Welcome back to the American Cattlemen Podcast and our series at Cattle Con 2026. Just ahead, we have Kaid Panek and he chats with Jamie Wolf and Cody Jorgensen, with Jorgensen land and Cattle. In this episode, they will dive into Jorgensen Land & Cattle and their philosophy on raising top of the line cattle. 

Cody explains that he is a fourth-generation member of the family business, with the fifth generation already involved. He traces their breeding philosophy back to his grandfather in the early 1950s, who was an early adopter of performance testing. Using handwritten “cow cards,” his grandfather tied calf, weaning, and yearling data back to individual cows and used that information to make disciplined, maternal-based selection decisions. This foundation evolved into what they now call the Mother Lode breeding philosophy, emphasizing trouble-free, high-quality cows as the basis for strong bulls.

Cody describes their “Smart Bull” concept, where Angus bulls are developed and leased for two consecutive breeding seasons in a five-state area before returning to Jorgensen. After reconditioning and semen evaluation, those bulls are then marketed into the southern United States. This system ensures buyers receive fully tested, mature bulls proven under real-world conditions, particularly important in challenging environments.

Jamie outlines their advanced genomic work under Ideal Beef Genetics. Partnering with Zoetis, they built a proprietary evaluation backed by more than 60 years of performance data. They then collaborated with AgBoost to convert complex EPD and genomic information into an easy-to-read 1-to-10 scoring system, visualized as trait “wheels” for maternal, heifer bull, and terminal indexes. This helps both new and experienced bull buyers quickly match bulls to their specific goals.

The Jorgensen team extends this genomic testing to commercial customers’ females, then consults with them on replacement selection and optimal bull choices, positioning the relationship as a true partnership. They also assist with marketing calves through collaboration agreements with various feedyards. Looking ahead, they highlight their annual yearling bull sale each April and their Mother Lode female sale each November, and mention that they offer embryos and pheasant hunting experiences tied to the ranch.

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