Cattleman’s Corner Radio

Today we have Roger Olson, a Gelbvieh breeder from Colorado. How did you get started in the Gelbvieh, Roger?    Well, in 1970, my dad bought a group of three-quarter blood Gelbvieh cattle from a gentleman in South Dakota. There was 75 head there. The Gelbvieh breed has always been really, really good for us. We've always just stayed with it.    Why do you think that is?    They check all the boxes, as far as maternal traits, feed gain, their do-ability as far as pastures are concerned, docile disposition, very fertile cattle. We have just a super breed up every year. The cows have just not ever let us down. Even drought years, like we are having this year, just having phenomenal calves. Like I said, they've always treated us very well. They've never disappointed. We have an annual bull sale, pot of gold bull sale, over in Montrose, Colorado, every year, last Friday in February. I have been doing that for 35 years and have just been a successful bull sale and sell feedstock. They've always just been really good for us.    What kind of country is that where you are? Is that good for raising cattle?    It was good at one time. We're being invaded by subdivisions and investment groups and stuff like that, so we're having a hard time as far as finding pasture and feed. It's becoming a challenge.    Your location is Platteville. Where is that?    Fifteen miles south of Greeley, up in the north central.    That was Roger Olson from northeastern Colorado's Mill Iron Lazy V Cattle Company.    That's going to do it for today's Cattleman's Corner.

Each year the Colby Community College does a great job conducting and annual bull sale. Listen in as Don Edwards of Hyde Gelbvieh explains...

Listen in to see who our surprise guest is... from an old ghost town in Colorado.

Meet Justin Maus from Maus Angus Ranch as he shares his experiences, discussing his history in the livestock business, which began in 2014 when he started raising registered Angus cattle. Located in the southwest of North Dakota, near the Montana-South Dakota border, the ranch has benefited from networking with neighbors and using online platforms like DV Auction for exposure. Maus Angus Ranch's key focus is their upcoming annual sale of registered Angus bulls on February 14th. The sale will feature 57 Angus bulls, including a few consignments, aiming to expand the ranch's offerings while focusing on basics such as foot and leg structure, udder quality, and cow functionality. The auction will be conducted live at their heated shop but will not run cattle physically through, instead displaying them on screens for on-site and online viewers.

Now here's an archived interview with the late Howard Hale and Randolph, Kansas breeder Galen Fink. They're talking about the subject of athletic bulls. Let's listen in.   Galen Fink is with us. Fink Beef Genetics at Randolph, Kansas.    On your website you have a little video that talks about athletic bulls. Explain, will you?    "That phrase comes from a customer of ours. He's an old longtime customer. He's passed away now, giving him a hard time one time about 35 years ago that he needed to take better care of his bulls, joking around. After he got through the breeding season, he just looked at me and said, you've never seen a fat athlete, have you? I have always used that quote. I thought that was a very interesting quote. Bulls need to be developed like athletes. They don't need a lot of fat on them to empower feet and legs and semen production and everything the rest of their lives. That was a quote from Andy Olson and we just kind of stick by that."   So how do you develop your bulls then?    "We're on a higher up each ration. Generally, after we wean them, our bulls are on a two pounds per day gain. So that's quite a bit less than what many folks do developing their bulls. We don't want fat bulls."   Galen Fink, Fink Beef Genetics at Randolph, Kansas.   And that was the late Howard Hale with Galen Fink, Fink Beef Genetics, Randolph, Kansas. And you can catch more of those archived interviews right on cattlemanscorner.com. 

Learn more about Jerry Grund of Grund Beef Genetics on Cattleman's Corner with Brian Hale.

Call Brian today at 941-942-4361 for a FREE INTERVIEW on the radio!  

Jim Felton, a third-generation Angus breeder from Deer Lodge, Montana, elaborated on his commitment to Angus cattle, attributing it to his lineage and personal experience in breeding. He acknowledged the competitive nature of the Angus market but highlighted the established reputation of his ranch in raising quality cattle.

Cole Buffo is a prominent community leader, city councilmember, and cattle rancher based in Jetmore, Kansas. He plays an active role in local municipal governance and the regional agricultural sector.   Agricultural Leadership   Beyond his public office, Buffo is a well-known livestock producer in the Kansas ranching community.  Buff Tuff Cattle Co.: He operates Buff Tuff Cattle Co. based out of Jetmore, which specializes in raising Gelbvieh, Balancer, and Red Angus cattle. The operation focuses on advanced crossbreeding genetics and hosts annual open-house silent auctions for regional cattle buyers. Kansas Gelbvieh Association: Highlighting his standing in the livestock industry, Buffo serves as the President of the Kansas Gelbvieh Association, promoting the breed's development throughout the state. 

