2006 Seedstock Producer of the Year Nominees

2006 BIF Seedstock Producer Award Nominees

Benoit Angus Ranch, Kansas
Owner: Everett and Bonnie Benoit; Manager: Everett, Doug and Chad Benoit

Benoit Angus Ranch got its start in 1962 with the purchase of six registered Angus heifers. Located near Esbon, Kan., the ranch is owned and operated by Everett and Bonnie Benoit, their sons Chad and Doug, and Doug’s wife, Michelle. The goal of this family operation is to provide genetics that enhance the profit potential of commercial producers.

An intensive breeding program has helped them attain many goals. Artificial insemination (AI) has been part of the management plan for years, with all the AI work done at home using proven Angus genetics. They also use embryo transfer (ET) and, as a result, more than 100 ET calves are born each year. ET and AI calves make up about 85% of those born on the ranch, with that number rising annually.

The breeding program maintains its commercial trait focus through emphasis on carcass quality, maintaining an average birth weight and producing cows with longevity. Most females are marketed by private treaty. Bulls are sold through an annual production sale in March.

All cattle on the ranch are individually identified with ear tags, tattoos and freeze brands. Records are maintained through the American Angus Association using Angus Information Management Software (AIMS). The ranch’s database includes everything from mating records to carcass quality information. Because their breeding program is targeted toward commercial producers, they strive to raise cattle in an environment similar to that of their customers. For example, the cow herd is kept on pastures and stock fields throughout the year, and calves are never creep-fed.

In addition to the cattle operation, they have a sizeable farming operation that raises cash crops and provides supplemental feed for the cow herd during the winter months.

— nominated by the Kansas Livestock Association

For more about Benoit Angus Ranch, visit www.benoitangus.com and/or read these Angus Journal articles:

“The Middle of the Road,” November 1995

“Stand Behind Your Bulls,” March 1997

Champion Hill, Ohio
Owner: Paul Hill and Marshall Reynolds

The Beef Improvement Federation honored Champion Hill, Bidwell, Ohio, as a nominee for 2006 Seedstock Producer of the Year. Pictured are (from left) 2005 BIF President Lynn Pelton presenting the award to Lynn and Paul Hill.

Champion Hill is located in southeastern Ohio coal country, where the rolling hills are ideal for raising beef cattle. Marshall Reynolds, who owned the land, formed Champion Hill Inc. in 1993, with Paul Hill as president. The farm includes more than 4,000 acres of owned and leased land spread over Gallia County. There are roughly 200 breeding-age registered Angus females and 800 mostly half-blood Angus females that are used as recipients. Eight times per year, Champion Hill flushes 20-30 proven Angus females, utilizing ET to produce 90% of its calves.

In putting together the foundation of the herd, their main focus was to purchase superior females that, with the use of AI and ET, would produce progeny that would perform well in the field and feedlot, while having the eye appeal to win in the showring. Females are selected on the basis of their performance, expected progeny differences (EPDs), udder quality and structural correctness. The Champion Hill prefix has become a fixture in the nation’s top Angus shows. Their motto, “Where winning is only the beginning,” truly emphasizes the philosophy of breeding cattle that also perform well after their show careers.

Each year, Champion Hill sells about 300 females in two production sales at the farm and 200 bulls in a genetic partnership with Schaff Angus Valley in North Dakota. The farm currently has 12 bulls — superior in growth and feedlot value ($F) — leased by AI studs.

They also strongly believe in developing productive young people. They have always encouraged talented men and women to work at the farm. While they gain valuable experience, their energy and adventurous natures keep Champion Hill on the leading edge of technology and the beef industry.

— nominated by the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association

For more about Champion Hill, visit www.championhillangus.com and/or read this Angus Journal article:

“Meet Your Candidates,” October 2000

EE Ranches Inc., Mississippi
Owner: Bill and Jo Ellard; Manager: Jack and Cheryl Evans

The Beef Improvement Federation honored EE Ranches Inc., Winona, Miss., as a nominee for 2006 Seedstock Producer of the Year. Pictured are (from left) 2005 BIF President Lynn Pelton presenting the award to Cheryl and Jack Evans.

EE Ranches Inc. of Winona, Miss., has been in operation for 23 years. This 2,500-acre ranch currently maintains 106 Hereford cows, 160 Angus cows and 103 commercial cows. An intensive, multi-stage forage plan works to achieve the best forage system for efficient production in their environment.

