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2019 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Colorado agriculture

Centennial State producers thrive in the state’s high-altitude conditions The Wyoming Livestock Roundup is excited to highlight Colorado ranches, farms and agribusinesses in this 2019 Fall Cattlemen's Edition. Sporting 75 percent of the land area in the U.S. with an altitude over 10,000 feet, Colorado has the highest average altitude of all 50 states. Ranchers here are no

stranger to harsh conditions and continue to produce some of the highest quality cattle, sheep and other agriculture products for consumers across the U.S. Colorado joined the union as the 38th state in the U.S. in 1876 via the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo that ended the Mexican war. Colorado is the eighth largest

state in terms of land mass. Early years The ancient pueblo people and various Plains indians were attracted to the area due to the abundance of natural resources. The Pueblo were some of the earliest agriculturalists in the area and spent centuries irrigating their crops on the fertile landscape.

Spanish settlers explored the area as early as the late 1500s and referred to the region as “Colorado” for its red-colored earth. The word, Colorado, means colored red. The slogan, “Pikes Peak or Bust,” became commonplace after Lt. Zebulon Pike discovered the mountain whilst exploring the Louisiana purchase. The peak became a landmark to gold seekers traveling west searching for their piece of fortune. Commercial agriculture in the state got its start in con-

junction with the early mining booms to feed the growing number of miners flooding the state. Early settlers were able to claim water-rich bottomlands, while those who arrived later quickly learned how to manuveur water out of rivers to their land. Crops such as hay, alfalfa, sugarbeets, melons, grapes, tree fruits and grains were popular among early settlers. The rolling western slopes and plains of the east drew cattle and sheepherders to the area. Agriculture today Despite an ever-growing urban population, Colorado

has stayed true to its deeplyrooted history of agriculture. With nearly 38,000 farms and ranches, encompassing 31.7 million acres, agriculture lands take up nearly half of the total land area of the state. Ranking 10th nationally in cattle production, Colorado’s number one agriculture commodity is cattle and calves, with nearly 2.8 million head in the state. Colorado is the third ranked state for sheep and lamb totals and is the fourth ranked wool producing state Continued on next page

Colorado ranches featured in this edition 1. Blaine and Judy Evans 2. Cervi Championship Rodeo 3. Nick Trainor 4. Running Creek Ranch 5. Altenburg Super Baldy Ranch 6. Durango Cowboy Poetry Gathering 7. Pharo Cattle Company 8. Morning Fresh Dairy 9. Sidwell Herefords 10. Greeley Hat Works 11. Rancho Largo Cattle Company 12. SEGA Gelbvieh 13. Stargazer Ranch Alpacas 14. Brit Ellerman 15. Nichols Family 16. Ernst Herefords 17. Simpson Sheep 18. Strang Herefords and Angus 19. Truby Herefords 20. Wagner Charolais 21. Erik and Mary Beth Tucker 22. Weaver Ranch 23. Shelby Teague

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2019 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Continued from previous page in the nation. The state is also wellknown for field crops and is a top 10 producer of sunflowers, sugarbeets, proso millet and pinto beans. More than 170,000 jobs in Colorado are related to agriculture and agriculture contributes $40 billion annually to the state’s economy. Warm days and cool nights bring out extra sweetness in fruits grown in the centennial state. Colorado’s leading fruit crops are peaches and apples, the state produced upwards of 27 billion dollars worth of peaches in 2016. As of 2018, Colorado was the number six producer of peaches in the nation. In 1980, Colorado had only a single licensed winery in the state. Today there are more than 140. The grape growing regions in the state range between 4,000 and 7,000 feet in elevation, making them some

of the highest vineyards in the world. The San Luis Valley is the largest and highest commercial agriculture valley in the world, with elevations ranging from 7,400 to 8,000 feet. Potatoes are the most popular crop in the valley and Colorado ranks fifth in national production. Other crops include onions, sweet corn, cabbage, carrots, lettuce and spinach. Livestock inventory According to the 2018 Colorado Agriculture Census, conducted by the National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS), livestock and livestock products totaled $4,638,554 or 59 percent of the total farm marketing receipts in the state of Colorado. Cattle and calves are the number one livestock commodity in Colorado with 2.85 million head in the state in 2018, which includes both beef and dairy cattle, ranking them 10th in

Colorado's stats Population – 5.696 million Nickname – The Centenniel State State Capital – Denver State Flower – Rocky Mountain Columbine State Bird – Lark Bunting State Animal – Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep State Fish – Green Cutthroat Trout State Gemstone – Aquamarine State Soil – Seitz Soil State Motto – Nil sine Numine (Nothing without God)

the nation for cattle production. The largest sector by far is cattle on feed at nearly one million head. There are 809,000 beef cows and heifers, 180,000 beef cow replacements, 810,000 steers and 180,000 calves. Weld County is by far the top cattle producing county with 545,000 head. Yuma County comes in second at 285,000 head and Morgan County rounds out the top three counties with 230,000 head. Colorado’s sheep and lamb production is ranked third in the nation, and wool production is fourth. There are 445,000 total sheep and lambs in the state. There are 195,000 breeding sheep and lambs in the state, which includes ewes and rams over one year of age and replacement lambs. Market sheep come in at 250,000 head. Crop inventory Forty-three percent of farms in Colorado are crop operations. Field, fruit and vegetable crops accounted for 28 percent of the total farm marketing receipts in the state. With a number of top 10 and top five finishes in national crop production, Colorado is the number one producer of proso millet, which is popular for use in bird seed and gluten-free products for human consumption. Corn is the most abundant row crop in the state,

with 185,900,000 bushels produced in 2018. Although it is widely produced in the state, Colorado comes in at 15th and 13th for corn and corn silage respectively. There were 3,315,000 bushels of corn silage produced in 2018. The state is the third ranked sunflower producing state in the nation. Centennial state sunflower farmers produced 90,520,000 pounds of oil and non-oil variety sunflowers. Barley is also commonly grown in Colorado, and the state ranks fourth in national production. The state produced 8,976,000 bushels of barley in 2018.

Coming in at 21,527,000 hundredweights (cwt) of fall potatoes, Colorado is the fifth largest potato producing state in the nation. Grain and silage sorgum alike are popular among Colorado farmers. In 2018, the state produced 20,520,000 bushels of grain sorgum and 375,000 tons of silage. This puts Colorado third and fourth, respectively, in grain and silage sorghum production. The state is also a major player in winter wheat, coming in at fourth nationally for winter varieties. Centennial state farmers produced 86,860,000 bushels of winter wheat. “Colorado agriculture

is dedicated to promoting agriculture at the local, state, national and global levels,” said Colorado Agriculture Commissioner Don Brown. “As a third generation Yuma County farmer, I truly believe faremers and ranchers are the foundation to our great state and country.” Information in this article was compiled from the Colorado Department of Agriculture, Colorado State University libraries and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Callie Hanson is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Cattle country – Colorado is ranked 10th in the nation for cattle production. Cattle and calves are the top commodity in the state with 2.85 million head. Madeline Robinson photo

2019 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Consistency is key Blaine and Judy Evans discuss decades of experience Tucked into the North Park area of Colorado, 120 miles west of Denver and 80 miles south of Laramie, Blaine and Judy Evans have been raising cattle in this rough terrain since 1969. The pair met at Colorado State University, where Blaine was studying to be a veterinarian. Blaine is a native of Kremmling, Colo., and Judy grew up

in Iowa on a cattle feeding operation. Blaine set out to vet school with hopes of returning to ranching, eventually. Early years The Evans were brought to the area when Blaine accepted a job as a resident vet on an absentee owner ranch running 2,300 head. “The first job that

brought me up here was right up my alley,” says Blaine. “I eventually ended up managing the ranch and doing the vet work as well.” The pair stayed on operation through three different owners, but in 1980 they decided they wanted to branch off on their own and leased a ranch nearby. By 1993, they were able to purchase part of the ranch

and continue leasing land for their cattle. “Once we moved off on our own, I began practicing again and it was a really hectic time being the only vet in North Park,” says Blaine. “I would preg test countless cows a year and do around 50 C-sections in the spring.” Blaine notes the work load got to be too much, but it took them two years to get another vet in the area. “I didn’t have much of a selling point for those young kids just getting out of school,” says Blaine. “I was working out of my

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“We run at 8,200 feet above sea level and have been PAP testing for 30-years.We used to see a lot of bulls that PAP test well between 5,000 and 7,000 feet at sales, but that may not hold true in our higher elevations.” -Blaine Evans pickup and doing ranch calls and didn’t have a real establishment.” PAP testing and keen eyes “God made cows to be great in a lot of ways, but he sure didn’t give them enough lungs for Colorado,” Blaine jokes. All jokes aside, Blaine stresses the importance of pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) testing bulls for brisket disease. At high elevation, cattle are more susceptible to severe pulmonary hypertension and right heart, which can cause weakness, collapse, jugular tension and death. “We run at 8,200 feet above sea level and have been PAP testing for 30-years,” Blaine explains. “We used to see a lot of bulls that PAP test well between 5,000 and 7,000 feet at sales, but that may not hold true in our higher elevations.” Blaine explains in order to be successful in a cow/ calf operation at high-elevation, having bulls with the ability to withstand the elevation and cover all the cows in the herd is absolutely crucial. “I was also very lucky to marry a woman who had a better eye for bulls than I ever did,” says Blaine. “Judy grew up on a feeder cow operation and she has always known what good cattle were supposed to look like.” “Our goal is to breed tough cattle that can survive a Colorado winter,” Judy says. “It’s not easy

for them to winter up here, but they just have to be tough.” Moderation is key Blaine notes he is thankful the trend of choosing cows and replacement heifers that were as big as ranchers could get them has finally given way to a more moderate frame. “When we do purchase some cows or bred replacement heifers, we try to stay in the area and buy from neighbors,” he explains. “We are looking to bring in heifers with moderate frames that will wean a good calf.” “Twenty years ago we were all selecting for cattle that were so big they were horse-like and this isn't really the case anymore,” says Blaine. “We realized with those bigger cattle came a bigger feed bill, and they had to wean a much larger calf or we wouldn’t break even.” Blaine explains he now prefers a cow with a smaller frame, that still has some thickness and femininity about her. “We are looking for moderate frames, smooth shoulders, body depth and lots of capacity in the middle,” says Blaine. “A rancher can run a lot more cattle built this way than they can larger framed cattle because they require less resources.” Callie Hanson is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

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2019 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

CS U Extension Building Farmers program provides valuable tools for beginning farmers and ranchers Since 2008, the Colorado Building Farmers Program has been a community-based program for aspiring farmers and ranchers. The program is facilitated by Colorado State University (CSU) Extension. The eight-week introduction to business course is taught by both agriculture professionals and experienced farmers and ranchers. The program is divided into two levels of learning, principles of business planning and management and advanced classes. Participants range in agriculture experience, which provides a broad perspective for discussion in the class. Overview CSU Extension Specialist Martha Sullins explains this program was started in 2008 when her coworker, Adrian Card, noticed a lot of people had the desire to get into agriculture, but had little business knowledge on the subject and didn’t have the resources to learn. “Our goal is to teach critical business development topics,” says Martha. She notes the classes touch on different financial analysis tools, as well as business planning, management and marketing. “We try to fit the classes and subjects to the needs of the area,” she says. “For example, if a lot of the attendees are interested in raising poultry, we would be sure to teach to that crowd.”

