The Angus Conversation

Ranching at the headwaters of the Everglades comes with its own challenges — hurricanes, parasites, urban encroachment — but for Gene Lollis, that’s just part of the puzzle. Raising cattle that thrive in the subtropical environment is one part of his purpose as manager of Buck Island Ranch. The commercial herd he manages is part of a larger mission to understand the effects of agriculture on the land. For decades, Gene worked alongside scientists to study everything from water quality to carbon sequestration, all while emphasizing practical, profitable application of their findings. As a sixth-generation Florida cattleman, he believes that conservation work is part of his responsibility to protect the right to ranch for those who come after him.  

HOSTS: Miranda Reiman and Mark McCully   

GUEST:  Gene Lollis has served as the manager of Buck Island Ranch, near Lake Placid, Fla., since 1996. The 10,500-acre operation is located within the headwaters of the Everglades and is part of Archbold Expeditions Inc., an environmental research organization. Gene is a sixth-generation Floridian, who has spent his life in ranching and agriculture. In addition to managing the ranch, Gene ensures the agro-ecology research conducted on the property has real-world application. He stays active in several associations outside of Archbold, including the Florida Cattlemen’s Association, U.S. Roundatble for Sustainable Beef Production, U.S. Animal Health Association, Florida Cattle Ranchers and the Florida Farm Bureau. 

SPONSORS:   

Deer Valley Farm is always focused on helping their customers build a better cow herd, and those genetics are exactly what you'll find at the Focused on the Future XX annual production sale on Saturday, November 14th, in Fayetteville, Tennessee. Visit Deer Valley Farm online for more information and make plans to attend the sale. 

Angus Media: You spend a lot of time marketing your cattle. What about marketing yourself? Let Angus Media design a unique logo and ad design package that gets you noticed. Contact your regional manager today to have Angus Media help elevate your brand. 

Don't miss news in the Angus breed. Visit www.AngusJournal.net and subscribe to the AJ Daily e-newsletter and our monthly magazine, the Angus Journal.

Get involved. That’s both sage advice from Montana Angus breeders Dave and Yvonne Hinman and also a main theme in their own story. For 61 years they’ve shared a life that included Angus every step of the way. The Hinmans share early wisdom they learned from mentors and a behind-the-scenes tale of calculated risks they took at just the right time. They talk about how their philosophy of “the cows come first” works in practice, and how they remain disciplined when looking ahead. This honest conversation covers everything from the legendary Cowboy Up bull to the secret to a long marriage.

HOSTS: Miranda Reiman and Mark McCully 

GUESTS: Dave and Yvone Hinman

Pioneer breeders of performance cattle, Dave and Yvonne Hinman of Hinman Angus, have raised registered Angus cattle since 1973. The couple and their daughters, Jill and Heidi, ran Hinman Angus in Willow Creek, Mont., for more than 20 years. That’s where they had their first production sale, joining with Bill and Jennifer Davis, Dale and Carol Davis and John and Vickie Hamilton as the Performance Breeders, a group that worked together until 2008 to market registered Angus seedstock. 

In 2000, Dave and Yvonne moved near Malta, Mont., to lease an 8,000-acre ranch; and in 2005 they purchased the ranch. In Malta, they have worked alongside daughter Heidi and son-in-law Billy Lulloff for many years, mentoring them and now their grandson Tyler Lulloff to assume more responsibilities on the ranch. Together they continue to produce high-quality, reputation cattle as Hinman Angus.

Dave served on the American Angus Association Board of Directors from 2017-2023. Yvonne served as president of the American Angus Auxiliary in 1999-2000 and was honored as the Distinguished Woman Award recipient in 2007. In 2005, the Performance Breeders were recognized with the Certified Angus Beef (CAB) Seedstock Commitment to Excellence Award.

SPONSOR:

Ingram Angus: Looking for the next step forward? Take a look at the Ingram Angus Fall Production Sale, set for Friday, November 13, in Pulaski, Tennessee. Whether you need a herd sire or quality females, you'll find cattle built to create value long after sale day. Request a sale book by visiting IngramAngus.com.

Angus Media: Keep costs low, but excitement high with an online-only sale book. Work with Angus Media to get your book published on Angus.org, save in printing costs while still enjoying access to our unique Angus audience and live EPD updates. Contact us today here or give us a call at 816-383-5200 to find the perfect fit for your sale day promotion. 

Don't miss news in the Angus breed. Visit www.AngusJournal.net and subscribe to the AJ Daily e-newsletter and our monthly magazine, the Angus Journal.

