Producer Profiles

Anchored in cattle, grounded in risk: Inside Feikema Farms’ feedlot legacy

abby@agproud.com — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

By the time the corn silage is covered and the last acres of sunflowers are combined, the pace at Feikema Farms hardly slows. Located in Rock County in southwest Minnesota, the operation feeds roughly 4,000 head of cattle while cropping nearly 6,000 acres, a scale that reflects decades of steady growth and careful decision-making.

Rising from the ashes: The Smokehouse Creek Fire, two years later

tyrell@agproud.com — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

It’s been two years since the Smokehouse Creek Fire ripped across the Texas Panhandle and into Oklahoma. Two years since Texas’s biggest wildfire in recorded history made national headlines and broke the hearts of millions who followed the story.

Polywire and Papa

mhoggatt@vt.edu — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

“Schwauuuuhhh!” You hear the distinct cattle call my father has consistently sent ringing through Draper’s Valley in Virginia for at least the 35 years I’ve been alive. It’s the same call my older sister and I have comically attempted to replicate throughout the years to no avail.

A new breed has arrived

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Some beef producers are fascinated by an old Spanish breed that may revolutionize high-end restaurants with tender, delicious steaks. Learn more about the Rubia Gallega breed, the Old Cow or Vaca Vieja, and the newest breed association, the American Rubia Gallega Association.

Lone Star Ranch: How six generations of ranching found a new way forward with virtual fencing

info@halterhq.com — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Lone Star Ranch took the plunge with virtual fencing to better utilize pasture and eliminate fencing challenges in tough terrain.

Old land, new plan: Ribbonwire Ranch’s bird’s-eye view

tyrell@agproud.com — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Doug Lathem and Chad Schoonover weren’t trying to prove any kind of point when they made the decision to convert their farming and beef cattle operation near Dalhart, in the Texas Panhandle, to organic production. But when they sat down and took a good, long look at their resources, operating costs and market, it became clear: If they wanted to give the next generation a shot at coming back and making a living on the place, the conventional route wasn’t going to cut it.

Here’s how A.I. and DNA technology turned a ranch around

burt@rangeviewstrategies.com — Fri, 17 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400

The Stirrup Bar Ranch went from average to iconic in less than five years through improving genetics and utilizing reproductive technologies.

Training future ranch managers

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400

When the King Ranch owners recognized professional ranch management is critical for successful cattle operations, they established the King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management (KRIRM) with Texas A&M University – Kingsville in 2003. They realized the ranching business has changed and continues to evolve, and keeping up with or even anticipating changes is a critical business management component of a profitable ranch.

The King Ranch inspires excellence and innovation

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Bob Kinnan, historian for the King Ranch, says, “Captain Richard King was a licensed riverboat pilot. Always called Captain King, he’s something of an enigma.” Born in 1825 in New York City to Irish immigrants, he became a Manhattan jeweler’s apprentice at age 9.

Feddes Red Angus: Raising cattle in Big Sky country

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Outside of the small farming town of Manhattan, Montana, sits Feddes Red Angus. What started as a registered Hereford operation in 1945 has evolved into a multigenerational registered Red Angus operation.

It just comes natural: How Country Natural Beef sets its producers up for success

tyrell@agproud.com — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Leave the land better than you found it. That’s the charge given to the ranchers who are members of Country Natural Beef.

Moes Feedlot: A legacy of stewardship and innovation

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0400

John Moes has dedicated 38 years to developing his feedlot just south of Florence, South Dakota, where he combines innovation, environmental stewardship and strategic expansion, all fueled by his passion for cattle and land management.

Revolutionizing embryo production and donor cow management

abby@agproud.com — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Founded by a team passionate about cattle breeding and genetics, Blueprint Genetics has become a leader in embryo production and donor cow management.

The Charles and Mary Ann Goodnight Ranch State Historic Site

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Charles Goodnight came to Texas as a young boy and immediately started working with livestock. As a young man, he established the Goodnight-Loving Trail with his friend Oliver Loving. Together, they moved cattle from Texas to Pueblo, Colorado.