She explains that each of the first seven weeks of the program is devoted to individual topics, and the eighth week is designated for business plan presentations. Objectives According to CSU, in the beginning class participants will dive into a collection of topics centered around getting their farms and ranches started. This beginning class helps students identify their business’ short-term and long-term goals and create a vision for their business as well as help them list clear actions for each short- and long-term goal. Participants learn how personal and customer values influence their business plan and perform an analysis to identify potential market niches, customer bases and locations. They will then develop a strategic market position and a strategy to complement their mission and business plan. Students will then be tasked with creating a marketing plan including products, pricing, placement and promotion goals and strategies. They will also identify the three Cs – customers, costs and competition, as well as the four Ps – product, pricing, placement and promotion. The class hones in on the importance of proper record keeping for decision making and students will learn the difference between variable and fixed costs. Students will then develop

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a basic production plan, which will include a calendar, estimated total output of product per market channel and monthly labor estimates. Students will learn how to estimate projected revenue by channel, as well as estimate the net return to management or the amount they pay themselves. The class will look at

labor as a financial risk and go over cost, source and cost of management. The class will also identify record keeping tools such as apps and software and how to use them to improve business management. Marketing plans and cost estimates will then be linked to the production plan and students will learn the importance of financial statements. Key topics in the advanced level classes include legal considerations for farm risk management, ag labor management in complex enter-

prises and developing as a leader. Key impacts “Producers will be able to make connections where they may not have had them before,” Martha says. “The program helps them network with other growers and learn about resources in their area.” “This program has the ability to help producers who are just getting started or experienced producers who are looking at doing something different such as direct marketing or developing a value-added business,” she explains. “This program and the business plan they build

helps producers be more organized and use resources wisely so they can make strategic business decisions.” “Participants will come out of the program with a draft business plan they could present to the bank in an effort to get a loan or use for their own purposes,” says Martha. “If producers want or need support, they have their ideas organized.” Please visit buildingfarmers.com for more information. Callie Hanson is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

2019 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Giving back

Cervi Championship Rodeo works to ensure the future of rodeo Binion Cervi, is the son of founder Mike Cervi and is married to Hannah Cervi. The pair work together, along with other family members and volunteers to put on the Ace High Roughstock Academy. Since 1967, Cervi Championship Rodeo has been putting on professional rodeos, the largest being the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. In an effort to give back, Cervi Championship Rodeo began hosting the Ace High Rough Stock Academy, which is free of charge to participants. “There are a shrink-

ing number of people these days who are riding bucking horses, and our goal was to change that and give people an avenue to learn,” says Hannah Cervi. Ace High Rough Stock Academy “We welcome all ages and experience levels, starting at age 13,” says Hannah. “We view this as a way to give back to the future of rodeo, which is why much of our rodeo community, such as Rodeo Houston and San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo, have helped fund our events.” She notes they have had

participants make the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and a slew of others have found success across high school, collegiate and professional rodeos after attending the school. “For beginners we want to make sure they have good, safe tack,” Hannah says. “We teach them everything from chute procedures to how to get off the horse with a pickup man.” She explains the main goal is for riders to know what to expect in a real rodeo setting. They go as far as to explain the time frames in which riders should follow at

a rodeo. “Participants will start out on the bucking machine and build up to riding saddlebroke horses to practice getting off with a pick-up man,” Hannah explains. “Once they feel comfortable, they will then get on some practice horses. At any point they can go back to saddle horses or

the machine to fix any issues they feel they are having.” Binion Cervi notes this event is how the family gives back to the rodeo community. “If kids don’t have a place to practice, they will choose other activities instead of riding bucking horses and the event will slowly die,” says Binion. “The biggest

issue with practicing on horses is it takes seven people, no matter what.” Binion says he frequently has people ask him if they can practice, but its nearly impossible to have a practice for a single person because it takes two pickup men, two gate men, two people behind the chute and

Rooted in stockmanship Cervi Championship Rodeo prides itself on superior stockmanship, which leads to longevity of their horses. Beginning in 1990, they began to purchase less outside stock and focus on their breeding program. The Cervi Championship Rodeo now consists of over 800 head of horses and over 150 bulls. “Stockmanship is the foundation of

our company,” says Binion Cervi of Cervi Championship Rodeo. “If we don’t take care of our horses they won’t last.” “Raising bucking horses is a lot of work and having good horses doesn’t happen overnight,” Binion explains. “We will continue to work with our younger horses to get them ready. The whole of it is, if we don’t treat our horses right, they won’t last.”

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Young horses – Much like contestants, young horses also need practice. Binion Cervi pointed out most of the horses used at the Ace High Rough Stock Academy won't be in a large professional rodeo for at least another two years. Callie Hanson photo

2019 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Continued from previous page a flank man. This is a major reason why the family began putting on the Ace High Rough Stock Academy. Spectrum of rodeo Binion explains Cervi Championship Rodeo began in 1967, when Mike Cervi bought the original string of stock. “He was a rodeo clown for a long time and eventually bought into this company called Butler Brothers in 1967,” Binion says. What Binion believes

sets Cervi apart from the average stock contractor is the effort put into rodeos of all sizes, from Kimball, Neb. up the road to Rodeo Houston. “Everyone has to start somewhere, athletes and animals alike,” Binion says. “It’s actually more difficult for us to put on a small rodeo because a lot of times the money isn’t there.” He continues, “We make the little ones just as good as the big ones because they

are stepping stones for all involved.” Binion notes he hopes other contractors take a similar initiative as Cervi and give back to the rodeo community by offering outlets for people to practice, especially those just getting started in the sport. Please visit acehighroughstockacad.com for more information. Callie Hanson is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Bareback riders – The number of bareback riders in professional rodeo has steadily decreased over the years. A goal of Ace High Rough Stock Academy is to help revitalize the amount of rough stock participation. Callie Hanson photo

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Practice makes perfect – Though they may fall, participants at the Ace High Rough Stock Academy are given the opportunity to fine-tune their skills. Callie Hanson photo

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2019 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Moving forward Trainor finds learning never stops in cattle business One of the most valuable pieces of advice cattle producer Nick Trainor has to offer young cattlemen is that learning never stops. The young cattle producer makes it his goal to surround himself with positive-thinking ranchers who want to see him succeed. “When I was 18, my goal was to have 500 cows by the time I was 30,” he says. “I probably had 1,000 people tell me I wouldn’t succeed in the cattle business. If I had listened to them, I wouldn’t be where I am today.” Getting started With a $12,000 pickup and a sound, well-thoughtout business plan, Nick built up a cattle business that would make even some seasoned cattle producers envious. Starting out small with some leased land and trader cattle, 12 years

later, he now calls the 26,000 acre Lowry Ranch in Arapahoe County home. The ranch is located near the small town of Watkins, which is 10 miles east of Denver. Although Watkins Colo., only has about 30 residents, Nick jokes he has five million neighbors bordering the perimeter of his fence, since it is in such close proximity to Denver. The Lowry Ranch serves as home base, but Nick also keeps a second grazing lease in Weld County. Between the two ranches, the operation is 60 percent cow/calf, 30 percent yearlings and 10 percent custom grazing. Nick made the decision to include yearlings and custom grazing as part of a management plan addressing a fluctuating cattle market and any-

thing Mother Nature may have in store, including drought. “The cattle cycle and the cattle market dictate what type of cattle we run here,” Nick explains of his management technique. “A percentage of the cows are short-term, and some are what I call tradertype cows that we turn over quicker.” “Our land base grew exponentially at the top of the cattle cycle when cattle were high, and I couldn’t afford to pay $3,000 for a cow. I have always had to be creative in what I buy and how I buy it,” he explains. Mindset is key Motivation and goal setting are two attributes Nick admits are key to his success. “Those who are motivated, and set short and long term goals become the driver,”

he explains. “It’s a pretty powerful tool. An individual who is honest with themself and has some goals written down that they can look at will get them through the hard times.” “They have to develop a mindset that failure just isn’t an option,” he confesses. “I had tons of people ask ʻhow will you ever buy a ranch? How will you ever make it work?ʼ I just refused to accept that, and I think it boiled down to attitude.” “A huge part of my success has been finding the positive-thinking, progressive people early-on,” he adds. Fresh out of college, the young cattlemen says the biggest challenges to starting up a ranching operation were the capital requirements needed and access to land. He also made it a goal to work fulltime for at least six years while he built his cowherd, a land base and a reputation with a banker. “I wanted to build up a big enough operation that I could justify quitting my fulltime job,” he explains. “I think

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this is how a lot of young people have to start if they aren’t inheriting something.” “There are a lot of opportunities out there to break into this business,” Nick continues. “They just have to be looking for them, and realize they probably won’t be perfect.” He continues, “For me, working full-time allowed me to reinvest all my profits from the business back into it and continue to grow. Having a full-time job solved a lot of cash flow problems.” Buying land isn’t an option for most people just starting out. “I leased everything I could, and that would pencil out on paper,” Nick notes. “Young producers need to realize they aren’t likely to get the good ranches when they are just beginners. They are more likely to get the land no one else wants.” He continues, “There is land available, they just have to be willing to put some elbow grease into it.” Putting in work Nick has learned firsthand about putting some work into improving a ranch. The Lowry Ranch had been without a grazing lease for seven years before Nick’s application was chosen from a pool of 18 applicants by the Colorado State Land Board. Portions of the ranch were deemed ungrazable, mostly because it lacked fencing and water sources. Nick spent three years adding 20 miles of pipeline, several new water tanks, wells and storage tanks and 24 miles of high tensile fence. “There wasn’t a lot of infrastructure when I came here,” he explains. The Colorado State Land Board invested a lot into new infrastructure, and partnerships with the Nature of Conservancy and the Natural Resource Conservation

