MARCH 2017
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Thursday & Friday,
March 23 & 24, 2017
Heifers Sell Thursday, March 23 • Noon
Bulls Sell Friday, March 24 • 11 AM
South Pryor Development Center, East of Billings
Public Auction Yards, Billings, MT
6000 Angus Sell! Breed Leaders $W They Sell - Herd Sire Prospects!
Lot 1
Vermilion Spur D125 18508611 BD: 2/10/2016 • Sire: Connealy Spur • MGS: Sitz Game Day 9630 Birth Wt. 78; Wean Wt. 914; Yrlg Wt. 1578 One of the very top $W and $F bulls of the breed at +102.19 and +115.39 respectively. This exciting Herd Sire Prospect Sells! CED BW WW YW SC Milk Marb +0 +2.0 +87 +139 +1.14 +37 +.84 .39 .44 .33 .37 .37 .18 .31 1% 1% 30% 1% 15%
RE $W +.60 102.19 .26 1% 40%
$F
Lot 2
Vermilion Spur D180 18508662 BD: 2/10/2016 • Sire: Connealy Spur • MGS: Ox Bow Final Answer 8274 Birth Wt. 76; Wean Wt. 887; Yrlg Wt. 1497 His $W 97.59 also puts him at the top of the breed. He will be one of the best selling!
$B
CED BW WW YW SC Milk Marb +6 +1.0 +80 +127 +1.65 +34 +.86 .38 .44 .33 .37 .37 .18 .31 1% 1% 10% 2% 15%
115.39 145.62 1% 10%
RE $W +.58 97.59 .26 1% 40%
$F
$B
94.57 1%
125.18 25%
CONNEALY SPUR 17304082
5500 Fancy Open Commercial Replacement Heifers
CED +4 BW +2.9 WW +68 YW +113 Milk +33 Marb +.91 RE +.73 $W +76.25 $B +117.42
All One Iron • Bangs Vaccinated • Ready To Breed
A Powerhouse sire that has proven his worth! Top performance, eye appeal and docile cattle. T he
N ort he rn Ca Best o f ttle!
LI VES T OC
O CT I K V IDE O A U
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Sales Broadcast Live On Northern Livestock Video Auction
Vermilion Ranch Pat Goggins Family, Owners
Bob Cook • Records & Sales Cell: 406.670.0078
Jake Kading • Herdsman Cell: 406.672.5844
PO Box 30758 • Billings, MT 59107 www.vermilionangus.com • E-mail: bcook@cattleplus.com
500 Total Performance Yearling Angus Bulls
Bulls Also Sired By These Proven Bulls:
Connealy Countdown • SAV Privilege Sitz JLS Game Day 9630 • Sitz Conformation 689A Musgrave Big Sky • Vermilion Sirloin Vermilion End Game • VAR Identity 3239 Fertility Tested • Carcass Ultrasound 1st Year Breeding Guarantee Volume Discounts • Free Delivery • Several Bulls 3i50K
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Darrel HolliDay rancH Private treaty Bull Sale & OPen HOuSe MarcH 24, 2017 This is a greaT way To buy your dream bull wiThouT having To aTTend a live aucTion. offering growTh bulls, heifer bulls and performance bulls. all are qualiTy red angus bulls ThaT will give you ThaT assurance of calving ease while also incorporaTing proven performance.
Join us aT our open house for a refreshmenT and a chance To see The offering
65126 hwy 26 John day, or 97845 give us a call To schedule a privaTe viewing.
541/805/5672 4
•
541/820/3697
WWW.DHolliDayrancH.coM
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F E A T U R E S Awesome Weekend 8 One This coming May is the Cattle Barons Weekend, a special event to raise scholarship funds. By Kindra Gordon
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Ranch 14 Hawley Join us when we visit one of the oldest ranches
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in the state of Oregon. By Heather Smith Thomas
Grill 22 Bentley’s In Salem, Oregon this fine dining establishment is doing it full circle. By KayDee Gilkey
The Dream of Her Life 26 Living Come with us and meet Ava Denton and learn
about the journey she took to become a rancher. By Kindra Gordon
34 rED bLUFF rECAP
Highlights and averages from this year’s red Bluff Bull & Gelding Sale.
Marketeers 36 Livestock The 2017 Honorees.
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re g u l ars 7
Trails
40 Index
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“Thanks Mother Nature” Thank you to all of our By Sherry Danekas
Advertisers.
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50 The Bull Board
Ridin’ Drag
“At The End of My Rope” By Tyrell Marchant
COVER
“Newbie”
By Linda Anderson Eagle Point, Oregon
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BUSINESS&ADVERTISING
Editor
Sherry Danekas sherry@jdaonline.com
Associate Editor
Mercedes Danekas-Lohse mercedes@jdaonline.com
Advertising
Mercedes Danekas-Lohse (916) 837-1432 (916) 849-2725
Circulation
Morgan Fryer morgan@jdaonline.com
Graphic Artist
Israel Robinson israel@jdaonline.com
Mailing Address P.O. Box 8629, Woodland, CA 95776 Office Phone P (530) 668-1224 National Sales Representative. THE POWELL GROUP, INC. 4162-B Carmichael Court Montgomery, AL 36106 (334) 271-6100 Attn: Davy Taff
Website www.westerncowman.com
Western Cowman, is owned and published monthly except May/June and July/ August combined by James Danekas & Associates, Inc., P.O. Box 8629, Woodland, CA 95776. Subscriptions are $20.00 per year. Presort Standard U.S. Postage Paid: Tucson, Arizona. Address corrections requested. contributing writers: Sherry Danekas, Heather Smith-Thomas, Kindra Gordon, KayDee Gilkey and Tyrell Marchant.
TR AILS
“Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.” ~Maya Angelou~ We’ve actually seen and felt glimpses of sunshine today, the first in a long string of days of excessive rain and gloomy times. I’m not complaining I’m just hoping that we’ve finally gotten enough precipitation to remove us from the drought list, and hope for the best when it comes to California actually managing the water correctly. Nevertheless I’m going to enjoy these threads of sunshine and the sound of hammers and machinery as the work on my house gets started once more. It was really brought home to me this morning that I’m really and truly no longer living on the edge of suburbia, we are out here surrounded by acres of land and nature and occasionally nature will attempt to gain the upper hand. I have a relative new vehicle that not unlike most cars has way too many bells and whistles to begin with. For the most part I’m usually just driving into town on errands and back to the ranch, no big deal except in the last month every few days a new light would appear, flashing that something was amiss with the car, mind you none of them that serious or I would have worried. When it got to the point that turning on the key the dash would light of like a Christmas tree, I figured it was probably time to call the dealership. Very long story short, I dropped the car off yesterday afternoon and received a very interesting call this morning from the service department, before he told me what happened he let me know in all the years he had been at the dealership nobody had ever seen this before. As they were trying to figure out where the problem was, they discovered a cute, furry little, very much alive, cotton tail bunny. It had made its home under the hood and while decorating the bunny hutch had chewed through several wires, all of course very important ones that would not fall under the warranty. The story ended with the invader bunny freed into a nearby field, my car back in working order and my pocket book just a bit leaner, and the moral of the story is there are trade-offs in everything we do. Speaking of stories we’ve got a set of great reads for you in this issue when we round the bend and take a peek at what’s happening in Oregon. In the article titled “One Awesome Weekend” we give you a preview of the Pendleton Cattle Barons event that takes place this coming May. It’s a jam packed weekend of activities that holds something for everyone, all with one purpose and that is to raise funds for scholarships for regional students majoring in agriculture. This will be one to mark down on your calendars. You won’t want to set the piece down on the Hawley Ranch, it’s one of Oregon’s oldest ranches and its long history and innovative evolution make for a very noteworthy read. Taking a break in the action we stop in at Bentley’s Grill located in the beautiful Grand Hotel in Salem, Oregon. Not only is this fabulous restaurant noted for their celebrated food that is all locally sourced, they are also community minded as well. Reservations may be in order after reading about this splendid restaurant. Many people come to ranching through generations of family members and then there is another group that all have some very interesting roads that lead them to ranching and in the article titled “Living the Life of her Dreams” you’re going to meet the unforgettable Ava Denton. Her road to the ranching life is a remarkable journey that will captivate you. Like so many of you, spring chores around here add up very quickly, there are cattle to work, cows to calve, fences to fix, fields to plow, gardens to plant and when the weather becomes an obstacle to get things accomplished, you’re always scurrying in every good moment you can. In your busy day find a small moment to spend with this issue, because I know it’s one you’ll enjoy. I’m going to jump on the trail to head into April with hope that Mother Nature gives us a small break to let the fields soak up the moisture, calves arrive safely, and those cotton tails find safer homes then under the hood of my car. Happy Trails to all…………………..
