Keith Belk Wins 2025 BQA Educator Award
Feb. 2025
Dr. Keith Belk, Director of the Center for Meat Safety and Quality and Monfort Chair at Colorado State University (CSU), was recently recognized as the recipient of the 2025 National Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Educator Award. Belk was honored in San Antonio, at the Cattle Industry Annual Convention on February 5. He is among four other cattle industry members receiving 2025 BQA Awards.
Belk is well known for his involvement and contributions to the National Beef Quality Audit (NBQA), being involved since it was established in 1988. Belk has worked to share the results of the NBQA to both academic and producer audiences, which has improved the focus of cattle management practices to emphasize effects on meat quality outcomes. He believes that education, both internal and to external stakeholders, is paramount to his role at the university.
“There is no successful sovereign country anywhere in the world where education is not an important aspect of the culture.” Belk said. “Our entire existence [as a land grant university] should be predicated on helping producers out in the state be more successful, more sustainable, improve their livelihood, improve the economies and the communities around them.”
The BQA awards ceremony honors top producers and marketers within the industry. The National BQA program recognizes Belk’s dedicated efforts to improve beef quality and safety, which are backed by his ability to help cattle producers at the ranch and feedlot. His commitment has helped map opportunities to improve meat quality and recapture value through the beef supply chain.
“Dr. Belk has been a mentor to me for the past decade as I have served in the role of BQA State Coordinator,” said Libby Bigler, Colorado BQA State Coordinator and CSU Animal Sciences Instructor. “His historical perspectives and institutional knowledge have provided a solid foundation for the Colorado BQA program to thrive. His research has truly benefited individual cattle producers and the industry as a whole.”
Belk earned both his Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from CSU in the 1980s. He received his Ph.D. in Meat Science from Texas A&M University in 1992, and he continues to serve as a valuable faculty member in CSU’s Department of Animal Sciences.
For more information on Dr. Belk and the award, visit: www.bqa.org/beef-quality-assurance-awards
Belk is well known for his involvement and contributions to the National Beef Quality Audit (NBQA), being involved since it was established in 1988. Belk has worked to share the results of the NBQA to both academic and producer audiences, which has improved the focus of cattle management practices to emphasize effects on meat quality outcomes. He believes that education, both internal and to external stakeholders, is paramount to his role at the university.
“There is no successful sovereign country anywhere in the world where education is not an important aspect of the culture.” Belk said. “Our entire existence [as a land grant university] should be predicated on helping producers out in the state be more successful, more sustainable, improve their livelihood, improve the economies and the communities around them.”
The BQA awards ceremony honors top producers and marketers within the industry. The National BQA program recognizes Belk’s dedicated efforts to improve beef quality and safety, which are backed by his ability to help cattle producers at the ranch and feedlot. His commitment has helped map opportunities to improve meat quality and recapture value through the beef supply chain.
“Dr. Belk has been a mentor to me for the past decade as I have served in the role of BQA State Coordinator,” said Libby Bigler, Colorado BQA State Coordinator and CSU Animal Sciences Instructor. “His historical perspectives and institutional knowledge have provided a solid foundation for the Colorado BQA program to thrive. His research has truly benefited individual cattle producers and the industry as a whole.”
Belk earned both his Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from CSU in the 1980s. He received his Ph.D. in Meat Science from Texas A&M University in 1992, and he continues to serve as a valuable faculty member in CSU’s Department of Animal Sciences.
For more information on Dr. Belk and the award, visit: www.bqa.org/beef-quality-assurance-awards
VanWinkle Ranch Wins 2024 BQA Cow-Calf Award
Feb. 2024
A Stewardship Mindset Earns River Bend Ranch 2022 BQA Cow-Calf Award
Feb. 2022
River Bend Ranch (RBR) strives to be the best stewards possible – to their land, animals, family, friends and neighbors. With stewardship and commitment to Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) at the forefront of the operation, RBR was awarded the distinguished 2022 BQA Cow-Calf Award.
Located in Limon, Colorado, and managed by the Frasier family, RBR is a product of several generations of ranching in Colorado. It has operated as an extension of Frasier Farms, LLC since 1981. Primarily a commercial cow-calf operation with Red Angus-based females, the ranch also includes a seedstock enterprise called Solid Rock Red Angus (SRRA). Joe and Cindy Frasier, owners/operators of RBR, have lived on the ranch for more than 40 years, and their children and grandchildren take an active role in the operation.
“As a rancher, I’m responsible for my family as a steward of the land,” said Ryan Frasier, Joe and Cindy's son, who works full-time on the ranch. "The grass is what the cattle need to survive. Taking care of the grass is taking care of the cattle, and the cattle take care of us."
