Cattleman’s Corner Radio

Now here's Galen Frenzen from Frenzen Angus and Polled, Herefords. 

Well, hello Galen. I understand you have a lot of experience in the business. Can you give us a little background on that please, sir? 

"I'm 82 years old and my dad bought two horned Hereford heifers for my brother and I for 4-H and FFA projects in 1957. Dad had always had commercial cows, mainly primarily Herefords. Then after I got out of college in 1965, the exotics had hit. I started dabbling a little more on the commercial cows. A lot of the new exotics were coming in and one time somebody asked me, what breeds did you try? And I said, it'd probably be simpler if I told you which ones I didn't. We select for a bigger animal than a lot of commercial people because my bull customers come in and pick the big stout bulls. So I've got a little bigger cow, but I don't have these ton cows that some of them do. The thing that differentiates us is we don't creep feed. It's a survival of the fittest type deal."

"I did a feed bunk analysis of our ration, sent it to ward laboratories and none of our bulls are dry lot developed. They run on corn stocks. All of our yearling bulls run together."

What did you end up selling this year? 

"75 Angus bulls, 40 Herefords, one Simmental bulls and they're going to be yearlings, four yearlings and two year olds. And then the females were going to have some yearling heifers and some two year old pairs. And then some groups of black baldy F1 heifers, two F1 heifers."

Galen Frenzen, Fullerton, Nebraska. 

Thanks again for listening and may God bless. I'm Brian Hale.

Listen in to this interview with Shawn Booth of Veteran, Wyoming.

Now let's check in with Dan Reardon of Rockin' R Red Angus, who had moved his operation from the high country in Colorado to just a few miles south of McGrew, Nebraska.

How did your sale go, Dan?

"We were really, really thrilled with the sale and how it went and the feedback on the bulls. You know, it was a really challenging time. The two days before the sale is when the big fire hit, and so friends and customers just scrambling and dealing with the fire, and we were kind of wondering on our end what we should do, and we decided to still hold the sale on that Saturday and on that fire started Thursday, and we were really blessed with the amount of people that showed up, the amount of people that bid, so we were really, really excited and really happy despite what was going on in the community. We definitely had some out-of-town buyers. We sold bulls as far east as Illinois, and obviously sold quite a few to Colorado and Kansas and a bunch to Nebraska, Wyoming, South Dakota, so yeah, we had a pretty good representation as far as geography."

"I cannot speak highly enough of the crew over at Sugar Valley. We were very, very happy. We were extremely impressed with how professional they were. We feel like we found a home for sure for our sale. The people there were just so nice, so professional. We couldn't have asked for a better partnership than what they did for us over there."

That was Dan Reardon talking about the successful sale they had at Sugar Valley Stockyards in Gering, Nebraska. Find my longer interview with Dan on cattlemanscorner.com, as well as hundreds of other interviews.

Troy Thomas is a seed stock producer from Thomas Ranch in South Dakota. They have a very diversified operation there with several breeds of cattle. So why so much diversity? 

"I guess we've tried to kind of diversify ourselves enough that we can supply bulls to people that are using different breeds and some crossbreeding systems. So what kind of breeds do you primarily focus on? We primarily have Charolais and Angus, but also have some Red Angus and some Simmental cattle. And I guess every year we're kind of surprised, you know, several customers, more than one breed, and kind of incorporate it into some different crossbreeding programs. Depending on what they want to add or what they're trying to do at the present time, we kind of try to fill all their bull needs if we can." 

So do you produce any crossbred bulls? 

"We've done a few. We've mainly stayed with the purebred registered side. The Simmental cattle, we're doing a little more of the SimAngus, the percentage cattle. But the majority of our cattle are purebred and all registered cattle." 

That was Troy Thomas, seed stock producer from South Dakota, on today's Cattleman's Corner.

