BEEF BRIEFS: Herd Highlight

BAXLEY FAMILY FARMS, LLC

“Now’s the time to get ready!”

That statement, posted in the January 2023 Baxley Family Farm Sale Catalog, is pretty fitting for nearly every endeavor the Baxley family pursues. From farming, to cattle ranching, to a successful produce stand, the Baxleys operate on a solid principle of doing the work today to be ready for tomorrow.

We could focus on the farming operation that’s grown from Lloyd’s grandfather’s tobacco farm to the over 1300 acres of corn, soybeans and tobacco that Lloyd and his sons (Joshua and Jessie) farm today. We could talk about the Black Mingo Produce stand that Miss Connie manages, that serves up homegrown strawberries, onion, cucumbers, watermelon, as well as pork from a friend’s farm and more. We could talk about the direct-market beef program they’ve established, which not only sells meat in their Black Mingo Produce storefront, but also offers direct sales “on the hoof” so that when cattle go on the rail, customers deal directly with the butcher.

GEORGETOWN, SC

But for now, we’re focusing on the 200 head of mama cows that the Baxleys run. Lloyd explained that they’ve been using A.I. for over 40 years, and the basis of their herd goes back to some legendary sires such as EXT, 6807 and Freightliner. But today, you’ll find daughters of 7AN517 COUNSELOR, 7AN395 FORTRESS, 14AN502 TAHOE and 7AN466 RAINFALL in the pastures as well as 7SM93 BIG TIMBER, 7SM91 MAIN EVENT and 7SM104 BROAD RANGE daughters. They are also excited about the 7AN735 GIBSON and 7SM113 HIGHLIFE progeny coming on.

“We have a mixed herd of SimAngus and Angus cattle, and have worked with Premier Beef’s Henry Mitchell, and his wife Amarillo, for a while now. We cannot say enough good about them! Since Henry has been with us, we’ve had phenomenal conception rates (77-79%!). He’s good with the cows, and has really taken hold of our timed A.I. projects. We do use higher genomics and spend a good amount of time looking at the numbers before we decide on which bulls to use. The speed at which you can make significant herd improvement is so great. We get to watch them explode in growth. It’s exciting, especially when you know where you’ve been and where you are now…wow!”

Part of that “looking at the numbers” process includes a strong focus on disposition, phenotype (they really like good udders), substance (REA and Marb) and good feet and hair shedding.

“It’s really all about the mama cow. I like to keep some depth in them and not have them too extreme. We have a lot of heat in South Carolina, and we have to feed a lot of feed that’s wet forage, so they need capacity to be able to handle it. Cattle utilize cover crops and crop refuse for growth, while increasing the fertility of our crop land. It’s a win-win situation. Calves are usually 600-700 pounds at weaning. With the heat, humidity, and minimal feed input, we are asking a lot from our cows, but we feel confident that our genetics should get that job done. We get to see the proof of our decision making as we harvest animals for our customers, and we develop the same type of animals for our production sale as we do for our freezers.”

If they are passionate about their cattle and their land, Lloyd & Connie are equally energized by their obvious connection and love of people.

“One of the coolest things we have the opportunity to experience is that social media has made the world a lot smaller. We have made friends with so many people in the cattle industry, and we consider them family. On the consumer side, we will have customers come to the sale just to see what an auction is all about! It’s a privilege to interact with people at the farm store and realize just how little they know about where their food comes from. We like to tell our story of sustainable agriculture, that our cows graze a new crop, clean it up, and put fertilizer on it. We’re using resources that are already made for us because cows really are the best recyclers! It’s a story they can truly resonate with and that’s good for all of us.”

More than anything, Lloyd and Connie, as well as their sons, have appreciated the help they’ve received along the way to grow all of their farming enterprises. From nutritionists to vets to A.I. sales reps, their gracious, southern nature is so genuine. Even if you pick up an old sale catalog, you’ll notice how many people they thank through the listing of sale animals.

“It definitely takes a team to be successful and we are surrounded with great people. As we plan to increase our herd size in the future, we’ll need a great team more than ever to get that done.”

Georgetown, South Carolina, isn’t on the most direct route to vacation spots on the Carolina coast, but for the folks who have made the trip to see the cattle and meet the people from Baxley Family Farms, it’s been worth it and then some. You won’t find a more genuine family that’s working on improvements today to make the cattle and farming industries better for tomorrow.

PHOTO CAPTIONS (clockwise): Members of the Baxley family; a great pasture photo at Baxley Family Farms; a daughter of 7SM104 BROAD RANGE; fresh beef for sale at the Black Mingo Produce store; produce available for sale at the store; a beautiful sunset on the farm.

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The speed at which you can make significant herd improvement [with A.I.] is so great. We get to watch them explode in growth. It’s exciting, especially when you know where you’ve been and where you are now...wow!