Montana’s Hi-Line country is known for its expansive landscape and sparse populations. Nestled along the Canadian border, it’s great cow country when the weather behaves. But when it doesn’t? The cattle have to be tough, and the people tougher. Klint and Lori Swanson grew up in the area and have made Chinook, Mont., their home since they married and started Shipwheel Cattle Company. They balance functional cattle — good feet and longevity — with performance. In this episode the Swansons talk about starting a sale, selling aged bulls, raising a family on the ranch and surviving the lean years.  

HOSTS: Miranda Reiman and Mark McCully   

GUESTS: Klint and Lori Swanson’s roots run deep in the Montana cattle business. Klint’s grandpa brought Angus cattle to northern Montana in 1945, and his parents founded Apex Angus in the 1960s. When Klint was 9 years old, he was gifted two Angus heifers, and they’re the foundation of the herd the family runs today. The cattle are spread between two locations, Snake Creek Ranch at Lloyd, Mont., and Lori’s homeplace, Clear Creek Ranch, near Chinook. Their two grown children, Austin and Bree, are involved in the family operation, along with running their own businesses. Shipwheel Cattle Company hosts an annual bull sale in December on the ranch.  

SPONSORS:   

Deer Valley Farm: Make the next generation of your herd even better. Mark your calendar for the Deer Valley Farms Focused on the Future annual production sale, Saturday, Nov. 14, in Fayetteville, Tenn., featuring elite Angus Genetics from one of the industry's most respected programs. Visit Deer Valley Farm online for sale information. 

Angus Media: You breed cattle that stand out. We'll make sure they do. There are a lot of options for livestock marketing, but Angus Media is the only one backed by the Angus audience. We have more than 74 million impressions across print and digital platforms to customize the target audience to get the right eyes on your offering. Contact your regional manager or visit AngusMedia.org to get started. 

Don't miss news in the Angus breed. Visit www.AngusJournal.net and subscribe to the AJ Daily e-newsletter and our monthly magazine, the Angus Journal.

The effectiveness of any tool depends on whether you’re using it for the right purpose. That’s the story of selection indexes. In this episode, geneticists John Crowley of AbacusBio and Matt Spangler of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln take a hard look at economic indexes, how they’re created and how they’re best used. They tackle criticism and common misconceptions, while exploring how these tools help seedstock and commercial producers make more profitable breeding decisions. 

HOSTS: Miranda Reiman and Mark McCully  

GUESTS:  

John Crowley is a managing partner with AbacusBio, an international agri-science and technology firm specializing in breeding and genetics. John focuses on genetics and data analytics while leading operations and client services in North America. Originally from Ireland where he grew up on a dairy and beef operation, he earned his doctoral degree at University College Dublin and moved across to the University of Alberta in 2011. John joined AbacusBio in 2018 and his current work, across animals and plants, focuses on delivering analytics, breeding program development and evaluation, technology evaluation, and decision tool development. 

Matt Spangler grew up on a diversified crop and livestock farm in Kansas. He received a bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University, a master’s at Iowa State University , and earned a doctorate at the University of Georgia. Spangler is currently a professor of animal genetics and Extension beef genetics specialist at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. His research work focuses on quantitative genetics and genomics in livestock. As part of this effort, he works closely with livestock industries, in particular beef, to implement improved genetic selection tools and methods. 

RELATED LINKS:  

American Angus Association Value Indexes 

Accuracy and Possible Change Table 

SPONSOR:  

CERES TAG livestock monitoring systems equip producers with herd phenotype intelligence to make smarter decisions and boost profitability. Learn more about their CERES GEN6 tag — the industry’s first solar-powered, smart sensor ear tag with a direct-to-satellite connection — at CeresTag.com, or find their team at the Angus Convention this fall. 

Don't miss news in the Angus breed. Visit www.AngusJournal.net and subscribe to the AJ Daily e-newsletter and our monthly magazine, the Angus Journal.

As the books close from one fiscal year to the next, it’s a good time to both reflect on progress and set goals for more of it. This week the American Angus Association Board of Directors met to: 

• Detail a strong fiscal year, with positive bottom lines for the organization and its entities. 
• Celebrate program wins, from 1 million AngusVerifiedSM AngusLink® enrollments and a huge uptick in Data Driven Herd recognitions to numerous Ag Media Summit awards. 
• Discuss business, such as ongoing fertility research projects, an Angus Journal ® subscriber campaign to new members, and ways Certified Angus Beef is combating supply reductions.  
• Hear about updates on work in progress, from Angus Foundation funding opportunities to Angus Genetics, Inc. efforts to collect commercial data.  

From branded beef tallow and TikTok advertising to heart health research, this recap episode condenses a week’s worth of meetings into a conversation that gets you caught up on the recent highlights in the breed.

HOSTS: Miranda Reiman and Mark McCully 

GUESTS: 

Jim Brinkley, 2026 president and chairman, has served on the American Angus Association Board of Directors for the past seven years. Along with their children, Crystal and Justin, Brinkley and his wife, Sherry, own 1,300 acres and 400 registered Angus cattle at Brinkley Angus Ranch (BAR) near Milan, Mo. 

