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Maine-Anjou Voice ::
Kyla
Nesheim / Jeana Sankey ::
204 Marshall Road :: PO Box
1100 :: Platte City MO 64079-1100
Phone - 816.858.9954 :: Fax - 816.858.9953 ::
E-mail:
voiceeditor@kc.rr.com |
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Maine Aces |
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Talented poker players know that the way
to win is to keep an ace in the hole.
Every organization sees change as new
challenges arise in the industry. A
younger generation of Maine-Anjou
breeders have chosen to ante up and
stake their future on Maine-Anjou
cattle. Most have family ties to the
breed, with memories of showing Maine-
njou cattle as a youngster. They are
involved in leadership roles within the
breed at state and national levels. Most
will readily tell you that what they’re
doing is not the norm compared to their
peers. Thirteen “aces” were selected for
this article as representatives from the
next generation of Maine-Anjou breeders.
While they face some of the same
challenges, each bring a different hand
to the table. We hope you joy our
focus on the “Maine Aces,” because they
are the future for the Maine-Anjou
breed. |
Matt Elliott
Chester, Oklahoma
Age 29
Single |
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 Matt
Elliot
2007 Houston Stock Show and Rodeo
Division Champion Maine-Anjou Bull
Elliott got an early start in the
Maine-Anjou business, as he was born
into his family’s operation, 4E
Cattle Company. He grew up showing
Maines, as well as attending events on a
national level. His dad served on the
American Maine-Anjou Association (AMAA)
Board of Directors and as president of
the association. He attended Conners
College and Panhandle State in Oklahoma
and then received his degree in
agronomy. At Conners, he was a member of
the judging team. He then received his
master’s degree in agricultural
education from Oklahoma State University
in 2005. During college he remained
active in the family operation and was
confident that he wanted to continue to
be part of the beef industry. Elliott is
a soil conservation technician with the
United States Department of Agriculture
National Resource Conservation Service
in Tologa, Oklahoma. This is an hour and
a half from his family’s operation at
Burlington. He is very involved in the
family’s herd of approximately 25 momma
cows and he has put together a small
group of cows, about 10 that he owns,
under MEF Cattle Company. Their numbers,
like many from this part of the country
are lower than normal, due to the
severity of last year’s drought. They
have two different locations that they
run cattle on and Elliott is close
enough to both locations to have
hands-on involvement. “I grew up with
Maine cattle playing an important role,
not just from a financial standpoint,
but raising the cattle, traveling and
showing was how our family chose to
spend time together. It’s a lifestyle I
wanted to continue, and I believe Maine
cattle have a lot to offer the
industry,” describes Elliott. In 2005,
the family bred and exhibited the
National Champion Point Show Bull of the
Year, 4E Ice Cube. They have always
strived to maintain a national presence
with their genetics. Elliott sees land
and its availability, as well as price,
as probably the biggest challenge facing
cattlemen of all ages, but particularly
his generation. “Land values are
escalating rapidly and in addition to
land just being far too expensive to
justify for cattle, it’s just really
hard to even find land that has the
grass needed to expand. I am fortunate
that my family was already established
and had land available, so that I could
come back into the family operation. I
think this is going to continue to be
the most limiting factor for agriculture
as a whole,” he says. Elliott is a
member of the AMAA Board of Directors,
and is involved in the planning of the
2007 National Junior Show, which will be
held in Oklahoma. He sees a solid future
ahead for the Maine breed and plans to
be a part of it. |
Randy and
Pearlann Pohlman
Delphos, Ohio
Ages 31 and 27
Married with two sons, Austin 4 and
Aiden 2 |
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Pearlann, Randy, Austin and Aiden
Pohlman 48N
The Pohlmans met at the Ohio State FFA
Convention and were married in 2001.
They operate their registered
Maine-Anjou program in the northwest
part of Ohio. In addition they own and
operate three hog finishing houses.
Today their herd runs approximately 140
momma cows, which is about half
registered Maines and MaineTainers and
half registered Angus. They plan to
incorporate Simmental into the mix very
soon for SimAngus and Maine- SimAngus.
Randy was raised on a small family farm
with no cows. He graduated from Bluffton
University in Ohio in 1998 with a degree
in economics and business
administration. He had put together some
commercial cows on his own and then with
the help of his grandfather added some
Maineinfluenced cows. Pearlann also grew
up on a small family farm with primarily
Angus cows. She and her sister both
showed registered Angus. She graduated
from The Ohio State University with a
degree in animal science and today
handles all the promotion,
registrations, accounting and paperwork
for the operation.