EE Ranches herds consist of approximately 90% fall-calving and 10% spring-calving females with each calving season being only 50 days. AI and ET are used heavily in EE’s breeding programs. Performance ratios, ultrasound body composition scan results, EPDs, dollar value indexes ($Values), environmental adaptability, reproductive efficiency and functional soundness are essential selection criteria. A high percentage of herd sires are raised on the farm, revealing the depth of quality at EE Ranches and the emphasis on effective linebreeding.

Today’s herds are the result of linebred predictability with emphasis on stacking great cow families. While the Hereford herd is intense in L1 Domino genetics, the Angus herd is extremely linebred to Rito 149. Approximately one-half to two-thirds of the entire bull crop is usually sold by weaning to repeat customers. EE Ranches offers 50-60 Angus bulls and 40-50 Hereford bulls private treaty each year, marketing a high percentage of these bulls through a branded beef program. The ranch annually receives feedback from customers on feedlot and carcass performance on approximately 800 calves sired by EE bulls. Getting to know each customer’s herd is considered paramount in making sure that the right product is provided to each buyer.

— nominated by the Mississippi Beef Cattle Improvement Association (BCIA)
and the American Hereford Association

For more about EE Ranches, visit http://eeranches.com/.

Earhart Farms, Wyoming
Owner: Larry Earhart

In 1929, Jesse Earhart moved his family from Nebraska to file on a homestead in the new Willwood Irrigation Project south of Powell, Wyo. Earhart Farms is the family corporation that now operates the original homestead and other land that has been added over the years. Larry Earhart is the third generation to farm the land; Andrea Earhart-Cooper will be the fourth.

The farm currently consists of 600 acres of irrigated cropland and 500 acres of river-bottom grazing land. The first feeder cattle were purchased in 1944, and the registered Angus herd was started in 1958. The breeding herd consists of 150 cows with a February through March calving season.

The feedlot component is devoted to custom heifer development for outside cattle. The heifers are wintered, synchronized and artificially bred before returning to the ranch in the spring. The cattle enterprise is instrumental to the success of the farm, adding value to the feed produced by the farm.

In addition to the feed to support the cattle enterprise, the farm produces certified seed beans.

— nominated by the Wyoming Beef Cattle Association

Figure 4 Cattle Co./Volk Ranch LLLP, Colorado
Owner: Gary, Gail and George Volk

The Beef Improvement Federation honored Figure 4 Cattle Co./Volk Ranch, Somerset, Colo. as a nominee for 2006 Seedstock Producer of the Year. Pictured are (from left) 2005 BIF President Lynn Pelton presenting the award to Gail and Gary Volk.

The Volk family — George, Gary and Gail Volk — began raising cattle at the base of Ragged Mountain in the northwest corner of Gunnison County, Colo., nearly a century ago. Their ancestors homesteaded 20 miles north of Paonia in 1911, where they cleared brush for fields and pasture and set in motion a tradition of commitment to land, livestock and family that is still seen today.

In 1982, the Volk family began building one of America’s top registered Salers herds. Their goal has always been to produce functional cattle that could withstand the harsh production realities of the Colorado environment, while exceeding industry standards for reproduction performance, production and carcass quality.

Today, Figure 4 Cattle Co. ranks among the largest registered Salers operations in America, with more than 450 females. While historically they’ve been a commercial cow-calf operation, they continue to raise registered cattle under the same rigorous, commercial production system — nothing gets special treatment. They are keenly aware that their customers cannot compete unless the genetics they purchase are aggressively tested and proven. The Volks realize that, in order to bolster their economic competitiveness, they must produce proven cattle that balance a combination of production traits.

The Volks weigh and measure every animal on the place every chance they get. They report every bit of performance data to the American Salers Association, and they have been rewarded for their efforts. The Volk family has achieved a notable track record for its commitment to performance. During the last decade, they have ranked each year among the top five “Performance Breeders of the Year” by the American Salers Association. The past two years, they have been the national winner of the award, making five total times they have won the award since 1994.

They typically begin calving in late February in large open fields at 5,000 feet (ft.) elevation. By mid-April, they pasture pairs on semi-desert range until the middle of May, when they truck the cow herd to the Ragged Mountain Ranch. The herd spends most of the summer between 7,000 and 10,000 ft. elevation on both private and federal pasture. When autumn snows begin to arrive, the herd is moved back to the lower ranch for the winter.

They wean calves in November and move them to the Figure 4 Development Center in Eckert, Colo., where they develop bull and heifer calves in preparation for the March production sale. The calves that don’t meet quality and performance specifications for the sale or herd replacements are placed on feed and finished for a branded beef program or sold on a grid as many of the ranch’s customers sell their calves.

