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[ August/September 2005 ]

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High Honors...Maine-Anjou Junior Member Wins Big!
by Kyla Nesheim

Strong devotion to the Maine-Anjou breed and the cattle industry describes an extremely talented Oklahoma native. Rashele Blakley, Oologah, Okla., often finds herself in the winner’s circle at cattle shows and in life. At the young age of 14, Rashele has won more honors and accomplished more than most will in a lifetime. She has worked hard to get where she is today and this is only a small dose of what’s to come in this junior Maine-Anjou member’s life.
 
Rashele is a strong supporter of the American Junior Maine-Anjou Associaion (AJMAA) and the Oklahoma Club Calf Association (OCCA). She has taken home countless honors in both venues. She has been showing Maine-Anjou cattle for six years and has been exhibiting in the OCCA for four years. “I began exhibiting Maine-Anjou cattle when I was six and have increased my involvement every year. I have also started building my own cow herd,” she explains. She currently runs 54 head of Maine- Anjou cows and calves. She plans to continue focusing her life around the production of beef cattle.

Family Ties
Rashele’s family has been active in the cattle business for many years. As many know, Diamonds In The Rough is a reputable name in the Maine-Anjou breed. Diamonds in the Rough is a family owned and operated business owned entirely by the children of Vincent and Nancy Blakley - Rashele’s grandparents. Lyle, Lynda and Lyndsey are fifth generation Oklahoma cattlemen who grew up breeding, raising and exhibiting champion livestock. Rashele is the daughter of Lyle and RaeAnn Blakley. She has two siblings, Reighly and Larahmy, who are just now starting in the show ring. Mike and Lynda Runner are Rashele’s uncle and aunt and Lyndsey, is her uncle.

Diamonds in the Rough is one of the Maine-Anjou breed’s top exhibitors. They were recently named Premier Exhibitor of the Year by the American Maine-Anjou Association (AMAA). They have also won premier exhibitor and premier breeder honors several times at numerous state and national shows. Rashele has helped in this feat by contributing many hours of hard work. “My family shows Maine-Anjou cattle very extensively throughout the United States,” says Rashele. “They exhibit at many state fairs, the four national shows, Houston, Arizona National and other beef expos. This is one of the avenues we use to sell and promote our cattle.”

On the Road
Cattle shows have been Rashele’s second home. She spends most of her spare time pulling to shows. No stranger to the winner’s circle, she has chalked up many wins over the past six years. She has exhibited the grand champion bred and owned market steer two years in a row at the national junior show and also exhibited the reserve grand champion bred and owned high percentage female at the national junior show. She gets involved in all the contests throughout the week, placing in many. “The Maine-Anjou junior nationals is without a doubt my favorite show because this is the one time my friends from all over the United States are gathered in one place and we are able to renew our valued friendships,” says Rashele. She has now been to four national junior shows. “I have been fortunate to win many high placings with my cattle as well as in the contests,” says Rashele.

With the help of her family, Rashele is able to exhibit her cattle at the county, district, state and national levels. She attends all the state fairs she can before school starts. These include the Ozark Empire Fair, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and on occasion, Iowa. She also exhibits her cattle at the State Fair of Oklahoma, Tulsa State Fair, Oklahoma Spring Junior Livestock Exposition, American Royal, Louisville, National Western Stock Show, Ft. Worth, Houston, Arizona National, several state beef expos and many jackpot shows.

Rashele sets a good example for her younger cousins and many other young Maine-Anjou members. The result of her hard work and dedication leaves something to be desired by all. The AJMAA is fortunate to have a member of this caliber.
 
Top Oklahoma Honors
The OCCA holds their annual banquet every year at the Oklahoma Beef Expo in Stillwater, Okla. This year was special for Rashele, as she was named the 2004 Oklahoma Premier Overall Junior Beef Exhibitor. This award is derived from the points system of the OCCA. Points are awarded for overall placings with steers, heifers and showmanship contests throughout the year. “I feel honored to have received this prestigious award based on all three overall placings,” says Rashele. “It was a surprise to me at the awards banquet and I feel I owe my family a great deal for the sacrifices they made so I could travel and participate in the shows. There is no way I can ever repay them for all of their support.”

