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BITTERSWEET MEMORIES
by Kyla Nesheim

The Beginning – The Hanson Family
Wade and Sandra Hanson are the trailer winner’s proud parents. The Hansons also have four other children, including a set of triplets, of which Davis is a part. Taylor is the oldest by one minute, Alexis is the youngest by one minute, with Davis being the middle triplet. Each was introduced to cattle at a young age. Two adopted younger brothers, James and Jacob, complete the family.

Davis has been showing cattle for five years including steers, heifers and a bull he named Almaty, after the city his two adopted brothers lived in before joining the Hanson family. “My dad has taught me to love cattle and has supported me in traveling. I love working with my dad and learning from him. I have liked messing around on the ranch with cattle, tractors and tools since I could walk. My dad makes it fun. Mom helps make sure I keep up with schooling when I get back from a few days off showing cattle and she packs great snacks!” says Davis.

Wade is a strong supporter of his children’s involvement in the cattle industry and other activities. The Hansons have raised Hereford and Red Angus cattle for many years.

Wade Hanson grew up on a ranch in northern South Dakota near Pollock. A love for Hereford cattle prompted him to start his own herd once he had a ranch and family of his own. In 1997, a job opportunity relocated Wade and his family to Houston, Texas. While in Texas, he began researching how to breed and raise cattle in the southern climate. That’s when he found DeShazer Cattle Company who was raising Herefords near Franklin, Texas. Wade and five-year-old Davis drove two hours from Houston to Franklin to meet the DeShazer managers to learn more about raising cattle in Texas.

That meeting began a great friendship with the DeShazers. Davis always remembered to take his cowboy boots and hat with him on the visits so he was prepared for any cattle work that might come his way.
When Davis was in third grade, the family had a chance to move out of Houston to ranch country since Wade could work remotely most of the time. The beautiful scenery and the great people they met when visiting the Franklin area led the Hansons to choose it as the location of their next ranch. Sandra liked the school district and noticed how even the local Dairy Queen had photos of local kids showing at the county fair. The Hansons thought Franklin would be a great place to raise their children in a ranching lifestyle and could see a lot of support for youth activities in town. As Davis, Taylor and Alexis entered third grade, they joined the 4-H program to start showing cattle.

They began with showing Herefords and switched to Red Angus before friends introduced the family to the Maine-Anjou breed.

Davis said he enjoyed learning the traits of the various breeds and learning how they handle differently. Davis believes the Maine-Anjou breed is great to show and enjoys showing them.

A Pleasant Surprise
In August 2003, a surprise was awaiting the Hanson family. They agreed to host a child from Kazakhstan for two weeks during the summer. They would show the child what American family life was like, then the child would return to Kazakhstan. James ironically arrived on August 3rd, the triplets’ birthday. After two weeks with James, the family knew they had found a brother for Davis, Taylor and Alexis.The adoption process then began. James came to live with the Hansons in 2004 as a 10-year-old. That addition made four 10-year-olds in the Hanson household!

James loved looking at the animals on the ranch, but was a bit fearful at first. Once, he told Wade in broken English, “Cows! Oh! Big, scary. Like Jesus!”

Six months after James was adopted, Wade and Sandra flew back to Kazakhstan to adopt another boy — Jacob. Wade and Sandra had met Jacob while
going through James’ adoption process. The Hansons couldn’t resist the chance add one more to the family and Jacob was a perfect fit.

Jacob, 7, arrived in Franklin on Mother’s Day of 2005. He came excited, happy to experience ranch life and insisted he wanted to be a rodeo cowboy when he grew up. The family jokes that Davis would raise cattle, Jacob would ride bulls and horses, while James would be the barrel clown who helped keep the cowboys safe – quite a team!

The Hansons are teaching James and Jacob to care for animals on the ranch, to speak English (their native tongue is Russian and Kazak) and to be a part of their new family. Both boys are planning to show goats their first year of 4-H. The whole family pitches in to maintain the animals and spread in Franklin.