The world's largest fiberglass cow, known as "Salem Sue," is located in New Salem, North Dakota, just off Interstate 94—about 30 miles west of Bismarck. Built in 1974 for $40,000, this massive Holstein stands 38 feet tall and 50 feet long, and weighs 12,000 pounds.  

Nearly 300 years ago, farmers in Herefordshire, England founded the Hereford breed in response to consumer beef demand created by Britain's industrial revolution. Now, centuries later, here's Shane Bedwell, Director of Breed Improvement, on more about the Hereford breed.    "Yes, sir. Brian, I appreciate you having me on. The American Hereford Association is experiencing some really great times in growth. The demand by the commercial cattlemen we've seen here in the last five years has been tremendous. And using Hereford genetics, we've seen bull sales increase not only in volume, but in sale price all across the U.S. And my belief is that our breeders that have been in business for a long time have really stayed committed to making the cattle problem free. Stayed committed to passing on those genetics to the commercial cattlemen to add pounds, to add efficiency, and add fertility in their crosses."   That's good news not only for your breed, but for the whole industry, right, Shane?    "Absolutely. I think we've done quite a bit of extensive research and studies, and we look pretty good there in that arena."   That was Shane Bedwell, Chief Operating Officer and Director of Breed Improvement for the American Hereford Association. 

Joe Klun and Klun Farms & Cattle Background: Joe Klun grew up on a family farm that has been in operation since the early 1900s, giving him deep roots in agriculture and livestock production. Return to Cattle: Although he initially sold his cattle herd after high school to purchase equipment, his interest in the cattle industry eventually returned and grew into a dedicated breeding operation. Gelbvieh Focus: Joe specializes in registered Gelbvieh cattle because of their: Calving ease Strong growth performance Adaptability to challenging environments Overall versatility in commercial cattle operations Herd Improvement Strategy: He emphasizes: Strict culling standards Use of elite genetics Artificial Insemination (AI) to continually improve herd quality and performance Telecommunications Business Joe also owns a telecommunications company focused on low-voltage fiber-optic infrastructure. He has spent more than a decade building the business while continuing his cattle operation. The company works throughout Colorado and occasionally in other states when projects offer strong incentives, such as hurricane-recovery work in Florida. The business currently employs 12 people and is expanding into additional sectors, including: Transportation Logistics Key Takeaway Joe has successfully built two complementary enterprises—cattle breeding and telecommunications—by combining long-standing agricultural experience with a growth-oriented business mindset, emphasizing quality genetics, operational efficiency, and strategic expansion.

Let's wrap this interview up with Hyde Gelbvieh's Don Edwards. What do you like about the Gelbvieh, Don?   "They're really good mothers. They got a pretty good sized carcass on them. The carcass characteristics probably aren't the best as compared to like a black Angus or a red Angus, but they do have the size of the carcass, but they have a really good adaptability to their environment. So whether you're in a high humidity climate with taller grass, or if you're in a real arid climate like I am with short grass, it seems like the cattle really adapt good to any kind of a situation in their environment that they're placed in."   So do you cross those Gelbvieh on Red or Black Angus?   "My personal choice is red just because it seems like the weaning weights on the red cattle coming off grass on the calves are about 50 pounds heavier on average than what the blacks are, and it depends on year to year, but on average it seems like the reds have a higher weaning weight when they come off grass and seems like they handle the heat stress a little bit better that we have here in northeast Colorado."   Any last words for folks considering Gelbvieh?   "If you're looking at maybe a breeding option or a crossbreeding option coming this spring or this fall, maybe look at Gelbvieh and see if Gelbvieh would have something to increase your genetic material in your cow herds. That's what I would say."   That was Don Edwards from Otis, Colorado in the northeastern part of the state, raising Gelbvieh at Hyde Ranch.

 Let's talk to one of those premium Gelbvieh breeders in northeastern Colorado.   Here's Don Edwards. How's the grass for you there, Don?    "A lot of my grass out here is pretty short. You know, we got the buffalo grass, which it's a good grass too when it dries up. It actually has more protein content than when it's green. It's a real short, warm season grass, but we also have some other grasses out here like western wheat, brome grass, some blue grama, some needle and thread that the cattle kind of thrive on. Those get a little bit taller because those are mostly cooler season grasses. They might get maybe 10 inches tall and that's about tops on it. Yeah, we have mostly short grass country out here."   Do you have an annual sale?    A lot of my heifer sales are done like a private treaty. Either take them to the sale barn or I'll advertise them on Facebook or on some other websites. And then every spring, the Colby Community College always has a bull test down there. And so in November, I select bulls that I want to keep as bulls and take down to their testing."   "The kids down there, they do all the work on it as far as growing. They do all the advertising on it and I have to pay for everything, for like the feed and the vet, all that kind of stuff at cost. But they ultrasound the bulls and put them in GrowSafe units so we can figure out feed efficiency."   "We know what their carcass merit is, their average rate of gain on a per day basis, the ratios of their feed that it takes to put that pound of gain on. And they do a really excellent job. I've taken bulls down there for the last three or four years and I'll probably keep taking bulls down there."   That was Don Edwards from Otis, Colorado in the northeastern part of the state, raising Gelbvieh at Hyde Ranch. 

