2020 Board of Director Profiles

2020 Board of Director

CANDIDATE PROFILES

REGION 1 REGION 2 REGION 3 REGION 3 REGION 3

ANDY JONES, ILLINOIS DJ FOLKERTS, MINNESOTA BRIAN FOX, COLORADO MIKE RIMPEL, TEXAS BRETT CARTER, OKLAHOMA

AT-LARGE

CLIFF RANDALL, LOUISIANA

AT-LARGE

CODY TEBBENKAMP, MISSOURI

AT-LARGE MIKE MORRIS, MONTANA

AT-LARGE AT-LARGE DR. CHRIS DAHLKE, MINNESOTA DR. RON LEMANAGER, INDIANA

AT-LARGE KENDALL BREMER, IOWA

REGION 1

ANDY JONES, ILLINOIS

History of your operation/family and involvement with the Maine-Anjou breed.

I got involved with the Maine-Anjou breed when I started showing and took a liking to it immediately. I tried learning and studying pedigrees and now continue to raise Maine-Anjou and Maine-influenced cattle along with my wife and kids, brother and his family and my mother. My family has a strong passion for Maine-Anjou cattle and a drive to improve not only our herd, but to try and make a positive impact on the Maine-Anjou breed as a whole.

What do you see as the strengths of the Maine-Anjou breed and how can those strengths best be used in today’s beef industry?

The biggest strengths are how well it blends performance/feed efficiency with the docile maternal ability of the cows. I feel strongly that the success of any operation starts with the momma cow. The Maine-Anjou breed can provide you with excellent milking cows, which in turn allows offspring to perform and convert feed efficiently. I feel Maine-influenced cattle can help tremendously with hybrid vigor.

What does your present operation do to promote Maine-Anjou genetics, whether it be locally, state, regional or national?

Currently we raise and sell Maine-Anjou and Maine-influenced show cattle every fall in several online sales and we exhibit at the state, regional and national shows. I look forward to getting my kids involved in one of the best youth association programs that give kids the opportunities to learn, grow and succeed.

REGION

DJ FOLKERTS, MINNESOTA

History of your operation/family and involvement with the Maine-Anjou breed.

I started Eastview Maines in the late 1990’s after purchasing some purebred Maine-Anjou females and black Maine-Anjou bulls to start our purebred herd. Throughout the years the herd has evolved, and selling Maine-Anjou genetics through bulls, females and feeder cattle is a highlight of mine every year. My wife, Amy, and four children, Kendra, Rylee, Maesa, and Charlie all do their part to run Eastview. The kids love showing cattle and enjoy quiz bowl and judging contests. Maine-Anjou Junior National is a highlight of the show year.

What do you see as the strengths of the Maine-Anjou breed and how can those strengths best be used in today’s beef industry?

The Maine-influenced female is such a great producer in all aspects of the industry. Commercial cow herd or seedstock producer, it is hard to beat a high quality Maine-Anjou female. The Maineinfluenced feeder cattle can flat get it done in the feedlot and on the rail. We need to continue to grow this aspect of the feedlot sector and educate ourselves and our commercial customers. MaineAnjou cattle are high quality cattle that can be very successful in all aspects of the beef industry.

What vision for the future do you hold for the Maine-Anjou breed and what steps are necessary to realize that vision?

We need to grow the commercial sector and promote the value of Maine-Anjou genetics! We must continue to educate our customers and potential customers about the advantages of our breed. We have a lot to offer in all aspects of the industry. Another area to keep promoting is our youth. Our junior members are the future and we need to give them the tools to succeed and lead.

What does your present operation do to promote Maine-Anjou genetics, whether it be locally, state, regional or national?

Eastview Maines participates in selling bulls at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colo., Black Hills Stock Show in Rapid City, S.D., and at the Watertown Farm Show in Watertown, S.D., as well as offering private treaty bulls for sale throughout the year. We have an online female sale in the fall, Honeys of the Harvest Elite Heifer Sale. We exhibit cattle the South Dakota State Fair and I serve as the secretary/treasurer of the South Dakota MaineAnjou Association.

Additional Comments.

I have been involved with Maine-Anjou cattle for over 20 years. I really enjoy raising Maine-Anjou cattle, our main area that we have concentrated on is raising high percent bulls and females. That is our bread and butter! I have really enjoyed working with fellow Maine-Anjou breeders and customers as well as serving on the Maine-Anjou Board of Directors the past two years, it has been a pleasure and honor. The best people to work with in the world are in the cattle industry!