Creating a legacy in the Santa Gertrudis breed

abby@agproud.com — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Nestled in the heart of Arkansas, a family's dedication to Santa Gertrudis cattle has transformed a generational family operation into a nationally recognized breeding program. Chad and Jamie Daniel of 777 Farms have built their reputation through generations of strategic breeding and a commitment to excellence, blending traditional agricultural practices with modern technology and marketing strategies.

Building a cattle empire from the ground up

abby@agproud.com — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Located in Glade Spring, Virginia, is a cattle operation that stands as a testament to hard work, adaptability and a deep-rooted passion for the cattle business. CH Cattle Company, owned and operated by Craig Hammond, is a livestock dealer, buying and selling thousands of cattle each year.

Sixteen Peaks Cattle Company: An Akaushi operation leading with data

abby@agproud.com — Wed, 21 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

In the ever-evolving world of cattle breeding, Sixteen Peaks Cattle Company, an east Tennessee seedstock to feedlot operation, is taking a bold, data-driven approach to advancing the Akaushi breed.

A mother-daughter duo: Raising Scottish Highland beef at Forage Girls Farm

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Grit and resilience describe Shawn and Molly Brown, a mother-daughter duo raising Scottish Highland beef cattle at Forage Girls Farm in Wisconsin. While running a cattle ranch has its challenges, the Browns share the rewards ranch life has to offer.

Ranching Louisiana style

abby@agproud.com — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 23:00:00 -0400

Young Rayburn Smith only had one goal for his life: to live the American dream. To him, that dream was to raise cattle along the Red River, “ranching Louisiana style.”

Wildorado Cattle Company: Student built and operated

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0500

The cowhands at Wildorado Cattle Company (WCC) have raised a number of registered Angus bulls, cows and heifers for successful production sales since 2019. This outfit differs from the average cattle operation because it is managed and operated by high school students.

The whole picture: dh Red Angus’s mission to provide a more complete bull

tyrell@agproud.com — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Darrel Holliday Ranch in eastern Oregon works face to face and side by side with its customers to provide bulls fit to their specific needs.

Way down south: JB Ranch's legacy of stewardship in south Florida

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0500

JB Ranch in Immokalee, Florida, comprises roughly 10,000 acres in south Florida’s humid, subtropical climate. Russell and Liesa Priddy manage roughly 600 Brangus and Beefmaster cattle on the ranch, with calves being sold to operations in the Western part of the U.S. once a year.

The genomics man

abby@agproud.com — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Some may think it’s hard to be a cattleman when you can’t get to the barn. However, Dr. Alex Williams is proving that to be false. This Gray, Tennessee, man is carving his legacy in the Angus breed, being a leader in genomic testing.

For the love of Wagyu

abby@agproud.com — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Al Nessinger first fell in love with his wife, Bev, as a kid, growing up across the road from each other in San Martin, California. They sat next to each other on the school bus and helped each other with farm chores.

A different duck when it comes to the environment

abby@agproud.com — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0400

John Ferry of JY Ferry & Son Inc. in Corinne, Utah, has a different idea than most when it comes to protecting the environment and the role cattle can play in the process.

Land stewardship and sustainability at Thunder View Farms

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0400

The Coombe Family of Thunder View Farms is passionate about preserving the land while creating a sustainable and profitable beef business.

Farming for the future

abby@agproud.com — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Doing things differently has been the Miller family’s way since the farm’s beginning over a century ago. Started in 1919 with 140 acres, the family now farms over 1,100 acres of owned and leased land as Miller Family Farm, a registered Tennessee Century Farm.

Hart Ranch: Environmental stewardship in progress

Mon, 27 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400

“Each generation has had their unique spin on how to manage the ranch, with different approaches,” Alex Hart says. “We are becoming 21st century agriculturalists, promoting the good work ranchers and land managers do, taking care of the landscape sustainably.”

How innovation can sculpt an operation

Mon, 13 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400

As the agricultural industry continues to provide higher yields using fewer resources, innovation and improvements made on family operations drive the changes necessary to feeding an ever-growing population. For one of these operations, located in Elkader, Iowa, innovation began with a camcorder in a hog barn.

New Mexico ranch raised kids

ranchraisedkids@gmail.com — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Rural America is the backbone of our nation. It is where family values are based, where respect and responsibility are grown and where future leaders are developed.