Background and Cattle Business Journey: Don Edwards, not associated with Hyde Cattle but rather Hyde Gelbvieh, was interviewed about his engagement in the cattle industry. Located in a ghost town named Hyde in northeast Colorado, Don began his journey in the cattle business as an eighth grader in the early 1990s. He attended a purebred cattle sale in Brighton, Colorado, where he purchased a Gelbvieh show heifer for his FFA (Future Farmers of America) project, thus starting his career with the Gelbvieh breed. Over the years, Don has continued to work with purebred Gelbviehs and has also incorporated balancers, adapting to industry changes while valuing traits like adaptability and resilience to environmental stress. Cattle Breeding and Traits: Don prefers red cattle, citing higher average weaning weights compared to black cattle and a better handling of heat stress in northeast Colorado's climate. While Gelbvieh carcass characteristics might not compete with Angus breeds in terms of certain qualities, they possess adaptability to various environments and are excellent mothers. This adaptability is pivotal for breeders in diverse and challenging conditions. Sales and Programs: Hyde Galvey conducts heifer sales mostly through private treaties, utilizing platforms like Facebook for promotion. Don participates in a bull test program at Colby Community College, where selected bulls are assessed, and their performance compared with other breeds, helping to evaluate cattle quality and growth traits comprehensively. This partnership allows for learning and improvement in cattle genetics while supporting educational programs at the college. Contact and Community Engagement: Don Edwards's Hyde Gelbvieh can be contacted via Facebook or directly through email and phone. While a website is not yet set up, outreach is conducted through available channels to ensure engagement with potential buyers and the broader cattle community. Hyde Gelbvieh, while not a major player in specific breeds like Angus, offers significant breeding advantages that Don promotes for consideration among other cattlemen for genetic improvement strategies.

Now here's Galen Frenzen from Frenzen Angus and Polled, Herefords.    Well, hello Galen. I understand you have a lot of experience in the business. Can you give us a little background on that please, sir?    "I'm 82 years old and my dad bought two horned Hereford heifers for my brother and I for 4-H and FFA projects in 1957. Dad had always had commercial cows, mainly primarily Herefords. Then after I got out of college in 1965, the exotics had hit. I started dabbling a little more on the commercial cows. A lot of the new exotics were coming in and one time somebody asked me, what breeds did you try? And I said, it'd probably be simpler if I told you which ones I didn't. We select for a bigger animal than a lot of commercial people because my bull customers come in and pick the big stout bulls. So I've got a little bigger cow, but I don't have these ton cows that some of them do. The thing that differentiates us is we don't creep feed. It's a survival of the fittest type deal."   "I did a feed bunk analysis of our ration, sent it to ward laboratories and none of our bulls are dry lot developed. They run on corn stocks. All of our yearling bulls run together."   What did you end up selling this year?    "75 Angus bulls, 40 Herefords, one Simmental bulls and they're going to be yearlings, four yearlings and two year olds. And then the females were going to have some yearling heifers and some two year old pairs. And then some groups of black baldy F1 heifers, two F1 heifers."   Galen Frenzen, Fullerton, Nebraska.    Thanks again for listening and may God bless. I'm Brian Hale.

Listen in to this interview with Shawn Booth of Veteran, Wyoming.

Now let's check in with Dan Reardon of Rockin' R Red Angus, who had moved his operation from the high country in Colorado to just a few miles south of McGrew, Nebraska.   How did your sale go, Dan?   "We were really, really thrilled with the sale and how it went and the feedback on the bulls. You know, it was a really challenging time. The two days before the sale is when the big fire hit, and so friends and customers just scrambling and dealing with the fire, and we were kind of wondering on our end what we should do, and we decided to still hold the sale on that Saturday and on that fire started Thursday, and we were really blessed with the amount of people that showed up, the amount of people that bid, so we were really, really excited and really happy despite what was going on in the community. We definitely had some out-of-town buyers. We sold bulls as far east as Illinois, and obviously sold quite a few to Colorado and Kansas and a bunch to Nebraska, Wyoming, South Dakota, so yeah, we had a pretty good representation as far as geography."   "I cannot speak highly enough of the crew over at Sugar Valley. We were very, very happy. We were extremely impressed with how professional they were. We feel like we found a home for sure for our sale. The people there were just so nice, so professional. We couldn't have asked for a better partnership than what they did for us over there."   That was Dan Reardon talking about the successful sale they had at Sugar Valley Stockyards in Gering, Nebraska. Find my longer interview with Dan on cattlemanscorner.com, as well as hundreds of other interviews.