“We operate on my family’s land, but we
have built our cattle program ourselves.
We have also built the facilities we
needed for both the cattle and hog
finishing operation. Pearlann and I
purchased a small group of a heifers and
a Maine bull once we were married and
our herd has grown from that base, plus
I had purchased a small group of
registered Maines from the Harding
dispersal in 1998. We also have
purchased some Angus donors to utilize
in our MaineTainer segment,” he
explains. They started hosting their own
fall female sale, two years ago, which
includes bred females as well as show
prospects. Their bulls are sold through
sales sponsored by the Ohio Cattlemen’s
Association and the Ohio Beef Expo. They
also have developed a sizeable local
freezer beef market in their local area.
Randy cites maintaining finances to
operate as one of the biggest challenges
they face along with being able to stay
ahead of changing technology. This year
they incorporated sexed semen and sexed
embryos in order to maximize their
resources and utilizetechnology.
“Some matings just lend themselves to a better market for a certain sex,”
he says. Another area Randy struggles
with is time management. “I would
say this is one my biggest weaknesses.
It’s hard to get everything done and
spend time with my family. It’s
very hard to find employees that will
stay. Ideally you would like to find
that one employee who loves this as much
as you and would help you grow it. We
have found that part-time employees
often end up costing us in the long run,
“ he says. Randy is confident that the
Maine-Anjou breed will be part of their
operation, as well as that of the entire
beef industry in the future. He says
their eye appeal, docility, showring
presence and the economic traits they
bring to the commercial segment are
significant factors. Randy has been
drawn to the cattle business since he
was a teenager and doesn’t see himself,
leaving the place for a job anywhere
else. “I think it’s the only thing I
will ever be doing. Cattle breeding is
an art. My customers’ successes are my
ultimate measure of success. If I am
satisfying them, then I’ve accomplished
something,” he concludes.
|
Chris
Swanson
Peterson, Iowa
Age 38
Married, wife, Lisa, four children,
Brandon, Allie, Married, wife, Lisa,
four children, Brandon, Allie, Collin
and Cal |
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 The
Swanson operation is truly a family
affair, with Swanson’s parents and his
sister, Pam and her husband, Tom. They
run about 450 head of momma cows and
farm 6,000 acres, with 95% percent corn.
“My mom and dad always had commercial
cows, and we incorporated registered
Maines into the mix about 1988. Our
cowherd is still largely commercial
based and structured to produce club
calves. We don’t have a lot of Maines,
but feel the ones we have are high in
quality,” he explains adding that they
also own some registered Maines in
partnership, which helps from an income
standpoint.
In the beginning of their operation,
they showed a lot, but they have cut
back on this aspect. He feels it really
helped to establish their Maine program
in the beginning and continues to bring
traffic to the farm. They continue to
show in the yards at Denver and at the
Iowa State Fair and Iowa Beef
Expo. The Swanson kids have also been
participants in the American Junior
Maine-Anjou Association (AJMAA) National
Junior Show and Swanson has served on
the Iowa Maine-Anjou Association Board
of Directors.
They sell 80- 00 females annually in the
fall through a private treaty sale and
their bulls are marketed at Denver, the
Iowa Beef Expo and by private treaty.
“It takes time to build a program and
the key to being successful is to get
good cattle out to your customers and
keep raising good cattle,” he stresses.
He thinks Maines have a bright future
and feels great strides have been made
in the last six to eight years to
improve the product to the commercial
segment. Swanson doesn’t remember ever
considering leaving the family farm. He
did a attend a local college for a
while, but has always known this was his
calling. He says he feels very fortunate
to have had the opportunity to join his
parents and that with today’s land
prices and other factors it would be
hard to get established. “I think a
young person can still enter the cattle
business and even the farming on their
own, but it’s going to take a lot of
creativity. They need to have diverse
sources of income to do it. I think my
kids will stay involved in agriculture
in some way, whether or not it’s
production agriculture, I don’t know.
It’s a great way of life, but it’s not
easy,” he comments.
Swanson describes financing and the
continued escalating prices of inputs as
their biggest challenges. “The row
cropping end of our business has been
tough for the last three to four years,
but cattle prices have been strong. The
weather is a constant factor and in our
business that directly affects our
production and our income. This winter
has been really hard. Here we are in mid
April and we’ve got nine inches of snow
on the ground and another storm in the
forecast. Input costs go up almost
daily, which makes it hard to budget. We
now have high priced corn, which is
good, but on the flip side our feed
costs have increased dramatically. It’s
a constant battle,” he describes. Both
Lisa and Pam are school teachers, and
the entire family is involved in the day
to day operations. They have no outside
help on a permanent basis. “It’s putting
years on us to do all this, but it’s
hard to find help. You can find help
that will go on the road, help you clip
and show, but no one wants to stay home
and do the work. This is one of the
areas we contend with constantly and it
only gets more difficult to find good
help that you can trust,” says Swanson.