RBR has a unique grazing management strategy that was implemented in 1984 and enabled them to improve the health of grazing lands while focusing on healthy stewardship of their herd.
By maintaining fewer parasites and soil-borne diseases and allowing individual pastures adequate rest, RBR has seen better calf health, cow fertility and more vigorous calves at weaning time. This management style encourages calves to be more independent grazers and adopt healthier hygiene choices. In addition, RBR utilizes livestock as a tool to recycle nutrients and organic matter back into the soil. By doing so, RBR has been able to keep the soil covered, which aids in the retention of moisture to promote abundant plant growth.
With pride in their land management practices and years of implementing a holistic grazing approach, the Frasier family maintains that a strong emphasis on BQA principles truly coincides with effective land stewardship.
With managing nearly 100 pastures for intensive grazing, RBR has notably more regular interaction with cattle than other traditional ranches. The fact that their cattle are required to be handled more often is recognized as an opportunity to dedicate their attention to BQA's low-stress handling techniques, cattle health management and enhanced record keeping.
“Being proper stewards is the only way to go about something for us,” Cindy Frasier said. “Through BQA principles, it’s a whole way of life and not just a hobby.”
RBR is also dedicated to improving consumer confidence through public engagement and shares the importance of BQA on its operation and its foundation in U.S. beef production. The ranch is split by Interstate 70 and multiple county highways and roads, making it very visible to the public.
"We want to be a good advocate for the industry, so when people drive along I-70, we want the cattle to be healthy and the grass to be healthy. That way, we are representing our industry well,” said Kelsey Pope.
The Frasier family disseminates BQA's message through social media, blogging and involvement in CommonGround Colorado and opens their ranch for tours to extend the positive message of the beef industry and BQA to consumers.
"Receiving this award is such an honor and is humbling to be recognized for something we try to do daily," Cindy Frasier said. "We hope we can inspire others to do the same."
The BQA Cow-Calf Award is funded in part by the Beef Checkoff with additional support from Cargill. For more information on River Bend Ranch and other 2022 BQA Award winners, visit www.bqa.org/about/bqa-awards.
Located in Limon, Colorado, and managed by the Frasier family, RBR is a product of several generations of ranching in Colorado. It has operated as an extension of Frasier Farms, LLC since 1981. Primarily a commercial cow-calf operation with Red Angus-based females, the ranch also includes a seedstock enterprise called Solid Rock Red Angus (SRRA). Joe and Cindy Frasier, owners/operators of RBR, have lived on the ranch for more than 40 years, and their children and grandchildren take an active role in the operation.
“As a rancher, I’m responsible for my family as a steward of the land,” said Ryan Frasier, Joe and Cindy's son, who works full-time on the ranch. "The grass is what the cattle need to survive. Taking care of the grass is taking care of the cattle, and the cattle take care of us."
RBR has a unique grazing management strategy that was implemented in 1984 and enabled them to improve the health of grazing lands while focusing on healthy stewardship of their herd.
By maintaining fewer parasites and soil-borne diseases and allowing individual pastures adequate rest, RBR has seen better calf health, cow fertility and more vigorous calves at weaning time. This management style encourages calves to be more independent grazers and adopt healthier hygiene choices. In addition, RBR utilizes livestock as a tool to recycle nutrients and organic matter back into the soil. By doing so, RBR has been able to keep the soil covered, which aids in the retention of moisture to promote abundant plant growth.
With pride in their land management practices and years of implementing a holistic grazing approach, the Frasier family maintains that a strong emphasis on BQA principles truly coincides with effective land stewardship.
With managing nearly 100 pastures for intensive grazing, RBR has notably more regular interaction with cattle than other traditional ranches. The fact that their cattle are required to be handled more often is recognized as an opportunity to dedicate their attention to BQA's low-stress handling techniques, cattle health management and enhanced record keeping.
“Being proper stewards is the only way to go about something for us,” Cindy Frasier said. “Through BQA principles, it’s a whole way of life and not just a hobby.”
RBR is also dedicated to improving consumer confidence through public engagement and shares the importance of BQA on its operation and its foundation in U.S. beef production. The ranch is split by Interstate 70 and multiple county highways and roads, making it very visible to the public.
"We want to be a good advocate for the industry, so when people drive along I-70, we want the cattle to be healthy and the grass to be healthy. That way, we are representing our industry well,” said Kelsey Pope.
The Frasier family disseminates BQA's message through social media, blogging and involvement in CommonGround Colorado and opens their ranch for tours to extend the positive message of the beef industry and BQA to consumers.