Troy Thomas is a seed stock producer from Thomas Ranch in South Dakota. They have a very diversified operation there with several breeds of cattle. So why so much diversity?    "I guess we've tried to kind of diversify ourselves enough that we can supply bulls to people that are using different breeds and some crossbreeding systems. So what kind of breeds do you primarily focus on? We primarily have Charolais and Angus, but also have some Red Angus and some Simmental cattle. And I guess every year we're kind of surprised, you know, several customers, more than one breed, and kind of incorporate it into some different crossbreeding programs. Depending on what they want to add or what they're trying to do at the present time, we kind of try to fill all their bull needs if we can."    So do you produce any crossbred bulls?    "We've done a few. We've mainly stayed with the purebred registered side. The Simmental cattle, we're doing a little more of the SimAngus, the percentage cattle. But the majority of our cattle are purebred and all registered cattle."    That was Troy Thomas, seed stock producer from South Dakota, on today's Cattleman's Corner.

Summary On Cattleman’s Corner, Brian Hale interviews Joe Klun of Klun Cattle Company in Pueblo, Colorado, about the advantages of Gelbvieh cattle. Klun says he values the breed for its calving ease, growth, maternal efficiency, and ability to maintain condition in tough environments. He explains that his cows, weighing around 1,400 to 1,500 pounds, are versatile and perform well on a variety of rough grazing conditions. Klun also describes the harsh southern Colorado terrain, including poor grass, sagebrush, cactus, and abandoned river-bottom farmland, where the cattle have continued to thrive.   Transcript Today we have Joe Klun from Klun Cattle Company, Pueblo, Colorado.   Tell me what you like about the Gelbvieh again.    "There's just a lot. Good calving ease and the growth, and you get big, mature cows. I mean, the cows that I got, you know, they're probably weighing 1,400, 1,500 pounds, and they're easy fleshing. You can put them pretty much anywhere, and they'll work anywhere you take them. I haven't really had any trouble anywhere that they've been, really, which is a good thing, because I've been just chasing grass and getting pasture wherever I can, when I can. So the versatility of them is one thing that I've found."   Tell us about that tough country that you're in, actually. People might want to know what your conditions are like there in southern Colorado.    "A lot of river bottom area. I mean, there's not good grass. It's been a lot of, like, Kochia Weed and just nothing good. Nothing that you really want to have cattle on, but it's something that, you know, all the good stuff is taken. You know, being a younger guy, if you weren't already in it, there's just not a lot of options. So I've had to take them to some pretty rough places, you know, lots of Sagebrush, lots of Cactus, or like I said, the river bottom where it used to be farm ground, and then they quit farming it, so now all that grows out there is Kochia Weed and Pigweed, but they handled that just fine."   Joe Klun from Klun Cattle Company.

"My wife June is the key to the whole operation"   That is the impression that we received when talking with Gelbvieh breeder Roger Olsen of Platteville, Colorado. Roger is a Select Sire rep, while June runs the cattle operation on a day-to-day basis.    Here is a transcript of today's conversation;   Now, here's Roger Olson again today from Mill Iron Lazy V Cattle Company.   "One of the things that I failed to mention, Brian, and she is the key to our whole operation, is my wife, June. My way of supporting the herd, I guess, is I am Select Sire Rep here in central Colorado. She kind of maintains the herd herself.  We couldn't do it without her. I didn't want to do an interview without mentioning her. This is a family operation, it's a heritage, it's a way of life."   Would you give it up for anything else?    "No, I wouldn't. And you're right, it is a way of life. I've sold herds before, but I've always ended up with cows again. It's just, like you said, a way of life. And it's good people. I mean, the cattle people that we deal with on a daily basis, yeah, you're right, I wouldn't trade it for anything."   That was Roger Olson from Northeastern Colorado's Mill Iron Lazy V Cattle Company. 