Service helped pay for the rest of it.” “They were an important part of helping me build this ranch up so it could handle the type of grazing I wanted to do,” he says. “I’ve been lucky to have good partners who are committed to seeing this place work.” Continuing education is also important to Nick, so he regularly attends educational events just to learn. “I think people need to be life-long learners and be willing to try new ideas. If they don’t get themselves out there, they won’t learn about new and better ways to do things. Most of the good ideas I have had, I stole from someone else,” he says. He continues, “This business is dynamic and constantly changing. A young producers’ odds are stacked against them. The best thing they have going for them is knowledge.” Nick is involved with management groups, like Ranching for Profit and Holistic Management International, so he can network with like-minded, successful ranchers who are willing to share ideas to improve their operations. He also takes part in an executive link program with the Ranching for Profit group that meets three times a year, and allows him to network with progressiveminded people. “The benefits of this group are far-reaching,” Nick says. “Everyone in it has big ideas and are willing to share them. It is a group of open-minded people always looking for something bigger and better. I think the power of positivity is important. I want to surround myself with positive people.” Gayle Smith is a corresponding writer for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

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have run my EZ Ration Processor for two winters now. I continually find ways to use it to improve herd health and lower my feed and labor costs. With the EZ Ration I can blend different kinds of hay, straw, and corn silage to allow every cow to get a good balanced ration, or on snowy, cold days, use it to bed straw in the field and I can do this all from the comfort of the heated cab on my tractor. I have flaked hay a couple of times this winter and saw that the cows did not clean it up as well and were not as content as when I feed with the EZ Ration. The other big advantage to the EZ Ration is you will not find better customer service. RC and his staff have proven time and time again that their customer service is second to none. If you are a cow/calf operator and, like me, see the biggest expense in your operation is winter feed, you need to seriously consider the advantages of one of these machines.” ezration@ezration.com - Brennon Jones Kim, CO 81049

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2019 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Family tradition Running Creek Ranch maintains practical traditions and humble spirits In 1970, Joe Freund founded the Running Creek Ranch in Elizabeth, Colo., southeast of Denver, and started raising Limousin cattle nine years later. Today, his son, Joe Freund, owns and operates the family business, which has grown into a successful registered purebred seedstock operation. In fact, during the last several years, Running Creek Ranch has registered more Limousin cattle than any other seedstock producer. Despite the ranch’s apparent success, Joe remains humble. “We are just a typical ranch with small beginnings that grew over the years and evolved into a seedstock operation,” says Joe. He continues, “We fell in love with the Limousin breed because of the efficiency, calving ease and growth of these cattle. Our climate, altitude and grass make for a great place to run Limousins.” “We have always been pleased with the Limousin breed and aspire to keep our customers happy – that’s the most important thing,” Joe adds. Utilizing top-notch genetics Through artificial insemination, Running Creek Ranch utilizes the best calving ease and performance genetics available for their herd. Quality and volume are two of the driving forces at the forefront of their program. “Our goal is to raise quality Limousin bulls that meet industry standards,” Joe states. “We finish some of our cattle out as well, and we want those we finish to produce highyielding carcasses that are also high in quality. We strive to raise feed efficient cattle as well.” Marketing high-performing cattle Every year, Running Creek Ranch markets 250 virgin two-year-old bulls and 300 bred heifers. They work to produce performance oriented, range-ready bulls and females with an emphasis on balanced trait selection. “We sell almost 250 twoyear-old bulls every year all over the country, but mainly in Colorado and surrounding states,” says Joe. “One of the things unique to our operation, is that we sell all of our bulls private treaty.” “We sell the majority of our bulls during the spring months, February through May, but we also have bulls for sale year-round,” Joe adds. Like many cattlemen in northern Colorado, Joe takes advantage of his close proximity to the National Western Stock Show (NWSS) in Denver. “With the NWSS being so close to home, we always take bulls to put on display,” says Joe. “We also sell some of our bulls in Denver.” Keeping it practical “Another thing we have that is fairly unique to our

operation, is we try to keep things very practical,” explains Joe. “We do a lot of work with draft horses. In fact, during the winter, we feed all of our cows using a team of horses.” Joe notes while growing up, his dad always had several teams of Belgian horses. Today, Joe runs four teams of Belgians. “We usually use two of our teams to feed with in the winter,” explains Joe. “We also go compete in pulling contests during the summer.” Joe explains his dad actually orchestrated and exe-

cuted the first draft horse show and pulling contest at the NWSS. “On top of Limousin cattle, draft horses are one of our passions,” says Freund. “They always have been. We use them daily and wouldn’t be able to run the ranch without them.” Please visit runningcreekranch.com for more information. Hannah Bugas is the assistant editor for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Success with Limousins – Running Creek Ranch has found success raising Limousin cattle. In fact, Running Creek Ranch has registered more Limousin cattle than any other seedstock producer over the last few years. Courtesy photo

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2019 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Lofty goals

Super moderate, super sound, Super Baldy “We have been in the Simmental business for about 40 years – it’s been a long time,” remarks Willie Altenburg, owner of Altenburg Super Baldy Ranch, alongside his wife Sharon. Similar to many cattle operations, Altenburg Super Baldy Ranch started small. However, over the years, the ranch, located north of Fort Collins, Colo., has grown and is currently comprised of nearly 250 head of black and red Simmental cattle. During the summer and fall months, these cattle graze the large, native grass pastures of the Soapstone Grazing Association that straddles the Colorado and Wyoming border. “We got our start in northern Colorado and started raising Simmentals because I was drawn to them for a few different

reasons,” states Willie. “I like the maternal attributes of the Simmental breed, and I was intrigued by the American Simmental Association’s (ASA) performance programs and open artificial insemination (AI) rule, which allowed me to enter the breed with minimal investment.” Willie notes the origin of the ranch’s name and the term Super Baldy. “An old guy I knew once told me the white face SimAngus-cross cattle are better than the white face of a baldy, it’s a super baldy. The term super baldy just kind of stuck and that’s why we’re called the Super Baldy Ranch,” Willie explains. Today, many associate the term “Super Baldy” with Altenburg’s cattle and genetics, which emphasize moderate frame size,

soundness, calm disposition and fertility. Utilizing technology to reach lofty goals Willie notes one of the goals of the Altenburg Super Baldy Ranch is to produce useful seedstock for commercial cattlemen who raise crossbred cattle. “We raise straightbred cattle so our customers can crossbreed theirs,” says Willie. “In fact, many of our customers run Angus operations in northern Colorado and Wyoming because Simmental compliment Angus very well.” “We actually give up a lot to run a purebred operation, but we do it to help commercial cattlemen who are utilizing hybrid vigor and other benefits of crossbreeding in their herds,” Willie adds. “Satisfied customers provide the incentive for us to keep produc-

ing our purebred Simmentals.” Willie’s extensive background in the AI industry, working for American Breeders Service (ABS), Genex CRI and Select Sires, has helped him reach his second goal of “taking technology and information and making it practical.” In fact, the Altenburg’s are fervent advocates of utilizing AI and embryo transfer (ET) technologies. “I think it confuses a lot of folks that we run 250 cows and sell 150 bulls every year,” explains Willie. “We are able to do this through the use of embryo transfer and sexed semen.” Willie notes Altenburg Super Baldy Ranch has several cooperating herds in the area that they work very closely with. “We are actually able transfer embryos in about 120 cows in our cooperating herds and bring back bull calves from ETs out of these herds. With the use of sexed semen we are able

“We actually give up a lot to run a purebred operation, but we do it to help commercial cattlemen who are utilizing hybrid vigor and other benefits of crossbreeding in their herds. Satisfied customers provide the incentive for us to keep producing our purebred Simmentals,” – Willie Altenburg, Altenburg Super Baldy Ranch to get a higher percentage of bull calves out of these herds as well,” Willie adds. Super baldies overseas After managing several cooperating herds close to home, the Altenburg’s stumbled upon a unique opportunity overseas. “A few years ago we had a producer out of Australia come look at our cattle, and he them cattle so much he decided to run one of our cooperating herds,” says Willie. “It’s pretty crazy, but now we also have a herd of our super baldy cattle in western Australia. We send about 50 embryos over there every year.” Willie admits he doesn’t travel to Australia as much as he would like, but when he does he thoroughly enjoys seeing his cattle thriving overseas in a different climate. Altenburg sales Back in the U.S., Altenburg Super Baldy Ranch genetics are marketed through three annual sales. The Wild, Wild West Sale takes place in January during the National Western Stock Show in Den-

ver, the Super Baldy Bull and Heifer Sale takes place in the spring at the Centennial Livestock Auction in Fort Collins, Colo., and the upcoming Bred To Be Cows Sale is scheduled for Dec. 7 at 1 p.m. in the Centennial Livestock Auction in Fort Collins, Colo. as well. The Altenburgs sell about 120 bulls a year through these annual production sales. In addition, they also sell 30 to 40 bulls private treaty. “I would just like to add that this has been fun,” says Willie. “The cattle business is exciting. There is always something new on the horizon with genetics and genomics and pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP). Its hard to stay ahead and its hard to keep a cutting edge operation, but its always exciting and it’s always fun.” Please visit altenburgsuperbaldy.com for more information. Hannah Bugas is the assistant editor for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Simmental waterfall – Willie Altenburg and family trail their Super Baldy Simmental cattle down a ravine in the Soapstone Grazing Association that straddles the Colorado and Wyoming border. Courtesy photo

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2019 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Upholding traditions

Durango Cowboy Poetry Gathering promotes western heritage Durango, Colo. – Each October, herds of cowboy performers and poets descend upon Durango, Colo. to celebrate the rich ranching history of the area and share tales of the cowboy lifestyle. The Durango Cowboy Gathering, Inc. is a non-profit organization working to preserve and perpetuate the traditions of working ranch people in the American West. The event celebrates the lifeways of rural people by creating the

“campfire” around which anyone with an interest can come to share in the appreciation of the culture and traditions unique to the West. The reach of this event spans much further than a single weekend, as the organization works year-round to educate others about the rich traditions of working cowboys and helps support local youth in agriculture. Keeping to tradition In 1989, local custom

cowboy hat maker Kevin O’Farrell visited the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nev. O’Farrell knew he had to bring a similar event to his hometown of Durango and the rest is history. O’Farrell has since passed, but the legacy of his event remains. Executive Coordinator Linda Mannix has been involved with the event since its inception. She notes she and her husband previously put on a professional rodeo in the area, and were ranchers up until recently when they retired and sold their cowherd. In 2005, Linda was brought in to be the full-time executive coordinator and self-proclaimed “chief cat herder.” “The format of our event is true to the roots of these original events,” says Linda. “We focus on poetry and music.”