He adds that they have a strong family
bond and they know each other’s
capabilities and limits. They also have
established areas as Tom spends the
majority of his time with the cattle,
Swanson’s dad oversees the farming and
Swanson floats between the two,
depending on the season.
|
Landon Nagel
Springfield, South Dakota
Age 21
Engaged |
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 Landon
and Kelsey
Chesney, Cheylee, Shayna, Landon, Blane,
Shalayne and Cindy Nagel
Nagel says that he has noticed the
family operation doesn’t have any bull
customers his age. He also says that
when he goes to most cattle and cattle
related events, there just aren’t a lot
of people involved who are his age.
Nagel, who is a fourth generation
rancher, is defying the experts and the
odds by choosing production agriculture
to stake his future. He is quick to
point out that he is fortunate that he
has a family operation as his
foundation. He can readily see why some
of his peers would be reluctant to do
what he is doing, much less try to start
on their own. “I know people who have
family operations they could return to,
but they are choosing not to. There’s
more money elsewhere, less physical
labor required and not necessarily a
24/7 commitment in other careers.
Farming and ranching are not
predictable. Mother Nature can change
everything and we operate in a climate
where we don’t control markets,” he
says. Nagel has always thought this is
where he would be and went to South
Dakota State University for five
semesters with the goal of coming home.
“I knew I had the option to be part of
this. My family had always said there
could be a place for me,
if this was where I wanted to be. I’m
grateful as it would be difficult to
start on my own and I would have to
start so much smaller and build for a
number of years. Our program is
established and that gives me even more
opportunities,” he stresses. He was born
into the Maine business, as his parents,
Blane and Cindy, as well as grandparents
run about 250 registered Maine and
MaineTainer cattle. In addition, Cindy
owns and operates her own ultrasounding
business. He participated in junior
Maine-Anjou events as a youngster,
including the AJMAA National Show. They
have an annual bull sale in February and
have marketed their females, primarily
by private treaty. Last fall, they held
their first annual club calf sale in the
fall, which was Nagel’s idea and he was
given ownership of its success or
failure from the beginning. “Our full
time employee quit and that’s when I
decided to leave school and come home
earlier than planned. Dad and I sat down
and talked about how I would fit in, the
responsibilities I could have and how we
could make this work. We talk about
everything and I’m trying to learn as
much as possible about every facet of
the program. Dad has been great. I had
the idea for the club calf sale and they
let me run with it. It was good, we
averaged right at $2,500 on 21 calves,
and I’m full steam ahead for the next
one,” he explains.
Nagel has already learned that the
keeping their bull customers satisfied
is paramount to survival and notes this
is one of their biggest challenges.
“Cattle, as well as the whole industry
are always changing and you have to be
ready to meet those needs. We have added
some Angus into our herd for genetics,
so that we can provide our bull buyers
with Angus and MaineTainer bulls. I
think the future for Maines is very
exciting as the addition of the
MaineTainer cattle provides a bigger
audience and more options,” he says. |
Mark
Beauprez
Byers, Colorado
Age 44
Married, wife, Lisa, two children
Nicholas, 15 and Megan, 13 |
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 Mark,
Megan, Lisa and Nick Beauprez
BOE Pebbles 911R
Bred by Beauprez
Winning Beauprez Maine heifer for Kirbe
Schnoor
 Beauprez
is currently serving his first term on
the AMAA Board of Directors. While he
laughs that he doesn’t necessarily view
himself as part of the younger
generation, he does acknowledge the
reality that in the cattle business, he
is. Like many in the business today,
Beauprez’s first exposure to the breed
came from showing steers as a youngster,
as he grew up with crossbred cattle. He
met Larry Handy, a Colorado Maine-Anjou
breeder and was convinced of the breed’s
merits. He and his dad purchased some of
the first black and white Maine- Anjou
heifers in the country, as well as some
red and white fullbloods about 1978.
Beauprez would start attending shows
across the nation, and began making
select purchases, including some
Canadian genetics. He has never second
guessed his decision to raise
Maine-Anjou cattle.
Today, he and his wife, own and manage
the cattle, which includes 200 females,
of which about 70 are purebred
Maine-Anjou. The majority are 1/2
Maine-Anjou x 1/2 commercial Angus base
for club calves, as well as MaineTainers.
