The Angus Conversation

Genetic innovation in animal agriculture is moving at a faster-than-ever pace, and this episode digs into the history of performance testing while exploring new technologies like computer vision, microbiome analysis and ways to collect more commercial phenotypes. The discussion covers the challenges of more data, including the labor and expense of proposing new traits, along with the opportunities to make big moves in important categories such as health and efficiency. Open-mindedness, collaboration, creativity and standardization will all be needed to make progress. What is the role of the American Angus Association and Angus Genetics Inc. in leading this change? Listen to find out.   

HOSTS: Miranda Reiman and Mark McCully 

GUESTS: John Dickinson and Troy Rowan 

John Dickinson is a fifth-generation Angus breeder and a former National Junior Angus Board (NJAB) chairman. A University of Illinois graduate and former regional manager for the American Angus Association, Dickinson often makes the trek between his cows in California and his home in Idaho. He is also a founding partner in Parnell Dickinson, Inc., a full-service marketing firm that works in all facets of promotion, management and cattle trade — both seedstock and commercial. 

Troy Rowan is an assistant professor of beef cattle genomics at the University of Tennessee– Knoxville. His research work brings together many types of “big data,” both phenotypic and genomic, to understand the genetics of economically relevant traits in beef cattle. He also has a part-time Extension appointment, making all that research applicable to the state’s beef producers.  

Troy grew up on a small Charolais operation in Southwest Iowa and received his undergraduate degree in biology from Creighton University. He earned his doctorate in genetics from the University of Missouri before coming to Tennessee in 2021. 

RELATED CONTENT:  

Exploring Next-Generation Phenotyping that Drives Commercial Profitability 

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.

Red meat yield has always mattered to the beef industry, but there have only been mediocre tools available to quantify it. This episode covers the surprising history of the subjective measurement before switching to new technology that could completely modernize the system for the better. Every breeder knows the way to drive directional change is to first start with good data, and that’s the goal of a group of ranchers, feeders, packers and academia who are all working together to tackle this issue.  

HOSTS: Miranda Reiman and Mark McCully 

GUESTS:  Blake Foraker, Texas Tech University, and John Stika, Certified Angus Beef 

Blake Foraker is an assistant professor of meat science at Texas Tech University. He grew up in Burrton, Kan., and earned his bachelor’s degree in animal science from Kansas State University and his master’s degree in meat science from Colorado State. He holds a meat science doctorate from Texas Tech and worked at Washington State University before returning to his alma matter. Foraker is a member of the American Society of Animal Science, Intercollegiate Meat Coaches Association, and the American Meat Science Association. He has coached and participated on many nationally acclaimed meats and livestock judging teams and was named Texas Tech’s Department of Animal & Food Science Outstanding Graduate Student in 2022. 

John Stika, president, Certified Angus Beef (CAB), leads the American Angus Association’s consumer-facing subsidiary. The brand is owned by registered Angus breeders and operates to create pull-through demand for Angus cattle. CAB has grown to more than 1.234 billion pounds of sales annually under his leadership. Stika joined CAB in 1999 in what was the feeder-packer relations division, before working in business development and assuming the role of president in 2006. He’s a Kansas farm boy, with degrees in animal and meat science from Kansas State University and the University of Kentucky. 

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 cattle feeding business has not been a smooth ride throughout the years, but Joe Morgan and now his son, Grant, have found ways to ride the waves by putting the needs of their customers first. This episode covers more than four decades of cattle feeding history — the high interest rates of the ’80s, the poor beef demand of the ’90s, and so on. At every junction, Poky Feeders had “page turning” events that allowed them to survive and grow. They'll tell you what they need most from Angus breeders and what kind of cattle they need in their feedyard. Hear from the father-son duo just ahead of Joe’s induction into the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame.  

HOSTS: Miranda Reiman and Mark McCully 

GUESTS: Joe and Grant Morgan, Poky Feeders 

Joe Morgan farmed and fed cattle after earning an animal science degree from Iowa State University. In 1985, he moved to Garden City to manage Poky Feeders. Its original capacity was 17,000 and under his and now his son, Grant’s, leadership it has grown to 103,000 head.  

Growing up around the feedyard, Grant first chose to pursue other paths for his education before coming back to the feedyard. He took over as manager six years ago and has created an internship program and paths for employee growth along with leading their most recent expansion efforts.  

Joe has served on several committees with the Kansas Livestock Association and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. He was a founding member of U.S. Premium Beef, and he currently serves as vice chairman of their board.  