Benefits and Cost Associated With An Animal Identificaiton System for Cattle in the United States
Second in a series on a National Animal Identification System
By DeeVon Bailey, Ph. D.
Department of Economics and Cooperative Extension Service Utah State University Logan, Utah
dbailey@econ.usu.edu

Overview
The announcement on Dec. 23, 2003 that a dairy cow in the state of Washington had been diagnosed with Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE or Mad-Cow Disease) was a watershed event for U.S. livestock markets. Although U.S. consumer demand for beef remained strong following this event, the U.S. beef industry and U.S. government recognized the need to move rapidly forward with plans to implement some type of traceability within U.S. livestock systems. Secretary Ann Veneman (USDA) announced in early January 2004 the USDA planned to begin implementing a “verifiable” animal identification (ID) system in the United States.
 
There are different reasons for initiating an ID system capable of tracking cattle as they move through the food chain – some directly related to BSE and some indirectly related. The purpose of this fact sheet is to discuss some of the potential reasons for implementing an animal ID system in the United States and some of the possible benefits and costs associated with animal ID systems.

Evolution of Animal Identification Programs in the United States
The National Identification Work Plan (NIWP) was the first official, public effort in the United States to examine the possible implementation of a U.S. animal ID system. The NIWP was developed by a task force formed in April 2002 consisting of over 30 livestock organizations and coordinated through the National Institute for Animal Agriculture. The U.S. Animal Health Association (USAHA) accepted the NIWP in October 2002 and requested that USDA, APHIS develop a team consisting of representatives from federal and state governments and that the USAHA and industry develop an implementation plan for animal ID systems in the United States.

The working plan for the implementation of the animal ID system as suggested by the NIWP was called the U.S. Animal Identification Plan (USAIP). The USAIP was approved by the USAHA in October 2003, calling for the establishment of individual premises ID by the summer of 2004, individual animal identification by 2005 and full implementation and compliance (all covered species and their movements – both interstate and intrastate) by July of 2006. The USAIP also established a uniform and nationally recognized numbering system for individual animals and for groups or lots of animals. The stated goal of the USAIP is to facilitate traceback within 48 hours, where traceback is defined as the ability to trace an animal’s whereabouts from birth to the date the traceback was originated. The announcement in December 2003 regarding the Washington state BSE case has placed animal ID in a prominent position in the U.S. food policy debate. Since December 2003, the USAIP has evolved into what is now called the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). Most of the essential elements of the USAIP remain the same in the NAIS. Most importantly, the USAIP blueprint relating to standards for data and data flows within the animal ID system remain the same. This includes the numbering system developed by the USAIP.

Animal Disease Control and Eradication
The ability to track animals for animal disease control and eradication was the principal reason for the development of the animal ID plans and programs in the U.S. The NIWP, USAIP and NAIS have focused on issues of animal health as an impetus for implementing animal ID. For example, all three plans indicate that, “Maintaining the health of the U.S. herd is the most urgent issue of the industry and animal health officials to address, and therefore, is the most significant focus of the National Identification Plan.”

A national animal ID database would allow animal health officials to more easily trace the previous locations of infected animals, which would allow for the identification of other animals that may have come into contact with an infected animal. The need for such a system was illustrated following the December 23rd announcement of a U.S. BSE case. The “index” animal was part of a shipment of 74 animals that had been imported from Canada on Sept. 4, 2001. The USDA was also able to determine an additional eight animals from the same herd in Canada had entered the United States in different shipments. Although U.S. government officials rendered a huge effort to find all of the other animals associated with the index animal, over 50 of the animals were never located.
 
Diseases other than BSE, including Brucellosis and Foot-and-Mouth Disease, may actually be of equal or even more concern. The ability to track animal movements and associations will provide a critical tool for animal health professionals in controlling and potentially eradicating these diseases.

Because the emphasis of the NAIS and its predecessors has been on animal health, the implementation of the NAIS depends heavily upon the cooperation of state departments of agriculture and specifically state veterinarians. This is necessary because the NAIS specifies that individual states will be responsible for defining premises. State departments of agriculture will probably be involved in issuing identification numbers for premises and animals.

A survey of state veterinarians conducted by Utah State University indicated strong support exists among the state veterinarians responding to the survey for implementing a national animal ID system. The same survey found state veterinarians responding to the survey supported animal ID principally as a means to control animal disease (including BSE) and for the purposes of bio- ecurity.