Linda explains these kinds of poems and songs got their start from cowboys on the ranch telling stories and coming up with various poems, songs and ideas. “There is a whole circuit of cowboy poetry gatherings. Through word of mouth and other gatherings we are able to bring in some great performers to our event,” says Linda. “The overall purpose of this is to preserve the history and culture of the American cowboy and the ranching industry,” says Linda. “We look for performers who want to celebrate this culture.” Cowboy parade In addition to their poetry event, the Durango Cowboy Poetry Gathering hosts one of the largest motorless parades in the country. “The parade features people on horseback, horse and mule drawn carriages and vehicles and other walking entrants,” says Linda. True to the tradition of honoring real, working cowboys, the 2019 parade Marshalls each represent a long history of agriculture in the

Durango area. Hi-Country Cattle and the Cugini Family will be leading the parade through Durango. The Cuginis immigrated from Italy and built a ranch south of Durango. Each of their sons became involved with the cattle industry, including Pat, who later became a local auctioneer. Pat owned and operated Basin Livestock until 1980, when he started Hi-Country Cattle Auction in Breen, Colo. The auction is still under the management of the Cugini family today. Youth involvement Linda notes the organization is very involved in youth outreach in the area. The gathering features a Rising Western Stars show, which allows youth to perform their own poetry and music. “We want to see these young people get involved with their western roots,” says Linda. “We didn’t have a youth show for a couple years, but we are bringing it back. It was always a very popular event.” The Durango FFA Chap-

ter is also highly involved with the cowboy gathering. Each February, local FFA student leaders make a formal presentation to the cowboy gathering board to request funding for their chapters. In return, students assist with several events during the gathering. The organization also spreads the word of cowboy traditions through local schools, where they send some of their performers to teach children the traditions of working cowboys. “The Durango area has gotten more suburban in recent years, and we want children to realize the history and culture of the area they live in,” says Linda. “A lot of kids these days don’t know where their food come from. This country was built on agriculture and we don’t want our youth to forget that.” Please visit durangocowboypoetrygathering.com for more information. Callie Hanson is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Old West style – Peace Commission and Bayfield Belles in the lobby of the Strater Hotel. Courtesy photo

Cowboy arts – Cowboy poets and musicians perform at the historic Strater Hotel. Courtesy photo

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2019 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Against the Grain Pharo Cattle Co. breaks the norms to produce profitable cattle Being the second generation on a cattle operation has allowed for Kit Pharo, founder of Pharo Cattle Co., to see the cattle business in a different light and go against the status quo of the industry as a whole. “My dad was born and raised in Denver. He was a city kid who wanted to be a cowboy,” says Kit. “Because of this, I was not constrained by any bad habits or traditions.” In 1985, Kit had the chance to lease land and purchase some commercial cows. This endeavor made him realize being profitable in the cattle business was not as easy as he had previously believed.

“I knew we had to do something different in order to be profitable,” says Kit. “We started rotational grazing and were able to substantially increase our stocking rate by 50 percent.” He notes in the 1980s, everyone wanted to wean as big a calf as possible, which led to substantial increase in cow size, thus making them more expensive to maintain. “Every bull we purchased at that time was taking our cowherd in the wrong direction. While everyone else was trying to increase size, we were wanting to increase profit,” he says. “At that point, we decided we had to go against the grain.”

Kit is also a proponent of more natural calving times. “Instead of calving in late winter/early spring, we aim to calve in May,” says Kit. “Other grazers, such as deer and antelope, have their babies at this time.” Low maintenance “Producers need to look at pounds per acre instead of pounds per cow,” says Kit. “With moderate-framed, low-maintenance cows, we can run 30 percent more cows.” He notes all animals have a minimum maintenance requirement. Maintenance requirements must be met before any weight gain or reproduction can take place.

Pounds per acre – Pharo Cattle Company focuses on how many pounds per acre cattle can wean as opposed to how much weight a single cow can wean. Courtesy photo

“When the continental breeds such as Simmentals and Charolais came to the U.S., it only increased the craze for larger framed cattle,” says Kit. “We eventually outSimmental’d the Simmentals,” he says. “Everyone was trying to make cattle bigger and bigger, with no thought about profitability.” He notes moderate framed cattle are not only lower maintenance, but will wean more pounds per acre than larger framed cattle who require more inputs just to stay in production. Cooperative herds “We sold our first bulls in 1991 and started a monthly newsletter in 1994,” Kit says. “By the late 1990s, we were sending newsletters out to 10,000 people. We now have over 20,000 subscribers.” “As our customer base increased, we couldn’t keep up with bull demand,” says Kit. “In the late 90s we started working with other producers with the same genetics and philosophies.” “This is what started our cooperative herds,” says Kit. “We currently have cooperative herds in 12 different states and Australia.” He continues, “We have five bull sales a year in the U.S. held in Texas, Missouri, Nebraska and two in Colorado. We are selling 1,000 grass-developed

bulls per year.” Pharo Cattle Company has one cooperative herd in Australia. “They have purchased some of our best bulls. Since they can’t ship the bulls across the ocean, they will collect upwards of 5,000 units of semen samples to use on their cowherd,” says Kit. Herd quitters “I have been asked to speak to college students and other groups of young people and I encourage them to be ‘Herd Quitters,’” says Kit. “The most successful people throughout history, were contrarians. When everyone was

headed west, they went east. If it wasn’t for the herd quitters, the world would still be flat.” He notes a lot of young people get trapped in the status quo and end up doing the same exact things their parents and grandparents did before. “I challenge young people to think for themselves, even if that’s not always easy,” says Kit. Please visit pharocattle.com for more information. Callie Hanson is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Checking cattle – Kit and Tyson Pharo riding through the cowherd. Courtesy photo

Moderate frame – Moderate framed cattle are not only lower maintenance, but will wean more pounds per acre than larger framed cattle who require more inputs just to stay in production. Courtesy photo

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2019 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Small family farm flourishes into a lasting dairy legacy For Morning Fresh Dairy, the phrase “farm to table” is more than a trend, it’s a reality. In fact, with their enduring home delivery service, Coloradoans around Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, Bellvue, Laporte, Wellington, Windsor, Timnath, Ault, Severance, Eaton and Berthoud, have the opportunity to enjoy wholesome milk, creamy yoghurt, delectable cheese and many other fresh products straight from the Morning Fresh farm. Since its beginning as a small family farm in the 1800s, Morning Fresh has only continued to flourish. The beginning of a legacy “Back in 1894, W.C. Graves, his wife Arista and their son, Charlie, left Illinois to escape the tuberculosis epidemic,” explains Morning Fresh Dairy’s Marketing Manager Sarah “Pinky” Hughes. “They came out to Denver via train, rented a covered wagon and spent some time exploring the area.” “They traveled from Pikes Peak to Steamboat and then down the Poudre Canyon,” she continues. “W.C. fell in love with the land at the mouth of the Poudre Canyon and decided, in the spur of the moment, to purchase 254 acres from a man named

C.W. Herrington for $6,000.” “When Charlie grew up, he and his wife Helen took over the farm. Together they had a daughter, Millah and son, Robert. Complications surrounding Robert’s birth in 1933, forced them to expand their dairy business to pay the mounting hospital bills, which led to Morning Fresh Dairy’s home delivery service,” Pinky explains. Today, delivering fresh dairy straight to their customers’ doors is still the dairy’s main service, although they have grown substantially and branched into new avenues over the years. Pinky notes after Robert graduated from veterinary school in 1956 and spent some time working as a vet in Wyoming, he moved back and took over the farm with his wife, Sherry. Robert and Sherry had four children – Rob, Laura, Sarah and Christine. “Their oldest daughter, Laura, was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of seven,” Pinky states. “Bob and Sherry made a difficult decision to allow Laura to become the world’s first bone marrow transplant recipient from a non-related donor. This then led to the creation of the National Marrow Donor Program called Be the Match,

which is a lasting legacy of the Graves’ family.” “In 1992, Rob and his wife Lori, took over the farm and still run it today,” Pinky says. All natural dairy “Since taking over, Rob and Lori have implemented numerous changes to the farm to positively impact the local community and environment,” Pinky says. “They switched to reusable glass bottles, moved to pesticidefree farming and now use cow manure as fertilizer.” Today, Morning Fresh Dairy is home to nearly 6,000 dairy cows and prides themselves on their high-quality, all-natural milk. The farm controls the entire process to assure their customers receive the highest quality products possible. In order to accomplish this, Morning Fresh Dairy raises their own cows without the use of hormones and grows their own alfalfa and grain without the use of pesticides. Morning Fresh Dairy also bottles their own milk with reusable glass bottles and delivers directly to their customers’ door with emission-free electric vehicles. On top of their all-natural, farm-fresh milk, the dairy also markets cream,

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half and half, flavored milk, buttermilk, milk alternatives, Noosa Yoghurt, butter, cheese, protein shakes, eggs, juice, cookie dough, honey, coffee and granola – all of which can be delivered straight to their customers’ doors. “One of the most exciting things we offer are our flavored milks,” says Pinky. “Of course there is chocolate and strawberry milk, but we also have Root Beer Milk, Eggnog and a new flavor we just released last week, milkaccino – coffee flavored milk.” Noosa Yoghurt In relatively recent years, Rob co-founded Noosa Yoghurt, adding another successful ware to Morning Fresh Dairy’s long list of popular products. Pinky explains, “In 2008, Rob was approached by Koel Thomae, from the Sunshine Coast of Australia, who saw a flyer for Morning Fresh Dairy in a coffee shop in Boulder. The two immediately decided they should start making delicious yoghurt together.” “In 2009, Noosa received the green light from the Colorado State Health Department, and a factory was built on the grounds of Morning Fresh’s farm,” Pinky adds. “The next year, Noosa hit the shelves with four flavors, and I guess you could say the rest is history.” Today, Noosa markets 13 unique flavors of their popular yoghurt and has

“Morning Fresh invites everyone to come tour our beautiful farm, learn about our history, visit our café and taste our delicious products,” – Sarah “Pinky” Hughes, Morning Fresh Dairy

expanded their manufacturing facility in an effort to keep up with high demand. “Noosa started its operation using solely Morning Fresh milk, but has grown so much, they use way more milk than we can supply,” Pinky explained. “We still supply a large amount of milk, however, and all of Noosa’s yoghurt is made right here on our farm.” Howling Cow Café In addition to the Noosa factory, Morning Fresh has continued to expand in other ways as well. In fact, the newly built Howling Cow Café, has added a new aspect to the diary. “Lori started the Howling Cow Café a few years ago,” explains Pinky. “She is really into biking and created the café, not only as a way to market products made by Morning Fresh, but to connect the dairy to the biking community as well.” She continues, “There is a trail winding around the area that passes the café. It really encourages people to get active, visit the farm and fall in love with our products.” Morning Fresh Dairy’s

products, including Noosa Yoghurt, can be found at the Howling Cow Café, as well as home-baked goods, specialty coffees and soft serve ice cream. Although Howling Cow Café was constructed with the biking community in mind, its doors are welcome to any and all visitors. Pinky says, “Morning Fresh invites everyone to come tour our beautiful farm, learn about our history, visit our café and taste our delicious products.” Please visit morningfreshdairy.com for more information. Hannah Bugas is the assistant editor for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net. visit the farm.