Rob Adams has been a lifelong resident of Union Springs, Ala., where his grandfather established their current farm in 1936 and bought the first Angus cattle in 1939. He is serving a second term on the Board and is currently chair of the Member Services Committee. Adams has been involved in the day-to-day operations since purchasing his first cow at 8 years old. The farm has transitioned over his lifetime from a diverse cattle and row-crop farm to registered Angus cattle and timber. Adams has also worked as a financial advisor for more than 35 years. He and his wife, Connie, have four children.

Roger Wann is a native of Poteau, Okla., and was raised on a multigenerational family commercial cow-calf ranch. While a student worker at the Oklahoma State University Purebred Beef Center, he says the value of the Angus cow herd at OSU was the last step in a learning curve that would lead him and his family into the Angus seedstock business. After completing a bachelor’s degree in animal science at OSU, Wann earned a master’s in physiology of reproduction from Texas A&M (TAMU). Wann is serving a second term on the Board of Directors and is currently vice chair of the Commercial Programs Committee. 

RELATED READING: 

President’s Letter 

Don't miss news in the Angus breed. Visit www.AngusJournal.net and subscribe to the AJ Daily e-newsletter and our monthly magazine, the Angus Journal.

Whether you’re excited about the possibility of change or are cautious about the pace, this episode will give you a lot of perspective on the way the genetic landscape is shifting in the beef industry. Bringing together two great minds with decades of experience across beef, dairy, swine and poultry, the discussion covers everything from genomic testing and artificial intelligence to commercial data and the importance of phenotypes. The discussion gives a lot of insight into ways the Angus breed can remain competitive now and in the future.  

HOSTS: Miranda Reiman and Mark McCully  

GUESTS:   

William Herring is the vice president of research and development at Cobb-Vantress, a leading global poultry genetics company. He leads the discovery efforts to accelerate genetic progress and introduce it at scale in more 100 countries. He leads a team of scientists, engineers and innovators with more than 30 years of experience and leadership in livestock and poultry genetic improvement. He obtained a bachelor's degree in animal science from Auburn University and a master's degree and doctorate in genetics from the University of Georgia. In his spare time, Herring enjoys helping with the genetic improvement program at this family's beef operation. 

 Mark Allan is an independent consultant in beef and dairy cattle genetics, genomics and reproductive technologies. Raised in the Nebraska beef industry, Allan combines practical cattle production experience with advanced training in animal genetics. His career has included roles with purebred farms, the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Pfizer Animal Genetics and Trans Ova Genetics. Today, he works with seedstock and commercial producers, breed organizations and allied industry partners to apply data-driven genetic solutions that improve profitability and long-term herd performance. Allan also serves as an industry representative on the Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI) Board of Directors. He and his wife, Alise, live in Iowa, where they raised their two kids.   

RELATED LINKS: Exploring Next-Generation Phenotyping that Drives Commercial Profitability White Paper  

 SPONSORS:  

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Don't miss news in the Angus breed. Visit www.AngusJournal.net and subscribe to the AJ Daily e-newsletter and our monthly magazine, the Angus Journal.

When trying to get beef out to the masses, there’s a step in the supply chain that has a lot of influence on what beef goes where: foodservice distributors. Hear from BJ Johnson and Pat Shepherd, who represent both the buy and the sell side of that equation. From sourcing and procurement to restaurant partnerships and consumer expectations, the message is clear — they don’t want beef they have to push, they want pull-through demand. The pair covers the emerging Prime trends, how they combat volatility and the importance of being able to talk about all the work that happens back on the ranch.  

HOSTS: Miranda Reiman and Mark McCully  

GUESTS:  

BJ Johnson, director of sales, Buckhead Meat of Atlanta 

Growing up near his family’s farm in Huntsville, Ala., where they raised Angus cattle, cotton and soybeans, BJ developed a deep appreciation for agriculture and the food industry. He attended the University of Alabama, where he studied management, and later graduated from Johnson & Wales University with a degree in Culinary Arts in 2002. That same year, he began his career with Sysco. 

 Over the past two decades, BJ has served in roles across Alabama, Charlotte, Atlanta and Chicago, holding leadership positions in three of those markets. Alongside his teams, he helped launch two highly successful Certified Angus Beef® programs in North Carolina and Georgia and was honored as Certified Angus Beef® Marketer of the Year. 

Today, BJ serves as director of sales for Buckhead Meat of Atlanta where he leads a team of 26 sales consultants across the Southeast. Together, they proudly lead the nation in Certified Angus Beef® Prime sales. 

