Think about the long game in life, the path chosen. When did you know it was your path, when did you commit to it and how did you know?
Cheryl Mitchell, a leadership training consultant, posed that to the American Hereford Association’s (AHA) third Seedstock Academy class. Then she described how connections serve as a catalyst in the long game as seemingly unrelated elements coalesce over time and in often surprising ways.
A few of the class members knew each other, a couple were even college roommates. Mostly, though, they knew of each other. All might be young in their careers, but they are already heavily invested in the breed and its future.
“The most impactful thing for me was seeing how much optimism there is in the breed and what we as breeders, along with the association, are doing to take big strides to increase our genetic selection and really the overall quality of the breed,” said Miles Hoffman, Hoffman Herefords, Leola, SD, describing his Academy experience. “I think it is really good that while taking those great strides and with genetics continuing to improve, we’re still holding onto the tradition of what Hereford cattle stand for, and that’s supporting the commercial producers who are ultimately our customers.”
The Hereford Seedstock Academy is an intensive four-day learning experience carefully designed to provide participants with insights from leaders within all segments of the cattle industry. The opportunity also offers participants an insider view of AHA programs. The 2025 class began at the association’s headquarters in Kansas City, MO, and then made stops in Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming.
Class members heard from industry leaders and related businesses during the event, which provided candid perspectives grounded in decades of experience.
For instance, Mark Core, Vermeer executive vice president and chief marketing officer, challenged the class to consider what they know about current and prospective customers and how to market their benefits to them.
“He makes you think about it without you even realizing that you’re thinking about it,” said Kacie Kursave, Hoffman Ranch, Thedford, NE. “He really dove deep into marketing, and that’s the main reason I came here.”
It wasn’t just Kursave that left the Academy with new insights on engaging customers and marketing Hereford genetics, though. “What are some little things that we can do at our place that maybe don’t cost a lot but make a massive difference and engage customers throughout the process?” recalled Austin Cole, Rockin C Cattle Co., Bowling Green, KY.
“There were so many key ideas from Mark Core,” adds Ivan Blume, Blume Ranch, Redfield, SD. “How to promote and evaluate yourself and do that evaluation on a regular basis, and keeping in contact with customers, locking down every piece of information you can about that person to help you understand what the producer needs to do and what your customer wants.”
Embracing opportunity
Speaking of customers, plenty of conversations before and during the Academy centered around Hereford’s role in the commercial cattle industry, its opportunities and the growing demand for Hereford bulls.
“We are in the driver’s seat to make a very impactful difference in our industry,” said Denise Loyning of L Bar W Cattle Co., Absarokee, MT. “The maternal side is what I think is going to drive this … If there’s going to be any type of movement in the (national) cow herd it has to come from the maternal side, and I think that’s where we, as a breed, are extremely good.”
More specifically, Blume notes the growing demand for Hereford-sired replacement females.
“I think it’s the best of both worlds,” he said. “I mean, you can produce a female that’s highly fertile, and then you also don’t give up any carcass traits within that steer calf or that F1 baldy female that is kept as a replacement. You don’t give up anything there on a maternal or carcass side. It’s just nothing compares to the old black baldy, and I’m a Hereford guy.”
Research and data drive improvement
Academy members discovered more about AHA programs and research that validate these breed advantages. A stop at Olsen Ranches, Harrisburg, NE— the mainstay lynchpin of Hereford’s National Reference Sire Program—was a highlight for all, as they could see how various data and research meld together.
“I was really excited to go to Olsens to see some of the research that we’re doing as a breed to actually prove our progress. I mean, we can tell our commercial customers and other producers that we’ve made progress, but this is actual hard data that we can show them and show our success and our hard work,” said Peter Rausch of Rausch Herefords, Hoven, SD.
“A lot of times, you read Shane Bedwell’s article in the Herford World about some new research that’s going on, or whatever it might be, but really connecting those dots and getting to know a little bit more of the how and why behind some of the initiatives and where the association is headed, that’s been a really intriguing part for me,” Cole said.
Besides capturing data and doing the necessary research, Chance Wiese of Wiese and Sons, Manning, IA, said, “One of the things I took away from this week is how do we get that information out and tell that story, not only as an operation but from a breed standpoint, to show Hereford cattle are more efficient, that they are going to add more pounds and how that will benefit our customers in the very end? I think we can all do a better job of doing it, and it’s not just our obligation to do it for our own farm or ranch, but it’s our obligation, as good breeders, to do it for the breed and the association, as well.”
Connections provide power
Think back to the initial challenge posed to participants when the most recent Seedstock Academy began—understanding connections as a catalyst to the long game. There is no question this year’s class took it to heart.
“Who you meet today, you never know how you’re going to interact with them in five years, 10 years, maybe 20 years from today,” Cole said. “I think the networking experience has been second to none, and the speakers that were brought in throughout the whole week. It’s just been really good to network and to learn from them. Every session, every step, we’ve been able to take something of value out of it.”
For that matter, Loyning explains one of her key takeaways revolved around spending time at the AHA headquarters and interacting with staff.
“I’ve learned they are so committed to the breed, which you always want to assume, as that’s our headquarters and the people we go to when we have problems,” she said. “But going to the office and visiting with a lot of the staff, it is true that you come home to Hereford. You see how committed they are to us as seedstock producers and to our customers in the commercial sector. The staff is truly committed. The association is committed, and it is refreshing.”
Similarly, Kursave said, “The Hereford Association is honestly one big family. I didn’t grow up in the Hereford industry, I grew up in the commercial cattle business, so I’m very new to this whole business. I was so thankful for everybody taking me in under their wing, treating me like family.”
Of course, much of the week’s education came from Academy students sharing insights with each other, ranging from production practices to experience with AHA programs.
For instance, Darrin Reed of Reed Polled Herefords at Clifton, KS, visited about how his operation utilizes the Hereford Feedout Program.
“It’s really helped us select bulls for our operation and getting that data back has been invaluable because we’re able to take that data and figure out what we need in our program,” Reed explains. “Getting the data back every year moves us forward, and it shows us what we’re good at, what we’re maybe lacking and what we need to improve on.”
Intentional leadership development
“These young adults that are in the Seedstock Academy are invested in their family’s ranches. They’re the future of this breed. They’re making breeding decisions now. They’re going to help progress this breed into the future,” said Chad Breeding, immediate past AHA president, who attended a portion of the Academy.
Breeding explains the Hereford Seedstock Academy is a key tactic for developing AHA leadership, which is a core strategy of its Strategic Plan.
“I think it’s very important because we’re the only breed that does this,” Breeding said. “There are members of this class and previous classes that will be AHA Board members five, 10, 12 years down the road. Giving them the knowledge and the head start of what we’re trying to do, I think is just key to a whole lot of things.”
The Hereford Seedstock Academy assembled to share and learn. The Hereford breed benefited.
“What’s encouraging for me is to be alongside a lot of the young Hereford breeders. It tells me, not only just in the Hereford breed, but in the commercial cattle industry as well, there are young individuals eager to get in back into this business,” Wiese said.
“Just learning from the experience of the leadership in this industry and then also the enthusiasm and ideas from these young breeders,” Reed said. “It just makes me feel good to know the breed is good hands with these young breeders.” — Wes Ishmael, Hereford World executive editor
