Walter Angus Recognized as 2022 CAB Ambassador Honoree

The Walter family opens the gates to share their passion for Angus cattle.

by Jessica Travis

October 4, 2022

Teaching an appreciation for Angus cattle comes naturally to Terry and Becky Walter. Along with their children Trevor, Ty and Katelyn, they’ve built Walter Angus into a fifth-generation seedstock ranch that specializes in high quality at a high elevation.

Hudson, Colo., provides awe-inspiring views of the pristine Rocky Mountains as a backdrop to their picture-perfect cattle. It’s the ideal spot to introduce visitors to the place where beef begins.

Their spirit of hospitality and work to share how they raise high-quality beef earned the Walter family the 2022 Certified Angus Beef (CAB) Ambassador Award.

Many of the groups that visit Walter Angus include foodservice sales staff who merchandise CAB or chefs serving the brand at their restaurant. They’ve also hosted food bloggers, media, video and photo crews to capture their story to share in CAB training and promotional materials.

“I enjoy talking to people, especially as society gets more disconnected from agriculture,” Terry says. “I want people to know that ranching isn’t easy; it takes a lot of work producing high-quality cattle so people can feel good about eating beef.”

Opening their ranch is more than putting a face to the hands that raise a delicious steak, but understanding the intention behind each decision, taking care of both the land and livestock.

That includes taking cattle to new heights.

The Walter Angus herd spends at least six months grazing mountain pastures that range from 6,000 to 11,000 feet in elevation. Bred to handle the altitude, management also helps cattle adjust with gradual rotations during the warm summer and fall months before the cows come home.

While the mountain pastures are great for cattle, the Walters want people to know those cows are great for the pastures, too.

“The cattle help break up the decomposing trees that have succumbed to beetle rot,” Trevor says. “Grazing helps prevent wildfires and creates a positive ecosystem for the land they’re on.”

Their grazing encourages deeper roots and healthier grasses.

“We make the land better with our cattle,” Ty says, noting the increased forage production and soil health. “God created this land to be grazed by cattle. Without them, and the grasses and sagebrush, the land would blow away to Kansas.”

Docility is another key component of breeding for balance. The family creates cattle that can be good working partners on the ranch, knowing it ties to performance on the plate.

“We’re always trying to make balanced cattle,” Terry says. “We’re trying to put as much marbling in these cattle as we can without sacrificing functionality. But in my opinion, marbling is what pays bills.”

That intentional breeding pays off. A look through sale catalogs shows the CAB Targeting the Brand™ logo next to most of their bulls. A mark to help their customers identify bulls with greater potential to sire calves that earn a CAB stamp.

Their focused approach is put to the test by retaining ownership and the carcass data lets them see how they’re doing. Over the last four years, 97% of their cattle graded Choice or higher, with 51% qualifying for CAB and 13% Prime.

Raising great bulls to produce calves that meet the demand for high-quality beef is a feat on its own, but the Walters take the next step to connect with people at the other end of the supply chain.

Pulling out of the driveway, visitors head home with more than a camera full of beautiful pictures and cow selfies to post on social media. They leave as friends who know that the cattle behind the brand are raised by good families, in a way that’s good for animals and the environment.

“I want groups to leave our ranch knowing that there’s a family in Hudson, Colorado, that loves Angus cattle,” Terry says. “That we’re striving to make the best beef possible, and our mission here is hitting that CAB target. But more than that, it’s knowing that we care about the cattle.”

The Walter family was recognized for the Ambassador Award at the Certified Angus Beef Annual Conference in Phoenix on September 30, 2022.

New Mexico Ranch Earns Certified Angus Beef Sustainability Award

by Kylee Kohls Sellnow

September 30, 2022

Producing beef in the desert Southwest takes a certain resolve, faith that the rain will come and grit to do the hard things and smile through the work when it doesn’t.

This is the grit engrained in Manny and Corina Encinias and their seven children operating Buffalo Creek Ranch.

Sustainability runs deep for these stewards of a legacy that dates back to 1777, when the first generations of their family began herding sheep near Galisteo, N.M. Today they focus on cattle well-suited to the harsh desert range east of Albuquerque, fostering community strength and creating opportunities for others.

“My ranching philosophy is adapting to the ever-changing environment and marketing climates,” Encinias says.

Their holistic approach earned this ranching family the 2022 Certified Angus Beef (CAB) Sustainability Award.

Restoring the Land

Manny and Corina purchased Buffalo Creek Ranch in 2016 with a vision to restore the land and help it flourish.

“The first part of sustainability is consideration for the natural resources,” he says. “In the desert Southwest, those are fragile, yet resilient.”

Dormant grasses, the sound of a creek bed crunching beneath boots and a lone, green cottonwood point to the tenacity life requires in this part of the world. Named for the creek that typically runs through its heart, Buffalo Creek Ranch relies on water from a closed basin – and a monsoon season not seen in many years – to nourish its native grasses.

“Our gold in this country is water,” Encinias says. “And it’s what keeps me up at night. Water will always be of concern, for myself and future generations, because it is so precious. I don’t believe people recognize it as a fragile resource in everyday living here in the United States.”

Cattle are part of his plan to restore the land, taking care to only stock as many as the acreage can maintain.

In 2021, the family responded to persistent and extreme drought by downsizing to 90 of their best Angus-influenced cows. They stock at only 30% today – one cow for every 40 to 100 acres depending on the pasture.

Their genetic goals are multifaceted. Key considerations include Angus cattle that can adapt to the unforgiving environment yet achieve carcass merit and qualify for the Certified Angus Beef ® brand. Cows that stay must be easy fleshing and structurally sound, with maternal instincts and adapted to handle the 6,300-foot elevation. Those still thriving prove Angus cows can meet consumer demand for high quality in ways that work for both caretaker and landscape on which crops could never thrive.

The 98%

“The consumer drives a lot of what we do,” Encinias says. “We have embraced that as a responsibility. I think it’s important to have a seat at the table with the 98% not directly involved in agriculture, not only as beef consumers but as policy makers.”

Transparency across varied platforms helps define responsibility to the industry and welcomes visitors.

Foodservice salespeople and chefs stop in as part of CAB Ranch Days, learning what goes into a day’s work and a long-term plan. For example, Encinias explains the effect of water-saving night irrigation to limit evaporation and the stewardship of rotational grazing.

His efforts go beyond simply opening the ranch gate. Further education and helping with beef industry programs fit in with the family’s own progress and readiness to share principles on or off the ranch.

“I think Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) as a program has evolved to really take in a lot more of the important consumer-based issues like animal welfare,” Encinias shares.

As a former BQA trainer and state extension beef cattle specialist, I can attest to the program being about evaluating systems through the BQA principles, he says.

“We can all lend ourselves to becoming better – better handlers of animals and our environments,” he says.

