Welcome back to the American Cattlemen Podcast. Just ahead, we have Dustin Hector, he's the Director of Business Development for American Cattlemen Media, and he sits down with Trista Brown Priest, Chief Executive Officer for Cattle Empire. Cattle Empire, LLC is a family owned and operate custom cattle feeding operation in Satana, Kansas. Cattle Empire has been a leader in the industry for nearly 50 years and is in the third generation of Brown Family Management. 

Trista describes growing up in Satanta and initially intending never to return after attending Kansas State University, where she earned degrees in management, marketing, and an MBA in agricultural economics and finance. Graduating during the 2008 financial crisis brought her back to the family’s enterprises, first managing a dairy repair business and ultimately committing to Cattle Empire.

She recounts the company’s origins in 1978, when her grandfather Paul Brown began feeding cattle as a hedge to farming. A pivotal moment occurred during a failed Alabama backgrounding partnership, where thousands of supposed cattle did not exist. Her father, Roy Brown, then an agricultural bankruptcy attorney, navigated the legal aftermath while Paul secured financing to make customers whole. That decision, widely noted in the cattle community, fueled rapid expansion from roughly 12,000–15,000 head to a peak capacity of about 250,000 head, making Cattle Empire the fifth-largest cattle feeder in the United States.

Following the deaths of Trista’s grandparents, the family executed a major restructuring. To buy out Roy’s siblings, three-quarters of the business were sold in 2018, and the operation was right-sized to roughly 50,000–51,000 head, now owned by Roy and Laura Brown and daughters Trista and Becca. Today, Cattle Empire primarily feeds customer-owned heifers, manufactures its own feed, and runs a notable resale program that backgrounds and resells cattle to clients, supported by an educational blog series.

Trista highlights several technological and management innovations, including a water reclamation system that recycles overflow tank water and reduces annual usage by about 20 percent, a new mill that improves steam-flaking efficiency, and the Alenco Pinpoint camera system for data-driven sorting into optimal marketing groups, adding carcass weight and value for customers. She ties these operational decisions to broader themes of succession planning, work–life balance, and the emotional work of separating personal identity from the family business, while still leading a team-oriented, family-focused feedyard culture.

For previous episodes of the American Cattlemen Podcast, please visit:  www.americancattlemen.com.

American Cattlemen Podcast is Sponsored By:

Moly Manufacturing

Central Life Sciences

Medgene

Forge