Family Friends
Davis and his family have a strong relationship with Kent and Rayne (Theeck) Stewart, Franklin, Texas. The Stewarts are a well known and respected name in the cattle industry. They became great family friends after Rayne befriended Sandra when the Hanson family first moved to Franklin. Sandra went to the open house for their first year in the school district and Rayne took notice of the “new mom on the block.” She made sure to introduce herself and answered Sandra’s questions about the town and the school district. The Hansons relationship with Kent and Rayne’s family continued to grow as the two families participated in Texas cattle shows together. Rayne’s son, Blane Theeck, and Davis became good friends in and out of school. Both boys are in eighth grade at Franklin Middle School.

When the going gets tough…
In June of 2006, Wade was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Fighting the battle with cancer, he has outlived the doctor’s prognosis by six months. Rayne and Kent were the first to understand the five Hanson children would need help to maintain a sense of normalcy in their lives since their daily routines would have to change significantly. Rayne and Kent help the Hanson’s work with the cattle whenever Wade’s strength is limited because of treatments. They want Wade’s dream of having his children grow up with a love of cattle to be realized. They are helping the Hanson children learn important life lessons taught by working with the land and animals.

Rayne’s family; the Steve and Celina Shultz family, also from the Franklin area; and Stephanie and Matt Harris pulled together to keep the kids interest in and ability to show possible. Davis has gone on numerous road trips throughout Texas with Rayne and Kent. The couple treats Davis like their own and he loves it. “Davis has become our surrogate show child,” said Rayne. Davis has traveled with the couple to shows in Houston, San Antonio, Brenham and Oklahoma.

And The Winner Is …
The trip to Lawton, Okla., for the 2007 National Junior Maine-Anjou Show was by far Davis’s favorite show so far. He loved meeting people from all over the U.S. “I thought it was a great experience meeting new people and spending time with friends,” said Davis. Rayne’s son, Blane, had encouraged Davis to get a heifer for the 2007 National Junior Maine- Anjou Show. Blane wanted Davis to travel with them because of the great contests and the big “water fight” that goes on every year! Davis enjoyed the numerous events held for the juniors. He even enjoyed a dance or two! His mom told him dancing was the best way to meet girls. “Learn to dance and they will all want to talk to you, ” Sandra told him.

Davis Hanson

“When we first got to Lawton, I tried to get Davis and Blane
to participate in the public speaking contest,” said Rayne. “They said they didn’t want to and I gave them a pass that time, but I said they had to do it next year.”

“I don’t know what will happen next year," Davis replied. However, after Davis received his awards at the banquet,
he told Rayne he was going for the sweepstakes in 2008!

Davis Hanson
It only continued to get more sweet for Davis when his
named was drawn for the trailer. “I didn’t believe it at first,” said Davis. “Rayne and I were checking out the trailer earlier and teased how we were going to call dad when I won to tell him we were out buying a truck to pull the trailer home that I won.” Twenty minutes later, Rayne gave Davis the good news that he had won the trailer! “I thought she was joking until I saw she was crying! Her face looked like she had just experienced a miracle,” said Davis. “Then I couldn’t believe it. I had to call dad right away. He didn’t believe me so I gave the phone to Rayne and he didn’t believe her either,” reported Davis. “Finally, Rayne gave the phone to a show worker and Dad finally believed the good news.”

Davis is an inspiring young man who has a great love for the cattle industry. He is a wonderful asset for the Maine-Anjou breed. He credits his ability to overcome whatever obstacles may come to the strength provided by his fathers support. Now his dreams of showing will be accented by a shiny new trailer to haul his prize-winning cattle to the next show.

Happenings I have a number of different “happenings” within the American Maine-Anjou Association (AMAA) and Maine-Anjou Voice that I would like to touch on in this column. It’s been a busy and great summer so far. It’s also flown by! It seems like yesterday we were in Denver trying to keep warm in the yards! Now, we’re trying to keep cool in the summer heat. With the summer heat comes a lot of activities. The BIG event of every summer is always the National Junior Maine-Anjou Show. Let’s talk about that first.

by Kyla Nesheim editor/director of communications

Mark another great National Junior Maine-Anjou Show down for the books! The 2007 National Junior Maine-Anjou Show in Lawton, Okla., was a huge success! A big thanks goes out to the Oklahoma Maine- Anjou Association for putting in a lot of hard work into this show. The behind the scenes work that goes into the national junior show is astounding and sometimes goes without being recognized. I want to take this time to recognize that hard work and let the Oklahoma Maine-Anjou Association and everyone who contributed to this years show that it is appreciated by all involved. Another huge thanks and kudos goes to Jeana Sankey, AMAA director of youth activities. Your first “big one” was great.