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Awesome By Kindra Gordon
The Pendleton Cattle Barons event will mark its 10th anniversary devoted to raising scholarship dollars on May 12-13, 2017.
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he Pendleton Round-Up each September, as well as the Pendleton Woolen Mills and Pendleton Whisky, may be what this Oregon city is best known for. But the Pendleton Cattle Barons Weekend – held annually on the second weekend each May – is putting this Oregon city on the map as well. The event, which will mark its 10th anniversary May 12-13, 2017, was created with the overarching goal of preserving the region’s ranching heritage one scholarship at a time. Indeed – 100% of the proceeds from the various events held during the weekend are made available as scholarships for 8
regional students attending college and majoring in agriculture. As an added bonus, as the Pendleton Cattle Barons Weekend has grown over the past decade it has also increased awareness in honoring the important legacy of the region’s cattlemen and ranchers, and it has provided a $1.2 million boost into the local economy by bringing over 3,000 to attend the event each year. Many attendees come from across the Pacific Northwest and Great Basin. Two entities have stepped up to be the headline sponsors for the venue the past several years, they are Lucas Oil and Protect the Harvest. Several ad-
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ditional sponsors have helped make the weekend festivities a success. Andy VanderPlaat is current president of the board that organizes the Pendleton Cattle Barons Weekend. He tells that he got involved with the event because his daughter Amy, who is a silversmith, chairs the Bit, Spur and Engraving Show during the weekend. But, as his leadership role indicates, it didn’t take long for him to get behind supporting all aspects of the event. He shares that the ability to preserve and promote the western ranching heritage while also raising scholarships for the next generation in agriculture is very rewarding. As they rally to
For more about the 2017 event visit www.cattlebarons.net, or connect with them on Facebook. Also, each year the Pendleton Cattle Barons “Legacy” Award is also bestowed to honor a person or family that has had an influential role in the ranching, beef, or horse industry. Recipients are those who have left a positive mark on the industry, have encouraged young people to be involved in agriculture, and exemplify the spirit of Cattle Barons Weekend. celebrate the 10th year of the event, he reports that in nine years they’ve provided over $50,000 in scholarships to about 50 students to date. VanderPlaat notes that the board members, committee members and volunteers are all very passionate about the event and continuing it into the future. He says an added benefit is that it provides a means to share the western ranching lifestyle, skills, knowledge and artistry and pass them on to the next generation. Looking ahead, VanderPlaat says, “We hope to keep it growing with more events and activities.” VanderPlaat notes that it is hard to have a “favorite activity” when you love the entire weekend offering at Cattle Barons Weekend, but when pressed to name one of his personal favorites he says the Buckaroo BBQ and Brewers Challenge. He notes, “It brings a lot of folks in to eat beef tri-tip. In my book, it doesn’t get any better than that.”
Stellar Line-Up
The western-themed weekend offers an array of activities for folks who enjoy the horse and cattle lifestyle. Venues include one of the largest select horse sales, ranch rodeo events, and the North American Stock Saddle Bronc Championship. Combine that with a world-class Bit, Spur and Engraver show, a world-class Tooled Leather Show, an amazing Tradin’ Post, and a BBQ competition, and the event has something for everyone! Specifically, for those needing a good working horse or cow dog, both are offered during a Saturday sale at the event. The Western Select Invitational Horse Sale is a premier horse sale offering over 30 gentle, sound and well-trained all around ranch geldings. Additionally, some of the best breeders and trainers of cow dogs from around the Northwest offer fine working dogs
for sale alongside the Western Select horses. Consignments are on preview Friday and Saturday morning prior to the sale. During Friday and Saturday, another can’t miss activity is the Tradin’ Post Trade Show, which features fine working gear to beautiful western art. In addition, cattlemen and horseman enjoy visiting with representatives from feed, animal health, and livestock handling companies at the show. Additional events during the activity-filled weekend is are the Tooled Leather Contest and a Rawhide Braiding Exhibition. Also popular are the Pendleton Cattle Baron’s Bit, Spur and Engraving Show with exhibits featuring some of the best work in the world. Artists from around the country bring their best creations that capture the western way of life, in anticipation of winning Best In Show. The show displays amazing working bits, spurs, knives, and nearly anything the imagination can conjure – many pieces are offered for sale. Engraving classes and exhibitions are offered. The public can watch master western silversmiths and engravers demonstrating skills in the trade show area. One of Saturday’s most anticipated events each year is the Buckaroo BBQ Challenge. Twenty five teams compete for trophies, prize money and most importantly, bragging rights. With a $5 contribution, individuals can become a People’s Choice judge, which gives access to meet the BBQ Teams, sample the Tri-Tip proudly prepared by them, and vote for a favorite. Only 500 judge buttons are available – and they go fast. In 2017 a Buckaroo BBQ Youth Challenge is being added with two age categories:10 -13 year olds and 14 - 17 year olds. For backyard brewers, there’s also
a Buckaroo Brewers Challenge which allows brewers to show off their beermaking skills and share their creations. Sampling is not open to the public, but a panel of beer connoisseurs will judge the entries.
Evening Events
Two big evening venues also entertain those attending the Cattle Barrons Weekend. On Friday night the Ranch Rodeo Championship, co-sponsored by Hodgen Distributing and Northwest Farm Credit, is held amid much fanfare at the Round-Up Pavilion. The action opens with Team Branding, where 10 teams of four cowboys fight the clock to brand four calves in under 8 minutes. The trailer loading and tie down competition is a popular timed event that pits 10 teams of four cowboys each against the steers to tie down one
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steer and load another into a trailer in less than 6 minutes. It is guaranteed to get wild and wooly. The team with the quickest times will win cash awards plus a championship buckle. Because the Cattle Barons Weekend usually lands on Mother’s Day, a new competition is being added to the Ranch Rodeo as an ode to mothers. A Mom’s steer tie down competition will feature a team of a mom and her chosen family member – or another mom – to rope and tie one steer. Five teams will compete and the top three teams will win cash prizes. Saturday night’s venue is the Les Schwab sponsored North American Stock Saddle Bronc Championship,
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featuring twenty of the best stock saddle bronc riders in the world. With young broncs and riders it promises some wild rides. In ten years, the event has built a reputation as one of the most exciting, best paying bronc ridings in the Western States Ranch Rodeo Association. Organizers of this annual event note that it’s two days of fun and camaraderie – and in the end it benefits the next generation of the industry through educational scholarships, which adds up to an awesome weekend and worthy cause indeed.
