Clarence to amass enough good cows to start selling bulls. His market started small, with most buyers coming from a 50-mile radius. But his honest dealings and confidence in the performance of his cattle allowed Clarence to build up a loyal customer base. Realizing demand Clarence was a visionary for his cattle was growing, who knew furthering Clarence hosted the farm’s Hereford genetics in his area Erick, Oscar and Clarence (l to r) hosted the Tegtmeier’s first production first production sale in 1961. had immense market value for commercial customers. sale in 1961, a tradition Clarence passed onto his son, Russ. Clarence sold bulls and heifers, and his two cousins birth weight bulls and those that didn’t have as consigned a group of feeder calves. much frame,” he says, “and we weeded those large “It turned out to be a big sale for being on frame cattle out of our herd.” the farm without being held in a In the aftermath of the barn,” Tegtmeier notes. “The sale large-frame trend, Tegtmeier’s We’re looking was conducted like a farm sale with focus has not shifted much for the auctioneer and ringmen going the last 20 years. However, this at birth weight, from pen to pen.” over the past two moderating frame, consistency Following the sale, Clarence decades does not stem from a lack knew he had a solid market in place doing more carcass of progress or forward-thinking. and began improving his genetics. Rather, experience has shown “Throughout the ’60s, Dad bought testing and getting cattle with well-balanced traits a couple bulls at the national polled will fit the needs of multiple a more all-around Hereford shows,” Tegtmeier says. customers. “We’re looking at birth “In 1965, he bought JCL Silver breed of cattle. weight, moderating frame, doing Misch 6th. He stood toward the top — Russ Tegtmeier more carcass testing and getting a of his class at Nationals that year. more all-around breed of cattle,” He was one of the first nationally Tegtmeier notes. known bulls Dad had here.” After introducing new genetics into the herd, the Tegtmeier program Focused on progress took off, and Clarence sold 50-75 bulls and about In 1983 Clarence passed from a sudden heart 50 heifers each year. attack. As his closest partner on the cattle
Uncompromising adaptability In the ’70s, more Continental and Exotic cattle entered the region — and industry dynamics changed. “The style of our cattle changed dramatically,” Tegtmeier remembers. “We went from putting as much straw underneath the cattle as possible, to make them look shorter and deeper, to seeing how low you could lay to the ground to make them look as tall as possible in the picture.” As producers looked to add frame to their cattle, the market for Hereford bulls became tough. In response, the Tegtmeiers adjusted their breeding program to meet the demand. “We changed and our cattle got more frame, taller and longer,” he explains. The trend was short lived, though. By the ’90s, commercial producers were calling for moderation in birth weight and frame. The Tegtmeiers knew that to stay relevant in the industry, their program would need to adapt again. “We picked lighter Hereford.org
operation, Russ became the ranch manager. Committed to raising the best genetics possible continued on page 124...
Early sales for the Tegtmeiers looked a little different with ringmen and the auctioneer traveling from pen to pen to sell cattle. July 2019 |
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