Food Safety and Bio-Security
Traditional food safety systems were designed assuming the highest risk of food-borne illness from beef came from bacterial contaminations such as E. coli O157:H7 or listeria, not BSE. Because the greatest risk for bacterial contamination has typically been in the processing and preparation of meat for human consumption, government food inspections have traditionally concentrated on identifying bacterial contamination in food processing plants and at the food preparation level such as in restaurants.

BSE is a fundamentally different problem than bacterial contamination. Because BSE is believed to originate with contaminated feed produced from the by-products (spinal cord and brain material) of infected cattle, it is a problem originating at the farm level. The current U.S. system was not designed to routinely track individual or groups of animals once they leave their farm or ranch of birth. Cattle are typically commingled from different locations to facilitate grazing and feedlot fattening for slaughter.

Due to the long incubation periods for BSE, symptoms of the disease typically do not express themselves until the animal is at least 30 months of age. At this age, the animal has likely changed ownership a number of times. For example, cattle usually have five to six different owners between the time of birth and slaughter. Once an animal with BSE has been identified, the ability to track the animal backward through the system becomes critical because companion animals may also be infected. Additionally, feed sources throughout the animal’s lifetime must be identified.

Large food recalls occur frequently in the United States. Traceability systems, including animal ID, may help to make food recalls more efficient. This would continue to help ensure a safe food supply while limiting any potential damage to the image of beef as a general product or to specific brand names for beef products.

There is a clear role for both the public and private sectors to ensure food safety, including unintentional contamination and intentional contamination (bio-terrorism). Animal identification and other traceability mechanisms may or may not act as a deterrent to bio-terrorism. Most importantly, traceability systems would allow food contaminations to be tracked to their source more quickly and easily than is now possible. This may be critical in stopping the spread of contaminated food products so as to limit the impact on human health and limit the economic damage resulting from such an event.
The third part in this series will be published in the October 2005 issue.

A Week to Remember The national junior show — where do I begin! This year marked my second national junior show as an employee of the American Maine-Anjou Association (AMAA). I have been fortunate to meet many junior Maine-Anjou members during my time at the association. The spark and drive in these junior members is unmatched. They are up before the sun feeding, watering, rinsing and blowing then continuing on to the contests

by Kyla Nesheim editor/director of communications

The junior national show is indeed a lot of work, but it’s fun work. Ask any junior member who works their tail off all week if it is worth it. I guarantee every answer would be yes. Smiles are not hard to find around the grounds during the week of junior nationals. It is a week of learning and meeting new friends; it is a week of water fights and showing; it is a week of joy and family vacation; it is an all around wonderful week.

If you are one who didn’t get involved in the contests during the national show, I strongly encourage you to get involved next year. These contests offer competitors a great opportunity to meet new friends, to learn about the breed and good clean competition. Strive for the overall sweepstakes award; it is a dignified accomplishment and one of the highest honors you can receive at the national junior show. You may be surprised how fast your points add up the more contests you are in, regardless if you place or not. Give your state a shot at the overall state sweepstakes by getting involved.
 
This year’s contests were packed with power. Young members showed off their cattle skills in all contests, and may I add their skills are second to none. The shows ended the week with a bang. Top of the line Maine-Anjou females, steers and bulls vied for national honors. Some of the best genetics in the breed were present, making the show as competitive as any other around the country. If you were a spectator, you saw first hand the cattle speak for themselves.

Maine-Anjou cattle have it all. They are a breed excelling in performance, feed efficiency, disposition and carcass traits. Junior Maine-Anjou members take pride in exhibiting Maine-Anjou cattle and without a doubt will bring the breed to new heights. After all, this is what it is all about — the juniors. The future of the breed lies within its juniors members. The Maine-Anjou breed has a bright future ahead.

Thanks to all junior members who made my week in Springfield a memorable one. I thoroughly enjoy your company. Next year, be prepared for a week of “Texas Hold Em” in Wichita Falls, as Texas hosts the 2006 National Junior Maine-Anjou Show.

I recently visited Texas for their state Maine-Anjou show and I am impressed with the dedication of the Texas Maine-Anjou members, both junior and adult. Next year’s national junior show is going to be great! The Texas members are an excellent group of people and I look forward to working with them in the future.

I hope everyone is happy with the new schedule of the Voice. We have moved up the September issue to an August/September issue. This allows faster national junior show coverage and also allows more of you holding fall sales to advertise.