2017 Cattle Barons Weekend Schedule
Friday, May 12, 2017 • 12 - 7 p.m. D&B Supply Tradin’ Post Trade Show and GRS Bit, Spur & Engraving Show and Sale — Convention Center • 1 - 4 p.m. Preview of Western Select Horses & Working Dogs — Round-Up Pavilion • 1 - 4 p.m. Pendleton Whisky Ranch Horse Championship — Round-Up Pavilion • 7 p.m. Northwest Farm Credit Services Ranch Rodeo Championship — Round-Up Pavilion
Saturday, May 13, 2017
• 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. D&B Supply Tradin’ Post Trade Show and GRS Bit, Spur & Engraving Show and Sale — Convention Center • 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Preview of Western Select Working Dogs and Horses — Round-Up Pavilion • 11 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Buckaroo BBQ & Brewers Challenge — Convention Center parking lot • 3 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Western Select Invitational Horse & Working Dog Sale, brought to you by Hodgen Distributing — Convention Center • 7 p.m. Les Schwab North American Stock Saddle Bronc Championship — Round-Up Pavilion
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Located at the Springfield Livestock Marketing Center Springfield, Missouri
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At the End of My Rope Roping is fun; no two ways about it. The fun factor of whatever chore needs to be done on the ranch can be increased tenfold by taking out the ol’ Cactus and shaking out a loop. To be fair, a lot of cowboys have managed to get themselves in a fair amount of trouble with an excess of cocky ambition when it comes to their skills with a rope. Many a good story begins with a rope and an idea that seemed good at the time. By and large, though, a decent rope, a good horse and a little skill is the quickest and most efficient way to get a lot of things done. It sure beats running the old girl two miles to the corral and through the chute just to unwrap an old piece of baling wire from around her foot. No cowboy wants to rope more than when non-cowboys are there to witness it. I mean, what shows off your hardcore cowboyness more than exerting your will on a large animal by throwing out a loop, dallying up, and dragging said animal
wherever you want to? Alas, such displays of western magnificence don’t always go as planned, as was illustrated one day several years ago when I took a college buddy home for branding day. Let me preface this by saying that while I may be no Clay O’Brien Cooper, I generally acquit myself well enough with a rope in my hand so as not to appear a complete fool. This particular day in the branding pen was about on par with my lifetime roping average: a few two-foot
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catches, lots of one-footers, and a miss or two more than I like to admit. My friend hadn’t been around cattle much and was therefore reasonably impressed with my abilities. At one point, I set my sights on a rough-haired, white calf and decided it was his turn to be dragged to the fire. I nudged my sorrel mare, Dixie, into position, took a couple swings, and threw my loop. Missed. No big deal; when you’ve missed as many times as I have, one more is nothing to fret over. I built another loop, swung, threw—and the little turd kicked out of it again. Well, that was frustrating. But surely I wouldn’t miss a third time. Once again, I got my rope ready, moved into position, and threw the perfect heel loop… What diabolical forces were at work here!?! That little white calf may have looked cute, but surely he
had been imbued with some dark, unseen magic that allowed him to happily skip out of the grips of even the finest of world-class ropers. This world-class roper, however, was not deterred. I had a friend to impress and no adorable, Jersey-eyed, bovine demon was going to stop me. Clenching my teeth in silent, seething fury, I threw another loop. Missed again. And again. After the little fiend had danced out of my nylon clutches for the seventy-eighth time, I had had enough. I threw my defective, worthless rope to the ground, climbed off Dixie, marched into the bunch of calves, and grabbed my nemesis by a hind leg. He tried to get away, but there
was no dancing out of grasp this time. With fire in my own eyes, I dragged him to the branding fire, threw him to the ground with a touch more force than was probably necessary, and made sure his snowy hide was marked forever as ours, dadgum it! In my frustration-induced moment of tunnel-vision rage, I didn’t hear my non-cowboy buddy turn to the rest of the ground crew and say, “I am never going to mess with Tyrell.” To him, my brief show of force was much more impressive
than any work I could have done with a rope that day, even if I were an NFR-bound heeler. Isn’t that the way most things in life are? We get so caught up in perfecting and showing off something that would be our crowning achievement, if only we could master it. When that proficiency proves difficult to attain or our plans are stonewalled, we grow frustrated. Meanwhile, we may be doing a lot of good in a lot of other areas—areas in which we may be more capable than anyone else. It’s good once in a while to take a step back and give yourself a little credit. This is not to say you shouldn’t practice your roping. You should. But, by golly, sometimes you just have to get a calf branded, and it doesn’t matter how you get him to the fire. WC
By Tyrell Marchant
F E M A L E S A L E Selling All Breeds Sunday, May 7th, 2017 at 1:00 P.M. Central Oregon Livestock Auction • Madras, OR
The Sale
of The
Spring
Get Your Consignments Ready For Entries & More Information
530-668-1224
www.jdaonline.com 13
By Heather Smith Thomas
WC
A long History and Innovative Evolution
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he Hawley Ranch near Cottage Grove is one of the oldest livestock enterprises in Oregon. Bill Hoyt, the current operator, is 5th generation on this historic ranch (his 94-year-old father is the owner). “My ancestors were part of the original migration when people came from the East and Midwest to the Pacific Northwest--one of the largest human migrations in history. Pioneers started coming on the Oregon Trail in 1843. My great-great-grandfather Ira Hawley was part of a group that came 9 years later. His journey was spurred by discovery of gold in California in 1848,” says Hoyt. “He left Illinois with one of his buddies; they took two riding horses and a pack mule and went to the gold fields. He came back in 1851 with several thousand dollars (from gold mining or selling his claim) which was a lot of money in those days. He told his wife Elvira (maiden name Riley, of Irish decent) that he was going to move to Oregon. He didn’t feel there would be a good legal claim to the ground in California because it would be challenged by issues with the Mexican government. I thought that was a very astute decision, for that time,” Hoyt says. A lot of family history was written down, recorded firsthand. In the spring of 1852 Ira left Illinois with his family and joined a small wagon train, heading for the Willamette Valley. His children were age 9, 4 and 2 at that time. The 9-year-old (Hoyt’s great grandfather) was given a horse and a task, herding the family cattle. They had 5 cows and his job was to keep those cows pushed along--to keep up with the wagon during the trek across the plains. “When he was in his 80’s he made that trip again, in an automobile. He gave a verbal description of his journey in 1852 to a family member driving with him as they retraced his steps. It was an amazing account of his experiences as a 9-year-old,” says Hoyt. He said there were so many wagons crossing the plains, you could
hear the music at night drifting across the plains from the camps, for miles. When they came over the Barlow Road from The Dalles, going to Oregon City, the trail was so slippery he had to get off his horse and let it struggle along on its own. He held onto the horse’s tail and let the horse pull him over the mountains. At one point, he slipped in the mud and fell down, which startled the horse. The horse kicked him in the face and he wrote in his journal that it ruined his good looks for the rest of his life. “They got to Oregon City and
wrote in their journals about where they stayed and the people they met. Then they started down toward the Willamette Valley, which to them was the Promised Land. Ira was the leader of that band. He wrote that all the good places were taken. He ended up in a place that’s now known as Creswell,” says Hoyt. He put down stakes and was ready to start building a house, but took a ride up over the Calapooya Mountains, in the coastal range. “At that time there wasn’t nearly as much timber on those mountains. He rode along those mountains and looked down on a valley, and decided it would be a great place for his ranch.” When he rode into the valley and found three men had built a cabin, squatting on a place they had not filed on. He offered them $150 for their cabin and their rights to that land. He gave them half the payment and promised the second half when he came
back again with his family. “It took him 2 weeks to ride back to Creswell, get his family and go back to where we live now. The 3 men were willing to sell out because they’d heard about gold in Jackson County, near Medford, and wanted to go to the gold fields,” says Hoyt. Ira and his family homesteaded and settled there, and Elvira became the midwife for the entire region. “They did everything they could, to create a ranch and survive, and ran a stage stop in the 1880’s. Their various enterprises are similar to what we are doing today. Our family has done whatever was required over the years, to make a living.” The stagecoaches ran from Sacramento to Portland, with a stop every 12 miles to change horses. “My great-great grandmother wrote in her journal that one night she came home late after delivering a baby to find passengers sleeping all over the floor. Instead of going to bed she started baking bread for the morning meal,” says Hoyt. “Ira and Elvira had 12 children but only 6 lived to adulthood. There were 5 boys and a girl, and I am descended from the girl. She and her husband lived in Moscow, Idaho (working in the mill and helping her oldest brother on a ranch there) when my grandfather was born. She contracted diphtheria when she was 32 years old, and was put in a wagon and hauled from Moscow to Cottage Grove, Oregon, in 1888. She got back to the ranch here, and died. She left three children, and her husband took off and they never saw him again. My grandfather was one of those children,” says Hoyt. THE RANCH TODAY The ranch was on the original wagon road, and still a crossroad location, with I-5 going through the middle. “The Applegate Trail also went through the ranch. I am the 5th generation operating this place and extremely proud of it. When people today talk about sustainability (with so many definitions) I just say my | Continued on page 16 15
