Greg "Bubba" Anderson

Greg "Bubba" Anderson

North Carolina

Greg “Bubba” Anderson | North Carolina

My name is Greg “Bubba” Anderson, and I am grateful for this opportunity to run for the AGA board of directors. I live in Marion, North Carolina, and am a fourth-generation cattle owner on our family farm. In 1990, we had our first Gelbvieh calf and have been committed to the Gelbvieh breed ever since. I am a big supporter of the American Gelbvieh Junior Association as I have seen firsthand all it has done for my daughter, Molly. We have attended seven Junior Classics together and I have been to 19 on my own.

I worked for North Carolina State University for 10 years, five years as field faculty working with livestock producers and youth livestock programs in western North Carolina, and give years on campus working with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Ag Foundation. Now, along with Todd Hodgers, I operate Locust Hill Cattle Company, a 200+ head herd of Gelbvieh and Balancer® cattle. Besides Gelbiveh Junior Nationals, we exhibit our cattle in Kansas City, Louisville and Oklahoma City, and market our cattle through consignment sales as well as our annual production sale in February on the farm in Pelham, North Carolina.

Given the opportunity to serve, I want to continue to support the AGA as a whole, and especially the AGJA. I have seen firsthand that Gelbvieh cattle are gaining market share in the southeast and would like to assist in a marketing plan to help facilitate the growth of Gelbvieh cattle throughout the country. With my experience with the North Carolina State Ag Foundation, I feel that I have a lot to offer to help grow the American Gelbvieh Foundation and expand all of the worthwhile projects that they fund. I sincerely appreciate your support and I look forward to seeing you in Omaha.

Troy Forbes

Troy Forbes

South Dakota

Troy Forbes | South Dakota

First off, I’d like to say that it is an honor to be asked to run for the AGA board of directors. I have been involved in the Gelbvieh breed since the late 1990s. We were looking for a way to get more growth out of our Angus influenced cows but also increase maternal ability, we were drawn to the Gelbvieh breed after visiting with Jack Clark of Aberdeen, South Dakota. My dad bought two bulls and I talked Jack out of a few cows beginning a 25 year journey that has been tremendously rewarding.

My wife, Pam, and I have three children Wyatt, Cody and Jaycie. They are the seventh generation to be involved in our operation which was homesteaded in 1885. Our ranch sits on the east ridge of the James River Valley and is in a transition area from farming to ranching. We run a herd of about 70 registered cows and run about 30 commercial cows that we use as recips. We also have a large band of commercial whiteface ewes. I am a distributor for Genex as well, where I run liquid nitrogen routes and provide arm service throughout a substantial piece of eastern South Dakota. We market bulls private treaty and also sell a few heifers for junior projects each fall.

I was raised in a small community and taught the importance of community service. I’ve tried to instill that sense in my kids and am very proud of the fact all three of them have served on the AGJA board of directors. I am an advocate for the junior program as I’ve seen the impact it makes on young people in our industry.

As someone who spends a lot of time visiting with commercial breeders of all sizes as well as several prominent seedstock producers, through semen sales and nitrogen routes, I believe I bring an educated perspective as far as industry direction. The industry buzzword at this time is marbling and while I think we need to continue to move the needle in that direction, we also need to celebrate and promote the traits that make this breed great. When the herd expansion starts, I believe we are in a tremendous position to take market share from other breeds, and I will push to promote the fact we’ve got the most versatile cow in the industry. This breed has always been and continues to be commercially focused and as a board member, I will keep that as my main focus.

I would be very honored to be given the chance to give back to the Gelbvieh breed by being elected to the board. I will always make decisions with the good of the breed first and foremost.

William McIntosh

William McIntosh

Kentucky

William McIntosh | Kentucky

It’s hard to believe that it has been three years since I ran for the board. It has been a great three years and it feels like we have accomplished a lot in that time. It is indeed an honor to represent the AGA members as a board member and treasurer.

My wife, Carrie, and I live in Georgetown, Kentucky, where my brother, Steve, and I own and operate McIntosh Brothers, a registered Gelbvieh and Balancer seedstock operation. Steve and I purchased our first Gelbvieh cattle in 1989 and in that time, we have been active in both the Kentucky and American Gelbvieh Associations.

