Media Releases
Gelbvieh Association Inducts Bill Clark into Hall of Fame
Barnard, Kansas native and partner of Post Rock Cattle Company, Bill Clark is the 2011 American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) Hall of Fame inductee. Clark was recognized during the 2011 AGA annual convention, held January 7-8 in Denver, Colo.
“Bill Clark is a cattleman, a dedicated worker, and a family man. These characteristics and so many more place him in a category of long respected and valued American Gelbvieh Association members,” said Dana Stewart, AGA director of member services. Clark was nominated by the Kansas Gelbvieh Association (KGA).
Clark entered the seedstock business in 1951 with a polled Hereford heifer. Over time his eye and selection for high-quality beef genetics led him to the Gelbvieh breed. In 2010, Post Rock Cattle Company celebrated their 25th annual Gelbvieh production sale. It was their most successful sale to date with 96 bulls averaging just over $3,000.
As a key player in the Gelbvieh breed, Post Rock Cattle Company has raised and used several breed influencers including DCSF Post Rock Top Brass, DCSF Post Rock Black Savvy, DCSF Post Rock Bouncer, DCSF Post Rock Heartland, JEB Polled Gizmo, BTI Extra 2106K and MRCO New Direction.
Bill and his wife, Marlene, have three daughters and one son, and ten living grandchildren. Bill’s son Leland and his wife Jan, as well as their children Meredith and Quentin, play a very active role in the day to day operations at Post Rock Cattle Company.
“It is truly a team effort in the production and promotion of Gelbvieh and Balancer® cattle at Post Rock,” says Bill. “I have no greater joy than my grandchildren, be it working cattle, harvesting grain, throwing bales, water rafting or mountain climbing. We are meant for each other.”
Clark has been actively involved in the KGA and helped organize and host the first traveling state association tour. On the national level, he has served on several committees including productivity and national sale. Bill also served two terms on the AGA Board of Directors and helped make decisions on blended breed EPDs, whole herd assessments, and the Balancer program.
Locally, Clark has served on the Extension board, as well as the board chair. He has also served on the Farm Bureau board, is a charter member of the Lincoln County Cattlemen’s Association, and has been a Sunday School teacher and chairman of his church’s Pastor Committee.
2011 Gelbvieh Junior Nationals Set for Kearney
The American Gelbvieh Junior Association (AGJA) is finalizing details for the 2011 AGJA Twister Classic scheduled for July 3-8 in Kearney, Neb., at the Buffalo County Fairgrounds.
Named each year for the site location, the 2011 Twister Classic is open to AGJA members. In addition to shows for Gelbvieh and Balancer® cattle, the week-long event provides opportunities to compete in leadership contests such as impromptu speaking, sales talk, quiz bowl, livestock judging and more.
“Participating in a national show like this not only provides an opportunity to compete nationally, but it also provides a chance to see great cattle and meet Gelbvieh youth and breeders from across the country,” says Dana Stewart, American Gelbvieh Association director of member services and director of youth programs.
“With the show’s location, it’s an excellent time for anyone in the surrounding areas to start a Gelbvieh or Balancer show heifer project. We invite anyone with an interest in cattle and especially Gelbvieh to come and participate or watch the show.”
For more information about the show, AGJA, or the American Gelbvieh Association, please visit www.www.gelbvieh.org or call 303-465-2333. Entry packets will be available online. Entries close June 1.
The 2011 Twister Classic is sponsored by the American Gelbvieh Junior Association and jointly hosted by the Junior Gelbvieh Association in Nebraska and the Kansas Gelbvieh Junior Association.
The American Gelbvieh Association and American Gelbvieh Junior Association serve members from across the country. Contact the AGA for more information about Gelbvieh or for any materials such as a breeders directory, crossbreeding handbook, a guide to showing cattle, or free for sale listings for Gelbvieh and Gelbvieh influenced replacement females.
New Directors, Leadership Elected to Serve American Gelbvieh Association
The American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) elected new directors and leadership during its annual convention and membership meeting January 7-8 in Denver, Colo.
The membership elected five breeders to serve three year terms to the association’s Board of Directors. Newly elected board members are Bob Hart, Kansas City, Mo., David Martin, Judsonia, Ark., and Grant Thayer, Ramah, Colo. Two directors were re-elected to a second term. These directors are Ken Flikkema, Bozeman, Mont., and John Huston, New Carlisle, Ohio.
The Board of Directors then elected members to serve in leadership positions on the 2011 AGA Executive Committee. Jim Beastrom, Pierre, S.D. was selected as the American Gelbvieh Association president. This will mark Beastrom’s second time serving as president of the AGA. He succeeds Al Knapp, Bonner Springs, Kan.
Elected as vice president was Mark Goes, Odell, Neb. Brian Dunn, St. John, Kan., was elected as secretary and Rob Arnold, Minot, N.D., will serve as treasurer.
