Mark Goes of Odell, Neb., was named the 2012 American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) Member of the Year. The AGA Member of the Year award is presented annually to an outstanding member who gives their time, talent, and dedication to further the improvement of their state and national association. This year’s honoree has selflessly given his time and talent on each level, exemplifying the qualities and attributes of the award.

Mark has been very active in the Gelbvieh breed and the livestock industry. He has been a member of the Gelbvieh Association in Nebraska (GAIN) since 1987 and the American Gelbvieh Association since 1988 as owner of M&P Gelbvieh, which he owns with his wife Patti and daughter Tricia.

Mark has served on the Board of Directors for each association, lending his time and input to shape the direction of both associations. He has been a director for seven of the past eight years with GAIN, where he worked to create the GAIN field representative position. Currently, Mark serves on the AGA Board of Directors, and was recently elected as the 28^th president of the American Gelbvieh Association. Additionally, he has chaired numerous AGA committees including productivity, finance and national show and has written six published articles in Gelbvieh World.

As a champion for youth, Mark and Patti have been junior GAIN sponsors for the last ten years. Moreover, Mark has played an instrumental role in developing and carrying out the American Gelbvieh Junior Association (AGJA) live carcass evaluation contest. His efforts brought the contest from a concept to a reality. Recently, Mark and Patti served on the AGJA Twister Classic host committee which planned and carried out a very successful national show for more than 150 AGJA exhibitors and their families.

M&P Gelbvieh has built a reputation of raising high-quality and showring-competitive cattle. M&P Gelbvieh has exhibited cattle at the National Western Stock Show (NWSS) for ten years and taken home many purple ribbons. In 2005, PMG Pegasus 01P, a bull bred and raised by M&P Gelbvieh, was named champion of the Breeder’s Choice Gelbvieh Bull Futurity. They have also exhibited cattle many times at the American Royal, and in 2010 showed the reserve grand champion Balancer® female.

Outside of M&P Gelbvieh, Mark is an instructor of livestock production at the Beatrice campus of Southeast Community College located in southeast Nebraska. In 1999, Mark was responsible for adding a registered Gelbvieh and Balancer herd to the beef program at SCC. Southeast Community College has hosted multiple Gelbvieh tours with a variety of guests including representatives from the Canadian Gelbvieh Association. As an instructor, Mark has been a mentor to SCC students by helping them to exhibit and market Gelbvieh and Balancer cattle at state sales as well as the NWSS and the National Gelbvieh Sale.

With a desire to stay on the forefront of issues influencing the beef industry, Mark has attended multiple Beef Improvement Federation meetings, and represented AGA at the National Beef Cattle Evaluation Consortium meetings. Mark served as a member of the steering committee for the Nebraska Grazing Conference and is a member of the Nebraska Cattleman’s Association. He was the first certified ultrasound technician in Nebraska and has been performing ultrasound services to Gelbvieh breeders since 1997.

The American Gelbvieh Association was honored to recognize Mark as the 2012 Member of the Year during the AGA “Blazing New Trails” annual convention held January 4-7 in Denver, Colo. His countless hours of time and dedication to Gelbvieh organizations set a remarkable example for all AGA members to follow.

###

Photo caption [2012 AGA Member of Year_Mark Goes]:  Mark Goes (center) of Odell, Neb., was the 2012 American Gelbvieh Association Member of the Year. Pictured with Mark are his daughter Tricia (left) and wife Patti (right).

The American Gelbvieh Association is proud to recognize seven members for achieving Bronze, Silver or Gold status for the association's Gelbvieh Performance Advantage (GPA) program for the 2010 management year. The GPA program was initiated in 2009 as a tool for AGA members to document and promote the performance aspects of their programs and the Gelbvieh breed.

To attain GPA status, the AGA member must record performance data, use sires that meet or exceed established performance criteria, and implement technologies such as DNA testing and A.I. in their programs.

"We ask a lot of our members when it comes to data collection and we wanted to recognize those programs that collect more than just the required data," said Susan Willmon, director of breed improvement for the American Gelbvieh Association.

