I carry a vivid memory as a 6- or 7-year-old kid sitting on my grandfather’s black leather couch and him reading the Western Livestock Journal at the kitchen table. He relied on the information on those pages. It was then that I started to respect what WLJ meant to ranchers.
Later, I came home from college one weekend and told him I was interviewing with the American Angus Association (AAA). As a staunch Hereford breeder, he asked if the American Hereford Association (AHA) had anything available, and why didn’t I try to go there!? With the air let out of my sail, my professional life began shortly thereafter with AAA in the spring of 2007.
As the world would come full circle, in the fall of 2011, Jerry York and Pete Crow approached me about joining the WLJ team. Jerry was looking for a transition to slow down and ease into retirement, and Pete was looking for the next generation of field staff. I was having thoughts that I wanted to know if I had what it took to be a commission-based salesman and survive as a livestock marketer.
It made sense for all of us, and we built our strategy to make the move. On Jan. 1, 2012, I started my tenure with WLJ. When I told Grandpa this is what I was doing, he was more than overjoyed with the news—more so than if I had gone to work for AHA! He passed away two months after I took this role, knowing me as a WLJ fieldman.
For the first few years, I held the Southwest states before Jerry fully retired, and I took over the six western states. Over the next few years, we would recruit Devin Murnin to replace Jerry Gliko and later Ty Groshans to replace Jim Gies. It’s been a fun ride, and I’ve been part of two incredible field staffs for WLJ. I’m thankful for their mentorship and support.
In all of this, Pete would always remind us that without good editorial, we don’t have a business. That rings so true, and I’ve seen Anna Fortozo and Charles Wallace become a true force in the editorial realm of livestock publications. They were a cornerstone to what we were building. From there, a production team that expanded into a strong digital presence has helped keep WLJ atop the places that beef cattle news is sought after.
As WLJ approached its 100-year mark, I didn’t realize the journey the last few years would be. Stepping into a leadership role and leading this team was a dream come true and I’m thankful for the support and trust in that role. My kids are growing older, and I don’t want to miss their sports and activities. At this time, it makes complete sense from a multitude of angles to pursue other opportunities and ideas. I couldn’t do this without WLJ’s support over the last 14 years. I am eternally grateful to them.
The WLJ readership is a loyal and educated group. They are astute cattlemen who run large operations, study industry events, and stay current on genetics, business and trends. I cannot stress enough that this publication is nothing without its loyal readership. Over the years, they have become family, and I hope to have served you all with professionalism, dignity and respect. While some may not have always agreed with me on current affairs, there was always a level of respect when I talked to readers. Thank you so much for your continued support.
In a perfect world, WLJ continues for decades more, and I truly hope it does. I hope there is another young kid out there seeing his dad or grandpa reading the WLJ and gaining the respect that I did. Even though I am moving on to other things, my respect for WLJ will continue, and I pray my influence on this publication was for the best. Thank you all for your weekly support, and thank you to my team and staff that made the day-to-day operations so successful.
I firmly believe beef cattle production is a relationship enterprise. Without relationships, we really don’t have much to show. When I would write a column, I would wonder how it was going to affect my relationships with the readers. As I have traveled to sales and events, the one thing I always looked forward to was catching up with people. I’m thankful for the relationships in this business and I am excited for the future to build more. So, for the last time at WLJ, thank you again, and God Bless You. — LOGAN IPSEN