Roger Olson's Cattle Operation: Roger Olson is involved in a family-run cattle business in eastern Colorado, operating the Mill Iron Lazy V Cattle Company. The operation specializes in registered Gelbvieh cattle, a breed chosen for its maternal traits, feed efficiency, and adaptability to pasture conditions. Despite challenges from area development and droughts, the cattle have performed well, and Olson maintains a mix of pasturing and feedlot strategies. They also host an annual bull sale, the Pot of Gold Bull Sale, which has been successful over the years, with strong sales of both bulls and heifers. Broadcasting and Community Engagement: The interviewer, Brian from Hale Broadcasting, discussed how their radio broadcasting covers agriculture in multiple states, including a focus on cattle operations. Hale Broadcasting provides both radio and podcast formats to share insights from the agricultural community, emphasizing personal interviews rather than traditional news reports. The program celebrates a long heritage of cattle operations and promotes sharing stories and information within the community, highlighting its rootedness as a way of life. Online Presence and Advertising: Roger Olson mentioned utilizing the website gelbviehbulls.net for promoting their annual bull sales. They also engage in various advertising channels, such as postcards and regional publications, with word-of-mouth playing a significant role in their sales success. Although initially lacking in social media engagement, Olson's operation recognizes the growing importance of digital presence. Family and Heritage: A significant highlight is the role of family in the operation, with Roger attributing much of the success to his wife, June. This underscores the operations as not only a business endeavor but also a lifestyle choice deeply integrated with family values and traditions. Transcript Today we have Roger Olson, a Gelbvieh breeder from Colorado. How did you get started in the Gelbvieh, Roger?    Well, in 1970, my dad bought a group of three-quarter blood Gelbvieh cattle from a gentleman in South Dakota. There was 75 head there. The Gelbvieh breed has always been really, really good for us. We've always just stayed with it.    Why do you think that is?    They check all the boxes, as far as maternal traits, feed gain, their do-ability as far as pastures are concerned, docile disposition, very fertile cattle. We have just a super breed up every year. The cows have just not ever let us down. Even drought years, like we are having this year, just having phenomenal calves. Like I said, they've always treated us very well. They've never disappointed. We have an annual bull sale, pot of gold bull sale, over in Montrose, Colorado, every year, last Friday in February. I have been doing that for 35 years and have just been a successful bull sale and sell feedstock. They've always just been really good for us.    What kind of country is that where you are? Is that good for raising cattle?    It was good at one time. We're being invaded by subdivisions and investment groups and stuff like that, so we're having a hard time as far as finding pasture and feed. It's becoming a challenge.    Your location is Platteville. Where is that?    Fifteen miles south of Greeley, up in the north central.    That was Roger Olson from northeastern Colorado's Mill Iron Lazy V Cattle Company.    That's going to do it for today's Cattleman's Corner.

Joe, the owner of Klun Farms & Cattle, discussed his background and journey in the cattle business. Growing up on a farm that has been in his family since the 1900s, Joe has been involved with agriculture from an early age. After starting a separate career in telecommunications focusing on low-voltage fiber optic lines, he has spent over a decade building this business alongside his cattle ventures. Joe’s passion for cattle was revived post-high school by trading his initial herd for equipment, eventually leading him to focus on breeding registered Gelbvieh cattle, which he admires for their calving ease, growth potential, and versatility across tough environments. His approach includes stringent culling and using top genetics through Artificial Insemination (AI) for herd improvement.   Joe also shared details about his telecommunications business, which operates statewide in Colorado and extends to other states for projects motivated by pay incentives, such as post-hurricane work in Florida. Now employing 12 people, he is expanding his operations by branching into other areas, including transportation and logistics.   Marketing and Sales Strategy for Cattle   Joe's cattle sales primarily occur through word-of-mouth and private treaty rather than formal auctions, resulting in satisfied, repeat customers. He shared his thoughts on pricing strategies and the challenges of running a formal sale, noting that while his herd isn't large enough to produce big catalogs, he successfully sells bulls privately. Joe appreciates the rarity and demand variance between black and red Gelbvieh cattle, with preferences influenced strongly by consumer opinion on color.   Joe has plans to advance his marketing by considering web presence, having recognized earlier attempts to build a website as time-consuming amidst his other responsibilities. He acknowledges the importance of marketing in reaching broader audiences and expressed willingness to explore professional help to establish an online front for his cattle operations.   Challenges and Community Involvement   Joe also touched upon the challenges of cattle farming on suboptimal pastureland in southern Colorado and the measures he takes, such as providing protein and mineral supplements to maintain cattle health. Despite prior issues like nitrate poisoning in feed, he has been able to manage herd health effectively.   Finally, the discussion included future aspirations and strategies around improving his herd's genetics and maintaining customer relationships through robust guarantees on his bulls. He emphasizes ensuring customer satisfaction for the longevity and reputation of his business.   Potential Collaboration   Concluding the interview, Joe was offered a promotional opportunity from Hale Broadcasting for marketing support at a discounted rate, highlighting the mutual benefits of promoting the Gelbvieh breed further. The conversation capped with friendly exchanges and best wishes for Joe's multifaceted endeavors in agriculture and telecommunications.  