REGION 3

BRIAN FOX, COLORADO

History of your operation/family and involvement with the Maine-Anjou breed.

I have been involved directly with the MaineAnjou breed since 2007, but have been around show cattle my entire life. In 2007 I had the opportunity to move with my wife, Paula, to Fort Morgan, Colo., and become the manager of Blind Badger Ranch (BBR). In 2007 BBR was running about 350 cows, flushing a few cows and had just completed their first production sale. Since then, they have grown to over 600 cows with an extensive ET program, and as we have evolved our focus has always stayed primarily Maine-Anjou.

What do you see as the strengths of the Maine-Anjou breed and how can those strengths best be used in today’s beef industry?

Growing up I always knew the positive attributes that Maine-Anjou brought to the table, but also

heard some of the fallacies that they have taken a bad rap for. It wasn’t until I began working with them every day at BBR that I was really blown away by their abilities to perform and be such a well-rounded breed. Their ability to perform in the arid, dry, short grass country we live in is a true testament to the breed. We also live in big country where the cattle are expected to cover large pastures, so their structural integrity is a huge focus of ours. The Maine-Anjou cattle are easy keeping and sound and they are ultimately the females that go on to milk and produce bigger calves, along with breeding back in a timely matter.

What does your present operation do to promote Maine-Anjou genetics, whether it be locally, state, regional or national?

We have always been supporters of the MaineAnjou breed and I truly believe in their abilities to perform in the pasture, feed yards and show rings. Blind Badger Ranch has always tried to send steers and bulls to the feed test trials, to further gain knowledge for ourselves and our breed. We have also been heavily involved in the showring. What started as helping Taylor and Tori Hett with their show stock when I first started at BBR, has now turned into an entire family of breeders and friends throughout the breed. In 2014 with my wife, along with the support of the owners of BBR, Jim Hett and Bud Gamel, we started the Rocky Mountain Maine-Anjou Association which consists of breeders and exhibitors of Maine cattle in both Colorado and Wyoming. This association has been able to raise money through various activities so that we can help provide scholarships to young people along with helping out with some of the expenses to go to junior nationals and present awards at local shows. Ultimately, we have used the RMMAA to continue to educate and support the Maine-Anjou breeders in Colorado and Wyoming. Additionally, I am a past recipient of the Herdsman of the Year award and am actively involved in the Herdsman Gathering each summer at the junior national. The Herdsman Gathering is made up of past Maine-Anjou herdsman and each summer we give out scholarships to deserving Maine-Anjou youth. To date, the gathering has awarded more than $100,000 to deserving AJMAA members.

REGION 3

MIKE RIMPEL, TEXAS

History of your operation/family and involvement with the Maine-Anjou breed.

We have been breeding and showing Maine’s in Texas since 2010. We have made this a family business and have been building a nice herd of Maines, MaineTainers, and Maine Angus cattle the last few years. I would like to get more involved promoting the breed in Texas.

What do you see as the strengths of the Maine-Anjou breed and how can those strengths best be used in today’s beef industry?

Carcass quality, calving ease, the elimination of genetic defects to ensure quality calves, while adding power and doablity in the cow herd.

What vision for the future do you hold for the Maine-Anjou breed and what steps are necessary to realize that vision?

I would like to see Maine-Anjou cattle have a larger footprint in Texas. I feel like the Maine Angus cattle would appeal to the cow/calf producers in our state.

What does your present operation do to promote Maine-Anjou genetics, whether it be locally, state, regional or national?

We have been very active in the junior show circuit in recent years in Texas and nationally. We have had success at these levels with our MaineAnjou cattle. Now that all the kids have graduated we plan on being more active in the open shows around the country. Our breeding program is in the development stages for production sales for bred heifers as well as breeding bulls, plus show prospect cattle.

Additional Comments.

I feel like getting more involved at this level, I’ll be able to be around like minded people of our breed, listen, learn and do what I can to help boost exposure in Texas with the top genetics our breed has to offer. I want to be a student of the great folks who run this organization. Helping promote our breed helps us all.

REGION 3

BRETT CARTER, OKLAHOMA

History of your operation/family and involvement with the Maine-Anjou breed.

My involvement with the Maine-Anjou breed started in the mid-90s when my family decided to make the switch from a primarily club calf/steer operation to producing high quality Maine-Anjou females. The switch was an easy one because most of our cow base was already Maine-Anjou genetics and my family saw an opportunity with Maine-Anjou genetics for an increase in value. An increase that is still relative and prominent today.