They farm over 800 acres of corn, 260
acres of irrigated alfalfa and some
dryland wheat. Their land joins Lisa’s
family operation and is located about 70
miles east of Denver. The majority of
their calves are marketed commercially
and those are all sired by Maine-Anjou
bulls. They feed the calves till they
reach about 900 lb. and then market by
video most years, depending on current
market prices. They also have developed
a show heifer and steer market. He will
soon have 30 years invested in the breed
and he is very familiar with old and new
pedigrees in the breed. He sees many,
many more promising years ahead for
Maine- Anjou.
“I think the breed is poised for
expansion. The genetic disorder problem
has been a setback, but I believe as a
breed we have that behind us. I think we
will see demand increase as the cattle
work in a commercial environment.
There’s no doubt they have unlimited
popularity for the showring,” he
describes. Beauprez spends the majority
of his time with his cattle and crops,
but also serves as the local high school
wrestling coach. “During wrestling
season, which is November to February,
I’m at the school three hours a day and
night a week. Then almost every Saturday
is spent at a tournament. I wrestled in
high school and made it to state a
couple of times and now my son wrestles.
I just enjoy working with the kids,” he
remarks. Beauprez says that land prices
are extremely high in their area and
with their close proximity to Denver,
they have no real way to expand, even if
they wanted to in terms of land. He also
cites the grain markets and the fact
that he has no control over the price
received for his product as ongoing
challenges. In addition, weather is
always a factor as they farm in a
relatively dry area and this winter has
been extremely challenging. “I have no
regrets about my choice to be involved
in production agriculture. It teaches us
a lot about life, it’s a great way to
raise my kids and I love the cattle,” he
summarizes. |
Kyle Walter
Elk City, Oklahoma
Age 36
Married, wife, Kristin, two daughters,
Kyla 5, Kamdyn 2 |
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 Kyle,
Kamdyn, Kristin and Kyla
National Champion Female
Walter also gained his first exposure to
the Maine-Anjou breed by showing. He
represents the third generation of his
family to raise cattle, as his
grandfather and father both were
involved in the Hereford breed. Growing
up in western Oklahoma, Walter showed a
lot of Chianina based cattle, before
switching to Maine-Anjou in the early
90’s. Once he began showing Maine-Anjou,
the females were retained in the
herd, and over time they became the
registered breed of choice. Today Walter
and his parents run about 125 mother
cows including some MaineTainers, Angus
and SimAngus. They also flush selected
donors and maintain a quality herd of
recips. The majority of the cattle are
owned in the family partnership,
although some belong to just Walter. In
addition, Walter’s sister, Megan, and
her husband and three sons, live on the
family operation and are involved around
their full time jobs. The program gained
national prominence in 1997 with a
National Champion Female to their
credit. This female is central to the
program today and one of her
granddaughters won big this past year on
the Texas junior circuit, including
championships at San Antonio and
Houston. They breed a large portion of
their cattle to produce show heifers and
this has developed into a strong market
for them. They have built a good bull
market in their area and across the
state, as well.
They market largely through private
treaty sales and consign to some select
sales throughout the year. They are
focusing their breeding program towards
efficiency to offset the ever increasing
input costs. Walter also emphasizes
strong maternal traits. “I was blessed
to have a family business to come back
to, as many of my college friends, did
not have that opportunity and would have
liked to have had it. I graduated from
Oklahoma State University in 1993 with a
degree in animal science with a business
option. We established roles and
responsibility up front when I came
home, and we talk about all aspects. I
handle most of the breeding decisions
and I really enjoy that,” describes
Walter. He finds it challenging as a
small breeding program to compete
sometimes with larger outfits, which
have access to more capital or have
outside funding, but he is pleased with
the niche they have carved out for their
program and the loyal and satisfied
customer base they have established.
Plus land is at a premium in their area,
and he acknowledges there is no real
room for expansion.
“I have never regretted my decision to
make this my lifelong occupation and I
believe in the Maine-Anjou breed. I’m
banking my future on it,” he concludes.
Walter is active in the Oklahoma
Maine-Anjou Association and is looking
forward to the state hosting the
national junior show this summer. |
Marty Van
Vliet
Pella, Iowa
Age 43
Married, wife, Teresa, twins
7-year-olds, Cade and Chloe |
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 Marty,
Teresa, Cade and Chloe
Van Vliet, like his good friend Beauprez,
laughed when he found out he was
categorized as young for this article.
In addition to his “youth”, he brings
almost 30 years of experience and
involvement in the breed to this current
position on the AMAA Board of Directors.
