6 minute read
Cramers Go Commercial
How IBA Commercial Producers of the Year Cramer Family Farms have built traditions for over 50 years.
by Olivia Hoots
Advertisement
It was Missouri State Fair 1978 when Ron Cramer flung some manure on young Shannon Simpson’s reserve champion Angus bull, accidentally of course. Both happened to be exhibiting cattle at the show that year and this humorous chance meeting began their journey to becoming IBA’s 2022 Commercial Producers of the Year. Since then, Ron and his now wife, Shannon, have worked hard to build an operation that fits their family.
Dairy Roots
Ron grew up on a dairy farm but entered the beef business with his dad and brother in 1970 when they bought 25 bred heifers to add to the 235 acres of land purchased in 1968. In reflection of this period Ron stated, “I was 18 years old and didn’t know what fear was.” They ended up losing their first calf, and were worried, but had “twenty-four live ones and everything was fine.”
By 1971 they began implementing artificial insemination, continued with the technology, obtained acres, bought more cattle, and grew their overall operation as a result.
At that time, Ron was also breeding and selling club calves. He worked at a variety of shows and sales, and met many people who have influenced his philosophies of the cattle business.
Building an Operation
It all began at the age of 15 when Ron was still showing dairy cattle. His years in the show barn gave him not just values he holds today, but also his wife Shannon and many of his friends throughout the years. Long-time friend Cimeron Frost recalls Ron’s help at the sale barn. “He was always a good worker and always willing to contribute energy and thoughts about how sales were going and how they could be done better,” Frost said.
During the early years of Ron and Shannon’s marriage, they ran an Angus cow-calf operation as well as a commercial operation.
Throughout the years the operation has changed and grown many different types of agriculture commodities, though cattle have always been the family’s top priority. They’ve raised hogs and various crops as well. “It’s always a balance,” Shannon said.
The Cramer’s focus was on keeping a balance since inflation in the 1980s proved a challenging time for many farmers. Ron’s advice to farmers who might face something like that in the future is to “knuckle down, have grit and keep going.”
By the 1990s Ron and Shannon found success elsewhere. They decided to participate in the carcass contest at the Illinois State Fair. It was more about rate of gain for them at the time, and they were interested in seeing what genetics were performing better within the finished product. “Show steers aren’t the same as carcass steers,” Shannon said. One year they went away with a champion carcass and three others in the top five.
The contest caused them to reevaluate their operation and transition toward a more commercial operation. Shannon said it was the direction they needed to go.
For Ron, it begins with good females and finds success with good bulls. One animal they credit to much of their success is PS Power Play. Ron characterizes this bull as once being “the heart of the herd.” Overall success was found in matching with successful carcass bulls, making the operation what it is today.
The Next Generation
One thing the family can attest to is the value of both the cattle and people which are needed to make a successful operation. Ron and Shannon have two children, Emily and Lonnie, who also have kids of their own and are still very involved with their parent’s way of life. “That’s what you do all this work for, so your kids have something,” Shannon said.
Lonnie Cramer has been involved with the operation since he could walk. His philosophy for the future of the farm isn’t to simply take it over one day, but to add to it and help it grow. He’s had the privilege of watching the farm change through the years. ”To be in this business you’ve got know everything - business, marketing, growth. What pieces you don’t know you have to find someone that does know,” Lonnie said.
The farm is at its heart a cow-calf operation that expanded into backgrounding and feed lot practices. Lonnie also does custom work producing 12 to 15 thousand tons of feed, round baling and farming two thousand acres of row crop and pasture maintenance.
One can imagine an individual with as many experiences as Lonnie may have some advice. Here’s what he says:
Farm Values
The values of hard work, wisdom and family have built Cramer Family Farms into what it is today. That’s why the Illinois Beef Association was pleased to award them with Commercial Producer of the Year at their annual summer conference.
In reflection, Ron said, “It’s quite an honor, this has been 55 years in the making.”
Lonnie plans to keep up with his father and grandfather’s traditions. “This isn’t something you do for the money or the glory of any sort. It’s something you must love to do, or you are not going to get out of bed and go do it,” he said. “Keep feeding the people, that’s what we’re about,” Shannon said.
For Lonnie the farm is a way to show consumers why agriculture is important, while also teaching his kids how they can expand and grow.
People matter, that’s why the farm matters so deeply to the Cramers — lt’s their family, the people they feed and the mundane things that keep them going daily. “There are a lot of good days-baby calves running as the sun shines, fat calves leaving proving you worked hard, the smell of fresh dirt and corn harvest in the fall,” Lonnie said.
Emily, Ron, Shannon and Lonnie