— nominated by the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association

For more information about Figure 4 Cattle Co., visit http://figure4cattleco.com/.

Lawler Farm, Alabama
Owner: Charles Lawler; Manager: Bruce Randall

The Beef Improvement Federation honored Lawler Farm, Opelika, Ala., as a nominee for 2006 Seedstock Producer of the Year. Pictured are (from left) 2005 BIF President Lynn Pelton presenting the award to Bruce Randall, Charles Lawler and Bob Dudley.

Lawler Farm is located 11 miles south of Opelika, Ala., and consists of 750 acres, of which 650 comprise pasture and woodland and approximately 100 acres are dedicated to hay production. Owner Charles Lawler has been involved in the cattle business for many years. However, the current purebred Angus operation began in earnest in 1999 with the addition of Bruce Randall as manager. Lawler’s son-in-law, Bob Dudley, and his grandson, Tillman Dudley, are also involved with the operation.

Cows calve in the fall, with 92% of the fall 2005 calf crop being the result of AI and ET, and 8% the result of natural service sires. AI, using proven sires from the American Angus Association Sire Evaluation Report, has been the key to herd improvement since 1999. Lawler Farm is a core member and host of the Southeast Angus Classic, one of the most progressive Angus sales in the region. The sale guidelines require phenotypic excellence, at least two generations of AI sires in the sale eligible females, an AI-sired calf at side, and subsequent AI breeding of the cow. These stringent requirements complement the Lawler Farm goals of significant genetic improvement.

Lawler Farm is active in Alabama BCIA bull evaluations to provide an unbiased comparison of performance and an important advertising and marketing tool. The farm has produced several top-performing bulls, most recently the high-indexing bull at the 2005 North Alabama Bull Evaluation and the second-high-indexing bull at the 2005 Auburn University Bull Test. Lawler Farm was also recognized by the Alabama Angus Association as the 2005 Progressive Breeder of the Year.

— nominated by the Alabama BCIA

Powder Creek Simmentals, Georgia
Owner: Rodney and Gail Hilley

The Beef Improvement Federation honored Powder Creek Simmentals, Molena, Ga., as a nominee for 2006 Seedstock Producer of the Year. Pictured are (from left) 2005 BIF President Lynn Pelton presenting the award to Gail and Rodney Hilley.

Powder Creek Simmentals is located near Molena, Ga. The operation started in 1974 with the purchase of a half-blood Simmental bull from the Rollins Beef Research Center at Berry College in Rome, Ga., to breed to a herd of Polled Hereford cattle. After college, Rodney and Gail Hilley purchased a group of half-blood Simmental cows and began to upgrade the herd through AI.

Through the years, the herd has evolved to a black, purebred Simmental herd of around 70 cows. They currently utilize AI on all heifers, and try AI at least once on most of the cow herd. ET has been utilized at various times. The Hilleys also utilize technologies such as DNA testing and carcass ultrasound.

Calving season is November through December. The herd operates on year-round grazing most years. Temporary winter grazing is planted in the fall so cows have high-quality grazing during the winter months, during early lactation. Bulls are marketed through two Georgia bull test stations, through which Powder Creek has produced the high-indexing bull several times. They also test and market most of their bulls through the Canoochee Forage Bull Development Center in Glennville, Ga.

Other marketing avenues include consignment sales and private treaty. Many females from the herd have been shown by the Hilley children in 4-H and FFA shows, as well as various open shows.

— nominated by the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association

For more information about Powder Creek Simmentals, visit http://powdercreeksimmentals.com/ or www.georgiasimmental.com/

Quaker Hill Farm LLC, Virginia
Owner: Charles S., Lee, and Charles A. Rosson

The Beef Improvement Federation honored Quaker Hill Farm LLC, Louisa County, Va., as a nominee for 2006 Seedstock Producer of the Year. Pictured are (from left) 2005 BIF President Lynn Pelton presenting the award to Charles Rosson.

Quaker Hill Farm is a diverse operation located in Louisa County, Va. The herd presently consists of 400 cows, including purebred Angus, Hereford, Limousin and Simmental, as well as commercial and composite Sim-Angus cows. In addition to the cattle operation, the farm grows about 550 acres of corn and soybeans each year. The Rossons manage both a 60-day fall and spring calving season. ET and AI are used extensively to accelerate the genetic program.

The farm sells approximately 75-100 bulls per year through the Virginia BCIA Bull Test, cooperator agreements and on-farm private treaty sales.