Encinias teaches animal and meat sciences and ag business at Mesalands Community College, drawing on years of consulting on ranches from Hawaii to North Dakota. In the between hours, he also translates for Mexican veterinarians at U.S. feedyards and ranches.

“Instead of just performance or profitability, we try to be the kind of ranch you’d want to live next to if you weren’t in production agriculture,” the rancher and educator says. “This just expresses who we are, who we’ve always been, who we were when we first arrived here in this region. And it’s really being a good neighbor, caring for each other.”

Larson Angus Ranch Earns Certified Angus Beef Seedstock Award

by Morgan Boecker

September 29, 2022

An unanswered prayer led Dan Larson back to the ranch. He and wife Becky stepped away from their dream life of horse training for a new calling, to build the best Angus herd they could.

Economics and a newfound passion brought on years of studying genetics and the Angus Journal to where Larson Angus Ranch, Sharon Springs, Kan., now manages 800 cows. Since 2007, that’s been with the help of their son Brady along with his wife Kyla, bringing up the fifth generation on the land.

Cow work, genetic improvements and breeding plans are on the table for hours because building the perfect cow takes continual adjustments. The Larsons are making moves that bring their families and customers closer to “best” every day.

“It’s one of those things that you just constantly build on,” Brady says. “You’re never gonna get the perfect animal, but you just keep building on it and build on it and build on it.”

Their determined journey toward elusive perfection helped Larson Angus Ranch earn the Certified Angus Beef (CAB) 2022 Seedstock Commitment to Excellence award presented at the brand’s Annual Conference Sept. 29 in Phoenix.

Larson Angus Ranch accepts CAB seedstock award

Spanning rough, rocky terrain along Ladder Creek, the ranch fills a niche next to farm country.

“We’re turning grass pastures that can’t be farmed into a high-quality protein source,” Dan says. “We can count on our Angus cows in this region. They work hard for us for 10 or 12 years and produce calves that have a lot of vigor.”

The Larsons like medium-frame cows with moderate milk production, good udders, calving ease and sound feet to travel. Fertility and carcass merit are non-negotiable.

They adopted artificial insemination (AI) in 1989 and within a few years started using embryo transfer (ET). That inspired Brady to pick up custom AI through ABS Global to keep him even busier during breeding season.

This year, they put in 150 embryos and as usual allowed cows one chance with timed AI. Whatever doesn’t stick gets another chance with the turnout bull.

“We don’t do it on a huge scale compared to other people,” Dan says, but ET work figures into most of the 100 bulls they sell each March. “This really helps us speed up genetic progress.”

The Larsons have the same priorities as their customers. Only the top bulls make the annual sale and the best heifers become replacements while they finish the other 600 in their own feedyard to market through U.S. Premium Beef.

“Our customer base is not just selling calves at weaning, though some of them do,” Brady says. “We’ve got a lot of customers that come to us because they want to put their cattle on a grid and make extra money.”

“Our goal was to get 100% Choice and years ago we got to that,” Dan says. “Then we tried for 100% CAB and we reached that goal. Now we’re feeding groups of cattle that grade nearly 80% Prime and dress at 64%.”

Hitting the mark means the cattle have to excel across all EPDs and look good doing it, Brady adds. It’s a balancing act to dance among the relevant traits.

Brady and Kyla hope to pass that way of thinking on to their four kids, sustaining and improving the water, grass and cattle so that each day they’re getting better.

Whether riding along in the Ranger to check cows, water or put out minerals, the kids are learning by example.

“Sometimes I wonder how far we’d be if ranching had been my plan A,” Dan says. His sights are always on the future, looking for better ways. With his family and that outlook, they’ll keep improving their best.

Nominations for Certified Angus Beef Rancher Awards Close January 17

by Morgan Boecker

January 7, 2022

It takes passion, drive and ability to build a top-quality beef program based on economics, ethics and sustainability. A legacy like that merits recognition from peers and those they affect throughout the supply chain all the way to consumers.

Until Jan. 17, nominations are being accepted for one of three Certified Angus Beef producer awards, which recognizes cattlemen and women raising beef to the highest standards.



See who was recognized in 2021.

“During the brand’s Annual Conference in September, we recognize those who exemplify our mission on their operations,” says Kara Lee, assistant director of producer engagement. “These awards allow us to both thank them for their dedication and also introduce partners across the beef business to cattlemen and women who supply this brand.”

There are three categories of awards to nominate someone you know:

1) Commitment to Excellence nominees are sought in three areas: commercial, seedstock and feedyard. Selection is based on the nominee’s direct effect on high-quality cattle and growing supply of the Certified Angus Beef ^®

2) Progressive Partner awards ranchers, cattle feeders or organizations that elevate the beef business and empower other sectors in the supply chain. Selection focuses on innovation, technology, education and connecting beef industry stakeholders.

3) The Sustainability Award recognizes a ranch, feedyard, grocery store or restaurant that exemplifies sustainability in its daily operations. Honorees go above and beyond in terms of environmental stewardship, cattle care, community involvement/service and opportunities for the next generation.

Award winners will be invited to accept the honor at the 2022 CAB Annual Conference, set for September 28 to 30 in Phoenix, Arizona.

“It’s a chance for producers to meet people from all areas of the beef industry—chefs, distributors, retailers and more. It gives them a new perspective on the brand and the people involved in it,” Lee says.

Visit www.cabcattle.com/nominate to nominate someone who deserves to be recognized.

Focus Under the Hide

Alberta ranch earns Certified Angus Beef award.

by Morgan Boecker

October 27, 2021

In the distance, corn stalks rustle and soft lowing is heard. Cows call to their calves to pair back up after being moved to their winter home. Inside the red ranch-style farmhouse, lively chatter and laughter fill the dining room as the Niznik family gathers for supper after a long day’s work.

It’s the sight and sounds of fall at Niznik Ranch in Brooks, Alberta. Brothers Brad and Bruce Nizik carefully plan and meticulously execute all tasks. To anyone else it’s just another ranch, but for the Niznik family, it’s home.

From the bulls they buy, the cows they cull and the grass their cattle graze, each decision is evaluated based on how it affects the ranch’s economics, the land and family.

“We’re capitalizing on data and raising the best product and doing the best with the environment we’re given,” Brad says. “It is a culmination. Our goal is to reach the top, to be the best at what we do.”

This management style earned the Niznik family the Certified Angus Beef (CAB) 2021 Canadian Commitment to Excellence award.

Pictured: (left to right) brothers Bruce and Brad, their father George and uncle Jack Niznik

Better Living

Producing the best starts with a strong base.

“If you’ve got a good Angus cow, you can probably make a good living with her,” Bruce says, adding that technology takes the guesswork out of finding and breeding “good” ones.

“We won’t buy a bull if we do not know what’s under the hide,” he says. “The ultimate animal we want to produce is a Prime, Yield Grade one.”