Fresh from the farm – Morning Fresh Dairy offers a variety of farm-fresh dairy products including an assortment of flavored milks. Courtesy photo

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2019 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Cattle capital Throughout their storied history, Colorado has always been NCBA’s home Denver – During the National Stock Growers Convention in 1898, the predecessor to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the National Livestock Association (NLSA) was born. The founders had a plan to form “An association of associations,” which would represent every branch of the livestock industry, from cattle to hogs, to sheep, chickens, goats and horses. The organization has experienced numerous mergers, organizational splits, natural disasters, wars and an evolving consumer. Need for a voice Founding members saw the need for an organized voice for cattle producers during the crude, early days of the cattle industry. Pro-

ducers were subject to fence cuttings, cattle rustling and conflicting land claims. On top of all these issues, there was a packer monopoly, which kept market information away from cattle producers and the myriad of new railroads were charging extremely high shipping rates. Charles F. Martin and John W. Springer, both members of the Livestock Committee of the Denver Chamber of Commerce and Trade Board called a National Stock Growers Convention Jan. 25 to 27, 1898, in Denver, Colo. More than 2,000 producers attended this meeting to discuss trade, public lands and the packer trust, but the main order was the formation of NLSA. The first year of NLSA

1 23 1 2 3

was fairly successful. NLSA had 53 organizational members, who represented 5,000 producers with nine million head of stock. They initiated legislative lobbying and large scale communication through a monthly newsletter. Splinter groups Following early growth, NLSA came across hard times as prices went down and railroad charges went up. Range wars and public land disputes continued to be an issue, and subsequently NSLA lost support. These disagreements spurred the creation of splinter groups such as the American Cattle Growers Association (ACGA). In 1905, some ACGA members sought to remove those associated with railroads from their mem-

bership. In an attempt to keep all aspects of the cattle industry represented, the movement was defeated. This issue caused another group to splinter off, which was was known as the American Stock Growers Association. Frank J. Hagenbarth, NLSA president from 1904 to 1905, persistently worked for harmony between the divided groups. In 1906, the National Livestock Association and the American Stock Growers Association merged into one strong organization - the American National Livestock Association (ANSLA). 1906 was quite an interesting year for beef producers as The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair was released, exposing the poor sanitary practices used in meat packing plants. ANSLA supported the federal government in the passing of the first Federal Meat Inspection Act. This support was a major victory and gave beef a better acceptance by con-

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sumers. Changing times As World War I ravaged Europe and Americans sent hordes of soldiers across the Atlantic, producers were struck with the question of how they would meet the supply and demand of the war effort. On top of increased war-time demand, they were also attempting to contain the spread of contagious diseases, control predators and fight the increase in commission charges. In 1921, the “Big Five” packers were busted after being established as a monopoly and violating anti-trust laws. In 1922, the National Livestock and Meat Board was officially organized to “build demand by promoting the product,” and in 1924, meat grading was introduced into the meat processing system. During this time, society paid very little mind to how their actions affected the environment. The early 1930s devastated the Great Plains as droughts persisted, creating what we know now as the “Dust Bowl.” As part of Roosevelt’s New Deal designed to bring the country out of the devastating depression of the time, Roosevelt introduced the Agriculture Adjustment Act, which was the first time the government took any initiative in managing agriculture. Another portion of the New Deal was the Taylor Grazing Act, which laid out rules for grazing fees and gave security to ranchers grazing on public lands. This effectively ended homesteading and the open range. In 1941, the U.S. involvement in World War II began and ANSLA pledged to make the necessary sacrifices to assure an adequate supply of beef for those at home and overseas. The end of both World War II and the Korean War meant ANSLA could better focus on non-war-time issues such as lands, tariffs and disease control. Checkoffs In 1951, ANSLA changed their name to American National Cattlemen’s Association (ANCA). The great cattle bust of 1953 forced normally independent cattlemen to accept government aid. Jay Taylor, ANCA president from 1954 to 1955, saw the need for change and realized beef producers could not rely on government aid. An advocate for self-help in the beef industry, he led the charge to pass a nationally legislated checkoff. Disagreement between ANCA, American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Livestock Meat Board caused the failure of seven check off bills. There was strife in the industry as organizations such as the National Beef

Council relied on voluntary contributions, while the Meat Board collected from producers through markets. In 1956, 17 state-affiliated beef councils formed in support of the National Beef Council. Following extreme disagreement, the groups compromised to form the Beef Industry Council (BIC) of the National Livestock and Meat Board. The transition between the 1960s and the 1970s saw consumers having more of a voice and they began to play a role in the direction of the beef industry. President Nixon imposed the first peacetime price controls. The 1973 price freeze on beef caused “The Wreck,” which was a severe crack in the cattle market and subsequently a dramatic herd reduction. “The Wreck” spurred ANCA to push for a national checkoff again, the first checkoff program for beef on its third attempt in 1986. Shortly after, the American National Cattlemen’s Association and the National Livestock Feeders Association consolidated into one national organization in 1977, the National Cattlemen’s Association (NCA). The final merger The late 1970s spelled trouble for the economy as a whole as inflation grew out of control and the value of the dollar shrunk. Interest rates rose and ag credit was non-existence. Many family farms and ranches were lost. During this time, NCA drew a “map for the future,” which laid out the association’s goals for the following decade. This also laid the groundwork for a third and final merger. The national one dollar per head beef checkoff program went into effect on Oct. 1, 1986, collecting an average of $80 million per year for the promotion and marketing of beef. An industry-wide Long Range Planning Task Force was formed in the early 90s to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the industry. After months of review, the task force concluded that to truly be effective, the various existing beef organizations must merge This merger gave birth to what we know now as the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Operating agreements were signed with other similar organizations such as the Beef Promotion and Research Board, U.S. Meat Export Federation and American National CattleWomen. Information in this article was compiled from the National Cattlemen’s Association Historical archives. For more information about NCBA, visit ncba.org. Callie Hanson is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

2019 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

WYOMING ANGUS ASSOCIATION Staple J Angus-Baker Family Betty or Cory Baker

331 Normandy Rd. • Wheatland, WY 82201 307-322-2346 • 307-331-9144

XL Angus Ranch Bob & Kate Ballew

PO Box 989 • Evansville, WY 82636 307-258-0107 bob@bkfarmsllc.com

Sled Runner Cattle Co. Kailey Barlow

PO Box 1223 • Big Piney, WY 83113 307-260-6409 kaileybarlow23@gmail.com www.sledrunnercattle.com

M Diamond Angus Brad Boner

PO Box 1345 • Glenrock, WY 82637 307-436-5406 brad@mdiamondangus.com

M Diamond Angus Trent Boner

PO Box 15 • Douglas, WY 82633 307-359-2708 trent@mdiamondangus.com

Douglas Booth Family Angus Dudley & Jennifer Booth

4156 Road 82 •Torrington, WY 82240 307-532-7179 • 307-532-6207 dbooth@scottsbluff.net www.boothfamilyangus.com

Douglas Booth Family Angus Douglas & Carolyn Booth

2 Bit Cattle Carlissa French & Keith Davis

PO Box 837 • Douglas, WY 82633 307-351-4275 tannarodeman@yahoo.com

Clay Creek Angus Jim French

Kilts Angus Russell & Sheila Kilts

J Bar M Angus John & ManDee Moore

ELK Angus Tyler and Megan Scales

3334 Road 14 • Greybull, WY 82426 307-762-3541 bulls@claycreek.net • www.claycreek.net

Gardner’s Heart Dot Angus Bret & Laurie Gardner 720 Missouri Valley Rd. Shoshoni, WY 82649 307-856-0282

Godley Angus Ranch Gary Godley

PO Box 382 • Edgerton, WY 82635 307-437-6466 307-267-2566 shekilts@rtconnect.net

Klein Angus Bill Klein

256 Brookside Rd. • Wheatland, WY 82201 307-331-0136 Bill82201@yahoo.com

Rafter T Angus Kale & Kim Kretschman

Neiman Cattle Company Ryan & Sonnie Neiman

721 Middle Prong Rd. • Gillette, WY 82716 307-736-2415 • 307-299-4569 raftert@rangeweb.net

541 Mona Rd. • Alva, WY 82711 307-290-0791 neimancattle.com

Grandstaff Angus Curtis & Cheryl Grandstaff

Kretschman Angus Kelby & Lacey Kretschman

Nickel Cattle Co. Kevin & Jackie Nickel

800 W.S. Hwy 151, Box 155 LaGrange, WY 82221 307-834-2459 • 307-575-2459 granny@prairieweb.com

Gray’s Angus Ranch Rod & Lora Gray

4281 Henry Rd. • Harrison, NE 69346 308-668-2520 (h) 308-668-2525 (o)

Double Lazy A Daniel Greet

2578 Road 58 • Veteran, WY 82243 307-575-0294 307-837-2925

Ken Haas Angus Ken & Heather Haas

4766 State Hwy 151 LaGrange, WY 82221 307-834-2356 www.kenhaasangus.com

Hancock Livestock Charles Hancock

1336 Lower Powder River Rd. Arvada, WY 82831 307-736-2327 307-351-0794 klkret@rangeweb.net

Broken Arrow Angus, Inc. Travis & Katie Krein

6801 US Hwy 29 • Harrison, NE 69346 308-665-5085 brokenarrowangus.com

Little Goose Ranch Chad Bradshaw, Manager

PO Box 770 • Big Horn, WY 82833 228 Little Goose Canyon Rd. Big Horn, WY 82833 307-751-1535 • 307-673-0049 chad4lgr@yahoo.com littlegooseranch.com

Lisco Angus Jordan Lisco

554 Tank Farm Rd. • Douglas, WY 82633 307-359-1683

Lisco Angus Richard W. (Dick) Lisco

554 Tank Farm Rd. • Douglas, WY 82633 307-358-3810 (h) • 307-359-0167 (c) liscoangus@vcn.com

Lisco Angus Taylor Lisco

PO Box 435 • Basin, WY 82410 307-250-6900 hanstock76@gmail.com www.hancocklivestock.com