What do you see as the strengths of the Maine-Anjou breed and how can those strengths best be used in today’s beef industry?

I believe our breed strength is our cattle can perform in every facet of the beef business at or near the top and have the ability to offer premiums to all sectors of the livestock industry. Whether it be pounds added cattle, showring appeal or their mothering ability, Maine-Anjou cattle have it all.

What vision for the future do you hold for the Maine-Anjou breed and what steps are necessary to realize that vision?

I am a believer that continued growth within our junior programs and the continuing effort to increase market share for the breed as a whole is a must for sustained growth. The Maine-Anjou breed has done a great job of gathering data on the added performance our cattle offer and continuing the effort to incorporate valid EPDs, but I think it’s time we take this information upstream.

Collecting the necessary data has been the direction as of late but now is the time to USE the data. Delivering the message to producers outside of the breed who are looking to increase their bottom line will only help to promote and establish a firm place in the commercial sector. Although I think EPDs are not for everyone, they’re important. Some people focus a majority of their selection process on phenotype, but some of those commercial producers have never been to the showring. We need to make the data available for those producers. Outside of the cattle performing

at a high level for a commercial man, Maine-Anjou have the eye appeal that make set of feeder cattle get noticed on paper and on the hoof.

Additional Comments.

One of the bright spots in production agriculture is its youth. 2020 has had a strangle hold on Agriculture but the Ag Communities have fought back and the youth have led the way! I feel the junior program is one of our breed’s highlights. Continuing the effort to promote active leaders within our breed, not only as future breeders, but as industry leaders, is vital to the long term growth of the organization. The kids, the national junior show, and getting to see the involvement of the junior board of directors has given me a great appreciation of the value of junior programs.

Presently I am managing partner of Morton Cattle Company located in Stratford, Okla. Our focus is to raise the elite. Elite females that can both show and become dominate donor females and breed building bulls to fit not only the progressive purebred breeders but the commercial cow/ calf sector as well. We strive to provide fresh genetics to a new market by offering a balanced product. Cow families are important to us and we are dedicated to keeping the cattle maternal. With all markets becoming more competitive, it is important to produce a product that not only looks good on paper but maintains performance and eye appeal. I am excited for the future of the MaineAnjou breed. With industry leaders on staff in Platte City, an elite junior program, the demand for high quality beef growing, the future looks bright for Maine-Anjou.

AT LARGE

CLIFF RANDALL, LOUISIANA

History of your operation/family and involvement with the Maine-Anjou breed.

My family has been involved in the cattle industry for the last 100 years starting with my great grand parents. My family was involved with commercial cattle, club calves and registered Angus before becoming involved with Maine-Anjou genetics in the 70’s, from which we eventually became a total Maine-Anjou operation in the 90’s. I have been involved with the Maines all of my life, from exhibitor and breeder as well as board member of our state association and involvement with the national junior board. My wife and I recently welcomed a daughter and we cannot wait to start another generation with this great breed.

What do you see as the strengths of the Maine-Anjou breed and how can those strengths best be used in today’s beef industry?

The number one strength of the Maine-Anjou breed is that it is versatile and can fit every cattleman’s operation in some way from the commercial cattleman, feedlot, packer, seedstock producer and show industry. There is no other breed out there that can stretch across all spectrum’s of the industry as well as our genetics can.

What vision for the future do you hold for the Maine-Anjou breed and what steps are necessary to realize that vision?

The future of the Maine-Anjou breed is bright and strong, as previously said, we are truly the most versatile breed out there. We are willing to improve our genetics and embrace the future of the industry. We are focus driven and realize that we need to promote ourselves to the cattlemen of the future. With this said, I believe as an association we must shift our focus to research and promotion of our breed, not only to the large cattlemen, but to the small cattlemen that can easily see the influence that our genetics can have. We must broaden our reach of promotion out of the mid west into the east and southern parts of our country, but at the same time continue to improve our promotion in the mid-west as well.

What does your present operation do to promote Maine-Anjou genetics, whether it be locally, state, regional or national?

My operation is actively involved in promotion of Maine-Anjou genetics to small cattlemen through many different avenues. One of the best has been with a local University in Mississippi that focuses on the education of small commercial breeders in southwest Mississippi and eastern Louisiana. We also are active in promotion of Maine-Anjou genetics through different youth activities like 4-H and other youth cattle organizations.