Pat Shepherd, director of beef procurement, Buckhead Meat of Atlanta 

Pat oversees beef sourcing and purchasing strategies for Buckhead Meat Company, the specialty meat division of Sysco, one of the nation’s leading foodservice distributors. A University of West Georgia graduate with a culinary background, Shepherd joined the company in 2010 and discovered a passion for the beef industry. Today, he collaborates across the supply chain to ensure consistent quality, manage inventory and procurement, and help foodservice operators deliver an exceptional beef experience to consumers.  

 SPONSORS:   

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Angus Media: Don't let a busy schedule stop you from being the most informed breeder in the room. Click here to subscribe to the AJ Daily or the AJ Weekly. 

Don't miss news in the Angus breed. Visit www.AngusJournal.net and subscribe to the AJ Daily e-newsletter and our monthly magazine, the Angus Journal.

The secret to success isn’t a secret so much as it is hard work. National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) members Piper Cates and Sloane Curtin both say that there’s a lot of practice put in before they ever step in the show ring. On this episode the two competitors share their show day tips and encourage young members to seek out mentors, while talking about their own favorites and teasing next year’s National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) location and theme.

HOSTS: Miranda Reiman, Mark McCully

GUESTS:

Piper Cates, Modoc, Ind., has been an active member of the NJAA since she was old enough to join. She’s participated in everything from the NJAS photography contest to the Auxiliary-sponsored All-American Certified Angus Beef Cook-Off. Cates currently serves as the Indiana Angus Association junior princess and won Reserve Champion Junior Showmanship A in both 2025 and 2026 at the National Junior Angus Show.

Sloan Curtin, Oxford, Iowa, has had much success in her time as an NJAA member, including many champion and reserve champion wins. She was the 2025 Showmanship winner in the National Junior Angus Show intermediate B division.

GUEST HOST: Ava Leibfried is a third-generation Angus breeder from Platteville, Wis., currently serving as the National Junior Angus Association board chair. Ava is studying agricultural business at Iowa State University, and intends to keep Angus cattle as part of her long-term career goals. 

Don't miss news in the Angus breed. Visit www.AngusJournal.net and subscribe to the AJ Daily e-newsletter and our monthly magazine, the Angus Journal.

Some of the most formative years of an Angus junior’s life are spent in the barns. That’s how it was for the Wood Family of Willow Spring, N.C. When it comes to the National Junior Angus Association (NJAA), all three of the siblings — Justin, Mary and Ava — have been involved in everything from exhibiting animals and competing in contests to attending conferences and serving in leadership roles. As they have grown, they’ve put the skills they honed through their involvement with the NJAA to work on their own Angus operation, which now includes a wedding venue and meat market.

HOSTS: Miranda Reiman, Mark McCully 

GUESTS:  

Siblings Ava and Justin Wood grew up on their family’s Willow Spring, N.C., Angus operation. Along with their sister Mary, they have been long-time participants in the National Junior Angus Association, including all three serving on the organization’s board of directors. Justin is now back home on the family farm, and Ava is studying ag business at North Carolina State University.  

GUEST HOST: Ava Leibfried is a third-generation Angus breeder from Platteville, Wis., currently serving as the National Junior Angus Association board chair. Ava is studying agricultural business at Iowa State University, and intends to keep Angus cattle as part of her long-term career goals. 

RELATED CONTENT: 

Dreamers, Believers and Go-Getters

A Woman Worth Looking Up To

Transitioning to a New Role

Don't miss news in the Angus breed. Visit www.AngusJournal.net and subscribe to the AJ Daily e-newsletter and our monthly magazine, the Angus Journal.

Nearly all of Kolton and Kinleigh Grim’s Angus memories include each other. The siblings started showing Angus cattle at a young age, and their partnership began. Today, they approach their cattle operation with a similar mindset — how you work the animals at home is a direct reflection of how they’ll behave in the ring. In a flurry of National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) competition, the Grims paused to share their tips for preparation and advice for making the most of the experience. 

HOSTS: Miranda Reiman, Mark McCully

GUESTS:

Kolton and Kinleigh Grim, Beaver Creek Angus, have been involved in their family’s Thomasville, Pa., cattle herd from very early ages. They're both currently serving in leadership roles on the Pennsylvania Junior Angus Association board and are active in the National Junior Angus Association. They were members of this year’s Team Fitting Champion team.  

GUEST HOST: Ava Leibfried is a third-generation Angus breeder from Platteville, Wis., currently serving as the National Junior Angus Association board chair. Ava is studying agricultural business at Iowa State University and intends to keep Angus cattle as part of her long-term career goals.

RELATED CONTENT:   

I Am Angus: Beaver Creek Angus, York County, Pa.

Don't miss news in the Angus breed. Visit www.AngusJournal.net and subscribe to the AJ Daily e-newsletter and our monthly magazine, the Angus Journal.