Quaker Hill Farm is the fourth-generation home of the Rosson family. The family farm has maintained its commitment to commercial cattle production. The purebred cattle exist to make the commercial herd more profitable. Selection is based on finding bulls that defy genetic antagonisms by producing profitable cows and superior performance at end-user venues. The Rossons have been lifetime members of the American Angus Association since 1957.

In the late 1950s, Quaker Hill management sought opportunities in diverse genetic pools by crossbreeding a predominant Hereford herd to Angus bulls. In the 1980s, Continental genetics were introduced to accelerate progeny growth rate of commercial calves and participate in the increased demand in the marketplace for purebred Limousin cattle. After the Limousin dispersal in the early 1990s, Quaker Hill committed capital to begin a registered Angus program. From the beginning, the family has been committed to strict performance standards and has extensively AIed to the top bulls in the Angus breed. Its research efforts enabled Quaker Hill management to use the genetics from breed-leading bulls such as N-Bar Emulation EXT, DHD Traveler 6807 and GAR Precision 1680 early in their careers.

Quaker Hill has been very competitive in the Virginia BCIA Culpeper Performance Bull Test, either having the top-indexing or top-sale-order bull four out of the last six years. Two Quaker Hill bulls currently hold the record as the top-selling Angus bulls in the history of the Culpeper Test Station. Both were leased by major AI studs. Currently, seven of Quaker Hill’s Angus herd sires are leased to major AI organizations. Cattle have been sold to breeders in more than 20 states across the county, and semen and embryos have been sold to many foreign countries. The success enjoyed by Quaker Hill is due to adhering to sound genetic and business principles, plus being committed to producing products that perform as expected.

— nominated by the Virginia BCIA

For more information about Quaker Hill Farm LLC, visit www.quakerhillfarm.com and/or read this article from the April 2006 Angus Topics.

Sauk Valley Angus, Illinois
Owner: Gary and Kathy Sandrock; Manager: Jay King, Ben Sandrock and Matt Sandrock

The Sandrock Farms/Sauk Valley Angus LLC headquarters is located southwest of Rock Falls, Ill., in Whiteside county. The family-owned and -operated seedstock and row-crop operation has been at the current location for seven generations. They currently have 480 registered Angus cattle and 190 commercial Angus females that are used as ET recipients. The cows are synchronized and then AIed to calve within a 45-day window in January and February. In spring 2006, Sauk Valley Angus was to conduct its 10th annual Bull Sale. The 10th annual production sale will take place in the fall.

The farming operation consists of more than 10,000 acres of row-crop ground, 75% of which is irrigated. The farm raises corn, soybeans, sweet corn, wheat, peas, rye, lima beans, alfalfa, pasja and native grasses. Conservation practices — including a pasture establishment program, planting windbreaks, construction of ponds, Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) areas, rotational grazing and double cropping — have allowed the operation to maximize production while minimizing impact on the land. At Sauk Valley, all income is derived from the sale of Angus seedstock and cash crops.

The Sauk Valley breeding program is focused on production of functional, balanced-trait cattle that are designed to create value in every segment of the beef industry, while yielding an end product that will exceed consumer expectations. The Sesame database and Internet service on their computer system allows them to rapidly access and utilize Angus Herd Improvement Records (AHIR^SM) performance data, EPDs, production records and ultrasound scan data to assist in making objective culling and selection decisions. In recent years, the inception and growth of their embryo program has enabled them to propagate their most elite cow families, while expediting genetic improvements to provide customers with the cutting-edge genetics they demand.

— nominated by the Illinois BCIA

For more about Sauk Valley Angus, visit www.saukvalleyangus.com and/or read this Angus Journal article:

“Six Vie for Board Positions,” October 2004

Thomas Charolais Inc., Texas
Owner: Billy and Claudette Thomas

Thomas Charolais Inc. is located in deep south Texas, just north of Raymondville. The Thomas family began with the Charolais breed when Harl and Maria Thomas became interested in the big white cattle and purchased Charolais from the Pubiget herd in Mexico in 1936. Harl Thomas is credited with being one of the original importers of Charolais cattle and one of the founders of the American International Charolais Association. Billy Thomas has spent a lifetime raising Charolais cattle and nurturing the ranching heritage along with his wife, Claudette. The love of ranching and Charolais cattle is now possessed by the third and fourth generations. Mitch and Linda and their three girls, Morgan, Logan and Lauren, along with David and Tonnyre and their two children, Royse and Claudette, all live and work on the ranch.