The other members of the AGA Board of Directors are: Dick Helms, Arapahoe, Neb., Bob Prosser, Winslow, Ariz., Brian Schafer, Goodhue, Minn., Gary Tilghman, Glasgow, Ky., Dan Warner, Beaver City, Neb., and Nancy Wilkinson, Model, Colo.
Retiring members of the 2010 AGA Board of Directors were Jerry Grund, Wallace, Kan., Al Knapp, Bonner Springs, Kan., and Randy Gallaway, Mulhall, Okla.
Gelbvieh Breeders Focus on Performance Testing
Gelbvieh bulls top ADG and WDA in first weight report at Midland
With a focus on performance testing and a desire to obtain residual feed intake (RFI) data, Gelbvieh breeders have entered 49 Gelbvieh and Balancer® bulls in the 2011 Midland Bull Test in Columbus, Mont. The bulls were entered by seven breeders from six states.
In the first intermediate performance report recently released by Midland, the Gelbvieh and Balancer bulls lead the way in performance, topping the other nine breeds on test for average daily gain (ADG) and weight per day of age (WDA). The 49 bulls on test had an average ADG of 3.20 lbs/day and a WDA of 3.33 lbs/day – significantly higher than the averages for the other breeds on test.
Leading the way for the Gelbvieh and Balancer bulls is an entry by Mohogany Hollow of Delta, Utah. This February 2010 Balancer bull sired by Bon View New Design posted an impressive ADG of 4.15 lbs/day. He also had a WDA of 3.69 lbs/day and a first intermediate weight of 1,230 pounds.
In the WDA column, a purebred Gelbvieh bull tops the list with an outstanding WDA of 3.94 lbs/day. Entered by Middle Creek Farms, Inc., Bozeman, Mont., this January 2010 Carolina Fortune son had an ADG of 3.72 lbs/day and tipped the scales in this first weight report at 1,360 pounds.
Additional Gelbvieh breeders who have bulls entered in the Midland test are Hone Ranch, Gardnerville, Nev., M Heart D Gelbvieh, Stevensville, Mont., Cranview Gelbvieh, Minot, N.D., Ledgerwood Gelbvieh, Clarkston, Wash., and Russell Family Livestock, Brooklyn, Wisc.
The 2011 Midland Bull Test sale is set for April 6-8, with the Gelbvieh and Balancer bulls selling on the first day. Complete performance reports are available at www.midlandbulltest.com.
Cattlemen gather next week for Midland Bull Test
Cattlemen from across the country will gather next week in Columbus, Mont., for one of the beef industry’s premier events of the year, the Midland Bull Test. Besides the sale of 800 bulls from 10 breeds over a three-day period, Midland offers educational seminars and the opportunity for seedstock producers and cattlemen to congregate at one location for the event. The Montana Gelbvieh Association has also planned a membership meeting.
Leading off the bull sales is the Gelbvieh breed on Wednesday, April 6 at 12:00 noon. A total of 41 Gelbvieh and Balancer® bulls have been consigned by seven breeders from six states. At the completion of the test the Gelbvieh and Balancer bulls posted the final performance averages: BW 86; WW 781; ADG 3.14; WDA 3.31; 365 WT 1,205.
Middle Creek Farms, Bozeman, Mont., owns the two bulls that top the test, each with a Midland Bull Test index of 109. Bull #1224 is a January 2010, 88-percentage, black Gelbvieh son of MCF Bruce Almighty 35PET. He posted the following final performance numbers: ADG 3.28; WDA 3.44; 365 WT 1,246; and RFI -4.32, and MBT IND 109. This bull is the best RFI performing bull of the Gelbvieh and Balancer offering. Bull #1235 is a January 2010, purebred, black Gelbvieh son of MCFG The Man 113U. His final numbers are: ADG 3.60; WDA 3.73; 365 WT 1,373; RFI 1.46 and MBT IND 109.
The bull with the highest ADG is a February 2010 Balancer son of Bon View New Design 1407 and has a tag number of #1202. Entered by Mahogany Hollow, Delta, Utah, this bull’s final numbers are: ADG 3.74; WDA 3.33; 365 WT 1,161; RFI -1.24; and MBT IND 106.
Middle Creek Farms also had the high WDA bull with a January 2010 black purebred son of JBOB Carolina, tag #1242, and final numbers of: ADG 3.67; WDA 3.91; 365 WT 1,432; RFI 0.94; and MBT IND 112.
In addition to the bull sale, Midland has several other events scheduled. On Tuesday, April 5, Dr. John Paterson will be speaking on “What’s Happening in the Cattle Industry.” The evening starts at 6:00 p.m. with a social, the steak fry follows at 6:30. These events are repeated Wednesday night. The Thursday evening activities include a social at 6:00, steak fry at 6:30 and entertainment of the Bent Willows-John Campbell and Neil Hamilton featuring Adessa Campbell, sponsored by Stockman Bank. All evening activities take place at the Little Metra in Columbus, Mont.