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definition of sustainability is spelled HAWLEY. Doing whatever we had to do, to survive, became a pattern for us over the generations. There has always been a sense of continuity and all the generations ahead of me are buried here on the ranch. It is an honor for me to be able to walk on the same ground my forefathers did,” says Hoyt. “My stewardship of this place started in 1978. I was living in Montana then, on the West Fork of the Bitterroot; I was there from high school until 1978 (with a break to serve Uncle Sam), learning my trade. My parents owned some land and I rented some ground and put a little herd of cows together. When the 3rd generation on the ranch in Oregon passed it to the 4th generation (my parents) and the 4th generation didn’t really have any way to run the ranch, they asked me if I would go there and run it,” he says. His parents didn’t live on the ranch. They started there, but left to pursue other careers. “My parents went to the University of Oregon and were on the ranch in the late 1930’s and into the 40’s. Then World War II took them away. My grandfather (who was orphaned at age 4 and raised on the ranch by his grandparents and his uncles) wanted his daughter (my mother) to get 16
away from the ranch after she married my dad. He went to war and they ended up in the city. They came back to the ranch now and then, and my dad wanted to turn it into a dairy. The 2nd generation wouldn’t let him do that, so he threw up his hands regarding the ranch and went to work in the city,” says Hoyt. “When my parents inherited the ranch they sent me to work on the ranch awhile. I talked with my elderly grandfather and learned more about the ranch and family history. When my grandfather was in 8th grade his grandparents and uncles who raised him told him he needed to quit school and come back and stay on the ranch. On his deathbed he told me that the ironic thing was that all he ever wanted to do was get away from the ranch, and I had lived my whole life trying to get back to it!” recalls Hoyt. “I feel truly blessed to be able to participate and take my term as a steward of this place. I struggled to make it work, however. When I left Montana, a butcher cow was worth 13 cents a pound, and I had sold calves in the high 30’s. It’s been a financial challenge.” He and his wife have found ways to make it all work, however. “She got me into the sheep business and this has worked nicely with the cattle; we fatten lambs and sell
them the same way. When you look at the economics of sheep and cattle, you can run 7 to 10 ewes for each cow. The cow will give you a 650-pound calf in the fall that might be worth $800 today, and 10 ewes will give you a lamb and a half apiece. This would be 15 lambs from the 10 ewes that would be finished the same year they were born, and be worth $100 to $120 each on the hoof. That would be $1500 to $1800 off the same pasture that a cow produced $800 worth of calf,” he says. He and Sharon also have a goats and use them and the sheep for weed and brush control. “In this moist climate in western Oregon, blackberries will take over the ranch if you don’t keep them under control. Goats are a good way to do this. We don’t use chemicals, so we use organic ways to control brush and noxious weeds like blackberries and scotch broom. Our meat products are not organic, but we are natural. We can break the cycle of parasites by using different species of livestock rather than chemicals. We take our calves off a pasture and put the lambs on, rotating them back and forth.” The parasites are species-specific and can’t complete their life cycle in the wrong host. Some years back we did custom
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HEALTH & HANDLING SALE WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5TH
grazing with goats, and did a huge job for the Corps of Engineers on the Columbia River in environmentally-sensitive areas where they didn’t want to use chemicals. They hired us to spend 90 days in one area--where we completely eliminated the blackberries. “We did another program for weeds at a park outside Portland. Then they asked us to put on a ‘goat day’ and Sharon did that. She drew a crowd of more than 300 people who came to learn about weed abatement. People really ate it up and thought this was the coolest thing, using goats for weeds. “Goats are also very vulnerable to coccidiosis. It is a struggle trying to keep them healthy, so it’s a good thing my wife is good at taking care of them. Sharon and I are partners in all these ventures and I couldn’t do it without her; she helps take care of the sheep and goats, does all the invoicing for our meat business, works with the cows and keeps the herd records, and researches forage options. She’s been a huge part of our meat marketing and the lamb and goat business,” says Hoyt. “We lamb out a few hundred ewes every year, and if some of my friends in Montana knew that I was raising goats and sheep, they would never speak to me again! I was a dyed-in-the-wool cowboy, and it was hard for me to get my mind around the western Oregon | Continued on page 18
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Continued from page 17 |
environment,” he says. “We changed again when we began to participate in farm-to-table production and joined a couple rancher cooperatives selling beef and lamb. As that developed, we saw the opportunity to do this on our own, with our proximity to Portland and major urban centers here in Oregon. We took the leap and entered the meat business,” says Hoyt. “The thing that changed my ranching experience more than anything was getting into multi-species production, and the thing that changed my personal experience the most was becoming a meat wholesaler. We sell beef and lamb to 13 restaurants and small markets around the Pacific Northwest. This has taken my ranching experience to a whole new level,” he explains. THE CATTLE His grandparents and great-grandparents had English breeds, beginning with Shorthorn. “They needed a cow they could milk and use for beef. In the late 1950’s they started raising purebred Herefords. I got out of the purebreds in 1987,” says Hoyt. From mid-1970’s until late 1980’s the ranch also experimented with other breeds to increase weaning weights. Most ranchers tried to raise bigger cattle, with more pounds of meat to sell. 18
“We were using continental breeds like Limousin to produce hybrids and bigger calves. Now we’ve gone full circle and back to smaller cattle, looking at carcass quality rather than total weight,” says Hoyt. “We are also looking at efficiency-making a steer fat and ready for processing in the shortest possible time. To do this it takes a smaller-framed animal, and we are also looking at EPDs for marbling and ribeye size, using the technology available. Another thing that has become really important for us is disposition. We have a rating system of 1 to 5, with 1 being an animal with nasty disposition, and 5 completely docile. I have a theory that the higher that rating, the more efficient the animal becomes in terms of converging forage to meat.” The docile animal is not as nervous, spends more time eating, and has better quality meat (no dark cutters due to stress hormones). “We buy Hereford bulls from the best Hereford breeders in Oregon. Our cow herd is basically black because we use Angus and Hereford bulls. We use Angus bulls to produce our replacement heifers. We have 30 purebred Angus cows and buy a herd bull every few years, to raise our own Angus bulls. I bought 3 bred Hereford heifers 2 years ago, and now we will have a few purebred Herefords as well—to
cross back and forth for baldy calves to raise for meat,” says Hoyt. The hard part financially is that the first half of the year the ranch has all or part of 3 different calf crops. “This spring we’ll have all the 2017 calves born by the first of March, and more than half of the 2016 calves we are developing, and still finishing and killing the last of the 2015 calves.” This requires a lot more forage, and more intensive management than in earlier years. His grandfather sold a calf crop in the fall and just fed pregnant cows through winter, and started the next calf crop in the spring. “We run 150 yearlings carried over from each calf crop, and have 300 cows. We keep 10 to 15% of our heifers as replacements, so we are developing those, and have the purebred cows for producing our own bulls. In that sense we are very traditional, but the way we market our beef is different,” he explains. MARKETING THE MEAT “We feed these animals from birth to slaughter, and that takes a great deal of management. The marketing part, and developing a business plan for marketing, has been a challenge, along with understanding the meat business—learning which cuts are easy to sell and which are harder.” A person
has to find a home for all parts of the carcass. Hoyt found that he has a talent for sales, and enjoys the marketing part of this business; the big challenge is matching production with sales One thing he became aware of in this business is that ranchers are selling a lot more than meat; they are selling their story. “This includes our history and all the things that got us to where we are today.” Ranchers also have to show the public that we are good stewards of the land and animals and doing a good job. “I have been very active politically in the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association and went through the whole process— as treasurer, and then president in 201011. I’ve also been involved in NCBA. That group asked me to go to a seminar for a week in San Francisco with the Ketchum Group, one of the largest PR firms in the country, and do this as part of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance to represent beef,” he says. “It dawned on me that not only are we trying to do this as an industry, but we should also be trying to do this as individuals. I feel this is my mission in life—besides my religious faith—to tell my story and try to be an example of how ranchers do things. “We started the meat business about 10 years ago. I told someone I wished I had started it 20 years earlier, and they reminded me that I couldn’t have done it at that time. The public was not ready,” Hoyt says.
“I recently had lunch at my biggest customer’s restaurant and was very impressed. I had a salad and hamburger without a bun. It was the best hamburger I’d ever eaten, and I was so proud—not only of my role in raising this animal, but also proud of how those people prepared that product. I deliver a whole carcass and they take it from there. They use the whole animal, cut it up, cook it, season and serve it. In their restaurant/butcher shop nothing goes to waste; they sell bone broth, dog bones, etc. and do a fantastic job.”