"Receiving this award is such an honor and is humbling to be recognized for something we try to do daily," Cindy Frasier said. "We hope we can inspire others to do the same."
The BQA Cow-Calf Award is funded in part by the Beef Checkoff with additional support from Cargill. For more information on River Bend Ranch and other 2022 BQA Award winners, visit www.bqa.org/about/bqa-awards.
Progressive leadership earns Five Rivers Cattle Feeding's Kuner Feedlot the 2022 BQA Feedyard Award
Feb. 2022
As the world’s largest cattle feeder with 11 yards in six states, Five Rivers Cattle Feeding recognizes the importance of being a leader and an advocate for the beef industry, and that couldn’t be more true for Five Rivers Cattle Feeding – Kuner Feedlot, the 2022 BQA Feedyard Award recipient.
Located in Kersey, Colo., Kuner has a one-time feeding capacity of 100,000 head and houses Five Rivers’ natural cattle program. BQA serves as the backbone of cattle management at Kuner Feedlot. As one of the country’s largest and most visible cattle feeding operations, Kuner Feedlot understands that it has a responsibility to represent the beef industry’s foundational management program to a broad audience.
“BQA and animal welfare have always been the core of our business,” said Tanner Pickett Kuner’s general manager. “That’s the reason we are here and it’s our sole responsibility — from the day cattle arrive to the day they ship, making sure they have the best environment possible.”
From the basics of training employees on the significance of health management to opening its doors to a variety of research to help improve cattle comfort, efficiency, and other quality features, BQA principles are the core of daily operations. The feedlot even underwent a facility redesign in 2011 with the help of Dr. Temple Grandin, Bud Williams and other industry leaders, making it the state-of-the-art facility it is today.
“Low-stress animal handling is of the utmost importance here. It’s what is best for the employees and animals.” Pickett said. “The facility redesign ensures low-stress and easy flow through the buildings.”
One unique feature of Kuner is that it is home to the only Five Rivers natural program. These cattle come from across the U.S. and are enrolled in source and age verification, Non-Hormone Treated Cattle, and verified natural programs, which have been a large draw for tours and consumer interest. Each year, Kuner opens its doors to around 1,000 people per year, hosting more than 100 feedlot tours.
“The biggest takeaway people typically have after touring our facility is learning just how happy the cattle are here,” said Kim Rounds, Kuner’s specialty beef program manager. “People are pleasantly surprised on the quality of care and quality of life cattle have here.”
During these tours, the Kuner team explains the BQA program and its guidelines. “We can explain to the public that there is a compassion part of these guidelines, but there’s also a science behind why we want to handle and care for the animals as much as possible,” Rounds said.
As a progressive leader for the industry, the team is never done advocating, educating, training and searching for ways to be better. “Here, we have compassion for animals and a passion for the cattle industry,” Pickett said.
The BQA Feedyard Award is funded in part by the Beef Checkoff with additional support from Cargill. For more information on Five Rivers Cattle Feeding – Kuner Feedlot and other 2022 BQA Award winners, visit http://www.bqa.org/about/bqa-awards.
Located in Kersey, Colo., Kuner has a one-time feeding capacity of 100,000 head and houses Five Rivers’ natural cattle program. BQA serves as the backbone of cattle management at Kuner Feedlot. As one of the country’s largest and most visible cattle feeding operations, Kuner Feedlot understands that it has a responsibility to represent the beef industry’s foundational management program to a broad audience.
“BQA and animal welfare have always been the core of our business,” said Tanner Pickett Kuner’s general manager. “That’s the reason we are here and it’s our sole responsibility — from the day cattle arrive to the day they ship, making sure they have the best environment possible.”
From the basics of training employees on the significance of health management to opening its doors to a variety of research to help improve cattle comfort, efficiency, and other quality features, BQA principles are the core of daily operations. The feedlot even underwent a facility redesign in 2011 with the help of Dr. Temple Grandin, Bud Williams and other industry leaders, making it the state-of-the-art facility it is today.
“Low-stress animal handling is of the utmost importance here. It’s what is best for the employees and animals.” Pickett said. “The facility redesign ensures low-stress and easy flow through the buildings.”
One unique feature of Kuner is that it is home to the only Five Rivers natural program. These cattle come from across the U.S. and are enrolled in source and age verification, Non-Hormone Treated Cattle, and verified natural programs, which have been a large draw for tours and consumer interest. Each year, Kuner opens its doors to around 1,000 people per year, hosting more than 100 feedlot tours.
