A Red Angus Dream Come True, By Shelby Kirton

A Red Angus Dream Come True

By Shelby Kirton

Do you know that saying, “Teamwork makes the dream work”? Well, that fits the dynamic of what JYJ Red Angus is all about.

Jim and Jessica Yance of Columbia, Ala., are all about teamwork – from the establishment of their purebred operation JYJ Red Angus, down to raising their two sons: Tye, 11, and Reid, 7.

Flash back to Jim’s childhood. Growing up as a third-generation farmer under his dad and granddad, Jim started participating in the day-to-day chores at a very young age. “So, I’d say it was in my blood from Day One,” Jim recalls. As he grew older, so did his love for the industry; the drive to follow in the footsteps of his granddad grew even more.

His granddad began the family’s herd of cattle in the late 1940s; the herd contained mostly commercial cattle. “The challenge was that granddad’s herd was somewhat of a mixed-breed herd of cows. He was a member of the ‘Bull of the Month,’ club as I call it,” Jim explains.

After graduating high school, Jim packed up his belongings and moved to Tifton, Ga. There, he would begin his next journey in life: attending Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. This proved pivotal for Jim: “Being at ABAC allowed me opportunities I would otherwise never have. I was able to increase my knowledge of food-animal production and really start focusing on certain things I wanted to pursue after graduation.”

Jim began introducing Red Angus bulls into his commercial herd in the early 2000s. After seeing a dramatic improvement in the herd, he knew that his best option was to make a transition from the commercial herd to a purebred Red Angus herd. It was in 2006 that the newly married couple started their new venture and the JYJ Red Angus was established.

Building an operation from the ground up takes volumes of time, effort and stress. Jim and Jessica experienced this firsthand when starting up this

purebred operation. Jim stresses the rewards: “The process is long and often hard, but nothing beats seeing the cattle perform and reach the goals that you have set for them.” JYJ Red Angus is a seed stock operation merged with their commercial herd, YJ Farms. Their operations include all the stages of ranching. This ranges from artificial insemination breeding, to embryo transfer, to producing beef for your plate – and everything in between. To ensure that each calf crop is better than the one before, the Yances have incorporated data tracking from birth to production and genomic testing. “This portfolio of information on each animal is used in helping us determine the right matings to produce a better calf crop with each season,” Jim notes.

With every team leader, you need a right-hand man – or in this case, a right-hand woman. Jim’s Wife, Jessica, is just that. Jessica works tirelessly behind the scenes; she organizes the operation’s schedules, data and day-to-day management on the farm, while still going above and beyond for her two boys and the family. The couple work closely together to maintain the common goal of a successful operation, while still being considerate and supportive of each other. Together, Jim and Jessica constitute the “dream team.” The legacy that they hope to carry on is that ranching is a family business and takes teamwork. Jim sums it up memorably: “So, we work hard and pray hard to keep our team strong because without each other we would not be who we are today. We strive to keep the ranch in the family and the family in the ranch.”

Along with maintaining JYJ Red Angus, Jim also serves as the Southeast Beef Specialist for Premier Select Sires. In this role, he assists cattlemen in breeding projects while also promoting advanced beef genetics.

Jim and Jessica strive day-in and day-out to improve their herd. When selecting new genetics, they ensure that they include maternal traits that will produce not only high-performing and sustainable females but also genetically sound and proficiently functional herd sires. “Our animals are a lot like our kids in that we work hard to raise something that we’re going to be proud of.” And the Yances are rightly proud.

While the Yances may call Alabama home, Jim cites the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association as the important extended family to be a part of: “We believe that it is important because of the amount of knowledge gained, the exposure and introduction to new people with similar interests and a common passion.” Networking with others in the industry has allowed for many new doors to open for the family, and for new and innovative practices to be incorporated into their operation.

The Yance family ensures that their operation is surrounded by the Lord. “This is clearly evident in the daily life of a farmer or rancher as we watch, wait and depend on God for all things pertaining to this life – from the changing of the seasons, to the next rainfall, a new baby calf, or a new son or daughter. It’s all in His hands and in His time,” Jim emphasizes.