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CODY TEBBENKAMP, MISSOURI

History of your operation/family and involvement with the Maine-Anjou breed.

My history in the breed started in 1993 when I purchased two heifers as a 4-H project from K&A Farms and Tom Klingner. From that point I was an active member of the junior organization through college and have since continued to raise and sell Maine-Anjou cattle along with operating a diversified row crop farm with my father, Lester, until his passing in 2019 when we made the change to a cattle only operation.

What do you see as the strengths of the Maine-Anjou breed and how can those strengths best be used in today’s beef industry?

I believe the maternal capabilities of a MaineAnjou female are second to none. Maine-Anjou females milk, raise fast growing calves with eye appeal, muscle and bone along with the docility of the breed that allows for the easy handling of the cattle for producers that many other breeds do not offer. Another huge strength this breed has is when Maine-influenced cattle are put in the feedlot the growth, marbling and quality of their carcasses is something that other breeds cannot match. The final strength that I will list is not the cattle themselves, but the junior program and the people that this breeds has in it. We have one the best junior organizations of any breed or species and we need to showcase that as much as possible, especially in these uncertain times we are living in that we can showcase our breed has something exceptional and consistent that the families can count on year in and year out.

What vision for the future do you hold for the Maine-Anjou breed and what steps are necessary to realize that vision?

I see our breed having a bright future. I think we will need to continue to promote the feedlot side of the breed and the continued involvement in feeding trials and carcass data collection to provide evidence of what this breed can do in the feedlot and promote that information to prospective breeders as breeding decisions and bull purchases

are made. Having that information gives the breed validity of what it can do. I also believe that we will need to continue to promote the junior program as well to continue a strong base within the breed while giving them opportunities to get a foothold within the industry since they are the future, not only of this great breed but the cattle industry itself.

What does your present operation do to promote Maine-Anjou genetics, whether it be locally, state, regional or national?

I promote the Maine-Anjou breed by selling bulls and show/replacement females to breeders across the country, mostly by private sales, but have sold bulls through the Maine- Anjou bull test in Wamego, Kan., and the Iowa Beef Expo. I use the Missouri State Fair as an exhibition of spring born calves that are for sale and have also added embryo transfer to the herd this year of elite genetics to expand the genetic base of my herd and to offer top quality genetics for sale in the future. I am also starting in 2021 at the Missouri State Fair the Lester Tebbenkamp memorial scholarship for a deserving Maine-Anjou junior exhibitor.

Additional Comments.

I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to serve on the board of directors previously when our breed made some positive strides in the commercial sector, added the Maine Angus program and also when we were in a transition of leadership. I look forward to being elected again to serve the great breeders, producers and exhibitors of this exceptional breed. Thank you again for your consideration and I look forward to working for you.

AT LARGE

MIKE MORRIS, MONTANA

History of your operation/family and involvement with the Maine-Anjou breed.

My children are third-generation Maine-Anjou breeders, born into the breed just as I was. They are sixth-generation Montanans rooted in a family that have been involved in cattle and agriculture for more than 130 years. My father began using MaineAnjou genetics as they first became available with sires such as Bysantin and Cunia with the first cow being AI’d a little over 50 years ago. Our family chose the dual purpose breed of Maine-Anjou to improve the quality of their commercial cattle. The versatility of the breed helped us grow into an operation that now works with the highly flexible spectrum of the breed ranging from MaineTainers and Maine Angus to Purebreds and Fullbloods. With our AI and ET program, we work to create functional, alternative genetics focused on the commercial world of the beef industry. Efficiency, viability and utility are at the heart of our program.

What do you see as the strengths of the Maine-Anjou breed and how can those strengths best be used in today’s beef industry?

Originally, Maine-Anjou (Maine), as with many continental breeds imported during the 1970s were famed as “dual-purpose” cattle because of their ability to produce milk and meat. Today, Maines, due to their elasticity, have since transformed into a widely useful breed, from being available for sources of club calf and show cattle to seedstock for both registered breeding and revolving and terminal commercial programs. Being docile and feed efficient, utilizing Maine genetics greatly improve a carcass yield and the bottom line of cow/calf and feedlot producers, alike.

What vision for the future do you hold for the Maine-Anjou breed and what steps are necessary to realize that vision?