554 Tank Farm Rd. • Douglas, WY 82633 307-359-2707(c)

Buline Angus Jim, Pam and Robert Buline

Herring Angus Ranch Kal & Vickie Herring

SS Ranch Company Andy & Stacy Malm

623 Old Yellowstone Hwy Crowheart, WY 82512 307-486-2300

PO Box 275 • Encampment, WY 82325 307-327-5396 307-329-8228

K-Butterfield Livestock Kim & Janet Butterfield

Pat & Marilyn Herring

PO Box 128 • LaGrange, WY 82221 307-834-0128

Malm Ranch Co. Gordon Malm

2925 Road 54 Veteran, WY 82243 307-575-7340- Kim 307-575-2426- Janet

5463 Road 27 • Veteran, WY 82243 307-837-2540 307-532-6170 gbarh@bbcwb.net www.angusjournal.com/gbarh/

PO Box 55 • Albin, WY 82050 307-246-3223-Gordon 307-834-0128-Andy mrc3mt@aol.com www.malmranch.com

Camblin Livestock Mike & Danna Camblin

Hiser Farms Wesley & Velvet Hiser

WEBO Angus Odessa Mathias

Curt & Diane Cox

PO Box 882 • Casper, WY 82602 307-262-1410 (Wes) 307-277-5952 whiser@wyoheart.com velvethiser@yahoo.com

Hoggs Angus Ronee, Michael & Kurt Hogg

1835 Willow Creek Rd. Casper, WY 82604 307-630-4604 curt@wylr.net

5423 St. Hwy 120 • Meeteetse, WY 82433 307-868-2431 307-272-9602 hoggsangus@tctwest.net

Lazy GT Ranch Don Cox

Hytrek Cattle Company Toby Hytrek

4024 I-25 Service Rd. Cheyenne, WY 82009 307-630-0400

7405 Jacob Place • Cheyenne, WY 82009 307-760-7664 thytrek@gmail.com

Davidson Angus Peter & Susan Davidson

Ingalls Angus & Quarter Horses

208 S. Main St. • Burrlington, WY 82411 307-762-3612

Flying M Angus Larry & Jackie Dobrenz

PO Box 1782 • Riverton, WY 82501 307-690-7557 dan@ingalls.us

Dan Ingalls

6566 Clareton Hwy. • Gillette, WY 82718 307-464-0315

PO Box 51977 • Casper, WY 82605 307-690-7557 dan@ingalls.us

Earhart Farms Larry & Andrea Earhart

Lucky 7 Angus Jim & Jamie Jensen

1373 Road 8 • Powell, WY 82435 307-272-5171 307-754-3709 Learhart@tctwest.net

PO Box 1445 • Riverton, WY 82501 307-850-2514 cowboybulls@hotmail.com www.lucky7angus.com

Labonte Creek Angus Ranch Neil & Clarice Forgey

Jensen Angus Justin & Renee Jensen

193 K-Field Rd. • Lost Springs, WY 82224 307-351-1944 labontecreek@hotmail.com

PO Box 316 • Boulder, WY 82923 307-367-2510 (h) • 307-360-9136 (c) rjj@wyoming.com

Horse Creek Angus, LLC Dan, Bobbie and Shade Frank

Bill & Chris Johnson

5396 CR 236 Meriden, WY 82081 307-421-4022 www.horsecreekangus.com

SO Cattle Diane Frank Mike & Angie McConnell

420 Lyons Valley Rd. • Lander, WY 82520 307-332-4062 • 307-332-5969 socattle@wyoming.com www.socattle.com

Wood River Cattle Co. Mike Moyer

16968 Hwy B Houston, MO 65483 307-340-1351 mikemoyer312@gmail.com

3410 County Road 163 Pine Bluffs, WY 82082 307-246-3281

PO Box 130 • Maybell, CO 81640 970-629-5308 (Mike) 970-629-5309 (Danna) camblinlivestock@gmail.com Facebook: Camblin Livestock Instagram: camblinlivestock

4095 Ross Rd. • Douglas, WY 82633 307-464-6222 jjcattleco@gmail.com

PO Box 304 • Kaycee, WY 82639 307-267-2683 godley@rtconnect.net www.godleyangus.com

B & D Cattle Co. Bill & Dana Haas

Bowman Cattle Lyle Bowman

5-5 Angus Colton & Tanna Rodeman

PO Box 1115 • Glenrock, WY 82637 307-436-2504 stan@stanmitchem.com

Booth’s Cherry Creek Ranch Lindsy Booth

2749 Road 60 • Veteran, WY 82243 307-837-2994 boothangus@scottsbluff.net www.boothscherrycreekranch.com

Mitchem Ranch Stan & Karen Mitchem

9250 Zero Road • Casper, WY 82604 307-457-2314 jokeithkv@rtconnect.net

1728A Hwy 434 • Ten Sleep, WY 82442 307-366-2062 dgreet@tctwest.net

Booth’s Cherry Creek Ranch Shawn & Diane Booth

“THE BEST IN THE WEST”

3334 Road 14 • Greybull, WY 82426 307-272-7638 carlissaf@yahoo.com

7618 Road 41 • Torrington, WY 82240 307-532-5830 cbooth@actcom.net www.boothfamilyangus.com

2162 Road 60 • Veteran, WY 82243 307-532-1830 lindsybooth23@gmail.com www.boothscherrycreekranch.com

Deer Creek Angus Ranch Bill, Jo Ann & Katie Keith

A15

5415 Road 31 • Veteran, WY 82243 307-575-3026 • 307-575-0014 bcjohnson@bbcwb.net

XH Land and Cattle Co. XH Angus Chad Jones

HC 63 Box 17 • Saratoga, WY 82331 307-326-3553 • 307-710-6700 xhranch@union-tel.com www.xhangus.com

PO Box 466 • Lusk, WY 82225 307-340-1182 smodiemathis@gmail.com www.weboangus.com

McClun’s Lazy JM Ranch Jim or Jeff McClun 1929 Road 60 Veteran, WY 82243 307-837-2524 • 307-534-5141 jkmcclun@wyomail.com

Wagler Angus Kim & Elsie Wagler 401 Southfork Rd. • Cody, WY 82414 307-587-5440 307-272-6727

227 Muddy Creek Rd. • Buffalo, WY 82834 970-462-1557

Walker Angus Ranch Ramon & Verla Walker

Popo Agie Angus Ted Seely

44219 Business Loop 80 Lyman, WY 82937 307-787-6106

PO Box 569 • Lander, WY 82520 307-330-8773 • 307-332-2839

Broken Diamond T Angus Deb Simon & Allen Roush

Weaver Ranch Susan & Mourine Weaver or 3000 West Co. Road 70 Fort Collins, CO 80524 970-568-3898 weaverrch@aol.com

1711 Walker Creek Rd. Douglas, WY 82633 307-358-1965

Sinclair Cattle Company

PO Box 1158 • Buffalo, WY 82834 800-761-2077 www.sinclaircattle.com

Powder River Angus Neal & Amanda Sorenson

3146 St. Hwy 154 • Veteran, WY 82243 307-837-2279 nickelcattle.com

Beaver Creek Ranches/WW Angus Pete & Lucy Widener 568 Beaver Creek Rd. Sheridan, WY 82801 307-674-6947 (h) 307-674-0848 (o) doublew@fiberpipe.net PABW@fiberpipe.net www.beavercreekranches.com

7241 US Hwy 14-16 • Arvada, WY 82831 307-736-2260 307-680-7359 nasorenson@rangeweb.net www.powderriverangus.com

Nolke Angus Calvin Nolke, Jr.

2949 Four Corners Rd. LaGrange, WY 82221 307-477-0029 nolkeangus@gmail.com

Southard Land & Cattle Anthony Randall, Manager

369 Cottonwood Rd. Wheatland, WY 82201 307-620-2890 Anthony@Southardlandandcattle.com Southardranches.com

George Ochsner & Sons Blake Ochsner

10672 Van Tassell Rd. Torrington, WY 82240 307-532-3282 • 307-532-5892 ochsner@dishmail.net www.qualitybulls.com

Wyoming Livestock Roundup Dennis Sun

PO Box 68 • Sheridan, WY 82801 307-763-3789

Cynthia R. Oedekoven

PO Box 850 • Casper, WY 82602 307-234-2700 roundup@wylr.net dennis@wylr.net www.wylr.net

Rock Lake Land & Cattle, LLC. Todd Platt

Obsidian Angus Fred & Kay Thomas

714 Grange Rd. • Wheatland, WY 82201 307-331-1175 rlangusranch@yahoo.com

Redland Angus Kendrick & Sharon Redland

98 Olson Rd. • Wheatland, WY 82201 307-322-4848 307-331-1568 (Juan) 307-331-1530 (Jen) joreyes@wyoming.com www.mrangusranch.com

WEBO Angus Buttons York PO Box 848 • Lusk, WY 82225 307-334-3006 307-334-9989 www.weboangus.com

Zorko’s 7Z Livestock Robert J. Zorko PO Box 1211 • Laramie, WY 82073 307-742-4077 bobless2@vcn.com

72 West Pavillion Rd. Pavillion, WY 82523 307-709-8351 9 (c) 307-463-7475 (h)

MR Angus Ranch Juan Reyes or Jen Reyes-Burr

172 Bobby Lynn Dr. • Adkins, TX 78101 303-570-9207 dwilkes@gobrangus.com

PO Box 346 • Meeteetse, WY 82433 307-868-2595 307-272-4911 kfdramsrus@hotmail.com www.greatbearreflection.com

P\T Livestock Pete Thompson

PO Box 168 • Manderson, WY 82432 307-347-2270 redlandangus.com

Wilkes 6-D Angus Ranch Darrell Wilkes

ZumBrunnen Angus Jason & Shirley ZumBrunnen

Teichert Angus Mark Teichert

PO Box 327 • Cokeville, WY 83114 307-270-7334

1174 Kirtley Rd. • Lusk, WY 82225 307-481-7090 jszumbrunnen@gmail.com

9th Annual

SELECT FEMALE SALE Sunday, November 10, 2019

Grace Werner Agricultural Pavilion Casper College • Casper, WY

McConnell Angus Ranch Roger, Ryan and Royce McConnell

5740 Road 52 N • Dix, NE 69133 308-682-5615 mcconnellangus@msn.com www.mcconnellangus.com

Wyoming Angus Association Officers

Travis & Mandy McIntosh

PO Box 1587 • Wheatland, WY 82201 307-331-2727

Cow Capital Livestock, LLC Doug McLean

43 Signal Butte Rd. • Miles City, MT 59301 307-462-1683 • 406-853-6961 cowcapital61@gmail.com www.cowcapital.com

OFFICERS President: Buttons York, Lusk 307-216-0090 • buttons@weboangus.com

Secretary/Treasurer: Curt Cox, Casper 307-630-4604 • curt@wylr.net

Paint Rock Angus Ranch, Inc. Martin & Kelli Mercer 1926 Hwy 31 • Hyattville, WY 82428 307-469-2206 paintrockangus@gmail.com www.paintrockangus.com