Jim and Jessica strive to teach others the vital importance of the cattle industry. They want the world to know that beef is safe. Today, cattlemen and cattlewomen across the country – just like Jim and Jessica – maintain the goal of raising high-quality, safe and nutritious beef. Jim is firm on this: “There has never been a more like-minded, goal-oriented group of producers all striving for the betterment of beef nutrition, quality, sustainability and consumption than the American rancher.”

Jim Yance concludes with strong advice for making a dream – any dream – a reality: “Stay positive! Anything worth fighting for will take a lot of hard work and grit – but keep pushing in a positive direction! Set your goals and don’t back down.”

AAF Exclusive 1010

Reg. No. 20384886 | DOB: 9/3/21 Sire: Musgrave 316 Exclusive Top 2% $M and top 4% $W

AAF Patriarch 1070

Reg. No. 20384956 | DOB: 10/1/21 Sire: Tehama Patriarch F028 Top 20% RE EPD and top 25% WW EPD

Adams Angus Farm

Union Springs, AL 678 Hwy 51 North Union Springs, AL 36089 Rob Adams (334) 202-3454 Daniel Adams (334) 207-3138 adamsangus@gmail.com www.adamsangus.com

Sale Manager:

Mark C. Sims

C: 580-595-0901 www.simsplusllc.com

Guests: J.H. Graydon Farm and Double C Farm

Cattle industry friends,

Another year has fl own by, and here we are getting ready for Christmas again. Some refer to Christmas as the “Giving Season.” We were given the greatest gift of all by our Lord over 2,000 years ago when He gave us His Son, Jesus. Nothing compares – but our Lord did not stop there. He also gave us the gifts of family and friends for us to love, and livestock for us to care for. Many years ago, the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association Foundation was formed to provide a conduit for our cattle family to give young folks a foundation in their livestock education. A foundation is what you build on and supports what you live in. Through the generous giving of many cattle families, the GCA Foundation has provided scholarships to hundreds of college students. Your giving has also provided the Georgia Junior Cattlemen’s Association with fi nancial underpinning so they are provided opportunities to learn animal husbandry and industry advocacy from the cattle industry’s perspective. The Young Cattlemen’s Council, where our leaders of tomorrow are being developed, is another benefactor of Foundation funds. I am happy to report that we have really good seedstock! A couple of years ago, the Foundation undertook the creation of the Georgia Cattle Industry History Book to preserve the history and heritage of the industry. It is an award-winning documentary that chronicles the hard work and forward-thinking of many men and women who led the way. By buying one or more of these, you can contribute to the education of those who will carry the torch into the future. Ads in this magazine give instructions on how to order the books (see page 16). The Foundation recently sent funds to help our cattle friends in Florida who suffered losses to their operations due to a hurricane. If you want to provide emergency funds to those in the cattle industry, please note it on your checks and send them to the GCA Foundation at the GCA offi ce. We are working with the cattle organizations across the country anytime a disaster strikes one of our family. As a fi nal thought, lift up the great memories of those who have fi nished their work in the green pastures by providing a memorial gift that will build a foundation under a young person – so they too can someday stand in the sunshine in a lush green pasture and thank God for His many gifts.

May this Christmas bring peace and joy to you and your family.

Steve Blackburn Chairman Georgia Cattlemen’s Foundation

Donate to the Georgia Cattlemen’s Foundation

Reasons to Donate: In Memory of a Loved One • Tax Deductible Donation • Fund GCA Junior Scholarships Develop Future GCA Leaders • Preserve the History of our Industry Please send an acknowledgment to: Enclosed is my gift of ____$25 ____$50 ____$100 $_____ Name: ______________________________ Address: _____________________________ Fund Designation: __________________________________ ___________________________________ City: ____________ State: ____ Zip: ______ Thank you for your donation to the Georgia Cattlemen’s Foundation! Please mail form and donation to: Georgia Cattlemen’s Foundation, P.O. Box 27990, Macon, GA 31221