From the early age of 14, I developed a passion for the breed. I am a charter member of the Kentucky Gelbvieh Association and currently serve as president. In 1995, I served as vice president of the American Gelbvieh Junior Association, where I gained a ton of knowledge and developed life-long relationships. From 2003-2009, Steve and I owned a stocker backgrounding operation and I worked at the local sale barn as clerk, backup auctioneer, and I did some order buying. I learned so much about the entire beef industry in those years and the importance of never overlooking the basics.

Today, our primary farm income is generated by commercial Gelbvieh and Balancer bull sales. I understand what it’s like to financially depend on the cowherd to make a farm payment or equipment payment. The Gelbvieh breed is a passion, but more importantly, it’s a business. And I know from an association standpoint, the board and staff should never forget the impact their decisions can have financially on the membership. I worked as the eastern field representative for the AGA and then later in my career as the AGA marketing coordinator. I traveled across the country meeting AGA members, commercial producers and feeders. I feel like I understand the challenges facing AGA members both large and small and am excited to address these challenges. Again, thank you to the nominating committee for the nomination to run for the AGA board of directors, and thank you for your consideration.

Kathleen Rankin

Kathleen Rankin

Montana

Kathleen Rankin | Montana

I would like to express my appreciation to the nominating committee for the opportunity to run for a position on the AGA board of directors. If elected, I will continue to promote the Gelbvieh breed from that position.

My husband, Jim Bjorkman, and I are fortunate to live in God’s Country. We operate Kicking Horse Ranch in the sweetgrass hills of north central Montana. I am the third generation working the family ranch my grandfather started in 1932. We run a seedstock operation and have historically held a production sale in March to sell performance tested bulls and open heifers. We also sell bred heifers in several consignment sales. We run in some rough country so our cattle are run as commercial cattle with no special treatment.

My first experience with Gelbvieh was in my early teens. We were trying all the “exotics” that were available through AI on our base herd of Hereford and Red Angus crosses. Gelbvieh proved to be the breed that gave us the dual purpose cattle we desired without having to use a terminal cross. Fullblood Gelbvieh were imported from Canada, embryo transfer was used, and the entire herd was bred up to 99% Gelbvieh. Bulls were taken to various performance tests and cattle were shown at the National Western Stock Show (NWSS) and Northern International Livestock Exposition (NILE). We have continued selecting for calving ease and performance while maintaining high percentage Gelbvieh.

I have stayed active in the AGA by being on various committees and attending the annual meetings. I have been active in the Montana Gelbvieh Association, serving as Secretary and now President. I am the superintendent of the NILE Gelbvieh Show. We are members of the Marias River Livestock Association. We are active in the Lutheran Church of Sunburst where I am organist. I was a 4-H leader for 10 years and served three terms on the Toole County FSA County Committee.

A good many things have changed in the beef industry in the last 50 years. The AGA has been on the cutting edge of many of the technological advances which has given the membership the opportunity to stay abreast of these changes. I would consider it an honor to serve on the board and be able to contribute to the continued advancement of the breed and the association.

Mark Stock

Mark Stock

Iowa

Mark Stock | Iowa

Hello, my name is Mark Stock, and it was humbling to be asked by several Gelbvieh breeders to run for an AGA board of directors seat. If elected, I plan to work within our breed to prove that Gelbvieh is the best choice of the continental breeds for commercial cattlemen to use in their crossbreeding programs to affect their operation’s bottom line.

My wife, Stacy, and I live in the scenic, driftless region of northeast Iowa, only 20 miles from Minnesota and Wisconsin. We have been members of the American Gelbvieh Association since 2005. Our children, Duel, Danielle (Dani), and Drew, grew up showing in many AGJA Classic shows and even served on the AGJA board of directors. Our family operates Crooked Creek Cattle Company, which consists of approximately 180 Gelbvieh and Balancer females. We market yearling bulls and open and bred females annually, with the focus of our breeding program being maternal traits and functionality.