HELPING EDUCATE THE PUBLIC Working with meat customers has been a great experience. “Being part of the beef industry and the food industry in general has also been a learning experience. “The definition of grass-fed beef, for instance, is unclear. It’s not a good term, and people who raise beef know this. It should be called forage-fed beef. There’s also a difference whether it was finished on forage; almost all beef animals could be called grass-fed
| Continued on page 20
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because 80% of their lives were spent eating forage. Definitions get lost in translation because the public doesn’t have a foundation on the ground. Legislators, who have been just as removed from agriculture, get pressure from urban constituents and think that what they know is better than what the people who live on the ground know!” Western ranchers go through this challenge every day, with public land issues, agricultural issues, etc. “Part of what we have to do as ranchers is be true to our story. The manager of the Hilton Hotel in 20
Eugene, Oregon invited Hoyt (when he was president of the Oregon Cattleman’s Association) to come for an interview with the chef about possibly supplying product. “I realized that what they wanted was something I was absolutely unable to do and maintain my story. I said I could probably do it for them, but I would become a middleman instead of the producer. I could not, as one ranch, meet what they needed. I would have to buy beef from someone else and sell it to them. I am my own distributor; I told them that Hawley Land and Cattle Company can-
not produce what they were asking for. It was tough for me to tell them no,” says Hoyt. He looks at the future with a positive attitude. “We have faith in God, and in our country, and hope that we in agriculture can contribute as much as we can. We realize that when we go to town and sell our product, we will rarely agree politically with our customer, and that’s a very large challenge. We just take it one day at a time and hope to keep educating the public about our role in producing their food,” he says. The ranch has a 2-day field day every year, inviting all their meat customers and their employees. “I’ve had two restaurants shut down for those days, and bring everyone. They camp out on the ranch and we take them on a tour. In the evening we do a barbeque and I cook for them. Here are all these great chefs, and I cook breakfast and dinner, and they bring their own lunch,” he says. “At the restaurant where I was eating recently, the employees were at our field day in September, and they know us. When the people who work as a chef or waiter get to know us, they become our emissaries. If they know what I am doing (they’ve had their boots on my ground), they can tell their customers more about the meat they order. They can say they know the ranch it came from and know what it is. This is a great connection. I spend time in their establishment, too, and get behind the meat counter and interact with customers. “I’d like to take credit for this model, but I got the idea from a lady who managed the largest cooperative in the country. I just continued doing this when I went out on my own. It works! When I saw her doing this, I recognized this was brilliant in terms of marketing and personal relationships—creating relationships with the customer. I am blessed to have had that opportunity,” says Hoyt. I am a firm believer that the Lord takes us where He wants us to go. We just have to listen. My life had taken me down a road that included this ranch.” Some aspects of this journey have helped prepare him for being here and doing what he’s doing today. Because of his experience in the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association, and ranching in general, he knows ranch people all over the West. “I’ve gotten to know some wonderful people. Some of the greatest people in the world are ranchers because they are so tuned in to the environment and the Creator—es| Continued on page 21
Continued from page 20 |
pecially the people who actually work the ranch. He really appreciates the hardworking people who are out there on the land every day taking care of the land and cattle, even if it’s 30 below zero. “I have friends near La Grande, Oregon who were dealing with 12-foot snowdrifts in January and needed a D8 to break trail through all that snow so they can go feed their cows,” he says. “I am thankful to be able to do what I’m doing, and to have my health, and be able to contribute to the ranching business, and I pray for the people who’ve had a hard winter, dealing with tough challenges. He and Sharon have two grown children who are not involved in the ranch. “At this point I don’t want to retire. My dad is 94 and still very active; he’s on the phone with me every day. He is very savvy about ranch issues. “Perhaps one of my biggest faults is that I am too much of a controller. I would have a hard time stepping away and letting someone else do what I do. I like to have my own hands on what I am doing. There is another generation coming on, however (our grandkids) and it will be interesting to see what the next generation brings to the ranch!”
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By KayDee Gilkey
W C
L
ocated with the sumptuous Grand Hotel in Salem, Oregon, Bentley’s Grill Restaurant and Lounge is known for its proud commitment to sustainability and serving delectable locally-sourced food. However, it is also known as the place to go for special celebrations, to meet up with friends or the place to have a great dining experience again and again. Whether it is the gorgeous floor to ceiling mahogany bar that graces the entire wall behind the bar or the warm welcoming copper-hooded fireplace that is situated in the middle of the 22
dining area — the atmosphere at Bentley’s is very inviting and friendly. It is fine-dining in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. Walk Their Talk Since the doors were open in August of 2005, the establishment has focused on recycling pretty much everything but the kitchen sink, according a blog post. Special Events Coordinator Soraida Cross shared what sustainability means to Bentley’s Grill. “Bentley’s buys local, healthy ingredients and has a
commitment to recycling and doing our best to create a wastefree house front. Our team is trained to be aware of sustainable practices such as using recycling and compositing cans, rather than garbage cans,” she said. This continuous commitment has brought recognition to Bentley’s as well as becoming the first EarthWISE certified restaurant in Salem. The EarthWISE program is a Marion County environmental program. In 2011, they were named the Large Sustainable Business of the Year by Mid-Valley Green Awards. The restaurant was featured in an EarthWISE Public Service Announcement TV ad and in the ad explained how they had reduced their waste by an estimated 200 percent. “These recognitions are testaments to the hard work our team puts in day in and day out. At the end of the day, we maintain these practices because it is the right thing to do,” Cross added. One of the tenants of being sustainable for Bentley’s is using locally sourced food and being located in the agriculturally bountiful Willamette Valley is a boon. Some of the locally sourced food companies Bentley’s works with are a who’s who list of Pacific Northwest food companies: Fulton Meats, St. Helens’ Beef, Charlie’s Produce, Carlton Farms, Cypress Grove Creamery, Rogue Creamery, Tillamook Creamery and Pacific Seafood just to name a few. Often Bentley’s chef can be found shopping at the local Farmers’ Market for items and inspiration to add to daily lunch and dinner specials.
Synergy of Location Being located within The
Grand Hotel and next to the Salem Convention Center has really allowed Bentley’s to maximize on the opportunity to provide room service at the hotel,and cater the event spaces off of the Grand Hotel lobby. The Convention Center brings in many local, regional and even national events to Salem. “We really enjoy hosting convention attendees for lunch and dinner at Bentley’s Grill. It is always neat to hear about each unique convention and where they have traveled from,” said Cross. In addition to the restaurant, Bentley’s has four rooms available for special events — two within the restaurant and two in the hotel. “Our rooms can accommodate 15 to 100 people and are a great venue choice for any special occasion,” she said. “Being a part of Salem’s downtown energy is great,” Cross said. “We participate in many activities that draw people to Downtown Salem, such as Marion Polk Food Share’s Chef’s Night Out, Downtown 365, our Annual Community Tree Lighting, Cinco de Mayo Taco Crawl and more.” Giving Back to Community “We participate in several different non-profit fundraising events. Our chefs volunteer to be a part of the Enlightened Theatrics Block Party and Chefs for Liberty House. We also provide many gift cards for local nonprofits fundraising efforts. We feel it is very important to stay involved and give back to our community,” Cross said. In addition to chefs participating in events, other employees volunteer on a weekly basis to read to children through the SMART Kids program in local schools.
Employees Make a Difference One of elements that makes Bentley’s Grill a special dining experience is the friendly and knowledgeable employees. “We have about 40 employees and there are four of us that have been here since the beginning. At least 30 percent of our staff have been here for five years or more.” She added, “We have a positive and fun work atmosphere and that makes a difference.”
Social Media Marketing In addition to their website
and blog, they are very active in engaging with their customers through Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. They offer gift cards for photo caption contests and give-away prizes like to the hard-to-find Christmas toy Hatchimal, a hatching egg pet. “Social Media provides us with a fun way to connect with our customers and actually show them all the delicious menu and drink options we have,” Cross said. Award-Winning Three years in a row 2013 through 2015, Bentley’s Grill was named as a Wine Spectator Restaurant Award Winner and they were featured in the magazine’s Restaurant’s Annual Dining Guide. Bentley’s was one of 14 Oregon restaurants featured.
The reservation app Open Table named Bentley’s Grill as a winner of their 2015 Diner’s Choice. In 2016, they were named TripAdvisor’s Certification of Excellence. Personal Recommendation I had the distinct pleasure of dining at Bentley’s Grill in January. Their wine list was fabulous — with too many wonderful choices from across the Northwest (which is what I always focus on) as well as some California choices. I settled on Walla Walla’s Basel Cellar’s red blend and enjoyed its beautiful aroma and bright hints of spicy. I had the Harissa Warm Steak Salad. The flavorful and spicy sauce combined with various peppers and garlic had the right amount of heat. The steak was cooked to a perfect medium rare and I was able to cut it with my fork. Once I discovered that Bentley’s Grill was the multi-year gold medal winner of the MidValley’s Best Creative Cocktails, I felt it was my duty to order a cocktail. Rest assured their tasty Raspberry Lemon Drop was fabulous and since I was there on Tuesday Tini’s it was on special. I wanted to be sure I could share details of one of their tempting desserts, so I had the raspberry lemoncello torte that was amazing too. I would wholeheartedly recommend Bentley’s Grill — whether you are in Salem for a conference or just driving through — for their commitment to sustainability and their fabulous selection of delicious local food, Pacific Northwest wines and creative mixed drinks. Learn more about Bentley’s Grill and what they offer at www.bentleysgrill.com. 23
2017
PHOTO CONTEST
ENTRY DEADLINE: September 6th, 2017 SPECIAL CATEGORY: “Ranch Roads”
Photo By: Chris Anderson
CONTEST RULES
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1. Contestants must be from the following states: California, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, New Mexico, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado. Contestants must be paid subscribers to the Western Cowman magazine. 2. Photos are to be 8 x 10-inch color or black and white prints, mounted on 11 x 14- inch black poster board. Photos not securely mounted will be disqualified. Make certain your name., address, and phone numbers are attached to the back. 3. Photo must depict our western ranching lifestyle. Photos can’t be altered or image- enhanced in any way. 4. Categories will be divided up after all of the entries have been received. 5. Junior category is for shutterbugs 15 years of age and younger. 6. A maximum of 25 photos per contestant can be entered. Entries cannot have appeared in any other contest. 7. Photos become the property of the Western Cowman for use in the publications and promotions. 8. Winning entries will be published in the November 2017 issue of the Western Cowman magazine. 9. Cash awards will be given to first place winners. Photo chosen as the “Editor’s Choice” will appear on the November 2017 Western Cowman cover.