Our co-host David Woodruff has David Lamoureux, and they were talking about flood irrigation practices in Arizona.    "Yeah, well, it's out south. It's about halfway between Phoenix and Tucson, down south of Eloy, a little place called Picacho, down there by Picacho Peak."   And it's all flood irrigated?    "Right."    When you come on raw land in Arizona and you go to flood irrigate it, there's a little bit of leveling involved, or is there a lot? How do you do it?    "When we bought this farm, it was already being farmed, but we went in and laser leveled it and put cement irrigation ditches in and turnouts, and so it had where we could flood irrigate it and take care of the water, and it does a great job. But in Arizona, that farm down there was part of the CAP, the Central Arizona Irrigation Project. We got cuts on our water, so we don't have all the water that we used to, so that's been hard for us. Part of the old Santa Cruz River bottom runs through our farm, and we've got that fence, and we run cows down there in the mesquite, so when you get the rains, you get some good desert feed. But where we're at in Arizona, unless you have flood irrigation, you just don't do much. But it's just a bonus when you get some rain."   Dave Lamoureux on the Cattleman's Corner.

Now here's more with my conversation with Cole Buffo from southwest Kansas. Do you raise your own feed?    "Yeah, we do all our own alfalfa. We've got about 140 acres of alfalfa ground that we put up. We can usually get about four cuttings a year out of, and it's all along the creek. So, I mean, it's usually pretty decent for us."   How's your moisture this year?    "We're a little dry. I know we're trying to figure out when to start planting milo. It would be nice to get a little rain to get a little moisture. Wheat's kind of turning.  I mean, it's either turning, dying, and got frost all in the same little bit."   Is it going to be zeroed out by insurance?    "We haven't fully got that far in getting it all checked out yet with insurance. So, they'll tell us that we'll still have to cut it."   Do you ever swath it?   "Sometimes we do. A lot of times we may. Our big focus is cattle, so we run registered, and then we've got a commercial herd. So, we'll do a lot of grazing on it. We don't do much swathing of wheat. We'll just either graze it or out or cut it for grain."   Do you do all of your own cutting?    "Yeah, yeah. We do all our own cutting. I mean, we're primarily wheat, alfalfa, and milo. It's our crops, and then cattle's kind of our mainstay, I guess."   Yeah, so how many years have you been doing the cattle now, did you say?    "I've been in the cattle business, I'd say, 25 years, but my in-laws, they've been in it. I mean, my wife's the third generation to be taking over the family farm, and our kids will be the fourth. I mean, they've been doing it since the early 1900s."   Cole Buffo from southwest Kansas.   Thanks again for listening, and may God bless. I'm Brian Hale.

I have Cole Buffo on the phone with me with Buff Tuff Cattle Co, if I've got the name right. Welcome to the show, Cole, and if you don't mind, just kind of give us a background on that name there and how you got started in the cattle business.    "Yeah, so it was actually a nickname, a buddy of mine that I grew up with kind of gave me back when we were in middle school. And I mean, I got started when I was in grade school with cattle, we started in the Simmental and then kind of dispersed and then got back in the Gelbvieh side of it. And then now that after college, I married my wife, Cassie, and we moved to Jetmore, Kansas north of Dodge city. She and her family had an established Red Angus operation. So now we got Gelbvieh with our Red Angus. We were primarily red and we've kind of got into the black because we had a few customers needing some black bulls. So we started doing some cross breeding to compliment our customer needs."   "Like on the Red Angus side, a lot of guys have been crossing Angus in to incorporate Angus genetics on the Red Angus. So they're getting black, red carriers, and then they can get black or red calves depending on what they're breeding. And that's kind of what we've been playing with a little more on our Gelbvieh side. If we trying to breed for homo black bulls, but if we get a red bull out of a black cow, we still know we can sell it."   Do you have a sale each year?    "Yeah, so it's usually, I would say the last Friday in March, I guess next year might be a week later with Easter season. We used to be private treaty. Now we're gone to an open house, silent auction type format where we do invite everybody in kind of low key, like all of our buyers kind of see what the bulls are and see how they are. And then it's just kind of a silent auction format."   That was Cole Buffo from Buff Tuff Cattle Co.   22918 NW Highway 156, Jetmore, KS 67854 is the address for Hayes Red Angus, a cattle ranching operation and member of the Red Angus Association of America. The property also serves as the headquarters for Buff Tuff Cattle Co., which specializes in raising Gelbvieh, Balancer, and Red Angus cattle.  

