best and finding the right people to get there caught the attention of the world’s premium beef brand. Their eagerness to support the Certified Angus Beef ^® (CAB) brand mission earned Ranch Covey Hill the 2022 CAB Canadian Commitment to Excellence award.

Their first 10 Angus females came from neighbor, mentor and friend David Sample, Mac Angus Ranch.

“One thing I’ve learned about Angus breeders is they’re always willing to share what they know,” Emmanuel says. “That’s a huge advantage that I really appreciate.”

Quickly growing the herd to 75 cows, the family hosted their first annual Hillspride Sale in February, along with Mac Angus Farm and PJ Ranch from nearby Hemmingford.  

The three operations have separate programs but similar philosophies.

“The ideal cow is moderately-sized, good-tempered, not too demanding and maternal—easy to look at,” Emmanuel says. “You can’t overlook how important the cow is in terms of herd continuity, easy keeping and ultimately marbling.”

They had to learn basically everything, but that had its advantages, too—no preconceived notions about carcass being at odds with maternal traits.

“Customers want quality. That’s not negotiable: you need to get it right the first time. It’s a priority,” Emmanuel says. “Customers come to us to buy a good breeding bull and maybe to produce cows for their operation. They’re looking for sound legs, calving ease, healthy teats, and meat for Angus steers is known for its marbling.

“At the end of the day, we do it to put food on people’s tables,” he says.

That enthusiasm led the family to CAB in search of educational resources.

“They don’t want to keep the secret of quality to themselves as something only they can be good at,” says Kara Lee, CAB director of producer engagement. “They want to help their customers understand how they can continue to excel at the ranch, and from the perspective of consumer eating satisfaction”

This spring’s salebook included materials from the brand, and Ranch Covey Hill invited CAB staff to participate in their fall customer event.

“They had a very fresh set of eyes in terms of the value in pursuing maternal and carcass traits in the cow herd. They realized there are tools and diversity in the Angus breed that let us achieve improvement in tandem,” Lee says.

Sabrina started doing the registrations as the conduit between the English-speaking Canadian Angus Association staff and her French-speaking father. She got hooked.

“Sabrina looks after the genetics and calving. She likes to find which bull will provide the best genetic mix,” Emmanuel says. “Camille is responsible for sales and marketing. She works with cuts of meat to imagine very creative dishes. Brigette takes care of everybody and makes sure we’re all happy.”

Raphael is away at school right now but comes back as he’s able.

“I like working with my family because we’re all kind of the same, and we’re intense people,” Camille says. Each has a unique skill they bring to the table. “So when we work together, we balance things up and make things work out.”

A little at a time, Emmanuel’s dream is coming true.

“It’s like I imagined,” he says, “but I didn’t think it would be this beautiful.”

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