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MOVING FORWARD CAN SOMETIMES BE A STRUGGLE The Maine-Anjou industry, unlike other beef breed industries, continually faces new challenges, which if not addressed, will slow the wheel of progress to a crawl. Whether on a single breeding operation or at the association level, the head in the sand theory just doesn’t cut it. For the purpose of this discussion, let me ask you this question.
	by John Boddicker, executive Vice President

There are those in favor and those who beg to differ. Aside from any non-rational responses you might get, let’s try to take an objective look at the subject. It’s not whether you as breeder or we as an organization are for or against the MaineTainer program, rather how to best use MaineTainer genetics.
 
The breed percentage movement is here to stay and is very active in all Continental breeds. Even the British breeds recognize the non-purebred as a revenue source. To name a few: the black baldy program of the American Hereford Association, the giant revenue source of Certified Angus Beef for the American Angus Association, and with some ties to our herd book, the American Shorthorn Association. To think MaineTainer cattle are not a valid portion of the association or to strictly disown them from a registration standpoint would be wrong. As I’ve said before, the percentage program has been with the association for quite sometime. When the MaineTainer name was given, it took a giant step in popularity. Short-term is an advantage, but we must have a long-term blueprint or the hill to climb will get steep.

Phenotypically, one could say MaineTainers have a softer, easier look than our high percentage Maine-Anjou cattle, MaineTainer cattle perform in feedlot situations and MaineTainer females adapt well to commercial settings. But unless MaineTainer producers become breeders, not just multipliers, the future is limited. Program focus with documentation is necessary for success.

From a direct revenue standpoint, the registration dollar of MaineTainer cattle is becoming a large part of the association’s income. This could be recognized as a very good scenario, but maybe not. For the most part, breeders of 3/4 blood and up Maine-Anjou cattle believe in the breed and the association’s activities. They tend to register a large percentage of their cattle and follow through on the transfer of pedigrees when sale time arrives. They understand documentation of pedigrees and programs are worth something. Use of the association is a natural part of their business, whether through the Voice, the Commercial Marketing Department or performance/carcass programs. I don’t believe level of commitment to the Maine-Anjou breed has yet taken hold with a large portion of breeders concentrating on MaineTainer programs. Rather than registering and transferring, much less turning in performance data, it is evident MaineTainer breeders register and transfer only when they have to, not because it is thought to be a vital part of the pedigreed livestock business and substantially adding to the worth of their breeding program and breed organization. That may be somewhat of a general statement but one I believe to be accurate.

True genetic base and growth is vital to any breed. New genetic lines of Maine-Anjou must come from the continuance of strong Purebred/ Fullblood programs. These programs are the cornerstones from which new genetics are produced and in turn will further enhance future MaineTainer programs. In the quest to get our breed to look alike, we sometimes adversely affect the gene pool from which to draw. Remember that gene pool diversification within a breed is always a good thing. The larger the gene pool, the better. We all have different needs, dislikes or likes, which is a good thing. As I think of my situation, with gravity pulling at my mid-section and the loss of what little hair I have left, the battleground is fairly clear! Now back to the topic at hand. Along with the question of genetic base, the question of true predictability of genetics becomes an issue. Unless MaineTainer breeding programs are concentrating on line breeding, the predictability of those genetics within our registry cannot be Purebred or Fullblood genetics.

In summary, we as a breed have our work cut out for us. The following points need to be carefully directed by you and the association.
• MaineTainer cattle and breeding programs can be of benefit to the Maine-Anjou breed and the beef industry.
• MaineTainer breeders must become program builders with a belief in the pedigreed livestock business.
• MaineTainer breeders must support the association at a higher level or long-term success
will not be a reality.
• Purebred/Fullblood programs need to continue to lead in the quest for a larger gene pool.
• Purebred/Fullblood programs need to realize their demand will be greater than ever as the demand for predictable, documented genetics grows.
• The AMAA needs to continue communicating and educating its membership on the benefits of pedigreed Maine-Anjou livestock.

In the end, there is a need for all segments of our breed to work together and support the vehicle that is the hub of information from which the livelihood of all can be enriched.

