The 2025 American Angus Association Annual Meeting was held over this past weekend- and in today’s Beef Buzz, Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays talks with Oklahoma Angus Breeder and former American Angus National President John Pfeiffer, Jr. Pfeiffer was pleased with the outcome of the meeting, that saw the five incumbent Board members of the breed be reelected in a single vote, signaling support for the decisions made earlier this year in how money was accepted for a research project on beef cow efficiencies as it relates to methane gas produced.
Pfeiffer reflected on recent debates surrounding funding for methane and cow efficiency research tied to the Bezos Earth Fund. In Kansas city at the annual meeting “We did have some discussion on the funding,” Pfeiffer said, adding that the board and association “made some mistakes in the way we advertised it,” but emphasized that “the research needed to be done.” He explained that similar work had already been initiated by other organizations, noting, “Zoetis had been doing some, ST Genetics had been doing some… and in terms of being at the forefront, we’re actually really, really far behind.”
Pfeiffer defended the decision to participate in the research partnership, stressing both practicality and responsibility. “My take on it is, he’s got a whole lot of money, and we might as well use his money as ours,” he said, pointing out that the Angus Association “didn’t have $5 million laying around to do the research that’s going to happen with this.” He described the project as a rare chance to “get some real data on cows, their efficiency in grass and what methane they’re making,” shifting focus from previous feedlot studies to more accurate pasture-based findings.
He also addressed concerns that some members raised about the potential outcomes of the research. Pfeiffer was pragmatic: “Somebody said, well, what if the research is bad? Well, it’s much better for us to be in charge of bad research than it is those that are opposed to us.” He emphasized that transparency and adaptability would benefit the breed either way. “If things are really, really bad, then we need to make some changes. If really good, then we can talk about it… and help our producers get better and use those cows which are more efficient.”
On the political side of the association, Pfeiffer confirmed that the membership ultimately reaffirmed support for the existing board. “We had like 10 candidates up,” he said. “Those that are kind of in opposition to the research put up five new candidates… and we elected the five incumbent board members on one ballot.” He credited members with recognizing the value of continuity, saying the vote showed, “We liked what they were doing… and the association admitted that they made some mistakes and would work to improve that.”
Looking ahead, Pfeiffer reiterated his belief that Angus breeders must remain open to progress. “We try to be, and we want to be at the forefront the whole time,” he said. Reflecting on his years of leadership, he added, “One of my biggest fears as I was a board member is that I would be too blind to see the next thing that we need to be doing research on.” Pfeiffer concluded by reminding listeners that innovation in the Angus breed often began as a leap of faith: “If we’d had social media back then when we were trying to do [EPDs and AI], we might have not ever gotten them passed.”
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