Congratulations on a great week. Congratulations to all the show winners. The juniors brought out a great set of cattle to represent the breed. Congratulations to all the juniors who placed in the contests held throughout the week. It’s great to be involved and these contests are a great way to do exactly that. Great job and thank you to everyone who made the trip to Lawton, Okla., to participate. The friendships made are priceless! I know I hold them dear to me. I enjoy, more than words can say, meeting and seeing old and new acquaintances. The junior members of the breed are a SUPER group of kids and represent a wonderful future for the Maine-Anjou breed.

The junior board surprised me at this year's show with quite an honor. They awarded me with the Maine Helper of the Year! I feel blessed to receive this title and would like to thank the junior board again — this award means the world to me. On another note, we at the association couldn’t do it without your help. You put in countless hours helping at all the shows and we appreciate your hard work. I’ve enjoyed every minute spent with all of the junior board. All of you have very bright futures ahead, and I wish you the best in all you do!

We are looking forward to the 2008 National Junior Maine- Anjou Show, “A Star Spangled
Extravaganza” when the Maine-Anjou and Chianina junior shows unite in Kansas City, Mo. The dates are June 29-July 4, 2008. We will be working very closely with the American Chianina Association on the 2008 junior nationals. The National Junior Shorthorn Show will also be held that same week in Kansas City. What a chance to see three great breeds' junior national shows at the same place at the same time! Mark your calendars for Kansas City in 2008!

Now, on to new “happenings.” Hopefully, most of you have been receiving the “Maine Memo” newsletters sent via e- ail. I’m trying to get those out every couple weeks or so. If there is anything you would like to see in the newsletter, please let me know. We have just started distributing them, and it’s a growing endeavor. Our e-mail list is growing everyday. If you are not on the e-mail list and would like to be added, please go to our Web site, www.maine-anjou.org , and sign up for the newsletter. Or, you can e-mail me at voiceeditor@kc.rr.com , and I would be happy to add you to the list.

With the help from EDJE Technologies, a new Web site was created to benefit all who wish to sell cattle and related cattle items online through the AMAA. The new Web site is www.maineanjouclassifieds.com  and is currently up and running. Feel free to check it out and call me with any questions you have regarding the site. The cost is very economical for you at $20 per month with unlimited classified ads for that month. We will no longer be listing the “free” classifieds on the AMAA’s Web site. With the number of classifieds we were receiving, we decided to take the next step to create a special Web site for these classified ads. You can pay with a credit card through our secure shopping cart on that site.

Most of you have probably already taken notice to the new look of our Web sites (the association’s site, the Voice’s site and the junior association’s site). We hope you like the new look and if there is anything you would like to see on those, please contact the AMAA office. Thank you to EDJE Technologies for re-designing our Web sites and a great job with the new Web site, www.maineanjouclassifieds.com. That about covers the new “happenings” from this summer. The fall show schedule and fall sales lie ahead! See you down the road!

Source & Age Verified Adds Value
by Dave Steen, commercial marketing director

The American Maine-Anjou Association (AMAA) and Integrated Management Information, Inc., (IMI Global, Inc.) have entered into an agreement for IMI Global, Inc., to be the administrator of the AMAA’s Source and Age Verified programs. These programs allow producers and feedyards to be able to secure your Source and Age marketing strategy. Producers who want to know something about their cattle have to participate in some form of individual ID program. Many producers have struggled to get these programs implemented because they don’t know where to begin. To help simplify these management problems for Source and Age Verification, the AMAA will offer the following available programs to help “add potential value” to each producer’s situation.

US Verified and Supply Verified will provide:
1) Supplier Evaluation System that is “USDA Approved”
2) Gives assurance that claims are verified and truthful
3) Provides access to progressive markets
     a. Export markets
     b. Domestic markets

Currently, many feedyards are receiving an additional $25 per head due to the Japanese and various export markets if the cattle are Source and Age Verified. To producers who have implemented the Source and Age Verified programs, the additional premium they receive for their calves usually more than pays for their cost of implementing the program. The fact is, without these programs, potential profits are being squandered and improvements are certainly being minimized. IMI Global, Inc., is presently the only USDA process verified company!