It is unique that an operation would continue with the same family, in the same location and the same breed for so long. Thomas Ranch has been designated a Family Land Heritage ranch for its 150 years of continuity.

Thomas Charolais Inc. maintains approximately 1,500 registered Charolais cows. Their ranching operation is spread across four locations covering 5,000 acres, and they are continually looking for the best avenues to grow and carry on their operation.

— nominated by the American International Charolais Association

For more information about Thomas Charolais Inc., visit www.thomascharolais.com.

Vorthmann Limousin, Iowa
Owner: Roger and Ann Vorthmann

Vorthmann Limousin is a small family operation in southwest Iowa managed by Roger and Ann Vorthmann and their three children, Chad, Deb and Erica. Roger and Ann have been in the cattle business for 45 years, starting as young 4-Hers.

They live on a farm near Treynor that was originally owned by Roger’s great-grandfather more than 100 years ago. They moved to the farm 30 years ago and in 1993 purchased the land. They also farm the cropland of Roger’s father. Their farm is nestled in prime farm country, and the Vorthmanns grow corn and soybeans, along with their Limousin cow herd.

The Vorthmanns currently have 53 bred females. In the early years of their operation, they phased out their commercial cow herd and replaced them with all registered Limousin cows and heifers. Their main calving season is March and April. Due to limited indoor calving facilities, they AI a few cows and calve any ET calves in January and February. They like calving in January because it offers their bull customers an older bull that can service more cows.

The Vorthmanns’ involvement in the Limousin breed grew from “a love of the cattle industry and breeding heifer projects that our children had while growing up in 4-H and junior Limousin activities.” They are firm believers in breeding heifer projects for youth.

“It teaches them the responsibility of caring for something special and gives them decision-making skills as the heifer becomes a cow. There are so many life lessons learned during this process, some good and some not so good, that we think it is priceless,” the Vorthmanns said.

The Vorthmann children started their 4-H careers with Limousin breeding heifer projects. They grew their cow herds and showed many of their own cattle, using the income from their cows to further their educations. They paid expenses; mated their cattle; and helped with chores, calving and other farm-related activities. They showed at every National Junior Limousin Show from 1988 through 2004, as well as Midwestern state fairs, breed field days, regional shows and Iowa junior beef breed shows.

“The friends we have all made across the country and the experiences we’ve gained mean so much to us. We feel so blessed to have raised three great children who have grown into successful, responsible adults, as well as all the wonderful friends we’ve made over the years in the cattle industry and the Limousin breed,” the Vorthmanns said.

— nominated by the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association

For more information about Vorthmann Limousin, visit www.vorthmannlimousin.com.

Waukaru Farms Inc., Indiana
Owner: Carl Jordan and Families

The Beef Improvement Federation honored Waukaru Farms Inc., Indiana, as a nominee for 2006 Seedstock Producer of the Year. Pictured are (from left) 2005 BIF President Lynn Pelton presenting the award to Carl Jordan.

Waukaru Farms Inc. has been incorporated for nearly 30 years; however, the Jordan family has been raising purebred Shorthorn cattle in northwest Indiana for more than 100 years, since Walter Jordan first purchased Shorthorn bulls in 1902. Presently, Waukaru consists of 250 purebred Shorthorn and Durham Red composite breeding females, 1,400 acres of cropland, and 360 acres of pasture and hay ground. Seventy-five percent of the cows calve in the spring and the remainder calve in the first 60 days following the first of September. Waukaru genetics can be found in 38 U.S. states, four Canadian provinces, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, China, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Ireland. Waukaru is currently involved in sire tests in Australia, Argentina and the United States, with the purpose of objectively quantifying the profitability of Waukaru genetics.

The breeding objective of the Waukaru program is to produce profitable, efficient genetics that can flourish on minimal inputs, reap profits for their customers and subsequent phases of the beef industry, and provide a valuable eating experience for consumers. They meet this objective through performance-based management and objective decision-making.

Aggressive use of AI and ET facilitated by the natural service of AI sires creates a mass propagation of superior genetics. Waukaru enhances the adaptability of their cattle by utilizing a rotational, forage-based production system in which cows are wintered on crop residue and growing cattle are supplemented with a high-fiber ration. Waukaru strives to be a full-service genetic provider by building personal relationships with each client. It prides itself in profitably matching the correct genetics with their customers’ needs.

— nominated by the American Shorthorn Association and the Indiana Beef Evaluation Program (IBEP)

For more information about Waukaru Farms Inc., visit www.waukaru.net.