Van Vliet was largely influenced by two
Maine-Anjou breeders in his hometown -
Sid DeHaan and Jerry Bogaards. Van Vliet
started showing Maine-Anjou that he
purchased from
them in high school and what started as
a project has become a career. He
attended college for about a year and a
half, then spent about four years in
Canada, working for Cormie Ranch.
He returned home to join his dad in
farming and building a registered herd
of Maine-Anjou under the name of
Blueprint Cattle Company. In the early
years of the operation, Beth DeJong was
a partner in Blueprint also. Today Van
Vliet mostly handles the operation on
his own and runs about 80 momma cows.
These are all registered or
Maine-influenced, including MaineTainers.
He also farms about 1,900 acres. “I
always thought I would stay
here and take over the farming and I
have. The cattle portion is something
that I’ve basically added to the family
operation. Dad was integral in the
beginning, but I learned a lot of it on
my own and through trial and error. I’ve
never had a job, where I punched a clock
— agriculture has no clock and that is
all I have ever done,” he says.
Blueprint shows cattle at the Iowa State
Fair, as well as promotes their bulls at
Denver and the Iowa Beef Expo. Van Vliet
took the time early on to build a
program that would produce cattle that
would attract customers and work for
them. They market their females in their
Focus on the Female Sale, held in
December annually. They start marketing
their bulls in Denver and the majority
are moved by private treaty.
In today’s economy, the statistical
experts throw out a figure of five to
seven years for the average life of a
purebred breeder. Van Vliet blew by that
number many years ago and is often
reminded of it when he attends cattle
events in general and Maine-Anjou
events, specifically. “When I attended
my first AMAA Board of Directors
meeting, it really hit me how long Mark
(Beauprez) and I had been in the
business, but yet we are youngsters in
terms of age. I think it is extremely
difficult for young people to get
started in agriculture in terms of
capital and land. Then you can factor in
the long hours, the uncertainty of when
and how much your paycheck will be and
Mother Nature. I know I still struggle
with knowing when I’ll get my next check
and its amount,” he explains. But on the
other hand, he wouldn’t trade his hours
or his responsibilities. He and Beauprez
met in Denver in the early
days, and today they are lifelong
friends, and own some cattle together,
take their family vacations together and
serve on the AMAA Board.
“If I were to give any advice to new
breeders it would be to go slow, learn
as you go. It takes a lot of experience
to know what you can do and what you can
not do. A lot of people jump in the
business and flash, they’re gone. This
is not an overnight success type of
business, it has to be cultivated and
you have to love it,” he summarizes. |
Jeff
Bogaards
Pella, Iowa
Age 36
Married, wife, Mary, two children,
Paighton 6, Ethan 4 |
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 Paighton,
Mary, Ethan and Jeff Bogaards
Jerry Bogaards with Streamliner, 1979
undefeated National Champion — the
bull that started it all at JB Ranch
 You
could easily say that Jeff Bogaards and
the Maine- Anjou breed have grown up
together. His family was one of the
first to incorporate the breed into
their cattle operation in the 70’s and
he continues the operation, started by
his dad, Jerry. The name, JB Ranch, was
coined by Jerry as the entire family had
first names starting with the letter “J”
and the program continues under that
name. “We had the bull, Streamliner in
1979, who was the National Champion and
was undefeated. He put our program on
the map and did a lot for our genetic
base,” recalls Bogaards.
The program today includes 150 momma
cows, of which about a third are
registered Maine-Anjou and the rest
MaineTainers and Angus based cows. “I
think there are two main reasons, why I
have continued to raise Maines and that
would be the quality of the people
involved and the cattle themselves,” he
says adding that he selects for strong
maternal lines and easy-doing cattle.
He has a partner on some of the cattle
and he also runs cattle for a local vet
at their operation. In addition, he is
an area manager for Vigortone Ag
Products. His territory includes,
southeast Iowa, western Illinois, and
north Missouri. “My partner, myself and
the vet share the workload and somehow
we manage. But it’s a nightmare trying
to be here for calving and breeding, do
my job and spend time with my family.
The cattle are important to me and in my
blood, “ he stresses. Bogaards, who has
a degree in communications, with a
business management minor, thinks a lot
of their success and longevity in the
breed has come from his operating
premise of selling functional cattle for
solid prices, rather than just a few
head for a lot of dollars.