DIRECTORS - TERMS EXPIRING 2019 Buttons York, Lusk 307-334-3006 • 307-334-9989

buttons@weboangus.com

Tom & Garcia Michelena

993 Airport Rd. • Sheridan, WY 82801 307-674-9092 • 307-752-4085 twmich@optimum.net

Micheli Ranch Dale or Ron Micheli

PO Box 15 • Ft. Bridger, WY 82428 307-780-8232 • 307-782-3897 dmicheli@bvea.net

Mills Cattle Company, LLC. Doug & Dena Mills PO Box 3 • Hulett, WY 82720 307-756-2030 (Doug) 307-756-2648 (Dena) dena@rtconnect.net

Vice-President: Richard W. (Dick) Lisco, Douglas 301-359-0167

Amanda Sorenson, Arvada 307-736-2260 nasorenson@rangeweb.net

Todd Platt, Wheatland 307-331-1175 wyocowdude1@yahoo.com

TERMS EXPIRING 2020 Neal Sorenson, Arvada 307-736-2260

Kelli Mercer, Hyattville 307-469-2206 km@tctwest.net

Shawn Booth, Veteran 307-837-2994 boothangus@scottsbluff.net

TERMS EXPIRING 2021 Trent Boner, Douglas 307-359-2708 Mike Camblin, Maybell, CO 970-629-5308

Jen Reyes-Burr, Wheatland 307-331-1530

Kim Kretschman, Gillette 307-736-2415

Richard W. (Dick) Lisco, Douglas 301-359-0167

Kale Kretschman, Gillette 307-736-2415

Dan Frank, Meriden 307-421-4022

A16

2019 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Hereford Cattle Sidwells carry on long-lasting tradition of raising Hereford cattle Surviving the cattle business for over 100 years is no easy feat, but the Sidwell family’s passion for, and devotion to, the Hereford breed has kept their long-lasting tradition alive. This year, Bryan and Linda Sidwell’s fourth generation Hereford operation has been in business for 110

years.

The beginning The beginning of their cattle business is rooted in Queen City, Mo., where Bryan’s great-grandfather, G.A. Sidwell, imported his first cow and bull from Herefordshire, England in 1909. With the help of his business associate, G.A. then purchased a herd bull

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out of Disturber and began selling bulls and females at the Des Moines Disturber sale. G.A. marketed his cattle there until 1920, then began his own production sale at his home place in Missouri with the help of his sons. After a visit to Colorado G.A. was so impressed

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with the opportunities in the West, he moved his operation to Weld County in 1929. Not long after, G.A.’s son, F.A., became a partner in the business and the duo continued to produce topnotch Hereford cattle. In an effort to amass enough cattle and customers to host an annual production sale, the father and son made a deal with F.A.’s brother-in-law in 1953 to market their Hereford bulls together. The partnership sold cattle to producers in 28 states and Canada through the sale barn they built at the ranch headquarters in 1958. The family tradition continued after G.A. retired in 1959, and F.A. invited his sons Walter, Harold and Richard to join him. F.A. and his three sons operated three ranches and numerous acres of wheat. They also continued to hold an annual bull sale and began marketing females as well. In 1971, the family broke the business into three separate entities in each son’s name. All three brothers stayed in the cattle busi-

“The best part of my job is getting up every morning, looking out at my place and my animals and being proud of not only our old tradition of raising Herefords, but our continual expansion and growth as well,” – Bryan Sidwell, Sidwell Herefords ness and Harold remained at the headquarters in Colorado, where he continued to raise registered horned Herefords. Sidwell Herefords today In 1985, Harold, his wife Marlene and their son Bryan formed a partnership currently known as Sidwell Herefords. The operation consists of 100 registered cows, ran on the ranch in Colorado and 200 commerical cows, ran on a ranch near Hawk Springs, that was purchased in 2001. Bryan noted both him and his wife, Linda, were born into Hereford operations and grew up with a passion for the red and white cattle racing through their veins. “I grew up believing in the Hereford breed and the cattle industry in general – I still do,” says Bryan. Today, the goal of Sidwell Herefords is to continue raising cattle that

meet the high standards of their long-standing tradition while staying progressive in the future. The Sidwells take advantage of artificial insemination technology to reach these goals. They have also used embryo transfer in the past and will most likely take advantage of it in the future, according to Bryan. In a world of many cattle operations, Bryan says, “The length and stayability of our operation is what makes us unique.” He also says, “The best part of my job is getting up every morning, looking out at my place and my animals and being proud of not only our old tradition of raising Herfords, but our continual expansion and growth as well.” Hannah Bugas is the assistant editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

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Raising bulls – Sidwell Herefords focuses on raising top-notch bulls that meet the high standards of their long-standing tradition, while also remaining supermodern. Courtesy photo

Certified Public Accountants Tax Return Preparation and Planning Accounting and Bookkeeping Services Estate Planning Business and Computer Consulting Lori A. Hall, C.P.A. • Teresa M. Noble, C.P.A. Dustin P. Druce, C.P.A.

307-362-6631 220 B Street • Rock Springs, WY

A17

2019 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

More than a fashion statement Greeley Hat Works builds hats for the working cowboy “A hat is a lot like a saddle. If someone is riding a horse everyday for a living, they aren’t going to buy a cheap one,” says Greeley Hat Works owner Trent Johnson. He continues, “Much like a horse saddle, if someone is using a hat every day, they want it to be the best quality possible.” Trent has been making hats for Greeley Hat Works since 1993 when he began an apprenticeship while attending the University of Northern Colorado. Custom built Trent explains the process of making a custom hat begins with measuring the customer’s head with a conformatuer. This tool allows for an exact head shape and size to be configured and has been in use for hat making since the 1800s. Once a paper pattern of the head is made, it goes into the sister tool of the conformatuer, the formillion. “The formillion allows us to make a pattern of the head so the hat will be a perfect fit,” Trent explains. “The conformatuer and formillion we use have

been in service since the early 1900s.” After the shape and size of the hat is nailed down, Trent discusses with customers the use of the hat and what materials and colors they may want. “Some old timers come in and have been wearing the same shape of hat since before I was born, but some people come in and want something new and different and we get a chance to be creative,” Trent explains. He continues, “It’s a common misconception that it’s better to have a cheap working hat and a Sunday dress hat that is more expensive of the two. That’s just not true, we want working hats that are durable and stand the test of time and weather.” “I encourage working cowboys to spend a little more money for a quality working hat that stands the test of time and have their dressy/going to town hat be the cheaper of the two,” says Trent. “A dressy hat doesn’t need to be as durable because its not being constantly exposed to the elements.”

Trent notes the most popular material for working hats is beaver, as it is very lightweight and extremely durable. Once the logistics of the hat have been worked out, construction begins. Details down to the color of the name printed inside the hat are considered. Building perfection While a single hat typically takes six to eight hours to build, this has to happen over multiple days to account for numerous steaming and cooling regimes on each hat. “The hat bodies we purchase are made in small, medium and large and it’s put into a finger blocker to steam the hat, which pushes the crown in and pulls the brim out,” he

explains. “If this isn’t done properly, it’s hard to do anything else with the hat.” “Once we get the sizing of the hat right, we start working the felt,” he says. “We take hats into the sanding room to sand the hats and remove any longer hairs to give it a finer touch and feel.” He notes they sand the crown first and then move onto the brim. Following the sanding of the crown, the brim is pressed again to ensure it is flat. “After we press the brim, we use a rounding jack to cut the brim from the inside out to achieve the desired brim shape and size,” Trent explains. “The top of the brim is sanded clockwise, while the bottom is sanded counterclockwise.” He continues, “While the hat is being sanded, someone else on the team is working to measure the sweatband to match the customer’s head shape and size.”

He notes the sweat bands are sewn into the hat using a sewing machine built specifically for this purpose. The machine was built in the early 1920s. Greeley Hat Works also uses a special thread that does not corrode with sweat as some others do in cheaper hats. Each hat has a cedar pattern built to the shape of the customer’s head to put inside the hat so it keeps its shape. Western roots Trent explains Greeley Hat Works has an ambassador program to keep their western roots as well as “Spread the gospel of Greeley.” “Our ambassadors are chosen based on who we think represents our mission well and will be able to effectively promote our brand,” says Trent. “In return they can be put in drawings and receive store credit.” Aside from the ambassador program, Greeley

Hat Works’ hats are sold in over 100 stores in the U.S. and 14 stores overseas. “I recently got the chance to go to a horse show in Germany to build and design hats alongside some of my retailers in the area,” Trent says. “We do a lot of trunk shows, which really helps promote our brand and our mission.” In addition, Greeley Hat Works is partnered with organizations such as the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Texas Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association to give their members benefits as well as promote the brand. He notes they are also affiliated with a number of state and local cattlemen’s associations. Please visit greeleyhatworks.com for more information. Callie Hanson is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@ wylr.net.