Summer Internship teaching you skills beyond the classroom
DETAILS
We are pleased to announce that we are offering a Summer Internship position at James Danekas and Associates. A great opportunity for Agriculture Communication and Marketing Students. Applications due by April 28th. Come experience what it takes to create a magazine and/or catalog and learn the secrets of the livestock marketing trade. All applicants must supply a resume and a one page letter on why they deserve such a priceless opportunity. Please send all information to: mercedes@jdaonline.com
2015 WE STERN CO
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MMER IN
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CAL POLY “The in , SLO ternship learning w experie ith JDA prov nce. I w my des ided m ign e as able to utiliz with a great Howeve skills, as well as have r, the e and e bes thr nh laughs, memor t part of th ee articles pub ance ies, and e inter lished. ns friendsh ips that hip were the were cr eated.”
• June 14 - August 23, 2017 • 3 days a week • Limited to students in the Northern California Region.
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A chronic illness prompted Ava Denton to re-examine her life and trade in her corporate credentials for a big life in the country. “Don’t die with dreams in your pockets.” That was the advice Ava Denton got a decade ago from her brother – and it prompted her to really ponder what dreams she wanted to pursue. At the time, Denton was facing several health challenges. She had been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, and while hospitalized for treatment was diagnosed with a brain tumor. After surgery to remove the tumor, Denton admits that she was at a very low point. She says, “You get tired of being sick and needing help.” It was the call from her brother as well as her devotion to her daughter Al-
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exandra – then a senior in high school – that prompted Denton to “begin to fight” for her new life. Denton, a single parent, had built a career in Redmond, Washington with Microsoft. But she recognized going forward that to pursue a healthy lifestyle she would need to leave her high-stress corporate career. First Steps As Denton recuperated from her surgery and began learning how to live with Crohn’s, she says, “I came to realize I needed and wanted to work outside.”
The brain surgery had left her with life challenges, notably short-term memory loss which requires her to use GPS for driving still today – even for familiar trips. Additionally, the former English literature major who at one time lived in China to teach English, found it difficult to read and remember what she’d read. She did return to Microsoft in the fall of 2008, but also began to attend Extension courses through Washington State University – eventually completing a certificated program for sustainable agriculture. “It was a challenge, a change,” Den-
By Kindra Gordon
W C
ton says of her new life path. She had previously dedicated her life to her career and being a mom, she began to recognize she also needed to do some things for herself. Of her interest in taking agriculture courses, she explains, “I’m an avid gardener, so I had that interest…my idea was to have a small farm somewhere in Washington.” As Denton also began to take better care of herself, she began dating – something she hadn’t done while raising her daughter. Her interest in agriculture prompted her to look to the
dating site FarmersOnly.com to meet others with similar interests. It was that experience that also shifted Denton’s dreams a little. Through the site, she met Ross Painter, whom she describes as “the most amazing partner.” Painter lived on a ranch near Medical Springs, Oregon. Unlike Denton, a Georgia native with no farm or ranch background, he grew up in Napa Valley raising sheep and cattle and involved with FFA. He had a former career as a cabinet maker. When their relationship blossomed, Denton, then in her mid-40’s, sold her home in Redmond and – rather than a farm in Washington – she purchased a ranch of her own 50 miles from Painter near Summerville, Oregon. Her home is an original homestead in the lush Grand Ronde Valley, which she gave the name Eden. She dubbed Painter’s operation in the high desert Paradise Ranch. Denton was beyond taking first steps – she had leaped into a life change, and says, “My learning curve to become a cowgirl was pretty steep.” She adds, “I would not be a cowgirl today …my skills came from Ross; how to milk a cow, raise and feed animals, fence. You can’t find it in a book. You’ve got to have an awesome partner.”
All About Food As Denton journeyed through
these life changes, she had also been making major changes in her daily diet to manage her Crohn’s diagnosis, a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the digestive tract. “I wanted to learn how to be as healthy as possible for my survival,” she tells. She turned to naturopathic medicine and found great physicians to work with. “They talked about changing my diet…meanwhile my gastroenterologist said my job was to use whatever medications were available to me so I could live like I did before.” But Denton questioned, “Maybe the things I did before made me sick?” Ultimately, she decided to pursue a simple basic diet. She went sugar and gluten free and followed a high protein and high fat diet. As she saw her own health improve and dreamed about pursuing her own farm, the desire to help other people – through healthy grassfed meat – also transpired. Once Denton settled into Oregon and “the life of a cowgirl,” she and Painter thus began working toward developing a grass-fed meat business. Today, they work through a USDA- processor and offer Paradise Ranch grass-fed beef, lamb and hog to customers at a local farmers market in nearby La Grande, Oregon and directly to consumer customers in Portland and Seattle. Denton’s urban friends were among her first customers, then through | Continued on page 28
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Continued from page 27|
word of mouth, her friend’s friends became customers. Today, she says, “I have hundreds of people within my email distribution list.” Denton makes monthly deliveries to customers. To cater to urban individual’s needs – many of whom do not have chest freezers to store halves or quarters, individuals can order items by the cut. Presently, Denton and Painter market about two dozen beef and three dozen lambs and pigs through direct meat sales annually. While they could grow their busi28
ness even larger, Denton says, “We have no desire whatsoever to be big.” She explains, “Customers often want us to sell through health food stores or restaurants, but I feel profoundly about how our food gets to the customer. I want customers to have met me and get food from my hands. I want them to ask me whatever they want to ask me and develop a personal relationship with me based on trust. That’s why I don’t ship, or sell retail or in restaurants; I deliver.” The best happy ending to Denton’s story can be found in her own health. A decade after her diagnosis, she
proudly shares, “I do not take a single prescription drug. I’m careful about my diet; its protein based and made from scratch.” She concludes, “The good thing is I live a very physical life. I’m in shape from working outside, which is good for my brain, body and spirit.” When asked if she has any other dreams in her pocket, Denton says, “I’m living my life dream, but my next life dream is to write a book about this journey.” She notes that her short-term memory loss makes retaining information she reads or writes difficult, which is why she hasn’t pursued a book to date – but as Denton’s life has proven, obstacles are meant to be overcome.
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The Angus Sale of
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Saturday, May 13th, 2017 Escalon Livestock Market Escalon, California
Females, Embryos & Semen
Start Planning Your Consignments Entries and More Information www.jdaonline.com 530-668-1224
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The Romans family moved to the desert of Eastern Oregon in 1938 from Oklahoma in the midst of the Dust Bowl. Grady and Martha Romans, along with their 5 year old son, Kenneth, settled in Willowcreek, Oregon. The Vale Project, a plan to furnish irrigation water from 3 dams through a 70-mile long canal system, was in the developmental stage. The Romans Family cleared the land from sagebrush and began farming and raising cattle. Through the years they added a feedlot and purchased a ranch in the nearby town of Westfall. Kenneth’s son Bill, and his wife Cindy, purchased his grandparents’ share and continued in the business while raising five children. Bill added the Charolais cattle in 1997. In 2012
the original home place was sold and the current ranch in Westfall was purchased. Bill and Cindy, along with their son Jeff & Julie and children, now run 600 head of purebred Charolais cattle and sell 150 Bulls each year. They also have a 350 head commercial herd where they retain ownership of the calves in order to measure performance. Improving the quality of the herd is a focal point for the Romans family. All bulls are tested for performance, ultrasound carcass data, and feed efficiency. “We have more individual data on each Charolais bull than any other offering of Charolais bulls in the West,” says Bill. “But it takes more than just numbers to make a bull. Structural soundness, condition, moder-
ate birthweight, temperament, and a bull that will know how to get around in tough country to breed the cows are also added benefits when you purchase a bull from us.” “We have been selecting for performance, carcass value, and feed efficiency” says Jeff. “ Our goal is that every new set of bulls will continue to be better than the previous year because we measure for these important traits and then breed accordingly.” Romans Ranches Charolais has an annual production sale in March. This year’s sale will be held on March 14th at the ranch where they will be offering 80 Fall Yearlings Bulls and 35 Spring Yearlings. More information can be found at romanscharolais.com.
