The 2024 “Two-Steppin’ Across Texas” Livestock Tour presented by WLJ wrapped up a successful week in the Lone Star State from May 19-25. The six-day tour drew 120 attendees from 16 states, providing a deep dive into the heart of Texas ranching and agriculture. This year’s tour marked the first time the planning and implementation were handled by Devin and Samantha Murnin, who took the reins under the guidance of Pete Crow and Jerry York.
From the opening banquet to the concluding walk along the Alamo and San Antonio River Walk, the tour was a testament to the passion, hospitality and pride that define those involved in Texas agriculture. Despite the heat and humidity of south and southeastern Texas, attendees enjoyed a week of ranch visits, local historical attractions and scenic drives across the countryside.
Night 1
The tour kicked off on Sunday, May 19 with a banquet dinner at the host hotel in San Antonio, TX. Attendees enjoyed a steak dinner with all the fixings, a fitting start to what would be a week of great meals. One thing is for sure: attendees did not go hungry over the week!
{{tncms-asset app=”editorial” id=”a3c160f2-1f5a-11ef-a3e5-4b2c7aa2f2d7″}}
Merrie Hathaway, the tour’s longest-attending participant, was recognized, along with Ray Prock, who drove the farthest all the way from central California. The night set the tone for the camaraderie that would be shared over the week.
Day 1
{{tncms-asset app=”editorial” id=”1dd346f6-1f5d-11ef-bfc9-8b9b38bc77aa”}}
Monday began with a visit to HeartBrand Beef, where attendees learned about their Akaushi cattle operation. HeartBrand Beef, which started in 1994, was the first to import Akaushi cattle into the U.S. from Japan. The ranch now manages around 3,000 cows and processes 400 head weekly. Their all-natural program emphasizes high marbling and superior beef quality.
{{tncms-asset app=”editorial” id=”b0173160-1f5a-11ef-b4f6-772c8794e999″}}
After a quick stop at Blue Bell Creameries for an afternoon ice cream treat, the tour moved to Collier Farms, a registered Beefmaster operation. Spanning three counties, Collier Farms runs 800-1,000 head annually. The ranch chose the Beefmaster breed for its adaptability and maternal qualities, which thrives under the ranch’s low-input management strategy.
Day 2
{{tncms-asset app=”editorial” id=”3b4115b0-1f5d-11ef-b7a0-6b065da44213″}}
Tuesday’s highlights included a visit to Scarmardo Cattle Co., where Pete Scarmardo and his son, Craig, shared about their cattle order-buying business. The business began in 1976 and has grown into a full-time team attending auctions six days a week in the Southeast to obtain cattle for buyers. The operation will background many cattle on coastal Bermuda grass before sending them into a yard. As Pete Scarmardo noted, “Everything has a value,” and the team will buy all kinds of cattle to fit each buyer’s operation.
{{tncms-asset app=”editorial” id=”b03bb4f4-1f5a-11ef-b474-eff586e51f6c”}}
The tour then visited 44 Farms, known for its Angus genetics. The ranch produces around 2,000 bulls annually, in addition to procuring 240,000 head of cattle a year for Walmart’s beef supply. 44 Farms’ Prime Pursuits buy-back program under the McClaren Farms program supplies a steady flow of Angus beef to over 565 Walmart stores across the southeastern U.S. The ranch also emphasizes performance tracking through its Prime Intelligence program, which tracks metrics and provides reports back to producers.
{{tncms-asset app=”editorial” id=”34317f44-1f5d-11ef-a7ed-6f41fc7ed61a”}}
The day ended at Granada Farms’ racehorse breeding facility, where tour attendees were able to view horses in the stallion barn and witness some of the mare-foal pairs out on pasture. The facility offers a comprehensive service for clients to bring their mares to be bred, foaled out and the foals sold as yearlings. Prominent stallions were out on display, including One Famous Eagle, which is the all-time leading first-crop sire in history.
Day 3
Wednesday’s morning began with an unexpected adventure for one of the bus drivers, who found himself stuck in the hotel elevator, adding a bit of humor to the day. The day’s visits showcased the innovation in cattle breeding at both the ranch level and the commercial level.
{{tncms-asset app=”editorial” id=”404b378e-1f5d-11ef-ae3b-a7eae3612f3d”}}
The morning’s first stop at Integrated Breeders Service gave an insight into the company’s range of reproductive services, which includes semen collection and storage, AI and embryo transfer. A tour of the facilities gave attendees a chance to view the semen storage areas and learn more about the collection process. The company isn’t limited to bull semen collection—they also offer services for horses, goats, sheep, dogs and deer.
{{tncms-asset app=”editorial” id=”b4c29560-1f5a-11ef-90ea-8b2aab952a62″}}
At Brewer Land and Cattle, the ranch utilizes Brahman genetics with Angus bulls. About 75% of the ranch’s bulls come from 44 Farms, and most calves are sold back to the Prime Pursuits program. Vulture predation is a problem on the ranch and is mitigated by retaining horns on Brahman cows. With storms this year already delivering 40 of the expected 44 inches of annual rainfall, attendees witnessed the green pastures of the sprawling ranch.