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“THE CATTLE SHOW" AND MAINE-ANJOU By the time you read this article, RFD-TV’s program called “The Cattle Show” featuring the Maine-Anjou breed will have aired July 12, 13 and 17. The second series will be aired again in late fall or early winter on cable television, DirecTV channel 379 and Dish channel 9409. Please watch the Voice and the American Maine-Anjou Association (AMAA) website for the dates and times of the next series later this fall.

by Dave Steen, commercial marketing director

The phone call to LZ was, to say the least, interesting. She was considering various breeds for “The Cattle Show” and she was not at all familiar with the Maine-Anjou breed. She told me someone needed to sell her on the breed. After 20 minutes, she replied, “Well, I’m sold. You’ve convinced me the Maine-Anjou breed has the qualities that can benefit the beef industry and I’m giving you the opportunity to be the fourth breed featured on “The Cattle Show.” Thanks to Dr. Coover for all your help.

After contacting a number of breeders, Hartman Cattle Company, DeRouchey Cattle Company and the AMAA agreed to purchase air time to promote the breed. Televised speakers included John Boddicker, executive vice president, AMAA; Dave Steen, commercial marketing director, AMAA; Mike Hartman, Hartman Cattle Company; Fred DeRouchey, DeRouchey Cattle Company; Rick Carlson, Summit Food Group, Inc.; Bud Sloan, Continental Livestock Services, Inc.; and Steve Kruse, cattle manager, Hartman Cattle Company. Filming for “The Cattle Show” took place at Hartman’s and DeRouchey’s, June 14 and 15, with special segments promoting the Maine-Anjou breed.

RFD-TV is aired on 11,000 television stations including both Dish and DirecTV. The AMAA would appreciate if you made an effort to watch this program and give us your opinion on the value of this type of advertising. For those who may have questions or might be interested in this format of advertising, please give Dave a call.

Thanks to DeRouchey Cattle Company, Hartman Cattle Company and invited guest speakers for being a part of this Maine-Anjou promotional piece. We had two beautiful days to film and an awesome group of cattle to promote.

The 2004–2005 National Maine-Anjou Influenced Steer and Heifer Feeding Trial has ended with great success. We are waiting for carcass results and closeout data. I will give a complete report in the October issue of the Voice. Thanks to all consignors who entered 183 head of steers and heifers. The support is greatly appreciated!

We will once again hold the 4th Annual National Maine-Anjou Influenced Steer and Heifer Feeding Trial at the south lot of Peterson Farms, Inc., Ord, Neb. Oct. 26-27, 2005 will be the delivery dates. The entry fee remains $10 per head for groups of five steers or five heifers. The feed costs will be financed and subtracted from the sale of cattle. Additional costs will be related to carcass data collection.

We are holding the first AMAA National Junior Maine-Anjou Influenced Steer and Heifer Feeding Trial. Due to the request of AMAA junior members, the AMAA is sponsoring this feeding trial for junior members to enter groups of three steers or three heifers at $10 per head. This feeding trial will also be held at Peterson Farms, Inc., Ord, Neb., with delivery on Oct. 26 and 27. The feed costs will be financed and subtracted from the sale of cattle. Additional costs will be related to carcass data collection. All junior members are invited to consign calves and help make this first junior national feeding trial a success. This will be a great learning opportunity and an interesting experience for everyone.

History has shown the high price for fat cattle hits in April and May, so I suggest calves weigh in the range of 600-700 lbs. for the October delivery dates. These cattle will have the best opportunity to profit from the optimum harvest times.

As breeders of Maine-Anjou cattle, please take it upon yourselves to PROMOTE your cattle. Feel free to use the FREE websites listed below to advertise your bulls, females and feeder cattle. For those who will be selling your feeder cattle on a video auction, in a sale barn or privately, I encourage and invite you to list your cattle on www.maineanjoufeeders.com letting potential buyers know when you are selling. Early sales of Maine-Anjou sired calves have been phenomenal. The Web site allows you to post your information from your home computer. Ad copy for females and bulls should be e-mailed to Dave at steen@metc.net. If you have any questions, please give me a call at (515) 201-3281.

The free websites for advertising Maine-Anjou influenced cattle are:
• www.maineanjoufeeders.com — click on link to directly list feeder cattle
• www.breedingcattlepage.com — click on the Maine-Anjou breed link
• www.amavoice.com — Maine-Anjou Voice official Web site
• www.maine-anjou.org — American Maine-Anjou Association's official Web site

Thank you and please call if I can be of help in any way Breed with Commitment and Direction!

