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. 25, No. 5
Published by: Hereford America, Inc. • 13823 Beaver Creek Place • Reva, SD 57651 • Est. 1996
Editorial Comments... Jill Bayers Hotchkiss
The big bull sale season has started and will be in full swing by the time this paper is in the mail. The fall female Jill Hotchkiss and bull sales were remarkably good and this trend should continue. With an odd juxtaposition of drought areas selling off cattle, an influx of cash from crops and relief funds of one sort or another, I think bull sales will be strong. There certainly are some exceptionally good Hereford genetics right now. As I am working with all the ads, I seem to be easily distracted looking at EPDs and pedigrees. I hope you all enjoy “shopping” through the ads as much as I have. The big shows and sales at Oklahoma City and Denver are just over and it appears they were as exciting as ever. I wasn’t able to go this year due to the production schedule of this issue of Hereford America, but there has been a lot of feedback from these two shows both in social media and a few conversations I have had. I think a lot of Hereford breeders are talking about it right now. There is also the Fort Worth Stock Show at the end of January which is a favorite among many. History and geography will also play a role in determining breeder favorties but one thing is for certain, nothing can replace the history and atmosphere of Denver. So, we’ll see how it plays out in years to come. After being recognized by the Kansas Hereford Association last month, which we greatly appreci(continued on page 24)
February 2022
Bar JZ Ranches: One Man’s Vision Growing Through New Generations by Ruth Wiechmann Bar JZ Ranch started with a young man’s dream. John Zilverberg was 14 when his parents, Jake and Lutske Zilverberg moved their growing family from their small farm near Wessington Springs, SD, to
Bar JZ Hope 881A ET by Trust 100W with her calf.
a run-down ranch in Hyde County near Holabird. The family raised Red Poll cattle, but young John was impressed when his father crossed a Hereford bull on his Red Poll cows. John Zilverberg purchased his first registered Hereford cattle in 1940, but his dream of a purebred herd of Herefords was sidelined by World War II; when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, John knew he had to fight. His cattle were sold, and he enlisted in the Marine Corps and spent four years serving his country. After two years of fighting in the Pacific, John came home on furlough to recover from malaria. He married Dorothy Boehmer, on February 17, 1945. The couple moved to Klamath Falls, OR where John was assigned a job in a supply depot and Dorothy taught school. After the war ended, John was discharged and they came home to the ranch in South Dakota. John purchased some more registered Hereford (continued on page 5)
Cooper Herefords: A Century of Selecting for Genetic Excellence By Terra Ochsner The Cooper family has been a deeply rooted landmark in the Montana landscape for over 100 years, beginning in 1914 when Frank Oscar Cooper settled the 480 acre “Silver Brooke Farm.” Through the Great Depression and industry ebbs and flows, generation after generation of Coopers have diligently worked to keep the family operation going with a continued emphasis on producing outstanding Hereford genetics. Frank’s son, Jack, started working on the ranch after graduating from high school, and in 1947, he invested in what would truly put the Cooper name on the map in the Hereford industry: he purchased 15 L1 females from the U.S. Range Livestock Ex- Yearling Bulls — The Coopers take immense pride in the quality of their young, periment Station in Miles City, Montana. L1 genetics which have a lot to offer their commercial and registered customers. “Back then, the number one thing L1 cattle were known for was their performance testing,” Mark Cooper, Jack’s son and the third generation of Cooper men to run the operation, said. “Performance testing caught our program on fire.” From the very beginning Jack understood “that he could improve his stock (continued on page 13)