{{tncms-asset app=”editorial” id=”54bbddcc-1f5d-11ef-a941-b3adac2addf4″}}
Then it was onto Mound Creek Ranch, which got its start in the seedstock Brangus business in 1988. Owner Eddie Blazek and herd manager Tracy Holbert provided insights into the breed and the ranch’s emphasis on the cow in the herd. As Blazek noted, “The strength of the Brangus cow herd is the cow that built it.” Attendees were treated to 16 oz. ribeye steaks and cobbler for dinner and received the true East Texas experience on the drive back to the hotel, with a big storm passing through.
Day 4
{{tncms-asset app=”editorial” id=”600de99e-1f5e-11ef-87f2-774180dbca5e”}}
On Thursday, attendees headed back to school and spent the morning at the Texas A&M Beef Center. Drs. Ky Pohler and Jason Cleere shared information about Texas’ cattle industry and some of the college’s work on reproductive efficiency. Dr. Davey Griffin broke down data from the latest National Beef Quality Audit, and the visit concluded with a cattle handling demonstration by Dr. Ron Gill.
{{tncms-asset app=”editorial” id=”807dd572-1f5e-11ef-ac6a-7fe85f2b848a”}}
The day continued with a visit to STgenetics, a reproductive services company that most notably sorts sexed semen, performing custom work in addition to owning donor cows. The company has an Angus herd and Brahman herd with 350 females and manages 30 Akaushi clone females and a group of Giorlando crosses. Whitetail deer are in high demand in the area, and the species takes priority over all other animals for STgenetics.
{{tncms-asset app=”editorial” id=”a0607476-1f5e-11ef-9588-539a9fedb70c”}}
Day 5
Friday featured a visit to V8 Ranch, renowned for its Brahman cattle. Jim Williams, 2024 Saddle and Sirloin Portrait Gallery inductee, shared the ranch’s rich history and led tour attendees on a tour of the ranch. With 400 Brahmans and 2,000 commercial Brahman cross cows, V8 Ranch exports cattle to 46 different countries. One of the ranch’s biggest challenges is urban sprawl from Houston, which creeps closer every day.
{{tncms-asset app=”editorial” id=”bd8c4d58-1f5a-11ef-8031-577d2a1f287a”}}
The day concluded at the Luling Foundation, established in 1927 to teach diversity in agriculture and improve ranching families’ lives in nearby counties. Bodey Langford, owner of Langford Angus and an active leader in the foundation, was set to host attendees at his ranch, but unfortunately a tornado hit the ranch shortly before the tour came to Texas. Langford and manager Mike Kuck shared the foundation’s role in supporting the commercial cattleman and promoting agricultural literacy.
{{tncms-asset app=”editorial” id=”f27e70c8-1f5e-11ef-8dbc-0f698527d6ab”}}
Day 6
The final day of the tour concluded with a visit to Weinhiemer Ranch, a family operation dating back to the late 1800s. The ranch is still family operated 146 years later and focuses on raising Hereford cattle in addition to Spanish goats. The family also raises Jacobs sheep, which have four horns growing in different directions, for the hunting market. The ranch is a true testament to adapting to a changing market amid decreasing cattle numbers in south Texas.
{{tncms-asset app=”editorial” id=”d37357d8-1f5a-11ef-9dbb-dfe8b6f5d304″}}
Attendees then headed to Luckenbach, TX, a place that may sound familiar if you are a Waylon Jennings or Willie Nelson fan. Attendees enjoyed lunch in the outdoor dancehall and even had a chance to sing in Luckenbach as it was attendee Kit Simmie’s birthday! The tour finished up back in San Antonio, where attendees braved the 110-plus F temperatures to tour the historic Alamo and enjoy a stroll along the San Antonio River Walk.
{{tncms-asset app=”editorial” id=”ce1535cc-1f5a-11ef-a483-0bcb46c57496″}}
Reflections
The Livestock Tour is a great opportunity for seasoned attendees and new travelers alike to explore agriculture away from home. This year, tour attendees included the third-generation Rose family from Washington. The matriarch and patriarch of the family, Janie and Bob Rose, have been loyal tour attendees for 22 tours. This year, son and daughter-in-law, Jim and Robyn, joined along with grandsons Shaun, Brett and Drew.
{{tncms-asset app=”editorial” id=”11bdd8a4-1f5d-11ef-ae6e-e30e757263a5″}}
Drew is credited with posing the idea to join the grandparents on the tour after hearing so many stories about their tour travels over the years. This year’s tour lived up to past stories, and the family enjoyed experiencing the Texas countryside and especially noted the connections and ideas they discovered along the way. Some of the tour stops lent inspiration to some new ideas for the family ranch, including implementing the use of Brangus genetics and making changes to cattle handling facilities.
“You tend to put your nose to the grindstone at your own place,” Jim Rose told WLJ. “It’s nice to get around to other places and see how they do things. You have to commit yourself to being a lifelong learner. The six words that will put you out of business are: ‘We’ve always done it that way.’”
Brett added that as a cattle producer it’s easy to get into a routine and get complacent, and sometimes you don’t think about new ways of doing things until you see what someone else is doing.
From state-of-the-art reproductive technologies to time-honored breeding practices, the tour highlighted the diverse approaches that allow beef and cattle industry to thrive in Texas. Stay tuned for more details about next year’s tour! — Anna Miller, WLJ managing editor