They’ve differentiated their cattle to fit into a premium beef market by buying bulls that rank in the top 5% of the breed for marbling and above average ribeye area, among other traits. They use genetic testing to pinpoint traits they want in their replacement heifers.

“We run a closed herd,” Bruce says. “The one opportunity to add new genetics is from the purebred producer using every available technology to improve their herd so that we can improve ours.”

A successful partnership with their bull supplier requires similar goals, Bruce says. That’s why the Nizniks continue to use Cudlobe Angus bulls. As a customer, it also gives them access to a ready market in the Cudlobe-influenced feeder calf sale. Each year they see return buyers bid on their calves.

“If the market’s terrible, we have top of the terrible market,” Bruce says. “But when it’s a good market, it’s really good for us.”

They’ve created a reputation for calves that perform on the rail, with recent loads averaging 32% Prime and 68% AAA.

Results like that start with genetics.

“A lot of people might not think that’s on the mind of people producing beef,” Bruce says. “But to people like us, that’s our end goal.”

“Certified Angus Beef delivers that product,” Brad adds. “A product that people want, all over the world.”

The Ripple Effect

With incremental progress, came steady growth and increased efficiency in the Niznik cow herd.

Twenty years ago, 700 cows were a lot, and the family worked tirelessly to keep them fed. The short summers were spent in the hay fields and long winters meant hours each day in the tractor.

“Basically, in this country all you do is prepare for winter,” Bruce says, “because they’re hard.”

Twelve years ago, they turned cows out on full corn stalks for the winter and they’ve done it every year since. They went from putting more than 1,000 hours on a tractor in the winter to 100; from feeding hay six months to just three weeks.

“That was probably as big of a change on this place as the round baler was for our dad,” Bruce says.

Their summers changed, too. Less time was spent baling hay, resulting in fewer expenses. The cattle are handled less and grazing longer, doing more with less. Now, there’s more time for the ranchers to focus on their family.

Today, the ranch supports more than 1,000 head and supports four families. The brothers hope it will be a place for the fifth generation to return, Bruce says.

“Everyone knows their place and contributes in their own way,” Bruce’s wife Jodi says. “I think everyone has the same passion to make Niznik Ranch what it is today and something in future.”

It’s a place to instill grit in the family and a focus on raising cattle that produce high-quality beef, for generations to come.

CAB Drives Brand Relevance with Specification Update

by Paul Dykstra | Feb 26, 2025

Evolution of cattle type, management technology and production economics continue to shape the beef business. As a pioneer in the branded beef space, the Certified Angus Beef ® brand has remained relevant throughout the supply chain via continued innovation. Effective the first week of March, the brand will modify its ribeye area (REA) specification from the current 10 to 16 square inch acceptable range to include carcasses wth ribeyes measuring up to 17 square inches.

Thriving with Shrinking Supply

by Paul Dykstra | Feb 26, 2025

Even as the nation’s cow herd contracts, “more pounds” and “higher quality” have been common themes. Specific to commercial cattlemen: It still pays to focus on carcass merit, in addition to other economically relevant traits.

Prime Trends Up

by Paul Dykstra | Feb 12, 2025

As Prime supplies leapt higher in 2018, continually increasing, the retail grocery sector woke up to the fact that Prime beef cuts could be accessed dependably throughout the year. Prime was no longer reserved for only the high-end restaurant customer. Simply put, creating availability at the grocery level unlocked consumer demand where it hadn’t been tapped before.

« Older Entries

Next Entries »

More with Less

Texas grass farmers win CAB Sustainability Award

Story and photos by Abbie Burnett

October 2021

It’s July in the rolling Texas Panhandle Plains, but not a bead of sweat forms. A cool breeze moves the knee-high grasses carpeting the red clay soil like God himself is smoothing out the wrinkles in a blanket.

Indigo clouds fill the northwest sky with a promise of rain. In a region of guaranteed droughts and an average annual 18 inches of rainfall, Mary Lou Bradley-Henderson and husband James Henderson of Bradley 3 Ranch (B3R) near Childress, Texas, look in wonder across the landscape.

Regular dust storms, 50+mph winds, and temperatures ranging from 115 to -35, just living here is harsh, says Mary Lou. But not this year.

“This is living the dream,” she says. “You can’t go wrong when it rains every other day. Not in this country.”

If going through bad years makes one appreciate the good ones, Mary Lou and James have plenty under their belt to take respite.

“Anybody can run cattle this year,” says Mary Lou. “It’s when it’s 111 and ain’t raining that it’s a different can of worms.” 

They should know.

More than 65 years ago, the ranch was considered a wasteland when B3R’s matriarch and Mary Lou’s mother Minnie Lou arrived.

It was the 1950s during the drought of a generation. Her soon-to-be father-in-law, Rusty, procured the ranch property as a wedding gift. As they walked the desolate landscape, Rusty pulled out his pocketknife and began sifting under the fine soil. 

Minnie Lou’s not sure what surprised her more: that there were roots or that they were alive. Nothing above ground promised either.

“I didn’t know until later,” she recalls, “But no one had ever owned this piece of country for over 10 years without going broke.”

She might have taken the same path had a friend not told her outright, “You’re one of the worst grass people I’ve ever known.” They were understocking but overgrazing.

The cattle cherry-picked the good stuff, eating all the grass and leaving space for 30 gallon a day, water-sucking Mesquite trees and Redberry Juniper to steal the land.

Distraught at what they’d done, Minnie Lou implemented a rotational grazing plan and strapped GPS collars to her cows to find the grazing paths. She learned every pasture is different, and finding grazeable acreage over total acreage per cow is challenging.

Minnie Lou admits, “For 42 years, I didn’t think we made any progress.”

In the early 2000s, Mary Lou and James sold their meatpacking company, B3R Meats, and returned to the ranch. They mapped out a 20-year plan to ensure water was no more than a half-mile from any point, picking up work Minnie Lou started. The fruits of their labor are evident this year.

B3R is the 2021 Certified Angus Beef (CAB) Sustainability Award recipient, and it’s been a long time coming.

Soaking it in

Water is the elixir to life in these parts.

In the 1940s, a saltwater spring was plugged and flooded the aquifers under the ranch’s south part, making groundwater unusable and unaffordable to clean up.

In the north, the groundwater is so full of sulfates it must be kept moving to evade evaporation, and thus turning fatal for the cattle.

Water guzzling plants ruled their pastures, and any rain is trapped or evaporates before it can hit the ground.

The plan: build more opportunities for water, gouge out the scourge of brush one by one, and bring back the grass while managing a quality-forward seedstock business.

Droughts are not an “if,” but a “when,” and James and Mary Lou do their best to prepare, but the record drought of 2010 to 2014 changed everything.

There were 100 days over 100 degrees, and 45 over 110 recalls Mary Lou.

“Droughts like that are mind games because you’re defeated financially and defeated on what to do,” she says.