Through data of both live and harvested carcass performance, coupled with genetic and genomic evaluation applying adequate selection pressure, Maines should sift well toward the top of the global beef breeds affording an open door to visionary breeders who work to mitigate their risks, all the while creating cattle that excel in a global beef industry. With the ever increasing world of technology, the American Maine-Anjou Association should be able to quantify many of the positive aspects of the breed increasing the ability and predictability by which to improve Maine cattle and the beef industry.

What does your present operation do to promote Maine-Anjou genetics, whether it be locally, state, regional or national?

Our children have shown Maine-Anjou and Maine-influenced cattle locally as well as county shows and jackpots, while we have exhibited cattle at regional shows such as the NILE in Billings, Mont., and to national shows as far away as Fort Worth.

Additional Comments.

Our youth is our future. Through programs such as 4-H and FFA, as well as junior associations and shows, developing and instilling skills and work ethic will help to strengthen the future of the greatest and most important industry in our country. With today’s break neck speed of social media, our youth can help us as adults to remain on the cutting edge of improvement.

AT LARGE

DR. RON LEMENAGER, INDIANA

History of your operation/family and involvement with the Maine-Anjou breed.

I am a fourth generation beef producer in a family partnership (Lemenager Cattle Co) with my two sons, Kevin and Brian, and we have been using Maine-Anjou semen in our herd for over 20 years to create Maine-influenced cattle. More recently we have focused on a breeding program to produce sound, high quality, high percentage Maine-Anjou cattle for seedstock. We have a relatively small family operation with approximately 35 calving females. Our cattle, both purchased and raised, have been successful in the showring, as well as in the pasture. We raised the cow that produced a bull (80-Proof) that won the Kansas City Royal High Percentage Show and Sr. Division Champion in Louisville (’19). We are also part owner

of MVP that was a triple crown winner (KC–‘18, Louisville–’18, Denver–19). On the heifer side we are co-owners with Madison Clark of the heifer that was High Maine Champion in Denver, co-owner with Ashton Guyer of the Grand Overall Open Heifer at the Illinois State Fair (’18). Additionally, we are the co-owner with Dalton Lemenager of the heifer that was Champion High Maine at the Illinois State Fair (’18) and reserve at World Beef Expo (’18). This past year we also raised high percentage heifers that were Reserve Maine at the Indiana State fair, Champion at the Cattle Bonanza, and 3rd Overall at the Midwest Showdown.

While this has been both exciting and rewarding, we are most proud of the fact that the cattle are also successful in the pasture and hanging on the rail. In our marketing program we sell a number of our calves to 4-H families, while partnership cattle are sold through Jason Minnaert and Mid-Continent (Stewart) sales.

What do you see as the strengths of the Maine-Anjou breed and how can those strengths best be used in today’s beef industry?

While many breeds in the beef industry have focused on selecting for more and more milk, weaning weights across many of the commercial databases do not show an increase in weaning weight. Limitations in feed resources along with the higher 365 day maintenance requirements of high milk production cows, has created a population of cattle that do not fit many production environments. Additionally, many commercial producers are using Angus bulls after Angus bulls that result in herds that lack heterosis. The MaineAnjou breed has not been characterized as a “high” milk breed historically, nor should it be made into a high milk breed by selection. The Maine breed is well positioned to capitalize on selling bulls into commercial cattle operations to add, not only heterosis that impacts the lowly heritable traits (such as reproduction), but also moderate milk production and increase both muscle and pounds of calf weaned per cow exposed. The creation of both MaineTainer and Maine-Angus designations has been a complement to the Angus breed and should be exploited.

What vision for the future do you hold for the Maine-Anjou breed and what steps are necessary to realize that vision?

The answer to this question is partially answered in the question above, but I believe the Maine-Anjou breed needs to keep forging forward to improve not only our phenotypic database (measurable performance characteristics in the cow herd, in the feedlot, and on the rail) using both current and future technologies. The use of DNA markers and genomically enhanced EPDs in our breed needs to be embraced, optimized, and marketed if we want to compete with the other major breeds in the future.

What does your present operation do to promote Maine-Anjou genetics, whether it be locally, state, regional or national?

Much of my answer to this question was covered in the first question above, so I will not try to repeat myself. Our operation is involved and visible in our local community through 4-H, church, and school functions. We actively engage in conversations with not only youth, but also fellow producers and consumers. We also actively and passively participate in shows and sales at the local, state, and national levels, as well as do some advertising through social media venues. As a university professor that teaches a senior level, cap-stone course in Beef Management, I use our cow-calf operation in several experiential learning laboratory exercises where students get exposed to genetics/selection, pasture evaluation, and rotational grazing systems.

