Last week, we hosted our Annual Conference in Austin, Texas, where packers, distributors, retailers, restaurateurs and producers united to honor their shared commitment to deliver the Certified Angus Beef ® brand to consumers worldwide.This event is for our partners first, with content specifically built to support their teams to sell more Certified Angus Beef ® brand. But it’s also a time to celebrate the hard work happening across the supply chain to not only raise high-quality Angus cattle, but also the accomplishments of our retail and foodservice partners.
Below, we highlight this year’s seven producer awards, who were recognized last week on the big stage.
| 7 Families Earn Production Awards |
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| Seedstock Commitment to Excellence: Tehama Angus RanchThe Borror family has raised Angus cattle for three generations, among rows of orchards across the Northern California rangeland. Bill, his son Kevin and his grandson Bryce Borror balance maternal strength, carcass merit, and customer profitability while stewarding decades-old pastures and using data-driven breeding decisions. |
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| Commercial Commitment to Excellence: Willis Ranch Six generations of ranching on Wyoming and Utah lands shaped the Willis family’s approach to raising Angus cattle. In the high desert, Willis Ranch combines traditional stockmanship with modern genetic tools, like GeneMax® Advantage™ and AngusLinkSM, to produce cattle that thrive and meet high-quality carcass targets. |
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| Feedyard Commitment to Excellence: 4K Cattle LLC At 4K Cattle LLC near Hills, Minnesota, the Knoblochs focus on quality over scale. They’ve built a system where detail, consistency and relationships deliver premium results. The Knoblochs pens are filled with home-raised calves and those sourced from Dakota ranches. All fed cattle are marketed on the grid through Upper Iowa Beef. |
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| Canadian Commitment to Excellence: Cross Cattle Co. In the foothills of the Canadian Rockies, brothers Austin and Malcolm Cross are building on a century of family history on this land. They focus on quality from the start, with clear intentions to raise cattle that perform well in the pasture and consistently meet high standards for carcass merit. |
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| Sustainability Award: Means Ranch CompanyAcross the Davis Mountain foothills in Texas, cowboys drive Angus cows over sparse grama and greasewood under a pitiless sun. Jon and Jackie Means manage the ranch with sustainable grazing, water conservation and careful selection of Angus genetics, producing high-quality beef while protecting the environment. |
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| Ambassador Award: Maplecrest FarmsThe beef business is built on partnerships, some sealed by pen, some with a handshake. At Maplecrest Farms in Hillsboro, Ohio, Joanie Grimes and her family bridge every step of the beef supply chain, from raising Angus seedstock to managing a retail meat store and hosting food industry partners. |
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| Progressive Partner: Zybach AngusIn the Texas Panhandle, the Zybachs raise cattle with care and lift others along the way. During his time as president of the Texas Angus Association, Steve Zybach saw the need to help smaller producers be more profitable. He acted on it, creating value-added program feeder calf sales in conjunction with various auction barns across the state. |