They thought they had a drought contingency plan, says James, “But we didn’t have enough of anything – grass, hay, or money.”

Even when sparse rains came, the withered land drank it so fast, mud wouldn’t form. One evening in 2015, Mary Lou, James, and Minnie Lou gathered around their dispersal plans.

One night in June, their newly built stock stank filled up. Collecting water off the barns and homes, it lives here for cattle instead of flowing to the Red River. Bermuda grass is banked to prevent erosion.

“I just thought it was our time,” says Mary Lou.

But they were rained out overnight and couldn’t drive to the lease country.

“Okay, I hear You,” she says. “We’re not done. So, we weren’t done.”

They formed a new plan. First, they began investing in stock tanks (West Texan for ponds). It takes one dry year to remove brush, dig the pond and another nine for the rain to soak the ground, find equilibrium and begin filling.

It’s what they did for the 20 ft. deep tank just down the hill from their barns and homes. As a result, water that would normally flow into the Red River is now stored for cattle.

A 10-year process became one as a single night rain in June filled the 2020 pond to the brim. There are nine operational ponds now, with more on the way.

In 2019, an interesting new design started floating in B3Rs water troughs. Aqua balls – black, polyethylene spheres filled with a touch of water have saved 5,000 gallons or $3,000 to $4,000 per trough.

Covering about 95% of the surface area, the balls prevent water evaporation, loss to wind, and surface algae growth. The water is crystal, mildly cool on a 90-degree day. Heifers gently nudge their noses against the balls to find a drink. In the winter, the surface area is so small, ice rarely forms. When it does, it easily breaks.

“We’ve got 45 tubs on the ranch, all about 2000 gallons,” says James. “They’d typically be dry come springtime, and we’d lose another 4,000 gallons in the summer to evaporation. We’re saving several thousand dollars a year.”

Other touches are solar-powered wells that keep the water moving in the sulfate-rich areas with overflow ponds for wildlife. Wildlife that’s also found water in the new springs that have emerged from brush removal.

Since Mary Lou and James came home, they’ve doubled the size of the herd and expanded acreage several times over. A two-section pasture that wouldn’t run 20 cows can now hold 45 at 30 acres per cow.

They’re proud of the successes, but it doesn’t stop there.

High expectations

Sustainability to Mary Lou and James is as much about the efficiency and quality of the animal as it is about land and water.

“We’ve really concentrated our cow herd on being efficient,” says James. “Sustainability is doing more with less, and well, the cows have to do that, too.”

They’ve built indexes around the performances of their cattle and focus on cows that can raise a calf, breed back, do it on minimal resources and maintain their flesh. And with their background in meatpacking, Mary Lou and James are always keeping the carcass top of mind.

“We’re trying to get a very highly productive cow,” she says. “One that will have calves that’ll work downstream for some of the CAB steaks later on.”

While the genetics and performance indexes are finely tuned in a detailed spreadsheet, management in nutrition is just as intentional.

Growing heifers, James says they try to get them to their mature weight as soon as possible. Why risk it when they can get her growing stages behind her before the calf ever hits the ground?

That nutrition is all in the grass and how they manage it.

Hundreds of species are out here, says James. “Predominately Sideoats, Blue and Hairy gramas. Silver and Ironmaster Bluestem. A lot of Buffalograss. A lot of Dropseed, some White Tridens, and we’ve come back in and planted a lot of what would have been the original prairie grasses like Big Bluestem, Indiangrass, and Switchgrass.”

Like a carefully maintained lawn, regular and rotational grazing improves the grass. Growth above reflects growth below.

“To maintain grasses in a fragile environment, you’ve got to be able to let them grow plenty of roots,” says James. “If we are grazing those grasses, then they regrow and refresh and redo. If you don’t ever graze the grasses, they become stale and basically worthless from a nutritional standpoint.”

Biodiverse grasses are essential as they mature at different times of the year, so the nutrient value varies. If a monolithic culture is all there is, James says it’s all really good or all not good.

This year their cows weaned 61.4% of their body weight and averaged a body condition of 6 to 6.5. A big deal in the Panhandle, says Mary Lou.

And with more grass and better grazing comes more cattle. They can run a cow to 30 acres like they set out to do. B3R was purchased at 3,500 acres and began with a few hundred yearlings. Now it’s at 16,000 and about 850 head.

“For us, if you don’t have the bottom line, we’re not here,” says Mary Lou. “We’ve got to make it work. Truly, we are sustainable, or we’re not.”

“The grass will tell you when to move,” says Mary Lou. Here, it’s been grazed, and the cattle are ready to move to the next pasture.

Progress for progress

Before there were fences and farms in the Panhandle, stirrup high grasses owned this land. With time, they have dwindled to near extinction. And with time again, they’re resurrecting.

Nothing is a one-year thought process, says Mary Lou. Just like building a fence, she asks herself whether their decisions will last the next 50 years. What will this place look like for the next chapter of ranchers? Will the land work for them as it has for Minnie Lou, Mary Lou, and James?

“It’s taken 60 years to figure this all out, but we are about to get those grasses back that stirrup height.” Minnie Lou smiles. “It quite grabs my heart when I walk into those pastures and remember what they were and what they are today.”

Originally published in the Angus Journal and Angus Beef Bulletin.

Targeting Excellence

Yon Family Farms recognized for contributions to Certified Angus Beef supply. 

Story and Photos by Jessica Wharton and Nicole Erceg

October 2021

2021_YonFamilyFarms_SCaro_NLE-JW-9171-web

The setting sun paints the southern sky in pinks and blues; wisps of cotton candy clouds stretch for miles. He strolls through the vibrant, green grass, softly whispering to his cows, one of which nudges his hand for a scratch on the head. He obliges with a gentle pat, then continues walking. A smile on his face, he pauses to gaze at the beauty of the evening. He often calls his farm a work of art— tonight, it’s easy to see why.

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. 

Today the tagalong toddlers on that first fencing project are full-grown farmers with families of their own. A herd of nearly 1,500 Angus cattle graze their lush green pastures on the coastal plains outside of Ridge Spring, S.C.

Establishing a world-class seedstock operation in the Southeast didn’t happen overnight, and the family humbly insists they’re no different than many others. Indeed, their vision, use of technologies, and dedication to deliberate improvement make them unique.

The pursuit of quality in every detail of their operation earned the Yon family the Certified Angus Beef (CAB) 2021 Seedstock Commitment to Excellence award.

Success to the Yons is more than selling quality seedstock. It’s a pursuit of developing better grass, cattle, and people that add value for their customers, community, and consumers.

Their focus on excellence begins with what the cattle are standing on. 

“Grass is our crop, and fortunately, we get to use Angus cattle to harvest it into a very tasty and wholesome product,” says Kevin.