As a cow/calf producer, if you want to participate in the Source and Age market, you must be approved by a USDA Process Verified Program (PVP) and/or Quality System Assessment Program (QSA).

The AMAA will offer the following programs for Source and Age Verified:
1) Source and Age program for cow/calf producer
     a. Requirements:
          i. You must have documented calving records (individual animal and/or group calving records)
          ii. Cattle must be identified (preferably with a tag — at a minimum a brand or unique ear notching
              system)
          iii. You must fill out our Source and Age kit which contains a profile page and a quiz based on
              information shared with you
          iv. You must be willing to send to us your calving records, records to support head counts (same
              form of inventory records) and the Source and Age kit
          v. An IMI global evaluator will call you and ask questions about the information you submitted
          vi. If everything meets the requirements, you will receive a certificate of approval and be listed on
              IMI Global’s approved supplier list
     b. Benefits:
          i. Some packers are offering up to $25 per head premium
          ii. Last year Superior Livestock said their IMI Global verified cattle equated to a $1.77/cwt premium
              on feeder cattle
     c. Cost of AMAA Source & Age Verified cow/calf program to producer
          i. $250 per year
     d. Two tags for Source and Age Verification will be offered to producers:
          i. Visual Tag — cost $1.50-$1.75 per tag
               1. Contains a nine digit number that indicates the producer’s ID number for verification
               2. “US Verified” printed on neck of tag
               3. “Maine-Anjou” printed on the bottom of the tag
          ii. Nested Pair Tag (2 tags) — cost $3.25-$3.50 per pair
               1. Includes Visual Tag
               2. Plus the round ID tag for individual carcass collection data
               3. The nested pair tag includes the visual tag that has “US Verified” imprinted on the neck of
                   the tag
               4. Plus a 15 digit ID number
               5. Plus “Maine-Anjou” printed on the bottom of the tag
     e. I personally feel the cow/calf program will be the largest segment.
2) US Verified — Source and Age and Non-Hormone Treated Cattle (NHTC) Combo — program for mid to large feedlots
     a. To participate in the Source and Age market, you have two choices:
          i. Build a USDA Process Verified Program (PVP) and/or Quality System Assessment (QSA) Program
          ii. Implement IMI Global’s Feedlot Program and become approved under IMI Global’s Process Verified
              Program for Feedlots
          iii. Call John at the AMAA office or myself for further particulars and cost
3) US Verified Plus
     a. For farmers / feeders, stockers and backgrounders
     b. Call John at the AMAA office or myself for particulars
4) US Verified
     a. Source and Age Verification for mid to large sized feedlots
     b. Please call John at the AMAA office or myself for further particulars
5) US Verified — Source and Age and Non-Hormone Treated Cattle (NHTC) Program for cow/calf producers
     a. Please call John at the AMAA office or myself for further details

I know this seems somewhat confusing to many with all of the different programs, but the door is wide open to producers who are seeking information to facilitate in their management decisions. If you are interested in any of these programs, please feel free to give us a call, John at the AMAA office (816) 431-9950 or myself at (515) 201-3281. For additional information, feel free to call IMI Global, Inc., at (303) 895-3002. To our seedstock breeders selling bulls and females, please tell your customers about the option for Age and Source Verification through the AMAA. These programs should also help to “stay connected” to your existing customers and increase your potential customer base. Please let your customers know this program will soon be available!

Other News
The AMAA is looking into conducting a commercial bull sale either in the spring of 2008 or 2009.
Preliminary talks include:
• Bulls tested PHA and TH Free
• October/November delivery (site undecided)
• Sale to be held in central Kansas Please give me a call by Aug. 15, 2007, if this type of sale would fit your
   marketing plan.

The 5th Annual National Maine-Anjou Influenced Feeding Trial has ended and the data should soon be received. Please watch for the complete results in the October issue of the Voice.

Thank you to everyone for your participation and support of this national feeding trial! Thank you and please call if I can be of help in any way — Continue to breed with Commitment and Direction!

Maines on the Move,
Dave Steen

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