Summary

On Cattleman’s Corner, Brian Hale interviews Joe Klun of Klun Cattle Company in Pueblo, Colorado, about the advantages of Gelbvieh cattle. Klun says he values the breed for its calving ease, growth, maternal efficiency, and ability to maintain condition in tough environments. He explains that his cows, weighing around 1,400 to 1,500 pounds, are versatile and perform well on a variety of rough grazing conditions. Klun also describes the harsh southern Colorado terrain, including poor grass, sagebrush, cactus, and abandoned river-bottom farmland, where the cattle have continued to thrive.

Transcript

Today we have Joe Klun from Klun Cattle Company, Pueblo, Colorado.

Tell me what you like about the Gelbvieh again. 

"There's just a lot. Good calving ease and the growth, and you get big, mature cows. I mean, the cows that I got, you know, they're probably weighing 1,400, 1,500 pounds, and they're easy fleshing. You can put them pretty much anywhere, and they'll work anywhere you take them. I haven't really had any trouble anywhere that they've been, really, which is a good thing, because I've been just chasing grass and getting pasture wherever I can, when I can. So the versatility of them is one thing that I've found."

Tell us about that tough country that you're in, actually. People might want to know what your conditions are like there in southern Colorado. 

"A lot of river bottom area. I mean, there's not good grass. It's been a lot of, like, Kochia Weed and just nothing good. Nothing that you really want to have cattle on, but it's something that, you know, all the good stuff is taken. You know, being a younger guy, if you weren't already in it, there's just not a lot of options. So I've had to take them to some pretty rough places, you know, lots of Sagebrush, lots of Cactus, or like I said, the river bottom where it used to be farm ground, and then they quit farming it, so now all that grows out there is Kochia Weed and Pigweed, but they handled that just fine."

Joe Klun from Klun Cattle Company.

"My wife June is the key to the whole operation"

That is the impression that we received when talking with Gelbvieh breeder Roger Olsen of Platteville, Colorado. Roger is a Select Sire rep, while June runs the cattle operation on a day-to-day basis. 

Here is a transcript of today's conversation;

Now, here's Roger Olson again today from Mill Iron Lazy V Cattle Company.

"One of the things that I failed to mention, Brian, and she is the key to our whole operation, is my wife, June. My way of supporting the herd, I guess, is I am Select Sire Rep here in central Colorado. She kind of maintains the herd herself.  We couldn't do it without her. I didn't want to do an interview without mentioning her. This is a family operation, it's a heritage, it's a way of life."

Would you give it up for anything else? 

"No, I wouldn't. And you're right, it is a way of life. I've sold herds before, but I've always ended up with cows again. It's just, like you said, a way of life. And it's good people. I mean, the cattle people that we deal with on a daily basis, yeah, you're right, I wouldn't trade it for anything."

That was Roger Olson from Northeastern Colorado's Mill Iron Lazy V Cattle Company. 

Roger Olson's Cattle Operation: Roger Olson is involved in a family-run cattle business in eastern Colorado, operating the Mill Iron Lazy V Cattle Company. The operation specializes in registered Gelbvieh cattle, a breed chosen for its maternal traits, feed efficiency, and adaptability to pasture conditions. Despite challenges from area development and droughts, the cattle have performed well, and Olson maintains a mix of pasturing and feedlot strategies. They also host an annual bull sale, the Pot of Gold Bull Sale, which has been successful over the years, with strong sales of both bulls and heifers.

Broadcasting and Community Engagement: The interviewer, Brian from Hale Broadcasting, discussed how their radio broadcasting covers agriculture in multiple states, including a focus on cattle operations. Hale Broadcasting provides both radio and podcast formats to share insights from the agricultural community, emphasizing personal interviews rather than traditional news reports. The program celebrates a long heritage of cattle operations and promotes sharing stories and information within the community, highlighting its rootedness as a way of life.

Online Presence and Advertising: Roger Olson mentioned utilizing the website gelbviehbulls.net for promoting their annual bull sales. They also engage in various advertising channels, such as postcards and regional publications, with word-of-mouth playing a significant role in their sales success. Although initially lacking in social media engagement, Olson's operation recognizes the growing importance of digital presence.

