BIF-Proceedings-Final-flip

12 SEEDSTOCK PRODUCER OF THE YEAR NOMINEES Altenburg Super Baldy Ranch Owners: William and Sharon Altenburg Manager: Russ Princ Fort Collins, Colorado Altenburg Super Baldy Ranch (ASBR) is located in northern Colorado, near the Wyoming border. Their seedstock herd is comprised of 200 spring-calving cows and 40 fall-calving cows, mostly Simmental with some Angus (both black and Red Angus) influence. The registered cows are used to produce both fullblood bulls as well as composite F1 SimAngus bulls for the commercial market. The cow herd is 75 percent black and 25 percent red. Ranch elevation ranges from 5,500 feet in the winter to 6,500-7,500 feet in summer range; therefore, PAP testing is done with the help of Dr. Tim Holt of Colorado State University. PAP scores are provided on every sale bull. A family-owned operation, ASBR provides much of the management and labor, along with Russ Princ, manager. Their genetic program’s success is due in large part to an extensive artificial insemination (AI) and embryo transfer program. Replacement heifers are synchronized and AI-bred two times in the spring. Cows are exposed one time to AI and turned out with individual bulls before going to the “high country” for the summer. Calves are weaned in late September or early October. The mature cows will remain on native grass until Feb. 1 and brought home just before calving starts the middle of February. The Altenburgs hold a bull sale the third Saturday of March, selling approximately 120 bulls. Customers are primarily Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska and Kansas commercial herds. Embryos have also been sold to a long-time customer in Australia for several years. The Altenburg Super Baldy Ranch is proudly nominated by the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. JH Graydon Farm Owners/Managers: Rusty and Debbie Graydon Montgomery, Alabama JH Graydon Farm, located in Montgomery, Ala., is owned and operated by true partners, husband and wife team Rusty and Debbie Graydon. This partnership has produced Angus seedstock for the past 30 years. The herd consists of 70 mature cow-calf pairs, 30 yearling to two-year-old bulls, and 15-20 yearling heifers. The farm operates on 200 owned and 300 acres of leased pastureland. A fall calving season from September through November best utilizes grass supply, weather and age preference of their buyers. JH Graydon Farm markets around 25-30 bulls per year. Using proven genetics, the Graydons strive to produce bulls that will perform in the Southeast’s high humidity, hot temperatures and native grasses to produce genetics that complement the Angus breed and their customers. The Graydons believe continuous genetic improvement is the foundation of success. All EPD values of potential AI sires and donors are analyzed, focusing on weaning, milk and carcass data, and combined with cow production records, to produce calves that meet expectations in adding value. An overall operational goal is the cattle herd must be financially self-supporting, so planning and selecting AI sires and donor cows is crucial to the farm’s financial success. JH Graydon Farm has utilized the Angus Herd Improvement Record (AHIR) system since the late 1980s to record, maintain and analyze all performance records. The Graydons are also active leaders in the Alabama Angus Association, Alabama Beef Cattle Improvement Association and their local county cattlemen’s association. The Alabama Beef Cattle Improvement Association is proud to nominate JH Graydon Farm.