Their mindset is a seemingly simple equation: good grass + good cattle = great beef. Their goal? To have grazable land every month of the year, including winter when perennial grasses usually fade brown with seasonal dormancy.

“We love the cattle, but we love the grass too,” says Kevin. “And put simply: cows were made to eat grass.”

Few cattlemen talk with the same passion about bull selection and Bermudagrass. Kevin Yon is that rare breed.

The Bottom Line

Early adopters of technology, they learned to leverage data. From utilizing artificial insemination and embryo transfer to embracing carcass expected progeny differences (EPDs) and value-based marketing before they were the norm, the family harnesses the power of information for strategic decision making.

“We’re a family-owned seedstock operation that lives and works with the cattle,” explains Kevin. “If we always make decisions about breeding better cattle, well then, we will breed better cattle. We have a long-term vision of always moving the cattle in a positive direction while keeping an eye on important economic traits.”

Next to many bulls in the Yon sale book sits a small logo that holds significance for a rancher’s bottom line. The CAB Targeting the Brand™ logo signals genetic value and potential, telling buyers which sires’ progeny are most likely to qualify for the brand.

“We target, and our customers target the Certified Angus Beef ® brand,” says Drake. “Number one, they’re going to get paid more for a calf that qualifies, but they also feel a real sense of pride when their calves do meet the brand’s standards. Not only are they getting paid more, but they get to see the fruits of their labor and investment; that probably excites our customers as much as anything.”

The logo highlights registered Angus bulls with a minimum marbling EPD of +0.65 and an Angus Grid Value Index of +55 or higher. In the last four years, Yons raised more than 600 sires that meet these standards. That’s 72% of the more than 450 Angus bulls they market through their production sales annually.

“We target the Certified Angus Beef ® brand because to us, it’s the mark of excellence. It’s the mark of quality,” Kevin says. “It’s the best of the best. And we don’t want to just be good. We don’t want our customers just to be average. We want to strive for excellence in all we do.”

The Cattle That Customers Want

Kevin does mean all.

“Although we put a lot of emphasis on marbling and ribeye and carcass traits, we can never take the eye off that mama cow. Or lose focus on the basic traits that will help cattle to thrive in their environment,” Kevin says. “And that’s the good thing— Angus cattle can do it all.”

To serve their southeastern customer base, they focus on developing cattle that thrive in a grass-based, humid, long growing season.

“We also like having the data and the genetic predictions behind that bull so we can confidently to a customer that needs a calving ease bull, or a bull that will increase weaning rates, or yearling weights or one that will increase marbling in his herd,” says Kevin.

They strive to be a one-stop-shop for maternal, carcass, and easy to manage cattle. They also market 250 females through an on-farm sale each year, but not before the cows prove their value.

“With our registered females, we give them time to make cows and measure longevity,” Kevin says. “It’s not about breeding for the next sale; it’s about a long-term breeding philosophy. We really care about making the cattle better.”

Invested in customers’ success, if the Yon’s can help a commercial customer, they share, whether it’s better cattle, building relationships, or further learning. 

2021_YonFamilyFarms_SCaro_NLE-JW-9004-web

2021_YonFamilyFarms_SCaro_NLE-JW-9176-web

Building Together

Family. Commitment. Value. It’s more than a catchy saying or after-thought marketing slogan. It’s the Yon way of doing business.

They built the farm as a family, and what began as Kevin and Lydia’s hopeful vision, each child now embraces as their own.

“We grew up with the farm,” Drake says. “I feel connected to every piece of it because I’ve been here to see it grow and get better, and I got to watch my parents and build it together. I know my brother and sister feel the same way.”

Once the young helpers, the second generation now have small voices from the car seat asking to go “check cows.”

“Angus cattle have taught my children about life,” Lydia says. “They have taught my children that even the best cow that has the best genetics can have a calf that’s not very good. They have seen cattle have illnesses that they don’t get over. They’ve seen lots of newborn calves running across a pasture. They’ve seen our customers come and go buying bulls. They’ve seen that how you treat people matters.”

Committed to creating something worthwhile together, sharing values and value with others is their shared pursuit.

“It’s not always a great way to make a living, but it is truly a great way to live,” Kevin says. “We feel like this is what we were put here to do. To raise high-quality beef, raise cattle, raise grass, raise children, and raise grandchildren.”

And to do all with excellence.

Originally published in the Angus Journal and Angus Beef Bulletin.

The idea that worked

USPB earns CAB Progressive Partner honors

by Miranda Reiman

October 2021

2021_USPB_GardinerAngusRanch_KS_MB-PH-8405

To tell the U.S. Premium Beef, LLC (USBP) story today, is to tell one that changed the beef industry for the better.

There are numbers like 17 million head processed, with individual data collection on each one. More than $625 million in grid premiums back to the cattleman while establishing the model for grid marketing that brought the rest of the industry onboard to price cattle on individual merit.

“There were a tremendous number of individuals who, each with a collection of ideas, became a team,” says Tracy Thomas, USPB vice president of marketing. “And that team became very, very synergistic in result.”

But telling the story of USPB from the beginning starts with one word: Fear.

It was the mid-1990s; beef demand was tanking.

“Our product was bad and nobody wanted it. We were losing market share at a record rate,” says Mark Gardiner, Ashland, Kan., Angus breeder.

A “godfather” of the beef business, Michigan animal scientist Harlan Ritchie wrote his well-known, “Five years to meltdown,” article. At the aggressive speed with which demand was tailing off, it warned within five years beef would no longer be a viable protein. Some scoffed, some heeded Ritchie’s caution, and Gardiner asked his dad, Henry, “Could that really happen?”

The answer told his son there was no time to lose.

“Fear is a pretty powerful motivator. The fear factor was very, very high,” Thomas says.

Cattle feeders were having trouble with market access—they couldn’t even get their cattle sold some weeks. Each Monday they hoped the show list had enough “fancy” cattle to use as a bargaining tool to sell the remaining finished animals on inventory.

Commercial producers who invested more in good bulls and vaccinations found their cattle selling for the same price as those from ranchers who didn’t.

Gardiner and wife Eva had twin toddler boys at home, and a life’s dream that only ever included raising cattle where his great-grandfather had first made his start in a dugout. The need to survive was personal. He had to do something.

For their influence on the beef business, shifting toward quality and value-based marketing, USPB recently earned the Certified Angus Beef (CAB) 2021 Progressive Partner Award.

Lunches and late nights

Kansas State University may have made them fraternity brothers, but the cattle market situation united many early players as champions of the quality beef movement. Steve Hunt and Mark Gardiner swapped ideas over a Pizza Hut lunch buffet, and more and more alum joined their cause during the next few months.

Commercial cattleman Roger Giles, Giles Ranch at Ashland, Kan., had been trying to figure out a way to make his investments in genetics and management make sense.

“We really bought into it because at the time, we were losing a lot of money feeding cattle,” Giles says, noting the better cattle came with lower health cost and gained better but “you were just getting killed when you sold them.”

