TM
The Largest Privately Owned Hereford Newspaper in North America The one that’s read “from cover to cover.” • Visit us on the web at: www.herefordamerica.com
Vol. 21, No. 7
Published by: Hereford America, Inc. • 13823 Beaver Creek Place • Reva, SD 57651
Editorial Comments... Jill Bayers Hotchkiss It’s hard to believe we are to the end of the bull sale season and the end of our publishing season. We’ll Jill Hotchkiss return in August with the September issue. Our run of bull sales is always different, from year to year and sale to sale. There is an incredible number of moving parts that go into marketing registered cattle from the breeder perspective and all the people involved who help and onto the buyer’s side. From the P.R. side of things and working with many of you in terms of advertising, catalogs, promotional items, videos, video sales, social media and more, the goal is still to sell cattle at the highest price possible. Some years, like this one, breeders were just glad to get them moved, due to issues provided by Mother Nature. We seem to have hit it on both ends of the season this year. First it was breeders in the Dakotas who have had one or two years of drought with massive sell-off of cows a year ago. Once the snow started to fall, people’s attitudes improved, which in-turn improved the results of the production sales up North. The huge drought is affecting the southern states and it is now worse there than it was here. We’ve had snow and rain this winter which is a good thing and will help our situation a great deal. At least we will get started with some moisture. Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas are really suffering. As I write this on (continued on page 8)
Serving Commercial Cattlemen & Registered Hereford Breeders
April/May 2018
Journagan Ranch/Missouri State: Where Agriculture Meets the Pavement By B. Lynn Gordon Leo Journagan was a visionary businessman who built a legacy in both construction and cattle, gaining a new perspective of being a steward of the land from each business entity. He pieced together 3,300-acres in south central Missouri, over a 45-year period, consisting of native grassland, pastures, cropland, creeks, ponds, and natural wooded species. Grazing on these picturesque Ozark hills is the 15 th largest Hereford herd in the nation – which became well-known as the Leo Journagan Ranch Agriculture now has a closer connection to the consumer, with the donation of the Leo Journagan (LJR), Mountain Grove, Ranch to Missouri State University. Hereford cattle in a holistic environ- they ever dreamed it could be. Lueck, MO. In 2010, four years before his passing, ment would now build a connection is well-established and well-respected Journagan presented a momentous gift between his ranch, MSU’s Springfield in the purebred cattle circles, not just in to Missouri State University (MSU), campus, 60 miles away and the nearby Missouri but internationally, leading the Springfield, MO, donating the entire Mountain Grove campus. You could say, genetic program at LJR since its incepLJR ranch complete with land, equip- it was Leo Journagan’s way of having tion, including overseeing 26 production ment, facilities and more than 1,000 agriculture meet the pavement. sales and selling genetics to 40 states, head of cattle. Recorded as the second Canada, Mexico, Kazakhstan, and sevImpact will live on largest single gift in the history of the eral other international countries. Today Journagan purchased his first Here the Leo Journagan Ranch of Missouri 104-year old institution, this more than 7-million-dollar gift created an inno- ford heifers while serving in World War State University consists of 450 cows, vative, outdoor classroom advancing II. After the war, he rented property 150 heifers, (split across spring and fall educational opportunities at MSU’s until the mid-60s when he bought his calving) along with a closed herd of William H. Darr College of Agriculture first piece of land. In 1975, he went on 160 commercial females. Eighty to 90 to purchase his first registered Polled bulls are sold private treaty, annually, a to heights never imagined. Journagan’s donation ensured the Herefords and in 1981 hired Marty number that may be unmatched in the ranch remained as a working ranch, as Lueck, a pre-veterinary graduate of Hereford breed. complete one unit, and would create a Southwest Missouri State University Uniquely, the generous donation by unique, hands-on experience for future (later renamed MSU) to serve as man- the Journagan family also included peogenerations of agriculture students. ager. Marty shared Leo’s passion for ple. Lueck continues to serve as ranch The positive experiences and values raising quality seedstock and together manager, and four ranch employees he cherished from raising top-quality they took the ranch beyond what even remain employed, all now considered MSU staff. “Leo said he was going to provide for us (employees), and with this donation he did, he took care of us, just as he promised,” Lueck says. Student success Now MSU students have the rare opportunity to interact with the largest Hereford herd associated with a Univer(continued on page 3)