Family and Heritage: A significant highlight is the role of family in the operation, with Roger attributing much of the success to his wife, June. This underscores the operations as not only a business endeavor but also a lifestyle choice deeply integrated with family values and traditions.

Transcript

Today we have Roger Olson, a Gelbvieh breeder from Colorado. How did you get started in the Gelbvieh, Roger? 

Well, in 1970, my dad bought a group of three-quarter blood Gelbvieh cattle from a gentleman in South Dakota. There was 75 head there. The Gelbvieh breed has always been really, really good for us. We've always just stayed with it. 

Why do you think that is? 

They check all the boxes, as far as maternal traits, feed gain, their do-ability as far as pastures are concerned, docile disposition, very fertile cattle. We have just a super breed up every year. The cows have just not ever let us down. Even drought years, like we are having this year, just having phenomenal calves. Like I said, they've always treated us very well. They've never disappointed. We have an annual bull sale, pot of gold bull sale, over in Montrose, Colorado, every year, last Friday in February. I have been doing that for 35 years and have just been a successful bull sale and sell feedstock. They've always just been really good for us. 

What kind of country is that where you are? Is that good for raising cattle? 

It was good at one time. We're being invaded by subdivisions and investment groups and stuff like that, so we're having a hard time as far as finding pasture and feed. It's becoming a challenge. 

Your location is Platteville. Where is that? 

Fifteen miles south of Greeley, up in the north central. 

That was Roger Olson from northeastern Colorado's Mill Iron Lazy V Cattle Company. 

That's going to do it for today's Cattleman's Corner.

Joe, the owner of Klun Farms & Cattle, discussed his background and journey in the cattle business. Growing up on a farm that has been in his family since the 1900s, Joe has been involved with agriculture from an early age. After starting a separate career in telecommunications focusing on low-voltage fiber optic lines, he has spent over a decade building this business alongside his cattle ventures. Joe’s passion for cattle was revived post-high school by trading his initial herd for equipment, eventually leading him to focus on breeding registered Gelbvieh cattle, which he admires for their calving ease, growth potential, and versatility across tough environments. His approach includes stringent culling and using top genetics through Artificial Insemination (AI) for herd improvement.

Joe also shared details about his telecommunications business, which operates statewide in Colorado and extends to other states for projects motivated by pay incentives, such as post-hurricane work in Florida. Now employing 12 people, he is expanding his operations by branching into other areas, including transportation and logistics.

Marketing and Sales Strategy for Cattle

Joe's cattle sales primarily occur through word-of-mouth and private treaty rather than formal auctions, resulting in satisfied, repeat customers. He shared his thoughts on pricing strategies and the challenges of running a formal sale, noting that while his herd isn't large enough to produce big catalogs, he successfully sells bulls privately. Joe appreciates the rarity and demand variance between black and red Gelbvieh cattle, with preferences influenced strongly by consumer opinion on color.

Joe has plans to advance his marketing by considering web presence, having recognized earlier attempts to build a website as time-consuming amidst his other responsibilities. He acknowledges the importance of marketing in reaching broader audiences and expressed willingness to explore professional help to establish an online front for his cattle operations.

Challenges and Community Involvement

Joe also touched upon the challenges of cattle farming on suboptimal pastureland in southern Colorado and the measures he takes, such as providing protein and mineral supplements to maintain cattle health. Despite prior issues like nitrate poisoning in feed, he has been able to manage herd health effectively.

Finally, the discussion included future aspirations and strategies around improving his herd's genetics and maintaining customer relationships through robust guarantees on his bulls. He emphasizes ensuring customer satisfaction for the longevity and reputation of his business.

Potential Collaboration

Concluding the interview, Joe was offered a promotional opportunity from Hale Broadcasting for marketing support at a discounted rate, highlighting the mutual benefits of promoting the Gelbvieh breed further. The conversation capped with friendly exchanges and best wishes for Joe's multifaceted endeavors in agriculture and telecommunications.