Additional Comments.

Dr. Ron Lemenager received his degrees from the University of Illinois (B.S.) and Oklahoma State University (M.S., Ph.D.). He has made his career with a three-way appointment in research, teaching, and Extension at Purdue University where he specializes in beef cattle nutrition and management.

Dr. Lemenager’s research has focused on answering real world (relevant) questions facing producers in Indiana with a national appeal. Examples are work conducted on net energy requirements of beef cows to change weight and body condition (developed NE∆ system); limiting access time to large round bales to stretch forage supplies and minimize waste (developed equations to predict limit fed intake); using distiller’s grains and by-products to improve reproductive efficiency in both the supplemented cow and her female offspring (fetal and lactational programming); addressing challenges in maintaining replacement heifer pregnancies when bred on early season pastures; and evaluation of modifications to estrous synchronizing strategies to maximize conception rates. His research expertise in beef female nutrition x reproduction interaction resulted in his committee appointment to develop the 8th Revised Edition Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle, 2016 National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine.

In Extension, he has developed and utilized his research program to answer applied, producer relevant questions. He has used a variety of learning technologies targeted toward beef producers within the state and around the country (blog, websites, web-TV, videos, fact sheets, webinars, and face-to-face meetings) and has been an invited speaker at state and national meetings across the country. Example programs with national appeal include the www. TheBeefBlog, www.TheBeefCenter.com, and www. TheBeefRoundtable.com, www.BeefTips.info, www. BeefMonthly.com, and www.BeefIssuesForum.com as well authorship of 15 chapters in three books, and over 80 refereed publications, 100 abstracts, and 25 proceedings papers supported by over $5M dollars in grants. He was the PI on 2 multi-state, multi-disciplinary USDA grants totaling $3.5M and was the Director of the Five State Beef Initiative (IL, IN, KY, MI, OH) to create a vertically coordinated beef production system.

Dr. Lemenager has been recognized by the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service Association (three different Team Awards, a Special Award, and the Career Award), the Indiana Beef Cattle Association (Friend of the Industry Award, Outstanding Service Award, and Outstanding Cattleman Award), Indiana Forage Council (Outstanding Forage Producer) as well as a Charter Diplomat in the American College of Animal Nutrition. Additionally, he has served as President of both Midwest American Society of Animal Science (ASAS) and the National Block and Bridle Club, as well as Secretary-Treasurer of the American College of Animal Science.

In teaching, Dr. Lemenager has taught Applied Animal Nutrition; a senior-level, criticalthinking, scenario-based, capstone class in Beef Management; and is a popular guest speaker in both Animal Science and College of Veterinary Medicine classes. He has been the recipient of the College of Agriculture and Purdue University Outstanding Teacher, as well as Counselor Awards; was inducted into the Purdue University Book of Great Teachers; and received the Midwest ASAS Teaching Award.

AT LARGE

DR. CHRIS DAHLKE, MINNESOTA

History of your operation/family and involvement with the Maine-Anjou breed.

My wife, Amy, and I together run and manage Dee Vee M’s Farms. We met showing cattle growing up, first starting with commercial cattle and then moving on to purebreds in our later years. My brother was the first in my family to purchase a Maine-Anjou female and we were instantly hooked. After we both graduated from veterinary school in 2014, my wife and I started our own Maine-Anjou herd with a heifer and a cow calf pair. We have grown to a herd of 20 spring calving MaineAnjou cows and plan to purchase a fall calving herd later this year for use as a recipient herd to continue to grow our Maine herd base. We also utilize our respective families commercial herds as cooperators, putting in embryos and using our Maine bulls as clean-ups. This gives us the ability to select the best calves from a large group to offer for sale and retain for in-herd use.

What do you see as the strengths of the Maine-Anjou breed and how can those strengths best be used in today’s beef industry?

In my opinion the Maine-Anjou breed is well rounded and offers a little bit of everything for everyone, whether it be a small producer or a large operation running thousands of head. The Maine-Anjou breed has come a long way from the hard calving specimens of yesteryear. We have bred them to not only have excellent mothering ability, but have also retained the fast growth and high value carcass traits that made the MaineAnjou breed a popular outcross on British cattle. To top it off, the Maine-Anjou breed has maintained their docility, making them an ideal candidate for the aging rancher who wants to continue raising cattle, but no longer wants to deal with an angry mama cow at calf processing time; as well as the feedyard operator who understands that docile cattle result in faster growing, better cutting cattle and less injuries and stress when working through the processing chute and at load out, all things that contribute to a better bottom line.