Welcome to the Cattleman's Corner. I'm Brian Hale, sitting in for the late Howard Hale, as we continue his legacy of speaking with cattlemen and women from around the globe.    We're talking to Ted Delagana.   Ted is now from Conrad, Montana, but used to be in, was it the Central Valley in California?    "Central Coast, is what we call it."   You were involved in agriculture down there?    "Yep, all my life."   What kind of things did you do?    "We always had cattle, and then worked for different places that had cattle, and always raised our own hay for the cattle up until when we left. And then I worked for a large place that we farmed about 3,000 acres of dryland grain and hay. Hay there is all oats and barley hay, so it's all just grain hay."   On this side of the Madison line, my dad always called it green feed.   "Pretty much. We had a whole different world there, a lot of rain down there. So, why did you have the cereal grains for hay, or green feed as we call it up here, instead of like something, perennial grass? Not many, we hardly had, a lot of alfalfa hay, a lot of alfalfa, but perennial grass like they have here, almost zero. The ranch I worked for we summer followed, but where I lived, we planted winter so every year. It was just a rain thing, I think, you know, the amount of rain we get."   Could you get more tons per acre off of doing green feed?    "There was alfalfa ranches around and they would get a ton and a half per cutting or so, I'd say, and cut five, sometimes six cuttings. But with our grain hay, we'd get as much as five times the acre on grain hay. You know, we were all selling to cattlemen, feedlots, and then we got fancy stuff. We started growing what they called forage mix. It was a mix of beardless barley, beardless wheat, and a couple varieties of oats. And we'd sell those to the racetracks like Santa Anita and a lot of horse people."   Ted Dalagana from Conrad, Montana with our co-host David Woodruff.  

Kory Ostrand of Ostrand Angus, located in Mason City, Nebraska, discussed the origins of his involvement in livestock. Kory detailed how he used money from selling a 4-H steer to purchase a registered Angus heifer at the age of nine, marking the beginning of his journey into registered cattle breeding. His family's ranch has been operational since 1884, making him the fifth generation to run it. They are strategically located about 50 miles northwest of Kearney or 30 miles southeast of Broken Bow, an area known for its quality cattle farming conditions.   The Ostrand program focuses on a balanced trait approach, offering a diverse range of bulls and heifers, including calving ease and power bulls. The interview highlighted their strategy to enhance buyer access through online platforms and emphasized maintaining buyer engagement even in variable weather conditions. Hale Broadcasting is assisting in promotional efforts for the sale, offering additional advertising services on their platforms.   Listen in to an interesting story on how Mason City, Nebraska Angus Breeder Corey Ostrand got his start with a wise investment.     www.ostrandangus.com

Now let's check in with Dan Reardon of Rockin' R Red Angus, who had moved his operation from the high country in Colorado to just a few miles south of McGrew, Nebraska.   How did your sale go, Dan?    "We were really, really thrilled with the sale, and how it went, and the feedback on the bulls. You know, it was a really challenging time."   "The two days before the sale is when the big fire hit, and so friends and customers just scrambling and dealing with the fire, and we were kind of wondering on our end what we should do, and we decided to still hold the sale on that Saturday, and all that fire started Thursday, and we were really blessed with the amount of people that showed up, the amount of people that bid, so we were really, really excited and really happy, despite what was going on in the community. We definitely had some out-of-town buyers. We sold bulls as far east as Illinois, and obviously sold quite a few to Colorado, and Kansas, and a bunch to Nebraska, Wyoming, South Dakota."   "So, yeah, we had a pretty good representation as far as geography. I cannot speak highly enough of the crew over at Sugar Valley. We were very, very happy. We were extremely impressed with how professional they were. We feel like we found a home, for sure, for our sale. The people there were just so nice, so professional. We couldn't have asked for a better partnership than what they did for us over there. That was Dan Reardon talking about the successful sale they had at Sugar Valley Stockyards in Gearing, Nebraska."   Find my longer interview with Dan on cattlemanscorner.com, as well as hundreds of other interviews.