ANGUS
• Bred Ready • Born Proven • • Balanced Genetically •
Ron and Barbara Jones 685 King Ave. Ontario, OR 97914 541/889-4563
P.O. Box 12822 Everett, WA 98206 425-350-1455 rollin_carlson@msn.com RED ANGUS
Quality Angus Bulls & Females available at the Ranch
Home of Quality Calving-Ease and Growth Bulls David & Jeanene Dal Porto 694 Bartlett Ct. • Brentwood, CA 94513
925/634-0933
2001 CBCIA Seedstock Producer of the Year
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Double Eagle Ranch The finest in Red Angus genetics.
Sires:
Consensus, Hoover Dam, Brilliance, Mytty in Focus, and New Design 878
Brown Alliance X7795 Reg# 1384813 Doug, Betty, Dave Dunn
9695 Lowerbridge Way Terrebonne, OR
541-923-1705 doubleeagle@uci.net
ANGUS
Ken & Sandy Coleman
7337 Northwest Ryegrass Rd.
Prineville, OR 97739 541/749-8986
the
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Use Siller Profitable Weigh ANGUS BULLS
Production Sale
1 Saturday in November
Salmon, ID 83467 Clyde Nelson 208/756-2454
Bulls, Project Calves and Females Available
Steve Herbst 208/756-4748
Kay Siller 1453 Bogue Road Yuba City, CA 95993 530/674-7136 • 530/755-7357 kzangus@neteze.com
Beef Up The Range With
WENDELL STARKE, CURTIS GAY & FAMILY
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619 East 400 South • Jerome, Idaho 83338 (208) 308-8220
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Brian & Joan, Managers
Jim Coleman, Owner Doug Worthington, Manager
“Angus Cattle With Practical Balanced Genetics”
3623 W. King Road Kuna, ID 83634 (208) 465-4516 (208) 899-0530
2702 Scenic Bend • Modesto, CA 95355 209/521-0537 • www.vintageangusranch.com
WAGY U
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Registered & Commercial
Cattle in Volume
November 18, 2017 Producers Livestock Auction Jerome, Idaho
Tehama Angus Ranch “Generations of Performance” 23820 Tehama Ave. • Gerber, CA 96035 Ranch: 530-385-1570 • Kevin: 530-624-6564 Mike: 530-736-3428 • Bryce: 530-526-9404 • Bill: 530-384-2788 tehamaranch@gmail.com • www.tehamaangus.com
lease program Performance Tested •Bull •Semen and Embryos from birth to plate
•Cow rental
50 Years of working with the
Feeder Contracts available
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Dr. Neal Dow•PH/FAX (541) 477-3332 28000 SE Paulina Hwy•Prineville, OR 97754 Contact: R.L. Freeborn•PH (541) 480-2471 RLFreeborn@aol.com
Willis & Cindy Kinder • Laura Hooper • Roderick Atwood 2225 S. 1200 E., Bliss, ID 83314 • 208.358.2322 Email: tlcangus@hotmail.com Doug, Jackie & Jake Kohntopp 1078 Hwy 25, Jerome, ID 83338 • 208.324.5342 Email: j.kohntopp@yahoo.com
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BR ANGUS
CHAROL AIS
Romans Brangus Registered Brangus Bulls and Females Greg Romans Cell: (541) 212-1790 Vale, OR • 541/473-3822
Production Sale March 14th, 2017
Bulls with Beef.
Bulls available at the ranch Carolyn Belden 1483 Lone Tree Rd. Oroville, CA 95695 530-534-0585
120 Bulls • Westfall, Oregon Ask us about our Bull Buyer Incentive Program with Agri Beef
Bill & Cindy Romans 541-358-2921 Jeff & Julie Romans 541-358-2905
www.romanscharolais.com
MULTI BREEDERS
hereford
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February 11th, 2017 Composite Bulls Make Optimizing Heterosis Easy
Mike, Margo & Crystal Alley Steve & Katey Farley
Jarred Patterson: 208-312-2386 Bob Coker: 916-539-1987 • Office: 775-782-3336 640 Genoa Lane • Minden, NV 89423 www.genoalivestock.com
87925 SW Green Dr., Culver, OR 97734 mike@barckcattle.com • www.barckcattle.com
HEREFORD
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541-948-3521
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Carl, Susan & Tracy (530) 846-4354
Steven, Amanda & Joseph (530) 864-2855
P.O. Box 391 • Gridley, CA 95948 e-mail: ricencows@schohr.com www.schohrherefords.com
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Miguel A. Machado President 25525 E. Lone Tree Road • Escalon, CA 95320 Office: (209) 838-7011 • Fax (209) 838-1535 Cellular (209) 595-2014
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Representatives
JAKE PARNELL........................... (916) 662-1298 GEORGE GOOKIN....................... (209) 482-1648 MARK FISHER............................. (209) 768-6522 REX WHITTLE.............................. (209) 996-6994 JOE GATES.................................. (707) 694-3063 ABLE JIMENEZ............................ (209) 401-2515 JASON DAILEY............................ (916) 439-7761 12495 STOCKTON BLVD., GALT, CA 95632 (209) 745-1515 Office • (209) 745-1582 Fax Web: www.clmgalt.com
Angus • Sim-Angus • Gelbvieh-Angus Composite Cattle Available Tom Price 541-969-8970 43215 Old Wingville Road, Baker City, OR 97814 Email: interwest@wtechlink.us FENCING
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Lucy Rechel • Eddie Snyder P.O. Box 550 • Yerington, NV 89447 Office (775) 463-2677 Home (775) 463-4924 Fax (775) 463-4319 Web Site: www.slcnv.com
SHERRY DANEKAS
530-668-1224
James F Bessler Inc Livestock Mortalit y Insurance
321 Brownstone Dr. St. Charles, IL 60174-2843 630/945.3483 Office 815/762.2641 Cell 630/945.3584 Fax jim@jamesfbessler.com www.jamesfbessler.com
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• info@bovine-elite.com SEMEN STOR AGE
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Convenient custom collection in the stud or at the ranch. Certified semen service Approved lab providing semen eligible for domestic or foreign markets. Secure and sheltered sire housing and collection facilities.
Logan • Semen, Storage and shipping • Liquid Nitrogen, tanks and A.I. supplies available • Semen marketing assistance through Hoffman A.I. Breeders sire directory
Doug Coombs 435/245-4325
1950 S. Hwy. 89-91 Logan, UT 84321
435/753-7883 (phone) • 435/753-2951(fax) hoffmanaibreeders@gmail.com
809 N. Main • Colfax, WA 99111 (509) 397-4434 Cell: (509) 989-2855 Email: cartha@colfax.com
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To Order A Sire Directory, Call: 1-800-227-8774 • 406-453-0374 OR view our Complete Catalog Online!
P.O. Box 8629 Woodland, CA 95776
530-668-1224
www.universalsemensales.com
Trent Stewart Auctioneer
(541) 325-3662 tsauctions@gmail.com
WESTERN REGION FIELD REPRESENTATIVE AZ, CA, ID, NV, OR, UT, WA (208) 369-7425 mholt@hereford.org
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2017 Bull & Gelding Sale January 24-28
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Photos Courtesy of Miz B Photography Tracy Bjornestad www.mizbphotography.com
Bull Sale Results
1 MainTainer Avg. Bull Price $7,000.00 2 Simmental Avg. Bull Price $6,900.00 10 Balancer Avg. Bull Price 4,265.00 40 Hereford Avg. Bull Price 4,191.25 15 Polled Hereford Avg. Bull Price 4,133.33 145 Angus Avg. Bull Price 3,864.83 21 Sim/Angus Avg. Bull Price 3,676.19 26 Red Angus Avg. Bull Price 3,425.00 26 Charolais Avg. Bull Price 2,930.77 2 Shorthorn Avg. Bull Price 2,450.00
Gelding Sale Results 69 Geldings Avg. $9,894.93
Dog Sale Results 14 Dogs Avg. $6,125.00
www.RedBluffBullSale.com 35
Livestock Marketeers Induct Three into Hall of Fame W C
< Pictured Left to Right: Matthew Lohse (Accepting on Behalf of James Danekas’ Family), Bill Angell and Doug Paul
The Livestock Marketeers - an informal fraternity of livestock fieldmen, auctioneers, sale managers and related livestock business leaders - met for their 52nd Annual Banquet at the National Western Club on January 14. The event was hosted by American Live Stock; master of ceremonies was J. Neil Orth, executive vice president of the American-International Charolais Association and 1984 Hall of Fame inductee. The Livestock Marketeers group was formed in 1965 by Harry Green, Ross Miller and Claud Willett. Their purpose was to establish a fraternal organization of livestock professionals, and to make annual awards in order to encourage younger members of the industry to succeed in their chosen profession.