He was all in.

Near Scott City, Kan., cattle feeders gathered at hushed evening meetings, just to discuss the “what ifs” that included everything from building their own plant to hiring a czar to sell their fat cattle.

“I’ve said it before, but the success of a rain dance has a lot to do with the timing. The timing was just right, because even though we all thought we were educated going in, there was a big learning curve,” says Joe Morgan, Poky Feeders, one of the founding USPB members. His conference table was witness to many of the early discussions, not all of them tame.

“We all had opinions—we were all used to running our own companies,” Morgan says. “One night we all shook hands that we’re going to leave every night as friends, no matter how upset we got during the meeting. I think that was a real key.”

Competitors by day became allies by night.

Mark Gardiner, Gardiner Angus Ranch

Tracy Thomas, USPB

Peddling blue sky

In late 1995, a formal group assembled and went out on what Gardiner refers to as the “Blue Sky Tour,” selling an idea. Sometimes it went well and sometimes they were run out of town, but soon enough, cattlemen from across the country were pledging support to the developing business model.

Common ground with Farmland Industries, an organization used to the cooperative model, led them to a letter of intent to purchase up to 50% of what was then Farmland National Beef Packing Company, LP (FNB). It was the fourth-largest beef processor in the U.S.

The USPB stock offering went live in October 1997, and by December the new company was buying up to 10,000 head of cattle a week from its producer members. Each share carried the “right and obligation to deliver one head to your processing plant,” Thomas says, and the minimum point of entry was 100 shares.

Roger Giles, Giles Angus Ranch

Joe Morgan, Poky Feeders

John Fairleigh, Fairleigh Feedyard

The reality of the risk

“Looking back, I don’t know if I could do it again,” Morgan says, noting many ventures came after and failed. “We were just so desperate, and young, and thought we could make it work. Actually it bothered me more after I got older, looking back at the risks we really took and the sacrifice we could have made.”

Bankers across the country tried to talk their cattlemen customers out of writing the check. John Fairleigh, Fairleigh Feedyard and fellow founding member, remembers the day he bought in.

“I was shaking. It was a very, very big investment, kind of rolling the dice and throwing it all in one basket,” he says. Today they still sell 100% of their cattle on the USPB grid.

Giles says it was a huge risk, but it felt like the only option.

“You had a bit of caution, but overall it’s one of these deals, it’s like we really don’t have a choice. We either have to move forward or we give up.”

Giles doesn’t come from stock that gives up.

Gardiner’s brother Greg says, “Everything I did have, I threw in the middle of the table and gambled that it would turn out.” It was a stretch, but now on the other side of that decision he wishes he would have dug deeper and put in even more. “As it has come to fruition,” he says, “it kept our business afloat.”

2021_USPB_FairleighFeedYards_KS_MR-5827-web-2

Growing pains

They may have celebrated when the deal went live, but the celebration didn’t last long before reality set in.

“We all thought when we started U.S. Premium Beef that our cattle were way better than our neighbors’ and for sure better than the industry,” Fairleigh says. They had confidence the newly established grid would be in their favor.

Across the nation, less than half of fed beef was grading Choice, and USPB soon realized its harvest ran lower still. Gardiner recalls their cattle makeup was $6 to $8 per hundredweight (cwt.) below the nation-wide average.

“So it changed the way we bought feeder cattle, who we bought cattle from and what type of cattle we bought,” Fairleigh says. “I think the industry has followed suit.”

For some feeders, it cost them their customers.

“Most people thought they had the best cattle, and a lot of them found out they didn’t,” Morgan says. “When you start knocking somebody’s farm-raised cattle, it’s like knocking their children. It was very difficult for us, the first few years, for people to accept that they needed to make genetic change.”

An initial grace period with FNB guaranteed them at least the market average each week, and with individual carcass data in hand and a grid target to hit, cattlemen got to work.

2021_USPB_GardinerAngusRanch_KS_MB-PH-8442-web

Change, one head at a time

“If truly higher quality cattle were what the market was looking for, if we could tap into and identify the genetics that would move the dial, then we had the vehicles to produce those types of cattle,” says Greg Gardiner. “Once you have the vehicle to go, then it’s pedal to the metal and foot-feed to the floor because you can do it time and time again. It’s a highly repeatable process.”

It’s been more than two decades since the USPB grid was introduced, and now every major packer has marketing options to sell cattle on individual carcass merit. In 1997 some 40% of all USPB cattle graded Choice and fewer than 10% qualified for CAB. Last year, USPB cattle averaged 89% Choice and Prime—a record high—and annual CAB percentage have averaged 28% the past five years, with an additional 3% CAB Prime.

“Consumer demand is the ultimate driver for what we produce,” Fairleigh says, noting insight from being coupled with a packer. “We had seamless information to guide our guesses to as what consumers wanted.”

The cattle changed from the “rainbow coalition,” Gardiner says, to a more solid set of uniform cattle. The Angus breed led the improvement.

Return on investment

“We have created a tremendous product now and got consumer confidence, consumer acceptability and we’ve got the demand now,” Morgan says.

USPB members have collectively earned $2.1 billion in payments, grid premiums and cash distributions from ownership in processing.

It worked, and it continues to work.

Today, USPB has more than 2,900 members and associates in 38 different states, and an approximate 15% ownership interest in National Beef Packing Company, LLC. The advantage of remaining vested in the packing sector was as evident in 2020 as it was at the start. COVID-19 made its mark as it did for everyone, but USPB members had an option based on an allocation system.

“They were able to get their finished cattle into the processing plant when it was difficult to almost impossible in other places,” Thomas says.

The USPB mission includes increasing both the quality of beef and long-term profitability for cattle producers, and Gardiner says they’re as focused on that as ever.

“We all love this business, but every cow is connected to a human. So, if we make sure the humans can be prosperous and survive, that’s what sustainability is,” he says. “That is the opportunity that USPB gave our family and thousands more all across the United States.”

Beef demand is up more than 30% on the year. That’s motivation, Gardiner says.

“We’ve only just begun.”

Originally published in the Angus Journal and Angus Beef Bulletin.

The Cattle Calling

Telling their story one tour at a time earns the Pfeiffer family the Ambassador Award. 

Story and Photos by Kylee Kohls

October 4, 2021

Anticipation and anxiety build as a tour group navigates the pasture. The cattleman stops, scratches the closest cow’s back, and keeps talking.

Soon, dozens of Angus cattle surround the group. A trembling hand slowly rises, meeting a cool, curious nose. A glimpse of admiration and awe flashes across his face as the 1,200 lb. animal leans a little closer.

“I’ve never been this close to a cow before.” The Pfeiffers hear this phrase nearly every time they host a group on their farm.

It’s a moment most won’t forget.

Telling their story to the cattle curious was awkward at first for John and Gaye Pfeiffer.