RELATED CONTENT: 

I AM ANGUS: Poky Feeders 

Big Time Quality 

The Idea that Worked   

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 breed continues to make progress, the American Angus Association Board of Directors meets quarterly to provide direction on projects that will keep the Angus breed on top. This episode covered a lot of ground, including these topics: 

• Ongoing research in Angus Genetics Inc., from validation studies to ongoing bovine congestive heart failure (BCHF) work  
• Crafting a data recognition program  
• Improvements to the GeneMax® test for commercial Angus females  
• AngusLink℠ success and packer feedback  
• A ribeye area specification adjustment for Certified Angus Beef (CAB)
• Changes to National Junior Angus Show competitions 

HOSTS: Miranda Reiman and Mark McCully 

GUESTS:  Jonathan Perry, chairman of the American Angus Association, has spent much of his life working in the purebred business.  

In 1998, he came to manage the Deer Valley Farm's purebred program in Fayetteville, Tenn. As general manager, Perry developed an Angus program that balances all economically relevant traits in cattle that maintain structural soundness and phenotype. Each year, more than 500 bulls are marketed through three sales. 

Perry and his wife established the Hickory House restaurant in 2014, and it specializes in serving 100% CAB-branded product. 

Roger Wann, Poteau, Okla., was elected to the American Angus Association Board in 2022. He was raised on a multigenerational commercial cow-calf ranch. After the purchase of commercial Angus cows and one Angus bull, the benefits of Angus genetics became clear. After graduating from OSU, he earned a master’s in physiology of reproduction from Texas A&M and began a career with ABS Global, where he helped cattle producers learn the value of efficient reproductive management programs. Wann Ranch hosts an annual production sale.

He served on the board for the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association and Oklahoma Angus Association and has helped develop its Angus feeder-calf sale.  

John Stika, CAB president, leads the American Angus Association’s consumer-facing subsidiary. The brand that is owned by registered Angus breeders and operates to create pull-through demand for Angus cattle has grown to more than 1.234 billion pounds of sales annually under his leadership. He joined CAB in 1999 in feeder-packer relations division, before working in business development and assuming the role of president in 2006. He’s a Kansas farm boy, with degrees in animal and meat science from Kansas State University and the University of Kentucky. 
 

RELATED READING: 

Close, But No Certification 

Angus Releases New Teat and Udder Research EPDs 

Angus Releases Cow Longevity Prediction 

AGI White Paper Looks at Future of Phenotyping, Commercial Data 

Producers to be Paid Grid Premiums for AngusLink Beef Scores 

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 Lorna Marshall, Cody Sankey or Don Trimmer hit the road for the bull studs they represent, they’re out to acquire the next great genetic package for their customers. How do they choose? How do they compete with each other and remain friends? What happens next after they’ve made a significant investment? This episode covers all of that, along with their take on the beef-on-diary trend, future challenges to their business model and what could be game changers in the future.

HOSTS: Miranda Reiman and Mark McCully 

GUESTS:   

Lorna Marshall, vice president of beef genetics for Select Sires, grew up on a Simmental operation near Valley Cetner, Kan. She judged livestock at Colby Community College before transferring to Kansas State University and earning a degree in animal science and industry. She was a Block & Bridle officer and a member of the 1990 reserve national champion livestock judging team. After completing her animal breeding master’s at Colorado State University, Lorna worked for the American Gelbvieh Association before beginning her career in the beef artificial insemination (AI) industry. She and her husband, Troy, raised their three children on their ranch in Colorado and now reside in Oklahoma.

Cody Sankey, associate vice president of beef programs at Genex, has been involved in the Angus business his whole life, growing up on his family’s Kansas Angus ranch. He lives near Economy, Ind., with his wife, Lindsay, and their two children, where they are developing their own herd today. He holds a bachelor’s degree in animal science and master’s in ruminant nutrition from Oklahoma State University and is active in National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the Indiana Angus Association and Indiana Beef Cattle Association.  

Don Trimmer, U.S. beef sales manager for Alta Beef Genetics, grew up in Woodsboro, Md., where he worked on his family’s registered Angus farm. He’s a Virginia Tech graduate with a degree in animal science and worked as a regional manager for the American Angus Association for nine years before serving as the vice president of member services for the Illinois Beef Association. He worked 23 years at Accelerated Genetics and was responsible for sire acquisition and product development. In 2017 Don joined Alta Genetics to lead their beef programs in the United States. Don has traveled extensively around the country and the world, promoting U.S. beef genetics and the use of AI in commercial and purebred beef herds. He now resides in Baraboo, Wis., with his wife, Jean. He has four grown daughters and two grandsons. 