The Montana Gelbvieh Association will hold a membership meeting on Wednesday, April 6 after the Gelbvieh bull sale at approximately 3:30 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Fire Hall in Columbus. For more information regarding the meeting contact Kathy Rankin at 406-937-4815 or krankin@northerntel.net.
The complete Midland Bull Test sale catalog can be viewed at www.midlandbulltest.com. Visit frontierstockyards.com for videos of the bulls and online bidding the day of the sale. For more information about the Gelbvieh bulls in the sale contact Don Danell, American Gelbvieh Association western area coordinator at 406-538-5622 or dond@gelbvieh.org.
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Gelbvieh Breeders Challenged to “Create Your Future”
Eight of the beef industry’s most influential speakers challenged members of the American Gelbvieh Association to “Create Your Future” in the first-ever leadership and genetic improvement seminar. The seminar was held December 8-9, 2010 in Kansas City, Mo. Fifty-seven AGA members from 17 states attended the two-day seminar. The American Gelbvieh Association and IGENITY® teamed up to sponsor the event, which overall, encouraged members to build relationships with their customers, other Gelbvieh breeders, their state and national breed associations, and other representative within the beef industry.
Dr. Tom Field of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association was the opening speaker. Field discussed how consumer demands are changing and the influence they have over beef markets.
“In the wake of the multiple pressures and challenges confronting the beef industry, our goal must be to defend the opportunity for both producers and consumers to choose from a variety of production systems and products,” said Field.
Field shared research that showed 17 percent of consumers want to know more about food production processes. “I believe that number is going to grow because I think consumers want to know about production,” he added.
He concluded his presentation by encouraging members to engage the consumer and tell your story through social and traditional media, the political and regulatory arena, in classrooms, boardrooms, and family rooms.
The American Gelbvieh Association Director of Breed Improvement Susan Willmon asked members about their breeding strategy and provided them with an individual herd analysis for each member to evaluate the direction of their breeding program.
Willmon emphasized the importance of getting feedback from your customers. “Weaning and feedlot performance information from your customers’ calves is critical to evaluate if your breeding strategy is working. Your best friend should be the customer who gets harvest data on his calves. Feedlot performance and harvest data are the ultimate report cards to tell you if as a seedstock provider your breeding program is going where you want.”
Jim Gibb, technical services director for IGENITY®, discussed the progression of genetic improvement and how DNA is being used to enhance the tools we already have, as well as some of the new advances in DNA technology.
“We are not about replacing EPDs. Phenotypes are important. The ideal situation is to use both phenotype and genomics to evaluate performance,” said Gibb. “Our goal is to work with breed associations to incorporate both genomics and performance data into EPDs.”
He also commended the American Gelbvieh Association for being a leader in embracing DNA technology. “In May 2008, the AGA was the first significant U.S. beef breed association to transition to SNP parentage, followed by the American Angus Association in October, 2010.”
The American Gelbvieh Association is currently working to develop genomic enhanced EPDs.
The first day concluded with a presentation from Eric Grant, American Angus Association director of public relations. Grant shared his 24 years of experience working in agriculture communications and marketing. The take-home messages were to effectively market your program breeders need to have a website, they must be active on Facebook and Twitter, and that video works. Grant emphasized the importance of branding your program, rather than just selling cattle and to do so by telling the story of your program.
Tom Brink, president and COO of J & F Oklahoman Holdings, Inc., started off the second day by discussing the role of genetics in cattle feeding.
“The industry wants a steer that can produce a carcass that grades Choice, Yield Grade 3 or leaner, at an 850 pound carcass weight,” said Brink. “The ideal feeder animal is an Angus-Continental cross; 50-75% Angus and 25-50% Continental.”
Two of the beef industries most successful seedstock breeders, Dave Nichols of Bridgewater, Iowa and Galen Fink of Randolf, Kan., provided real-life examples of how they have been able to build their programs and create opportunities for their customers.
“Those farms, ranches, seedstock breeders and industries who ignore their customers’ real or perceived values, and lack the guts or the tools to control costs are doomed to the trash can of history,” commented Nichols. “Work as hard at selling your seedstock as you do raising them.”
“As seedstock producers, we have to make sure we know when our customers are marketing their calves so we help them if we can,” noted Fink. “Selling seedstock is about creating relationships. The customer can buy his bulls from anywhere. Customer service is number one. If you do not take care of your customers…someone else will.”
Closing out this tremendous line-up of speakers was Glen Klippenstein, Maysville, Mo. With a history in seedstock production, working with two breed associations and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, and a newly elected U.S. Senator, Klippenstien motivated members to take all they’ve learned during the “Create Your Future” seminar and put it into practice in their own operations.
“This industry is one-third motion, one-third promotion, and one-third emotion,” said Klippenstien. “The ability to maintain flexibility equals success. It’s a marketing thing – try new practices and take care of your customer.”
Copies of the “Create Your Future” seminar proceedings including speaker presentations, an individual herd analysis, and a DVD of the live presentations are available for $85 by contacting the American Gelbvieh Association at 303-465-2333 or info@gelbvieh.org.