“I realized that we were going to have to show people what it means to raise cattle and what all is involved,” says John.

 Now, they look forward to hosting hundreds of people every year, sharing everything from the beef cattle life cycle, animal care, vaccination protocols, and sustainability practices to why they choose Angus cattle on their central Oklahoma farm. 

Their dedication to teaching and connecting with those further down the supply chain earned them the 2021 Certified Angus Beef (CAB) Ambassador Award.

Following the call

All they ever wanted to do was farm. 

Whether it was a calling or an inborn fondness for black cattle, John knew from a young age he would do whatever it took to follow in the footsteps of the three generations before him in the Mulhall-Orlando area.  

“One of the first things my grandad did as soon as all his grandkids were born is make them members of the American Angus Association,” chuckles John. 

His grandfather was instrumental in instilling a service mindset in the then-young cattleman. 

“He and my parents taught me if you don’t put back into organizations, that thing is not ever going to get any better,” says John. “I am a strong believer that the most important thing you can do is show up. When we don’t, then our voice isn’t heard. For that reason, we do a lot in the community.”

His wife was raised with the same ideals.

“I’ve always felt that, if you can contribute, whether it’s to an organization or your business, then you will find your place, and you will be accepted at that place,” says Gaye. “There should be something in every day that moves you forward in some way to make something better.”

She smiles at John and calls him “a total board member.” However, they often serve together in county, state, and national organizations, with local cooperatives, school boards, Farm Bureau, cattlemen, and Angus Associations. That’s where you find them off the farm. 

Together, their mission is to make their communities better and more approachable.

2021_PfeifferAngusFarms_Okla_KK-8452-web

The Angus way 

In 1907, the first Angus bull was purchased by a Pfeiffer and brought to Logan County. Seventy-four years later, just a few miles from where the origin bull roamed, John and Gaye began their venture with 30 cows. Those cattle became a part of the upbringing for the farm and their now-adult sons, John Christopher and Andy.

Today, the family calves out 300 cows.

Along the way, they discovered an opportunity to create strong seedstock genetics that add value to customer’s herds and bottom lines. However, it wasn’t until they attended a Certified Angus Beef ® conference in the 1980s that they realized the scope and impact of genetics needed to help meet consumer beef demands.  

“We wanted to be able to produce beef that was the best that it could be,” says Gaye. “We felt like with the support of the American Angus Association and Certified Angus Beef; we would get to that point.”

Pfeiffers witnessed progress in their owner herd through intentional planning followed by a commitment to data. Selecting sires and cow lines that work for their environment, work for their customers, and target the Certified Angus Beef ® brand.

“It works because we invest a lot of time and effort into keeping track of the information, doing the genomic testing, and those kinds of things,” says Gaye. “We realized that you could do that with commercial cattle, and you can make some progress there also.”

John typically keeps about 20 steers back from both his fall and spring calves to feed for carcass data as a report card on their genetics. Recent groups earned 70% CAB or better on his calves. He also markets groups of feeder cattle through AngusLink, using the Genetic Merit Scorecard SM to showcase the quality built into his herd and test his own cattle in the value-based marketing avenue available to his customers.

“It’s twofold. Not only does it help CAB because we get a better quality of meat, but it helps us understand that we’re producing the right bulls and the right females that are going to in turn help our customers,” says John.  

Their focus is quality consistency in the bulls they breed and across their herd.

“The Angus cow has made Certified Angus Beef successful. Certified Angus Beef  has made the Angus cow more profitable,” he says. 

2021_PfeifferAngusFarms_Okla_KK-8493-web

Telling their story 

Giving back was something both John and Gaye were taught to value from a young age, but they learned storytelling along the way.

When John received the call to run for the American Angus Association Board of Directors, he felt unqualified. After conversations with close mentors, he realized it was an opportunity to grow and learn alongside some of the breed’s most successful farmers and ranchers.   

He eventually served as the Certified Angus Beef ® Chairman of the Board in 2017. 

“By the end of the Certified Angus Beef Annual Conference, we’d made a lot of friends with people across the business and found out that everyone works just as hard as we do and that this is a partnership,” says John. “It’s just unbelievable – the fact that we make it possible for them to do what they want to do by selling a quality product, and they make it possible for us to continue to stay here and raise that product.” 

Gaye says it was a reminder that it’s easy to become insulated. Hosting groups and tours help keep them connected to those further down the beef value chain. 

“We consider it a privilege to be able to host groups. It’s always been our obligation we thought as producers to interact with all the different segments Certified Angus Beef interacts with to explain our role and how it all fits together,” says Gaye.

A legacy in serving others

After forty years of progress together, John and Gaye continue to share their up close and personal experiences with their cattle and community.

“We think a lot about what we do today that’s going to make sure that it’s still here for our grandson in the next 40 years,” says Gaye. “There are things that you have to do to take care of the land and take care of your business, to make sure that it’ll still be here.” 

Thanks to the vision, service, and progress John and Gaye started, the fifth John Pfeiffer now could raise cattle in the same area his family began farming in more than a century ago. 

“A legacy to me means more than just acres and cows,” shares Gaye. “A legacy to me means you are also sharing your values. You’re sharing the love of the land, the importance of feeding the world, and the importance of doing whatever it takes to make things better in the end.” 

Originally published in the Angus Journal.

Committed to consistency

Kansas feedyard awarded for commitment to excellence

Story and photos by Morgan Boecker

October 2021

He looks up at the sky, shading the sun’s rays with his hand wondering when it will rain. The phone in his pocket buzzes with a market update, corn futures are up again, and a text reads, “Headed to town, feed truck is on the fritz.”

Much of the cattle feeding business is outside a manager’s control. But quality cattle caretaking, that Kendall Hopp can guarantee.

He plans for the volatile, hopes for the best, and deals with the rest as it comes. The first thing on his list begins with treating people right because Hopp knows happy folks manage cattle more consistently, leading to healthy cattle that perform.

He shared this philosophy with Bill Shaw 14 years ago. At the time, Shaw Feedyard in Ashland, Kan., felt like any other commodity yard where color, shape, and size would vary with a ride down the row. Today, Hopp manages a sea of pens dotted with high-quality Angus feeders that return on the rail.

Different skillsets make their business thrive. Hopp manages the feedyard, Bill handles the money, and his son Brett Shaw takes care of the farm, stockers, and other duties as assigned.

Their teamwork, values, and ability to consistently raise high-quality beef earned Shaw Feedyard the Certified Angus Beef (CAB) 2021 Feedyard Commitment to Excellence Award.

Evolution

In 1964, with just four pens, Bill’s father, Jim, began feeding cattle. He made up for what he lacked in experience in market knowledge, the cushion of capital, and a desire to figure it out. The yard grew with small successes, Jim invested dollars into infrastructure as he learned.