The programs qualifications are based on records kept and data recorded in the previous calendar management year. Herd size is factored out of the qualifications such that the different levels are as attainable for smaller herds as well as larger ones.

Part of the challenge of breed improvement is to watch for trends in different performance data.

“As technology evolves or targets within the industry change, the American Gelbvieh Association needs to be able to track traits within the Gelbvieh breed to stay on target for the demands of the industry,” states Willmon. "Having breeders embrace new technology such as DNA markers, as well as standard points of evaluation such as udder scoring, help us build our database such that research towards new EPDs or profit indexes can be built on a solid foundation of historical data.”

Congratulations to the American Gelbvieh Association members who have attained GPA status for the 2010 management year. The AGA looks forward to the continued growth of this program as more members document and enhance the performance aspects of their programs. Look for the GPA logo as a sign that the AGA member program offers the Gelbvieh Performance Advantage. Specific details can be found at http://www.www.gelbvieh.org/membership/memberprograms.html.

*Indicates consecutive year of attaining GPA Status.

Gold Status Qualifiers

*Jay Heetland, 4H Farms, Lincoln, Mo.

Silver Status Qualifiers

*4T Ranch, Jeff and Connie Tabor, Columbus, Kan.

*Adkins Gelbvieh, Gerald Atkins, Iroquois, S.D.

Boyer Ridge Century Farm, Judy Lamb, Moravia, Iowa

Guenther Family Cattle, Corey Guenther, Wyoming, Iowa

*MLM Gelbvieh, Marlin Meyer, Superior, Neb.

White Oak Farms, Myron Bahm, Fordland, Mo.

###

The American Gelbvieh Association has hired William McIntosh, Georgetown, Ky., as the eastern region area coordinator. McIntosh began work for the association on July 1. He joins Central Region Area Coordinator Brandon McEndaffer. Together, the two area coordinators represent the American Gelbvieh Association as field staff to serve the needs of association members and cow-calf producers to market Gelbvieh and Balancer® genetics, commercial females and feeder cattle.

“We welcome William back to the Gelbvieh association’s field staff. He has extensive experience in seedstock production and marketing, as well as knowledge of the Gelbvieh breed and working for the Association,” said Frank Padilla, American Gelbvieh Association director of breed promotion. “William also brings a working knowledge of the commercial cow-calf sector and feeder calf sales, which will be an asset to members and cattlemen in the Eastern United States.”

McIntosh is owner and principal auctioneer of McIntosh Auction Company of Georgetown, Ky., where he has managed livestock and machinery auctions. His auctioneering experience extends to feeder calf sales while working for United Producers Stockyards, Owenton, Ky., as well as real estate and classic cars sales. In 2010, McIntosh was named Kentucky Junior State champion auctioneer.

Furthermore, William is a partner in McIntosh Brothers, a nationally recognized Gelbvieh herd that has sold cattle into more than 20 states and Canada. He has managed their joint production sale as well as their feeder calf division.

“I’m excited to be part of the American Gelbvieh Association’s field staff. I look forward to working with breeders and cattlemen in the east to continue to improve and promote Gelbvieh and Balancer cattle,” commented McIntosh. “The demand for Gelbvieh-influenced cattle in the East is great and I am available to help cow-calf producers and seedstock breeders capitalize on their marketing opportunities.”

Previous AGA Area Coordinators, Don Danell, Lewiston, Mont., and Steve Peddicord, Albany, Ky., have decided to focus more time on their respective Gelbvieh home operations.

Gelbvieh members and commercial cattlemen in the Western United States are encouraged to contact Frank Padilla at the AGA Office at 303-465-2333 or frankp@gelbvieh.org for member service or assistance in marketing Gelbvieh influenced bulls, females or feeder cattle. McIntosh can be reached at 502-867-3132 or williamm@gelbvieh.org. McEndaffer can be reached at 970-520-3020 or brandonm@gelbvieh.org.