Welcome to the Cattleman's Corner. I'm Brian Hale, sitting in for the late Howard Hale, as we continue his legacy of speaking with cattlemen and women from around the globe.    Gelbvieh and Balancer cattle are well known throughout the beef industry for their maternal strengths and superior growth. With attributes such as more pounds of calf weaned, added fertility, greater cow herd longevity, and heavier carcass weights, just to name a few, Gelbvieh and Balancer offer genetics that work for the commercial cattle business. For more information about the Gelbvieh and Balancer Edge, visit Gelbvieh.org.    On the program today, Commercial Marketing Director for the American Gelbvieh Association, Tom Strahm. So Tom, what is a balancer bull?    "So the balancers are registered hybrid seed stock. It's trademarked from the American Gelbvieh Association and they're a minimum of 25% Gelbvieh up to 75% Gelbvieh , with the offsetting percentage being either Angus or Red Angus. They're out of two registered parents, and we calculate all the performance information on them in the EPDs.   So how does that work for crossbreeding?   "You know, I think it's a great way to implement a crossbreeding program in a commercial cow herd. Gelbvieh are the continental breed of choice. Very good breed complementarity when used with the British breeds."   "And so, you know, when you're thinking about crossbreeding and obtaining the benefits of heterosis and hybrid vigor, I also think that breed complementarity is very important. So the strengths of Gelbvieh complement the strengths of the British breeds very well. And then, you know, if you're using those balancer bulls, keeping your own replacement females, you can continue to use balancers, and it makes crossbreeding easy."   That was Tom Strahm, Commercial Marketing Director for the American Gelbvieh Association.    Find out more about Gelbvieh at Gelbvieh org. That's going to do it for the Cattleman's Corner.   Thanks again for listening, and may God bless. I'm Brian Hale.  

Welcome to the Cattleman's Corner. I'm Brian Hale sitting in for the late Howard Hale as we continue his legacy of speaking with cattlemen and women from around the globe. We'll be back with today's guest right after this. Gelbvieh and Balancer cattle are well known throughout the beef industry for their maternal strengths and superior growth. With attributes such as more pounds of calf weaned, added fertility, greater cow herd longevity, and heavier carcass weights, just to name a few, Gelbvieh and Balancer offer genetics that work for the commercial cattle business. Visit Gelbvieh.org. While Howard Hale has passed on to the big pasture in the sky, we are still determined to continue to discover the great people involved in the horse and cattle business. The Horseman's Corner and the Cattleman's Corner have been on the air since 1994, almost 30 years now of conversations with some of the best folks in the country. Over the years, we have interviewed some of the greatest minds in the business, but it's getting tougher to find local folks. Our listeners are primarily wanting to hear from people who are local to them versus some expert in DC. If you are involved in horses or cattle, we want to hear from you. Give us a call at 940-224-6315 or visit Hale Broadcasting for all of our radio programs and that phone is listed there too. If Facebook is your cup of tea, follow Horseman's Corner Radio and Cattleman's Corner Radio and drop us a message. Again, all of our programs can be found on halebroadcasting.com and if this radio station isn't playing one of those that you enjoy, let them know to carry it. It's free to them to carry our programs. We appreciate all the listeners and this great radio station for carrying the Horseman's Corner and or the Cattleman's Corner for all these years. Thanks again for listening and may God bless. I'm Brian Hale.

Let's check in with Bryan Gill from Gill Red Angus to see how their sale went.   "Sale was really good. We sold 160 commercial replacement heifers and they averaged just under 3500 and then we sold 98 bulls. Sold every bull we offered and averaged just under $10,200."   Wow nice.   "It was really good."   Oh good yeah that's pretty good averages. Was that your best sale ever?   "No last fall was our best sale. We have a two-year-old sale in the fall and that was about a thousand dollars a head higher. But I'm still very happy with what we got."   Good well that's good, and are you delivering them yourself or do you hire that out?   "Well my brother does most of that. We don't hire anything except for today there's I think 10 head that got on a semi and headed for the East Coast. Three head North Carolina and seven head in South Carolina. Other than that he delivers them all. Well that's a lot of work to do especially if they're spread out he's got to go to several different states I suppose huh? Yeah the December sale they typically stay a little bit closer to us or we still spread out quite a ways but this sale with a DV Auction they kind of went a little bit everywhere several states."   Yeah that's gonna happen isn't it with that online stuff?   "Yeah we're blessed with DV auction they really help our sale a lot but there's a lot of work afterwards when you sell them all over the country."   Timberlake South Dakota Red Angus breeder Bryan Gill.   Contact me directly and let's get your program exposed with a free interview on cattlemanscorner.com.

The discussion details the history and operations of Cherry Creek Ranch in Veteran, Wyoming, in an interview with Shawn Booth. He describes his beginnings in the livestock business, starting with raising registered dogs and gradually moving into cattle by purchasing a bred heifer in Montana as a child. Over the years, Cherry Creek Ranch has grown and adapted through sales and breeding programs. In 2008, they dispersed their cow herd due to severe drought conditions but retained embryos to restart their herd, focusing primarily on top female Angus breeds. Sean continues to pursue innovative breeding practices. The ranch places a strong emphasis on using donor programs and embryo transplants. Shawn illustrates the complexities of managing donor cows and how critical genetic testing and planned breeding are to maintaining a successful herd.