“We sell cattle for real money and we
have a loyal customer base, because we
don’t make any promises we can’t keep,”
he stresses. They market their cattle by
private treaty for the most part and do
consign to sales in Denver and at the
Iowa Beef Expo. A majority of their
production is designed for the club calf
business and he enjoys working with
their young customers. “When you weigh
your costs and your time in this
business, it doesn’t pencil out. I think
we raise cattle because we love it, not
because we want to get rich. It’s
becoming harder and harder to justify.
Land is just one example. We can’t
compete for land with developers and
that is what is happening here,” he
remarks.
Bogaards thinks the breed has many
attributes that will carry it strongly
into the future. “The genetic disorder
problems have hit us hard, personally
and has been a setback for the breed.
But I think the AMAA Board has been very
aggressive to stop any calves that are
carriers from being marketed and it’s
going to be up to individual breeders to
be honest and not use carriers. We will
not breed to anything that is positive
here, and we are going to test all our
calves to assure our customers that we
are doing everything possible to make
our product the best it can be,” he
emphasizes. When the breed first made
its entrance into the U.S., he was just
a kid, but like his dad, who saw its
potential then, he sees it now and sees
it for the future. |
Charles Hill
Tupelo, Oklahoma
Age 36
Married, wife Shannon, two Children,
Tyler 6 and Bentley 9 months |
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HAA Crossroads 511S — owned with Hartman
&
Associates, Tecumseh, Neb.
 Charles,
Bentley, Tyler and Shannon
 Hill
is a newcomer to the breed, but
has spent all his life around cattle.
His parents and grandparents operated a
commercial cow operation as he was
growing up, and became registered
breeders because of his show interest.
“In 1985, my parents bought me a
Limousin heifer to show and then we
developed a purebred herd from that,” he
recalls.
In 1999, Hill returned to his family
ranch where he orchestrated the sale of
the Limousin cattle in 2000. After much
research on breeds, they began building
their Maine-Anjou program.With his
parents having to work at jobs off the
ranch, building and managing the ranch
has been his responsibility. Hill
graduated from high school in 1989. He
spent two and a half years at Oklahoma
State University (OSU). He left OSU to
spend a few years working for some of
the premier Limousin outfits in the
country learning from some of the top
seedstock producers.
“I worked for John Sullivan in Iowa and
I really learned a lot about all the
little things that make a seedstock
operation successful. I also spent time
at Express Ranches and then would manage
Deer Creek Limousin in Edmond, Okla. Our
veternarian, Dr. Larry Thompson, who is
also our embryologist, has worked with
and taught me a great deal about health,
fertility and genetic soundness in
cattle. These were all very good
experiences for me,” he comments.
Initial purchases were made from Jirl
Buck, followed by the purchase of the
Nebraska-based Mellor Maine herd. The
herd now consists of 400+ mother cows
that include, Maine-Anjou females, Angus
for the MaineTainer program and
Charolais females that are bred with
Maine-Anjou. Hill has been in the
building phase and has been retaining
large numbers of females. He recently
held his first private treaty female
sale in March, which was a great
success. A second female sale is in the
planning stages for this fall.
He has been selling bulls through select
sales and by private treaty. He was
preparing for an April bull sale at the
time of this interview. Hill has been
selling his bulls in conjunction with an
area sale barn, which holds special
cattle sales, quarterly. Hill has been
participating in the special sale for
about two years. This will be his first
time to headline the sale. His offering
will have included 50+ Maine-Anjou and
Charolais bulls. He likes being a part
of this sale, as he is able to build his
customer base and it keeps him tied with
the commercial market. In addition, he
has worked to develop a junior show
clientele and attends a number of junior
shows in Oklahoma to support his
customers. Hill likes to think of his
operation as family oriented. He runs it
with his parents, wife and other family
members. He considers his family values
a very important asset to the ranch.
When you ask Hill what kind of problems
he faces managing a cattle operation, he
is quick to answer. He sees rising feed
and energy costs as continued management
challenges within his operation. He
obviously sees a strong future for the
Maine-Anjou breed. |
Kendall
Bremer
Blakesburg, Iowa
Age 25
Single |
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 Kendall
Bremer
Clean Jeans 94S - 2006 All American Bull
Bremer was born into Maine-Anjou and is
committed to spending his life with this
breed. His parents, Kenny and Audrey,
were some of the early Maine-Anjou
breeders and Bremer grew up showing
Maine-Anjou, attending the National
Junior Show as well as Iowa Maine-Anjou
Junior Shows. He served on the AJMAA
Board and the Iowa Junior Board for four
years. He also held offices with both
organizations. He attended Blackhawk
East College for two years and finished
at Iowa State University, graduating
with a degree in agricultural economics.