Jim Danekas
James “Jim” A. Danekas (1947-2016) of Wilton, CA, was honored posthumously. Born in South Dakota, he was very active on his family’s Blue Top Angus Farm, raising and exhibiting market steers and breeding heifers as he developed a strong passion for agriculture. Jim graduated from South Dakota State University before joining the U.S. Army, and was named manager of the Western States Angus Association following his discharge. This position took him to California, and helped him learn the ways of a livestock sales manager and auction ringman. He later started his own entity, James Danekas and Associates. Jim and his wife, Sherry, grew the business with the incorporation of a publication division. They published the California Cattleman Magazine and Angus, the Magazine. Later they would move on to start another, Western Cowman. The firm currently produces the Western Cowman, Angus Icon and Wagyu World. As an Angus breeder himself, Jim had very strong ties to the Angus community across the United States. He was a member of the National Western Club, served on the Livestock Publications Council board, was a longtime member and director of the Western States Angus Association, a lifetime member of the American Angus Association, and numerous other livestock affiliations. He was a diehard fan of the San Francisco Giants. “Jim was absolutely one of the most organized people to work with,” said C.D. “Butch” Booker of Colfax, WA, who presented the Hall of Fame award. “He attended to every detail. And there was nobody who could talk someone into bidding one more time like Jim Danekas.” “He was the most knowledgeable person you’d ever meet, regarding pedigrees of cattle. He brought a very professional side to the business that went back to the roots he came from,” Booker added. “He represented the total package - knowing the cattle, knowing where we were
36
in the marketplace - and he really cared. He was always very fair.” Survivors include his wife, Sherry; daughters Danielle Danekas and Mercedes (Matt) Danekas-Lohse; and mother Valois “Frenchy” Danekas.
Bill Angell
You’ll find Bill Angell in the livestock barns directing operations or visiting with exhibitors; in his office producing premium books or schedules and finalizing rules and regulations; or along ringside taking bids. Raised on a stock farm near Lansing, MI, Bill competed on the Michigan State University livestock and meats judging teams under Harlan Ritchie before completing his undergraduate degree. He earned a graduate degree in animal science and coached the meats evaluation team at the University of Wisconsin, and then taught and coached the livestock judging team at the University of Kentucky. As a member of the Michigan National Guard, Bill proudly served his country during the Viet Nam crisis. His livestock marketing career started with the American Polled Hereford Association, covering Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee, and increasing advertising for that territory by 200% in the first year. He also worked for Superior Livestock Auction, The Record Stockman, International Arabian Horse Association, and Southern States Cooperative. Bill made his mark at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, serving as Yards and livestock manager for 10 years. He has also supervised the Weld County Fair in Greeley, CO, and currently serves as livestock manager of the Nebraska State Fair. Despite the full show schedule, Bill can be found turning in bids at about 50 sales annually throughout the West. He’s the ringman wearing a patriotic tie featuring the American flag. “He wants to work every sale,” noted auctioneer John Korrey of Iliff, CO. “The drive and passion that Bill has for the industry is second to none.” “I’ve been blessed to work with some of the greatest professionals in our great industry. I tried to learn from the best, and it’s been a great ride for me,” Bill said. “We are professionals, and I think I’ll always be a Marketeer.” Bill and his wife of 45 years, Donna, live at LaSalle, CO. They have three children: Blake, Miki and Missy, and three grandchildren.
Doug Paul
From the first steps of his career, Doug Paul has embarked on a path encompassing a broad range of livestock marketing and sales experiences. This path stemmed from a passion first
fueled on a family acreage in Edna, KS, where he was involved with raising Suffolk sheep and Quarter Horses as 4-H and FFA projects. Doug’s interests continued into collegiate years as part of successful livestock judging and rodeo teams. He attended Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, Miami, OK, and then Oklahoma State University (OSU) in Stillwater, graduating with a degree in agricultural education. Doug went to work for the Drover’s Journal. He traveled as a fieldman for the publication, working sales primarily in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. In 1987, Doug moved to the American Simmental Association to help with The Register. As the magazine and association grew, so did Doug’s family. In 1989, he married his wife Leslie, and they soon had daughters, Brooke and Alexa. “He was hard working even as a young man, and I feel fortunate to have discovered him early on and to have had him be a part of our team,” said Ken Holloway, a longtime Oklahoma cattleman, founder of American Cattle Services and 2002 Livestock Marketeers Hall of Fame honoree. Holloway hired Doug as a young man to work on his purebred cattle operation, Coyote Hills Ranch and later as a ringman for American Cattle Services sales. “I am very proud to say he was part of our team and is still part of our team,” Holloway continued. “Too often, many of the other industries grab talented individuals in marketing and sales, and we don’t have the fortune to get them in agriculture. But we have had that fortune in Doug - to get and keep a talented individual among us.” In the fall of 1989, Doug started DP Sales Services, Inc., a sales management company that heads up purebred cattle sales throughout the United States. He followed with the 1997 purchase of The Stock Exchange, a semi-monthly livestock sales publication. Involvement with The Stock Exchange would later prompt Doug’s affiliation with DV Auction; the Internet marketing service helped take The Stock Exchange online in 2005, and continues to reach customers across the country through online sales broadcasts, totaling more than 800 in 2016. Among his expansive management and sales support has been the NAILE Select Simmental Sale for 15 years, the National Simmental Sale at the National Western Stock Show for 10 years, as well as the National Maine Anjou Sale at the National Western for 19 years. “With this group, we all work together,” Doug told the Livestock Marketeers. “I’ve had a lot of fun with my friends . . . and I have a lot of friends.” WC
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Bull Board Ingredients:
Cowboy Cheeseburger Gnocchi
1 whole onion) 2 cups diced onion (about 1 tablespoon butter ed minc lic, 3-4 cloves gar cchi d 1 (16 oz) package potato gno 1 (10-oz) can Ro-Tel Dice f bee nd grou 1/2 lb lean les Chi en Gre and Tomatoes 1 teaspoon salt er) 1 cup beef broth (or wat per pep n poo teas 1 m crea vy hea cup 1/4 ddar cheese 1 teaspoon cumin 1 cup shredded sharp che 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika scallions d slice ly thin cup 1/3 ional) 1 teaspoon mustard powder (opt
Directions:
cchi in a single over medium-high heat. Add gno 1. Melt butter in a 12-inch skillet ted. Shake the toas and ned brow until tes minu 2-3 layer and cook on one side for tes, tossing ocminu 2-3 ther ano inue cooking for pan to toss the gnocchi and cont set aside. and e plat ted. Remove gnocchi to a casionally, until both sides are toas is very hot and n skillet to stove. When the pan 2. Turn the heat to high and retur rika, and mustard pap n, cumi per, pep salt, with on smoking, add the beef and seas sionally, until n and garlic, and cook, stirring occa powder if desired. Add the onio ssary. nece if Drain en. gold are ns beef is browned and onio to combine. Bring gnocchi back into the skillet. Stir 3. Add the tomatoes, broth, and for 5 minutes until the er simm and low, iummed to to a boil, then cover, reduce heat ly absorbed. gnocchi is tender and liquid is most combine. Top with and 1/2 cup cheese and stir to 4. Off heat, then add the cream in the oven until er broil the r unde Place the skillet remaining cheese and scallions. enjoy!! :) and e Serv tes. minu 3 ut abo cheese is browned and bubbly,
Grandm
a’s Apr on
Whe I was v er y mu n I used to vis ch imp it Gran re dma. and th ssed, by her all-purp e powe r it pos ose ap She use sessed ron, . and fla d it for a ba sket, wh pped it en she as a w ga ea legs. sh pon, when he thered up the to remo e used ns pec ve a st ked he eggs, it e r feet a she use aming pan, a for a hot pad nd nd whe d when w , n her b e’d scra it for a fan. It dried row wa pe a k when t s heate nee our chil he d, dish in the s little ones we and cr y, and ummer, re shy. made a tears, Farm p spring n hidin ro and fa ll, found duce took in g place from G it seas sw randma ’s carr y ay into the kit on, chen all.
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* You might want to double this recipe it’s really that good.
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c/o James Danekas & Associates, Inc. P.O. Box 8629 Woodland, CA 95776
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