As a kid, it was Bill’s playground. From drawing in the dirt, he grew to fiddling with rations. Then, after earning a degree from Kansas State University, the feedyard became his full-time job.

“I can remember coming out first thing in the morning when I was a little kid and riding the feed truck with dad,” Brett says.

There weren’t any computers or the “fancy stuff” they have today. Bill made do with paper and pen, writing rations and ingredient weights down as he went, scribbling observations as he checked bunks.

“I can still see him walking around, feeding cattle with that little piece of paper hanging out of his mouth,” Brett says.

Now, it’s Hopp who runs the bunks and formulates the rations, working in tandem with the father-son team.

Optimized management

The 7,500 head feedyard is in an area Hopp likens to Main Street for prime cattle country.

Just 45 miles from two major packing plants in Dodge City, with a network of quality-minded cattlemen nearby, Shaw Feedyard fits the locality like a trendy restaurant downtown. The climate is favorable for keeping pens of fed steers and heifers comfortable and thriving. The Kansas wind keeps even the hottest summer days bearable.

They’re surrounded by rich grain resources, chopping silage and grain from their own fields. Any outside feeds – like hay, wet distillers grains, and corn – are sourced within a hundred-mile radius.

Like the restaurant, if they can’t sell a good plate, there won’t be a customer tomorrow. As a custom feeder, it takes the right genetics (or ingredients), and Hopp focuses on making them reach their full potential.

“Certified Angus Beef put targets for us to beat, and then they rewarded us for that,” Hopp says. “I guarantee you, if you give us, an American rancher or farmer an incentive, we’ll meet that target. And man, the purebred breeders are really producing something we can work with.”

It’s a different sense of local. Accessing their supply and supporting the state economies until harvest, when much of their beef is shipped to higher populated areas.

“It’s our job to feed strangers,” Brett says. “It’s not a burden because I know the beef that we’re putting in front of them is a consistent, efficient, sustainable product. And it will be for generations to come.”

They make the most of their resources. Every year, Brett puts nearly 1,000 stockers to graze grass in the summer, and 1,000 more are put on wheat in the winter. Then they’re brought into the feedyard at the end of the grazing period, where they’re finished.

High-quality input equals high-quality output when managed with precision. Hopp’s punctuality means cattle feeding starts at 6:30 a.m. and not a minute later.

“I’m very particular about when the truck drivers get here,” he says. “They get the same sheets every day, so it’s the same routine. That’s how we train our cattle.”

He closely monitors the bunks ensuring they have just enough – a few crumbs are a good sign he’s feeding the right amount.

Handled with care

Once feeding is underway, pen riders saddle up. They track cattle exhibiting signs of sickness – treatment date, medicine administered, and withdrawal time. Hopp says his pen riders are worth their weight in gold.

“It’s more of an art than a science,” he says. “You can train someone, but some have it, and some don’t.”

Comfort is a priority. The pens are kept clean, dry, and stocked with freshwater giving them everything they need to convert feed to beef.

Everyone at Shaw’s specializes in individualized cattle care. It’s vital to both customer and cattle management. Healthy animals are crucial to performance, and as a custom-feeding yard, their reputation for top-notch management keeps the pens full.

Everyone at the yard is Beef Quality Assurance certified. It’s their guarantee that animals have been well taken care of and will produce a good product.

“The packer knows when he comes to Shaw Feedyard, he’s going to find animals that have been treated humanely,” Hopp says.

A mix of human touch and technology power the yard today. Steam-flaked rations, mixer trucks, GPS monitors, a consulting veterinarian, nutritionist, digital data, and reporting support the Shaw crew in their mission for quality.

Everything is weighed when it enters the feedyard. While cattle with the same owner stay together, they may be sorted three or four times as they grow.

“If you have 100 head, about 30% will finish a little quicker,” Hopp has learned. Because genetic potential is often consistent, weight is the best gauge.

It’s not unusual to see pens grade 100% Choice with a high percentage meeting CAB and Prime.

“Certified Angus Beef provides the best consistency of any product I’ve seen,” Brett says. “And that’s a direct result of how we handle our cattle.”

They are just one piece of the larger puzzle that supplies premium beef, but hitting the high target is no accident. For the team at Shaw, it’s intentional management, planning each day to do their best for each other and the livestock.

“If we can do that consistently,” Bill says. “We know we’ll keeping feeding cattle.”

Marketing Feeder Cattle: Begin with the End in Mind

by CAB Cattle Crew | Sep 29, 2023

Kansas Ranchers Recognized for Sustainability Efforts

by Nicole Erceg | Sep 25, 2023

Kansas’ Wharton 3C Ranch thrives despite droughts, winning the CAB 2023 Sustainability award. The data-driven, quality-focused approach of first-generation ranchers, Shannon and Rusty Wharton, yields 100% CAB cattle. Their commitment to sustainability and industry collaboration sets a bright future for the cattle business.

Saskatchewan Angus Ranch Earns Certified Angus Beef Award

by Lindsay Runft | Sep 25, 2023

JPM Farms in Canada quietly gained recognition for its dedication to environmental sustainability and quality cattle. The Monvoisin family earned the 2023 CAB Canadian Commitment to Excellence award for their outstanding results and partnership with Duck Unlimited, showcasing their commitment to improving the land, cattle and family daily.

« Older Entries

Next Entries »

Walter Angus Recognized as 2022 CAB Ambassador Honoree

The Walter family opens the gates to share their passion for Angus cattle.

by Jessica Travis

You may also like

New Mexico Ranch Earns Certified Angus Beef Sustainability Award

by Kylee Kohls Sellnow

You may also like

Larson Angus Ranch Earns Certified Angus Beef Seedstock Award

by Morgan Boecker

You may also like

Nominations for Certified Angus Beef Rancher Awards Close January 17

by Morgan Boecker

See who was recognized in 2021.

You may also like

Focus Under the Hide

Alberta ranch earns Certified Angus Beef award.

by Morgan Boecker

Pictured: (left to right) brothers Bruce and Brad, their father George and uncle Jack Niznik

You may also like

More with Less

Texas grass farmers win CAB Sustainability Award

Story and photos by Abbie Burnett

You may also like

Targeting Excellence

Yon Family Farms recognized for contributions to Certified Angus Beef supply.

Story and Photos by Jessica Wharton and Nicole Erceg

You may also like

The idea that worked

USPB earns CAB Progressive Partner honors

by Miranda Reiman

You may also like

The Cattle Calling

Telling their story one tour at a time earns the Pfeiffer family the Ambassador Award.

Story and Photos by Kylee Kohls

You may also like

Committed to consistency

Kansas feedyard awarded for commitment to excellence

Story and photos by Morgan Boecker

You may also like

Yon Family Farms recognized for contributions to Certified Angus Beef supply. 

Telling their story one tour at a time earns the Pfeiffer family the Ambassador Award. 