The Angus Conversation

Keeping the breed moving forward, guided by the membership — that's the role of the American Angus Association Board of Directors. The group met this week to:  Review fiscal year trends in fiscal numbers and program enrollments   Address member feedback on everything from amplifying the Pathfinder® program to a rule change for donor dams   Adopt an updated tissue sample archival policy    Get...

What happens when the beef and dairy worlds intersect? Randall Grimimus, California cattle feeder and Angus breeder, joins the podcast to talk about the ever-evolving beef-on-dairy sector and how Angus fits into it. From raising day-old calves to scaling his family operation, Grimmius shares how data, genetics and relationships have built his business. He is grounded in faith and guided by a stron...

The Angus Women Connected Conference intends to do just that: foster relationships among breeders from across the country. Three cattlewomen share their experience of getting off the ranch to learn from both invited speakers and each other, creating a community of people they can now call on when they need outside expertise. From encouraging the next generation in agriculture to advocating for the...

The Brown family has always been growth-minded and goal-oriented, but each generation has left their own mark on the historic R.A. Brown Ranch. This episode covers a lot of ground, including how they think about cattle and horse breeding, ways they help their customers make use of all the data available, and why building a community matters to them. Take a deep dive into their family’s approach to...

Brent Thiel was early in his career with the American International Charolais Association when he got a nudge that changed the trajectory for him and his family. He bought a ranch and started a partnership that would span nearly four decades. During that time they grew the Lindskov-Thiel Ranch to become a household name in western South Dakota, with Angus and Charolais genetics that traveled aroun...

When ag education student Molly Lusk went looking for a hands-on experience to make her a more well-rounded ag teacher in the future, the Talon Internship Program through the Angus Foundation piqued her interest. The North Carolina native immersed herself in the Wye Angus crew, doing everything from heat detection and moving cattle to baling hay and gathering carcass data. The University of Maryla...

Alan Miller has a long list of Angus champions associated with his Prairie View Farms prefix, but the roster shouldn’t be mistaken for a simple overnight success. He’s a third-generation Angus breeder who, along with his family, grew the small cow herd of his childhood into a premier show cattle operation near Gridley, Ill.  At the same time, Miller was helping beef producers across the state in a...

The beef industry is a beautiful blend of long-standing traditions and forward-thinking innovation. How much technology to embrace, when to use it and for what purpose — those are questions that often challenge producers, no matter the size of their operation.  Trey Patterson, Padlock Ranch, and Janette Barnard, Merck Animal Health, share how they think about the future of the business. Covering e...

If the last U.S. herd rebuild can be described as a “jackrabbit” rebuild, this current period is completely the opposite, says Oklahoma State University economist Darrell Peel. The beef industry is on pace for a slow rebuild, and this episode of The Angus Conversation dives into the “why.” Cattle feeder Steve Sunderman and stocker-operator Gene Copenhaver join Peel to discuss tight supplies, margi...

There’s strong demand for Angus genetics, and the American Angus Association Board of Directors met this week in Saint Joseph, Mo., to discuss ways to keep providing its members with the tools and services to help keep them in the lead. Some of the topics covered in the quarterly meeting include:   The Commercial Pathway, a new communication effort to help explain how the breed’s industry-facing g...

Finding Angus outliers is both easier than it used to be and more competitive than ever. Aaron Arnett, Dick Beck and Doug Frank share decades of experience in the artificial insemination (AI) business, describing the changes in both the breed and the beef industry. In this episode of The Angus Conversation , they discuss everything from the ways they find bulls to trends in traits of importance. T...

Blending history with a completely reimagined footprint, the National Western Stock Show (NWSS) is steadily transforming into an updated space for commerce, connection and consumer outreach. Both guests have family roots that run deep at the Denver location.   Brent Vieselmeyer, Vision Angus, remembers stories of his dad riding the train along with his 4-H steers to show in the big city. From the...

When Josh Worthington was driving up and down the highway, working with Angus breeders across the state, he couldn’t imagine a better job than executive director of the Missouri Angus Association. But then he and his wife, Corry, started raising their family, and he knew he needed a job that kept him at home more often. Worthington Angus was born and quickly grew to include two production sales a...