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 COVID-19-related cancellations mounted in 2020, it was clear exhibitors wanted a place to show and cattlemen needed a place to sell. In the state of Oklahoma, breeders got busy working their connections, and soon Cattlemen’s Congress was born. Now in its fourth year, the event featured record numbers and record-high sale averages this January. It has become a place of camaraderie, celebration, commerce and competition.  

This episode gathers three individuals who were there for the beginning and have been involved ever since, as they talk about its influence on the state and plans for the future.  

HOSTS: Miranda Reiman and Mark McCully 

GUESTS: Mark Johnson, Tyler Norvell, Donnie Robertson 

Mark Johnson, along with his wife, Brenda, and two daughters, operates J&J Beef Genetics, LLC.  Johnson grew up in Deerfield, Mo., and attended Northeastern Oklahoma A&M junior college and later Oklahoma State University (OSU) before completing his doctorate at Kansas State University in 1992.  

Since then, Johnson has been a professor of animal and food sciences at OSU and has served as supervisor of the OSU Purebred Beef operation for 32 years. At OSU, Johnson has held the Totusek Endowed Chair, been recognized with awards for teaching and advising, conducted youth and beef cattle extension programming, and coached the livestock judging team. He's been very involved in the Oklahoma Angus Association, and in 2024 he and his wife were inducted into the OAA Hall of Fame. 

Tyler Norvell, president of the Oklahoma Youth Expo and board chairman for Cattlemen’s Congress, has deep roots in Oklahoma agriculture. He grew up on his family’s farm and ranch, judged livestock for OSU, and served as vice president of public policy at Oklahoma Farm Bureau. Since 2012, Tyler has worked for the Oklahoma Youth Expo, where he leads in strategy development and fundraising. In addition, he owns a lobbying firm.  

Donnie Robertson was born and raised in Lexington, Ky., and had experience at purebred Angus operations across the country before coming to Express Ranches, Yukon, Okla., 31 years ago. He’s currently the vice president of marketing at Express Ranches, where he travels extensively and attends many purebred Angus sales. He is also responsible for selecting the sale cattle for Express’ six sales held at the ranch each year.  

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.

Wildfires, floods, hurricanes, tornados – when natural disasters hit cattle country, it hurts. Lives and livelihoods are changed, sometimes in mere seconds. Today’s guests, Callie Carson of Laurel Springs, N.C., and Steve Herbst, Salmon, Idaho, talk about the hope that exists in those spaces. From everybody saddling up horses to evacuate ahead of a fire to the donations that poured in after Hurricane Helene, this episode covers some of the similar threads in stories across the United States. It also touches on everything from practical preparations to mental health implications. This conversation will leave you with plenty to think about, whether you’ve experienced disaster, been there to help, or sent cash and prayers across the miles.

HOSTS: Miranda Reiman and Mark McCully

GUESTS: Callie Carson and Steve Herbst

Callie Carson of Laurel Springs, N.C., and her husband raise Angus cattle on a forage-based operation in northwest North Carolina. She also works as a field representative for the North Carolina Farm Bureau Federation. She is currently serving her second term as president of the North Carolina Angus Association, and, in addition to experiencing the effects on their own farm, has been actively involved in Hurricane Helene Relief efforts. 

Steve Herbst operates Nelson Angus Ranch with his family near Salmon, Idaho. His father-in-law, Clyde Nelson, started the registered Angus herd, and they’ve had annual sales every year since 1966. They were early adopters of genomics and have extensive experience in PAP testing. Herbst is known as a leader in the region and often serves as a voting delegate for the American Angus Association annual meeting. 

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.

Starting out in the Angus industry wasn’t easy in the 1980s and 1990s, but as the old adage goes: where there is a will, there is a way. Doug Schroeder, of Clarence, Iowa, and Charlie Boyd, of Mays Lick, Ky., talk about the beginnings of their businesses and the opposite end of that continuum, transitioning to the next generation. They cover the tough decisions they had to make while serving on the American Angus Association Board of Directors and the progressiveness of those before them. This episode takes listeners from the early years of “working at Hardee’s and fixing tires” to living the dream of raising Angus cattle, kids and crops. 

HOSTS: Miranda Reiman and Mark McCully  

GUESTS: Charlie Boyd and Doug Schroeder 

Charlie Boyd II, Mays Lick, Ky., graduated from the University of Kentucky, and after a short stint away, returned back to his family’s Boyd Beef Cattle operation. He and his wife, Paula, added Angus cattle to the historical Hereford herd, and today their sons, Blake and Logan, are raising cattle with them.  

Charlie served two terms on the American Angus Association Board of Directors, and was president and chairman of the Board in 2017. He’s served as president of the Kentucky Angus Association, and he and Paula volunteered as co-chairs of the National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) in 2003 and 2012. He enjoys cattle shows and has evaluated cattle across the United States.  