What vision for the future do you hold for the Maine-Anjou breed and what steps are necessary to realize that vision?

My vision is for the Maine-Anjou breed is to continue to gain popularity as an outcross breed for the commercial cattleman to use on his Angus and Simmental based cows to add hybrid vigor to his calf crop and clean up the issues that come with the heavy line breeding seen in some of today’s more popular breeds. Going along with that, I would like to see a greater demand for Maine -Anjou sired calves at the local sale barn as well as at the large feedyards. I feel the biggest thing needed to bring this about will be to distance ourselves as a breed from the commercial club-calf industry. Many feeder calf buyers, especially in my part of the country, are hesitant to buy Maine- Anjou sired calves because they only associate the breed with the slow-growing, small-framed cattle that are common in the steer calf show industry. When the rule regarding carrier females goes into effect, I believe we will better be able to show the commercial cattlemen we are dedicated to more than just making pretty show calves.

What does your present operation do to promote Maine-Anjou genetics, whether it be locally, state, regional or national?

Currently we market heifers and bulls on the local and regional level by attending sales and through digital marketing. Being cattle veterinarians, we are in a unique position to offer our insights and recommendations on cattle breeding to our clients regarding both breed and individual bull selection for their herds, putting us in a great place to show off not only our own seedstock but also the Maine-Anjou breed as a whole. Last year we made the jump to national promotion by exhibiting bulls in the yards at the National Western Stock Show and met with many cattlemen and women from across the country who wanted to know more about the Maine-Anjou breed.

Additional Comments.

I am extremely excited to devote my time and efforts to a breed and organization which has been so welcoming to newcomers and life-long Maine -Anjou breeders alike. Our breed must continue to push forward to make our mark in the cattle industry, and if I elected I promise to help create solutions to bring our breed to the forefront of the cattle industry.

AT LARGE

KENDALL BREMER, IOWA

History of your operation/family and involvement with the Maine-Anjou breed.

I’ve been Involved with Maine-Anjou cattle for my entire life. I grew up showing Maine-Anjou and MaineTainer cattle, and helping my father sell bulls to the commercial cattleman across the country. We still run a very progressive, yet diversified cattle operation, raising mostly high quality Maine-Anjou seedstock.

What do you see as the strengths of the Maine-Anjou breed and how can those strengths best be used in today’s beef industry?

The Maine-Anjou breed has several strengths. To me, the Maine-Anjou advantage is that they have a usefulness to fit in every program. It doesn’t matter if it is commercial cattle or if it is show cattle, they simply dominate.

What vision for the future do you hold for the Maine-Anjou breed and what steps are necessary to realize that vision?

The Maine-Anjou breed needs to reestablish their acceptability in both the showring as well as the commercial sector. We need to do a better job of marketing in social media outlets as well as print outlets. The Maine-Anjou or Maine-influenced cattle are succeeding at the highest of levels. Every

time one does this we need to be letting the whole world know. The commercial performance as well as kill data, needs to be displayed in the same manners. The window of opportunity is ours for the taking and its time the world opens their eyes to the Maine-Anjou breed.

What does your present operation do to promote Maine-Anjou genetics, whether it be locally, state, regional or national?

We use SCO Online Sales primarly to market our cattle throughout the country. We have an elite heifer and steer sale in October and a bred heifer and bull sale in December. We have been selling well over 100 head a year for several years now.

Additional Comments.

The Maine-Anjou breed has been my life-blood. We make our living selling elite show cattle as well as seedstock and commercial bulls. The breed is recognized across the country for putting on the best junior national in the country and having the best junior staff. We need to also get the same recognition in the commercial side of the world. There is no doubt the majority of Maine-Anjou cattle fit that mold, we just need to do a better job of “Blowing the Horn.” Our bull sales have been up the last couple of years and I expect that to continue. We live and breath this breed of cattle and we will do what we can to make it better.

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RIGBY CATTLE COMPANY

MICHAEL RIGBY (435) 469-0402 • JENNY RIGBY (435) 469-1850 JENTRY RIBGY (435) 262-1324 • FAIRVIEW, UTAH