The balance between applying the gas pedal and the brake — that’s what Barb Downey has spent her career as an Angus breeder perfecting. She and her family ranch near Manhattan, Kan., where they work hard each year to make their “built for the long haul” tagline true. The cattle they breed have to last, and their business plans ensure their ranch will, too. Downey talks about her “safe to fail” app...

What starts as a dream takes both capital and creativity, paired with a strong dose of hard work, to make it a reality. Sometimes the extra “umph” is someone else who helps along the way. For both Calli Williams, Mitchell, S.D., and Jake McCaleb, Gordonsville, Tenn., they had a passion for the Angus business that industry veterans helped them cultivate. Hear how these producers in opposite parts o...

From his early years growing up as “Dr. Dan’s son” to paving his own way in the cattle business, Randy Daniel, Colbert, Ga., has always had a keen eye for cattle. Combining that with Angus tools, he grew his cow herd and his reputation in the business — and he shares many solid bits of wisdom from that growth in this episode. A long sought-after judge, Daniel has been all across the globe evaluati...

In this bonus episode, new American Angus Association president Jim Brinkley joins fellow Board members Darrell Stevenson and Ron Hinrichsen to recap Angus Convention, what they learned and the conversations had among Angus breeders in Kansas City. The 142nd Annual Convention of Delegates concluded the weekend of education, fellowship and celebration. The group shares updates about newly elected l...

HOSTS: Mark McCully and John Stika GUEST: Gary Smith Gary Smith had no plans to become a meat scientist. In this episode, Smith shares how he found his path in the industry to dedicating more than six decades helping transform the beef industry through research, education and mentoring. He highlights how far the industry has come, including the development of vacuum packaging and the important wor...

HOSTS: Miranda Reiman and Mark McCully   GUESTS: James Coffey James Coffey’s granddad discouraged him from returning to the farm. But he did it anyway. This episode covers Coffey’s path from business owner back to the Hustonville, Ky., farm, and details his No. 1 focus: the commercial customer. Knowing their needs turned into a large customer buyback program, which is an additional source of both...

HOSTS: Miranda Reiman and Mark McCully  GUESTS: Mick and Ross Varilek Varilek Angus Ranch was Angus when Angus wasn’t the norm.  After a rough dehorning experience, Elvern Varilek turned to the breed in the 1940s, and the family has never looked back. Mick Varilek returned to the ranch after graduating from South Dakota State University, with his new bride, Lynn, and they raised three children alo...

The American Angus Association Board of Directors met in Saint Joseph, Mo., Sept. 8-11 and covered a variety of topics including:   Long-range Association objectives   Research project updates  Review of genomic ownership policy   Association financial forecasts and entity budgets  Events and opportunities to come at the 2025 Angus Convention  HOST : Mark McCully  GUESTS : Jonathan Perry , chairma...

HOSTS: Miranda Reiman and Mark McCully   GUESTS: David and Carol Medeiros  Starting out as first-generation Angus breeders wasn’t easy, but David and Carol Medeiros were determined to make it work. In the tough agriculture climate of the 1980s, they balanced off-farm jobs, raising kids and managing cattle near Denair, Calif. With teamwork and hard work, they grew their operation and partnered with...

HOSTS: Miranda Reiman and Mark McCully   GUEST: Paul Hill   Paul Hill says he’s been lucky in life, but his path would indicate more than luck. The longtime Angus breeder grew up on a peanut farm and commercial cattle operation in Florida, but his lifetime in the cattle business has taken him from Missouri to the East Coast and eventually to Ohio. Paul and his business partner, Marshall Reynolds,...

Starting a small business is no small feat, but doing so while also juggling schoolwork and cattle work? That's a challenge that these podcast guests have proven they’re ready to tackle. Corbin Russell, Paxico, Kan., and Kasey Meyer, Blue Hill, Neb., both grew up in the National Junior Angus Association, so they had a feel for managing chores and schedules, but they also have another thing in...

International experience has a way of changing people, and several young Angus producers recently got the chance to learn that firsthand. While at the National Junior Angus Show in Tulsa, Okla., Sam Jordan spoke about his time at the Royal Highland Show in Scotland, and Tucker Stagemeyer and Jonwyn Ayres recapped their World Angus Forum experience from Australia. They talked about adapting to diff...