He then returned home to build his
future in the breed. Today their
breeding program includes 120 mother
cows, which are predominantly
Maine-Anjou, with some MaineTainers and
Angus cows. Bremer has 20 cows of his
own, including two donors that he owns
with a partner. One of his primary
responsibilities is the marketing and
customer service aspects of their junior
show heifer customers. “I like show
heifers. I like to sell to kids, help
them learn how to show and I like to be
there to watch them show,” he says. One
of the new ideas he has brought to the
operation is a fall sale featuring 50
head of show heifer prospects and 50
head of bred heifers. He calls the sale,
“Girls Gone Wild”, and it has been a
successful event for all. It has created
a lot of interest and generated income
for the family operation and a number of
calves have gone on to be champions for
their young customers. “I think the
showring appeal is one of the strong
points of the breed. Plus, in my mind,
there is no other extracurricular
activity that affords the leadership,
responsibility and work ethic as the
daily care of show cattle teaches young
people. In addition, I know from my own
experiences that it is also something to
be shared as a family. It takes parents
and kids working together every step of
the way,” remarks Bremer.
He is quick to note that it would have
been hard to start on his own, even with
an economics degree. “It’s hard to build
equity without getting in over your head
and land prices are making it almost
impossible to start from ground zero.
I’m grateful to be involved in the
family farm operation and share some
resources that make it possible for me
to get started in the cattle business,”
he says. Bremer is also serving on the
Iowa Maine-Anjou Association Board of
Directors, where he is looking forward
to serving and promoting the breed.
|
Megan Lee
DeQueen, Arkansas
Age 21
Single |
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 Megan
Lee
Grand Champion Bred & Owned Bull
2005 National Junior Maine-Anjou Show
 Lee,
who is junior agribusiness major at
Southern Arkansas University, Magnolia,
Ark., developed a love for the Maine-
njou breed largely through the National
Junior Show. Now she is planning a
career that will include continued
involvement in the family owned cattle.
“I’ve been attending junior nationals
since 1990 and this year will be my
last. I love junior nationals and I
think that event, as well as the
superiority of the cattle convinced me
and my family to become Maine- njou
breeders. Lee’s family had registered
Angus, largely because that was the
breed her mom showed as a child. She and
her brother were showing Angus, but
purchased Maine-Anjou heifers to attend
the National Junior Show in Wichita
Falls, Texas in 1990. They fell in love
with the breed and found the breeders
and exhibitors to be very supportive and
encouraging. They loved the family
atmosphere at the events.
Today the family herd includes 50
females of both high and low percentages
Maine-Anjou and they still have some
Angus. They utilize AI in their breeding
program and sell their cattle by private
treaty. “We have developed a strong
local market for our bulls, as there are
not a lot of Maine genetics in our part
of the country.” Lee is quick to note
that she admires the milking ability,
bone, and the thickness of Maine-Anjou,
as well as the showring presence. Lee’s
brother is also still involved in the
operation and works full-time as a sales
representative for a farm equipment
company. Her parents are both school
teachers. Lee plans to find a career in
agriculture and she hopes that it will
be close to the family farm, so that she
can continue to be involved.
“I think it would be very difficult to
start up on my own and I’m very grateful
to my family for the opportunity they
are offering my brother and I. I plan to
become a very active adult breeder,
since my days as a junior member are
limited. Iam currently serving on the
AJMAA Board and hope to stay involved at
that level in the future,” she says.
|
Heath and
Hardy O’Hara
Ft. Benton, Montana
Hardy, Age 26, wife Cali, son, Trevor 2
Heath, Age 32, single |
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Heath, Mike, Treavor and Hardy O’Hara
Over the years, they’ve become known as
“The O’Hara Boys” and now they are all
grown up and in full partnership with
their parents in their family cattle and
wheat operation in north central
Montana. “I guess Dad has been using
Maine genetics for almost 35 years. He
had an Angus based cowherd and used a
couple of different breeds on them,
before settling with Maine-Anjou bulls.
The performance and do-ability of those
calves led him to develop a registered
herd along with thecommercial base,”
explains Hardy. They have about 225
females in production, largely
MaineTainers, but also registered
Maine-Anjou and some registered and
commercial Angus cows.
In addition, they farm winter wheat. Due
to the low moisture levels in this part
of the country, the wheat crop is only
planted on half the ground each year and
rotated. The blocks of ground that are
not planted are sprayed to keep any
vegetation from growing, so that no
moisture is removed. The wheat is
planted in September and then harvested
in mid-July.