Doug Schroeder, Schroeder Angus, and his wife, Glenda, were married in 1982 and started their operation near Clarence, Iowa, with the purchase of five head. They have three children who participated in the Angus junior activities, and today their son Drew farms alongside them.  

Doug served on the American Angus Association Board from 2008 to 2014, chairing the Certified Angus Beef Board his final year. He served as the president of the Iowa Angus Association and on the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association board. In addition, Doug and Glenda were both Iowa Junior Angus Advisors for 13 years and chaired the National Junior Angus Show twice. 

RELATED CONTENT:    

President’s Perspective  

Giving Back  

SPONSOR NOTE: Premium cattle marketing meets one of baseball's most iconic venues. Stockmen at the Stadium, LiveAg's inaugural video auction event, is set for Jan. 16, 2025, at Denver's Coors Field. Visit Live-Ag.com to learn more and consign your cattle today. 

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.

Industry consultant Nevil Speer helps illustrate the story of the transformation of the nation’s cowherd during the last decade or so, and Oklahoma producer Jimmy Taylor shares his personal example. Rising to meet consumer expectations has been a self-fulfilling prophecy, where better beef begets more demand, but there are other considerations. 

Can you have the carcass and the cow? How have novel genetic tools allowed for a much faster pace of progress? What’s on the horizon? Answers to all that and more, in this episode that offers a peek at the priorities of the commercial Angus bull buyer. 

HOSTS: Miranda Reiman and Troy Marshall, American Angus Association director of commercial industry relations  

GUESTS: Jimmy Taylor and Nevil Speer  

Jimmy Taylor, an Elk City, Okla., commercial Angus producer, manages around 600 females on 12,000 acres alongside his wife, Tracy. In 2011 they were named the Certified Angus Beef Commitment to Excellence Award winners and in 2013 the Oklahoma Angus Association Commercial Breeder of the Year. Taylor has served on various local boards and recently served on the executive committee for the Cattlemen’s Beef Board. He is a strong proponent of using all the tools available to produce the highest quality beef possible.   

Nevil Speer, Bowling Green, Ky., started his industry consulting business after a career in academia and private industry. He earned a doctorate in animal science from Colorado State University and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Western Kentucky University, where he taught for several decades. He says he’s forever a student of the business and uses his combination of on-farm experience, academic training, and start-up know-how as he consults, writes and speaks across the country. 

RELATED CONTENT:  

A Crucible for Quality  

Beef Market History and Status with Nevil Speer  

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.

It’s not always glamorous but if there’s a will to return home to the ranch, there’s a way. In this episode, the American Angus Association’s two Young Breeder of the Year honorees share their path back to generational Angus operations. 

They suggest there’s more opportunity for young people than ever before and share the opportunities they’ve capitalized on as they’ve come.

“There are people looking for somebody to step up. It’s going to be work and it could be very dirty work, but there will be a reward at the end,” says John McCurry, Burrton, Kan., who joins Cody Quam, Lodi, Wis., for an authentic discussion on how they're making their ways in the Angus business.

HOSTS: Miranda Reiman and Mark McCully 

GUESTS: 
John McCurry, McCurry Angus, Burrton, Kan., says he is “double bred Angus.” His parents Mary and Andy McCurry were two third-generation Angus breeders who met at Kansas State University and started their own operation. Today the ranch operates on 2,000 acres of sandhill pastures near Hutchinson, Kan. Also a graduate of Kansas State, John was an energetic National Junior Angus Association member, actively participating in the show ring and attending national conferences. He capped off his junior career in 2003 as he hung up his green coat for the last time. Today he and his wife, Melody, have three children who compete at the National Junior Angus Show every summer and are capable hired hands during school breaks and weekends. 

Cody Quam, Marda Angus Farms, Lodi, Wis., is a fourth-generation Angus breeder working side-by-side with his family. Cody leads genetic selection and the donor/embryo transfer program as well as sales and marketing. Under his stewardship, the business has earned multiple top honors at the Midland Bull Test. Off the farm, the young breeder stays involved in the cattle industry, as a long-time delegate to the national convention, a graduate of the Beef Leaders Institute and president of the World Beef Expo board. Cody and his wife, Tracy, are raising their two kids, Levi and Paisley, as the fifth generation in the Angus business. Cody was recently awarded the 2024 Young Angus Breeder of the Year award, and he accepted the award at the Angus Convention in Fort Worth, Texas.  

RELATED READING: 
Double Bred Angus
A Tradition of Proficiency  

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.