ANNUAL FALL PRODUCTION SALE NOVEMBER 26, 2019 AT THE RANCH IN HYATTVILLE, WY Custom fit – Hats are individually fitted to each person using tools that date back to the 1800s. Courtesy photo

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Made by hand – Greeley Hat Works prides itself on creating hand made, custom fitted hats for their customers. Courtesy photo

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A18

2019 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Holistic management Rancho Largo Cattle Company combines strategies to raise better cattle Thirty miles east of Walsenburg, Colo., the Rancho Largo Cattle Company consists of 14,000 acres of dry land with mixed shortgrass prairie and pinion-juniper canyon habitat. Most of it is deeded, along with two state school sections. In 1996, Grady Grissom settled in Walsenburg to run the ranch in a partnership. Pursuing a dream “The plan was for me to

acquire more of the operation over time,” Grady explains. “I grew up in Denver and had experience working on ranches, though I went to college in the East and got a degree in geology from Princeton University. I eventually came back to Colorado and spent several years working on ranches.” While attending graduate school in California, Grady worked for a horseshoer and

became a farrier. When the opportunity at Rancho Largo in Colorado came along, Grady, his wife Lynda and their young daughter left California to pursue their dream. “I knew about day-to-day work taking care of cattle, but didn’t have much of a grasp on strategic management decisions,” he admits. Grady focuses on efficiency to maximize stocking rate. On this ranch, it

takes 60 to 70 acres to run a cow/calf unit year-round. For Grady, maximizing stocking rate to spread fixed costs over more cattle seemed logical, as well as utilizing the best cattle genetics, selective breeding, detailed animal and financial records and tight calving seasons. Holistic management “I understood stocking rate was the most important decision, but I didn’t understand that there’s no leeway to push the envelope - even with all the newest breeds, feeds and technologies,” Grady says. “We were trying to force the ranch to run 45 to 50 acres per cow which resulted in

lower conception rates of 80 to 85 percent,” Grady explains. “We tried a number of things to fix this, including different breeds, local cattle and changing calving season, but we were overstocked.” Grady also tried rotating pastures to increase stocking rates, but had poor results. Then he read Allan Savory’s book, Holistic Management Handbook, and developed an interest in holistic management and ecological goals. “Our ranch is short-grass steppe at 5,500 to 6,000 feet in elevation, with some precipitation February through April,” he notes. “Our initial ecological survey showed very few cool season grasses in an environment that should support cool season grasses.” A long history of leasing and summer-long grazing resulted in domination by gramma grass. When he extended the recovery period to more than 100 days, Grady began to see results. Cool season grasses increased, along with other species, including a native shrub called winter-fat. “In the winter, this shrub has 12 to 14 percent protein. This shrub is on the cows’ ‘candy list’ year-round, they hunt it down to eat it. If it has a chance to go to seed, it is good at reproducing,” Grady explains. In 2000, Grady used a Natural Resource Conserva-

tion Service program to do some fencing and divided nine pastures into 36. “This facilitated extended recovery and shortened our graze periods. My grazing strategies are now focused on diversity of plant species,” he explains. “Instead of a set time, we look at plant recovery to see if the target species has gone to seed since the last time the particular pasture was grazed.” “We have more than tripled our cool season grasses and are now running 45 to 50 acres per cow,” he says. “Ever since 2001, our pregnancy rates have been over 90 percent.” Grady continues, “We have a mixed operation with cow/calf and stockers, retaining some calves. We cut back the cowherd to give flexibility in stocking rate.” The ranch has no full-time help, but Grady coaches wrestling and usually hires high school students as part-time summer help. “I don’t need full-time help because there are not many winter chores. We have many open winters, and feeding consists of putting out protein supplement such as cake, tubs, alfalfa or whatever works economically for that year,” Grady explains. The cattle Grady started out with black baldies in a cow/calf Continued on next page

Holistic management – After reading the Holistic Management Handbook, by Allan Savory, Grady Grissom developed interest in holistic, ecologically friendly management. Courtesy photo

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2019 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Continued from previous page operation, then went to a combination of cow/calf and stocker cattle. “I was watching a video sale where 1,100 to 1,200pound cows were bringing $700 to $800,” Grady says. “Then they ran in a set of longhorn and longhorn-cross cows in their third trimester. The bid was at $260, so I bought that whole set of pregnant Longhorn cows.” “Those cows taught me a lot. At $265 versus $800 to purchase them, they didn’t need to raise as big a calf,” he explains. “They are also very fertile and do well in rough country. With this lot, we are supporting 800 pounds of cow rather than 1,200 pounds.” However, he notes the drawback was selling the calves, so Grady looked towards incorporating hybrid vigor to get calves with more growth and fleshing. “I started using Angus bulls and artificially inseminated (AI) those cows. Then I realized, with a mixed set of cows, Charolais bulls gave me a more uniform calf crop,” he says. From 2002 to 2010, Grady ran mostly Longhorn and Corriente cows but didn’t retain any heifers. The heifer calves were worth the same amount as a third-trimester young cow was worth, so it

made more sense to sell the heifers and buy back bred cows, notes Grady. “By accident, I kept some Angus-longhorn cross heifers and a few Charolais-cross heifers, and they made great cows,” he says. “I ended up with 900 to 950 pound cows that are fertile, hardy and raise a good calf.” “The longhorn and corriente cows stayed so cheap, that I mainly just kept buying those cows,” he says. Flexibility in marketing strategies and not being locked into any one breed helps. “Bud Williams’ concept was that ranchers need three things - capital, grass and cattle. Most of us are always out of capital and grass,” he says. Grady continues, “Cattle are the one thing that’s always available, though price may vary. This kind of thinking led me away from being tied to any specific genetic focus. Any cow I buy is essentially for sale.” The bigger picture Grady’s early years working on ranches gave him a utilitarian view of grasslands, they were meant to produce beef to pay the mortgage. “My experience at Rancho Largo began to provide a broader perspective. In the process of trying to pay the mortgage, I learned what a

healthy ecosystem is,” Grady explains. During early years at the ranch he clung to the idea of efficient stocking and tried all the right fixes as financial losses mounted. “But eventually, the cultural knowledge of my ranching neighbors broke through. They never told me what to do. I gained their knowledge through neighboring and sharing labor at spring branding, fall shipping and preg-checking,” Grady says. “Neighboring was valuable education. I began to notice the ‘successful’ ranchers had two things in common

- fat cattle and lots of grass,” he says. “Spring, fall, drought or blizzard, the ranchers who persisted for generations had more grass and fatter cattle than anyone else,” Grady explains. These cattlemen didn’t gain their knowledge from textbooks or trade magazines, their land and cattle taught them what works. “I asked about stocking rates, but their answers were never direct. ‘It depends,’ they said,” Grady says. He notes one rancher told him, “Look at your cows. They’ll tell you when

you are overstocked, before your grass will. If you listen to your cows, you’ll always have grass.” “Cultural knowledge passed through generations of successful family ranches is a key to economic survival. I’ve been told repeatedly ranchers who manage ‘the way Dad did’ are headed for failure,” he explains. “I found the opposite true. The cumulative experience on the interaction of cattle, land and money held by long-time ranchers is invaluable.” “Ranchers don’t have to understand complex natural systems - they interact

with them. Planned-recovery grazing is a powerful tool to transform ranchers into ecosystem managers,” says Grady. “Ranching can provide a compatible symbiotic relationship between human economies and an ecosystem. Ranchers dependence on their land is complete, and their land depends on them.” Please visit sandcountyfoundation.org for more information. Heather Smith-Thomas is a corresponding writer for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr. net.

Working cowboy – Grady Grissom spent many years working on various ranches before coming to Rancho Largo. Courtesy photo

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2019 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Rough terrain SEGA Gelbvieh raises robust cattle in tough, old western environment Steve Fiolkoski and his wife, Gail, bought their first registered Gelbvieh cows in 1989 and have been running a flourishing seedstock operation ever since. “Years and years ago we had a herd of commercial cows,” explains Steve, owner of SEGA Gelbvieh, a fourth generation diversified farming and seedstock operation on the northeast plains of Colorado. “We had some neighbors in our area with Gelbvieh cows and really liked what the Gelbvieh breed was doing, so we decided to get into the business and give Gelbviehs a try. We’re really glad we did.” The Gelbvieh breed Gelbvieh cattle origi-

nated in southern Germany and were originally used as a triple purpose breed for milk, meat and draft. The breed was transported to North America via semen in the 1970s. Gelbvieh cattle are known for their quiet temperament, maternal instincts, high cutout yields, fertility and milking ability. According to the United States Meat Animal Research Center, Gelbviehs are the only widely used breed that excels in calving ease, milk yield, retail yield, weaning growth and yearling growth combined. Desirable mother cows This combination of

Snug as a bug – A Gelbvieh calf lies nestled in the straw. Courtesy photo

Efficient cattle – SEGA Gelbvieh summers their cattle on dry, native, hard grass pastures. Steve Fiolkoski says their cattle must be tough and efficient to survive in this tough, old western environment. Courtesy photo

Maternal instincts – A calf suckles his mama at SEGA Gelbvieh on a warm day in August. Steve Fiolkoski notes the maternal side of the Gelbvieh breed is what he likes most. Courtesy photo

desired traits works very well for SEGA Gelbvieh’s operation. Steve notes how well his Gelbvieh cattle have done in Colorado and explains that his favorite thing about Gelbvieh cattle is their maternal instincts. “The maternal side of the Gelbvieh breed is what we love best and what really works for us,” Steve says. “Gelbviehs are tremendous mother cows.” “We have a set of great uddered and super dispositioned mothers that make our lives enjoyable,” Steve states. “We don’t have the time or patience to nurse calves or get run over by overly aggressive mothers.” Tough cattle in a tough environment “We run our purebred

seedstock operation just like any other commercial outfit,” says Steve. “We make our cattle work for us, we don’t expect to work for them. I mean, we take good care of them, but we don’t baby them.” “Our Gelbvieh and balancer mother cows are summered on dry, native, hard grass pastures and wintered and calved out on cornstalks and after feed,” Steve continues. “Our cattle have to be efficient to survive in the tough, old western environment we run in.” SEGA Gelbvieh’s harsh location is the driving force behind the make and model of cows they raise. “Our goal at SEGA Gelbvieh is to raise cattle that thrive and survive in our desert country,” Steve states. “We raise cattle that can get around, are very structurally sound and benefit our commercial producers.” “Disposition, udder

“We had some neighbors in our area with Gelbvieh cows and really liked what the Gelbvieh breed was doing, so we decided to get into the business and give Gelbviehs a try. We’re really glad we did,” – Steve Fiolkoski, SEGA Gelbvieh quality and fertility are most important to us,” Steve adds. Annual production sales Similar to other seedstock operations, SEGA Gelbvieh hosts annual production sales. Their bull sale occurs every spring and their heifer sale every fall. “We usually offer 50 bulls each spring,” says Steve, who notes the sale is comprised of Balancer bulls and Angus/Gelbvieh/ Balancer bulls on top of their purebred Gelbviehs. This March was SEGA Gelbvieh’s 12th annual bull sale and Fiolkoski’s sold 42 red and black, polled and PAP tested bulls. “Our bulls are developed for longevity on a high-roughage ration con-

sisting of ground alfalfa, silage protein supplement and a small amount of cracked corn,” explains Steve. “We know it is fun for customers to look at fat bulls, but we believe developing them at a slow and steady pace is better for both our customers and our cattle.” Steve explains the base of SEGA Gelbvieh’s operation is their cattle. However, Fiolkoski’s also farm corn, alfalfa and wheat on irrigated and dry land. Please visit segagelbvieh.com for more information. Hannah Bugas is the assistant editor for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.