“When we go to farming, the cattle have
to be second, as it’s critical that we
get the crop in and tend to it. Harvest
lasts about two weeks and we are totally
focused on it during that time,” he
adds. Their registered cattle are
marketed by private treaty and the
commercial calves are sold as feeders.
They have developed bull customers in
Montana, Oregon and Washington.
“This country is straightbred Angus
country and we have to work at still
breaking that barrier. But once we get
ranchers to see the bulls, see their
calves, we make progress. We think that
the future is unlimited here for the
breed. People are beginning to realize
they have to have heterosis. We are
primed for that with black polled
bulls,” he says adding that they have to
keep on educating people that Maines are
not the same cattle they were 30 years
ago, even though that perception still
exists. Both boys have degrees in
business administration and returned to
the farm after graduation.
“In 2001, dad and mom offered Heath and
I an opportunity to be partners in the
farm. It has worked out great. We
realized that to make this work the
partnership would have to be first when
it came to decisions, rather than the
individual. We work together every day
and we are one for all and all for one
here,” describes Hardy, who adds
jokingly and seriously that family gets
more upset with each other than they
would others, but also forgive quicker
and deeper. He goes on to say that they
would not want to be anywhere else, as
they both wanted this type of lifestyle.
They acknowledge a lot of their peers
are not returning to the farm and that
the number of family farms are
diminishing in their area. “Farming is
getting bigger and bigger. Lots of
smaller places are being purchased and
made into big operations, as this is
supposed to be more efficient and it is
decreasing the number of jobs available.
This aspect, plus it’s just hard for a
young person to have the capital or the
borrowing power it takes today to start
even a small operation. We are fortunate
to have the family’s place and we are
grateful for the opportunity,” he
concludes. |
Troy Jones
Harrod, Ohio
Age 27
Married, wife, Sara and daughter Delaney
1 |
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 The
Jones Family
Reserve Grand Champion Female
2007 National Western Stock Show
 Troy
Jones would not know what a day without
cattle would be like, and he really has
no interest in knowing. He grew up with
cattle, as his parents raised registered
Angus, in addition to owning an
excavation business. He showed Angus
growing up and in the late 1990’s, he
became involved with Maine-Anjou cattle.
“I competed at the National Junior Angus
and Maine shows and I committed myself
in high school to staying at home and
raising cattle. It’s what I enjoy
doing,” comments Jones. Today he and his
parents have about 180 cows on the
place, which includes Angus and
Maine-Anjou, as well as MaineTainers.
Many of these are recips, as they have
acquired a select group of females they
flush. They market their cattle in their
production sale, High Standards Female
Sale, which is the first week of
November and consign to three or four
select sales throughout the year,
including the Ohio Beef Expo. They also
have been successful in the show ring,
with champions all the major arenas
across the country. They sell the
majority of their bulls by private
treaty.
“Our bull customers are all older and
that’s been one thing I have had to
learn is how to visit with them about
the bulls with the age gap. At most
events, I am about the only one in their
20’s, who’s there because this is their
job. I realize there are very few people
in their 20’s and 30’s involved
full-time in cattle, like myself. I
understand the challenges — capital,
long hours, no set income and land. Our
operation is as big as it can get with
the current local land prices. It’s not
easy to do this and I was fortunate to
have a family farm to join,” he
explains.
In addition to the registered cattle
program, they own a 550 head capacity
feedlot with a partner. They buy the
calves in Alabama and own the cattle
till harvest. “The feedlot has its own
set of challenges. We try to buy the
calves at a price we can make money on
when we sell them and afford the costs
in between,” he explains adding that
part of his time is spent there also.
Jones thinks the Maine-Anjou breed will
have a place in the industry for a long
time. He, like others we have talked to,
realizes the seriousness of the genetic
disorder carriers and feels the
responsibility is up to breeders to
handle this problem honestly. As a new
dad, he considers time management his
biggest struggle right now.
“It’s is hard to get home before dark. I
continually struggle with this aspect,
but I wouldn’t want to be working
anywhere else,” he concludes. |
Oklahoma Crowns
Royalty
During the Oklahoma
Youth Expo, Oklahoma City, Okla., March
14, 2007, the Oklahoma Maine-Anjou
Association recognized their new royalty
and scholarship winners. Congraulations
to these ladies on their
accomplishments! |
Left to right, April McLane,
Anadarko, queen and Holly
Heibert, Ringwood, outgoing
queen and scholarship
winner. |
Left to right, April McLane,
Anadarko, queen and Sheyenne
McGlothlin, Anadarko,
princess. |
Left to right, April McLane,
Anadarko, queen and Lyndsey
Woulfe, Ardmore, princess. |
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