I served six years on the Gelbvieh Breeders of Iowa board of directors, with the last three years of my term serving as President and Vice President. I also served numerous years on our county’s Farm Bureau board and held the titles of President and Vice President. As you can see, I am willing to serve and work for groups to benefit agriculture and the cattle industry.

I would appreciate your consideration and vote to serve you and all Gelbvieh breeds on the AGA board of directors. I’m certain you and I can agree: Gelbvieh cattle have what it takes to make the cattle industry great! Yet the word hasn’t seemed to get to the people who need to hear it the most, the commercial cattlemen who seem to believe they can only get carcass quality, muscle and calving ease from Angus or SimAngus influence. This myth must be dealt with positively, so Gelbvieh and Balancer are their first consideration, not an afterthought. Again, I would greatly appreciate your vote and hope to see many familiar faces and meet new ones in Omaha!

Justin Taubenheim

Justin Taubenheim

Nebraska

Justin Taubenheim | Nebraska

I am honored and humbled to be nominated as a candidate for the American Gelbvieh Association board of directors. I grew up in the Gelbvieh breed, attending ever Junior National I could and serving on the AGJA board of directors for two terms. As some may know, I met my wife, Janelle, at a Gelbvieh event, and we still share the same passion for Gelbvieh cattle and the beef industry. Today, we have four children – Turner (7), Callaway (6), Haven (3), and Heston (3 months), and my hope and dream is that they will be deeply rooted in the Gelbvieh breed as well. It’s a privilege for my experience in the Gelbvieh breed to come full circle with this opportunity to serve on the adult board.

My parents and grandparents bought their first Gelbvieh cattle in the early 1980s, and demand for their genetics quickly led to the growth of our herd and the start of an annual production sale. Today, my dad, Mike, brother, Tanner, and I, along with our wives, own and operate Taubenheim Gelbvieh. It truly is a family affair with all hands on deck every day. We run 500 head of registered Gelbvieh and Balancer cattle along with an additional 150 head of commercial cattle. Our operation is multifaceted. Each spring, we promote and sell 110 performance tested bulls along with 50 bred females. Then in the summer, we sell 300 steers and heifers in the Balancer® Edge program. Those steers and heifers go to Greater Omaha as non-hormone cattle, and we use the carcass data collected to make future breeding decisions within our herd.

It’s my desire to run for the AGA board of directors so I can better serve our breed and the beef industry as a whole. My experience in the industry will offer a well-rounded perspective and fresh ideas to the board. I am dedicated to giving back to the breed that has given so much to my family and I. The Gelbvieh breed has opened so many doors for me in my 32 years of life and I wish to keep that ball rolling for other families. Finally, I want to say thank you for considering me as a member of such a distinct group of people. I would greatly appreciate your vote and would consider it a high honor to serve on the AGA board of directors.

Dan Warner

Dan Warner

Nebraska

Dan Warner | Nebraska

I am Dan Warner from Arapahoe, Nebraska, My wife, Kate, and I, along with my family operate Warner Beef Genetics. We currently host two female sales and a bull sale annually, selling over 350 mostly Balancer bulls and females.

Kate and I have four children. Gentry, our oldest is currently AGJA Vice President and is studying Agricultural Education at Kansas State University. Berkley is a senior at Arapahoe High School. Kallan is a sixth grader, and our youngest, Creyton is a first grader. Each of our children have been active in agriculture and are members of the local 4-H club, FFA chapter, Nebraska Junior Gelbvieh Association and the American Gelbvieh Junior Association.

Our operation has very strong roots in the commercial cattle industry. My family has always been in the cow-calf business and used Gelbvieh genetics for several years prior to expanding into the seedstock sector in the mid-1990s. Today, we still maintain a large commercial herd and primarily sell feeder cattle on video sales. Our focus is on the commercial cow-calf producer for our seedstock herd.

I am currently running for my second tenure as a director of the American Gelbvieh Association. I have previously served two terms and held the office of Vice President. I believe the association has withstood some challenging years of recent with a significant change in how business and daily activities are performed. This challenge moving forward motivates me to serve again. As they say, the only thing that is constant is change. This gives our breed an opportunity to adapt and thrive with a new cattle cycle and a strong market. Thank you fro your consideration and I would appreciate your vote.