Maines on the Move,
Dave Steen

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Dr. Roger Hunsley Receives International Recognition
Dr. Roger Hunsley has been named the recipient of the 2005 Saddle and Sirloin Portrait Award. The portrait collection honors few who have made immense contributions to the livestock industry. Established in 1903 during the International Livestock Exposition in Chicago, Ill., the portrait gallery houses the most influential leaders in animal agriculture. In 1977, the collection was moved to the Kentucky Fairs and Exposition Center in Louisville, Ky. On Nov. 13, 2005, during the North American International Livestock Exposition, Dr. Hunsley’s portrait will be unveiled at a banquet honoring his accomplishments.

Dr. Hunsley was raised near Pierre, S.D., and received his bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from South Dakota State University in 1959. He attended North Dakota State University for his Masters. He worked for a short time for the American Hereford Association as a field representative before attending Iowa State University where he taught classes and conducted research in beef cattle nutrition while working on his doctorate, which he received in 1967.

Upon completion of his degree, he embarked on a historic career at Purdue University where he is noted for coaching many of the greatest livestock judging teams assembled. He conducted landmark research in the areas of growth and carcass composition and was one of the few who were influential in the selection of a leaner, meatier type of market animal.

In 1983, he was named Executive Secretary of the American Shorthorn Association, a position he held for 20 years. During this time, the association saw dramatic growth in membership and revenue. Under his direction, the Shorthorn breed became a leader in performance data collection and was one of the first breeds to publish carcass EPDs and the very first to publish an EPD for tenderness.

Hunsley’s judging and international contributions are immense. Not only has he judged at many of the prominent national cattle shows in the U.S., but has judged in six different countries. He is noted for the seminars on selection he conducts internationally. Since his retirement, he continues to conduct his breeder schools and recently returned from Brazil where over 200 breeders attended his seminars.
For more information, contact Kelly Bruns (605) 688-5452 or kelly.bruns@sdstate.edu

Indiana Names 2004 Outstanding Cattleman
Everett Tom
The 2004 Outstanding Cattleman hails from Kosciusko County. He and his wife, Marie, began farming together on his grandfather’s farm 50 years ago. They raised five children on this farm as well.

Everett “Buss” Tom started his cattle operation with seventeen head and later began feeding semi-loads of cattle. For many years, Tom worked at the Shipshewana Sale Barn working in the ring and purchasing cattle. In 1971, he and a close friend attended a sale in Iowa and returned with the first Limousine cattle in Indiana. He also raised Simmental cattle and hosted a multi-owner club calf sale on his farm for ten years.
Since then Tom has assembled and bred an elite group of Chi and Maine influenced cattle. He is a co-owner of a champion Chi bull at the National Western Stock Show, Denver, Colo.
 
His goals as a producer are:
• To produce cattle with the genetics needed to meet today’s industry standards.
• To produce cattle that are adaptable, have good performance and feed efficiency and will achieve quality grades.
• To produce cattle with a good disposition.

Tom has always been willing to utilize the latest technologies. He uses an annual herd health program and vaccinates, deworms and pregnancy checks all cows. He also makes use of embryo transfer and AI. He is a believer in carcass evaluation and has used ultrasounding in his herd as well as sponsoring the ultrasound contest at the county 4-H fair.

He is eager to share his love of learning with fellow cattlemen and young people alike. He has hosted numerous field days for the Kosciusko County Cattlemen, Indiana Chianina Association and hosted newly-elected Governor Mitch Daniels. In addition to his support of 4-H and FFA, he has helped many young people raise and show cattle, even those without the financial resources to do so.

He was a founding member of the Kosciusko County Cattlemen and continues to be active. He has been active in IBCA, the American Chianina Association and the American Maine-Anjou Association. He and his wife are active in their community, their church and he has been a member of Gideons International for over 40 years.

When he received the Kosciusko County Cattlemen’s Lifetime Award in 2003, several friends and colleagues commented about Everett’s impact locally. He was lauded for his work ethic, strong commitment to family, willingness to mentor others, friendship and his love of farming. His wife said, “He would be the first to thank the Lord for trusting him to be a steward of his family, the land and the animals put into his hands. Their is no place he would rather be.”

Courtesy of the Indiana Beef Cattle Association