“The biggest takeaway people typically have after touring our facility is learning just how happy the cattle are here,” said Kim Rounds, Kuner’s specialty beef program manager. “People are pleasantly surprised on the quality of care and quality of life cattle have here.”
During these tours, the Kuner team explains the BQA program and its guidelines. “We can explain to the public that there is a compassion part of these guidelines, but there’s also a science behind why we want to handle and care for the animals as much as possible,” Rounds said.
As a progressive leader for the industry, the team is never done advocating, educating, training and searching for ways to be better. “Here, we have compassion for animals and a passion for the cattle industry,” Pickett said.
The BQA Feedyard Award is funded in part by the Beef Checkoff with additional support from Cargill. For more information on Five Rivers Cattle Feeding – Kuner Feedlot and other 2022 BQA Award winners, visit http://www.bqa.org/about/bqa-awards.
The Livestock Exchange awarded 2021 BQA Marketer Award
Sept. 2021
The Livestock Exchange, LLC (LELLC) is a regional livestock auction market located in Brush, Colo., specializing in cattle marketing. Although LELLC doesn’t own the cattle it’s selling, the team still treats them like they were their own.
The town of Brush was established because of the cattle drives coming into town. Brush was built on cattle and according to Robin Varelman, owner of LELLC, she’s going to keep it that way.
“I took it upon my calling to fix, repair and mend the fences to bring cattle buyers and sellers back to the community,” Varelman said. “Brush was built on cattle, and as long as I’m living, I plan to see that it continues that way.”
LELLC has more than 50 years of rich tradition in marketing cattle, having been in operation since 1969. In 2014, Varelman purchased the LELLC, intending to provide the best customer experience and high-quality service for all livestock marketing needs. Varelman helped change the facility’s culture by enhancing its commitment to employees, buyers and sellers, and the cattle that are traded through its doors.
At LELLC, it’s cattlemen taking care of cattlemen. The team provides opportunities for their clients to benefit from programs that will offer additional premiums for their cattle. One such commitment has been their dedication to BQA.
“BQA is a full spectrum from beginning to end — it’s a necessity,” Varelman said. “We’re here to make the experience for the cattle as pleasant as possible.”
BQA TRAINING
LELLC is the only Colorado auction market to request an in-person BQA training to certify every staff member, from the owner to secretarial staff to field representatives. In addition to hosting BQA training for their team, LELLC hosts trainings for their clients and community members and hosted the first in-person BQA Transportation certification events in Colorado.
Both sellers and buyers benefit from a livestock auction market that professionally manages cattle. The team at LELLC believes in not only understanding the details of BQA as the beef industry’s foundational management program but embodying it, which helps to bring a level of value and comfort to both buyers and sellers.
“Our cattle buyers want BQA certified cattle, and we work with each individual to try and best fit their needs and the needs of their operation,” says Paul Chard with Cattlemen’s Resource Inc. “When we sell their cattle through a sale barn, they have the best opportunity to perform well.”
LELLC is also unique in that it is in a region of Colorado with a booming dairy industry, and consequently, it markets much of Colorado’s cull dairy cow population. Realizing that this segment of the beef industry is typically at higher risk of being compromised, whether from a health or mobility perspective, LELLC built a sound environment to promote and execute high-quality cull cow sales. This includes strict veterinary oversight when marketing cull cows and bulls, generating strong relationships with local dairies to communicate expectations for cow quality, as well as identify trends in animals coming through the sale to adjust management at the dairy.
For Varelman, her first priority is education and continuous improvement. “I’m not going to stop educating people. I love the industry, I love cattle, and there are no better people in the world than farmers and ranchers,” she said. “I believe that we have to continue to be strong in our values and keep educating people on such a wonderful protein — beef.”
The BQA Marketer Award is funded in part by the Beef Checkoff with additional support from Cargill. For more information on The Livestock Exchange, LLC and other 2021 BQA Award winners, visit: http://www.bqa.org/about/bqa-awards.
The town of Brush was established because of the cattle drives coming into town. Brush was built on cattle and according to Robin Varelman, owner of LELLC, she’s going to keep it that way.
“I took it upon my calling to fix, repair and mend the fences to bring cattle buyers and sellers back to the community,” Varelman said. “Brush was built on cattle, and as long as I’m living, I plan to see that it continues that way.”
LELLC has more than 50 years of rich tradition in marketing cattle, having been in operation since 1969. In 2014, Varelman purchased the LELLC, intending to provide the best customer experience and high-quality service for all livestock marketing needs. Varelman helped change the facility’s culture by enhancing its commitment to employees, buyers and sellers, and the cattle that are traded through its doors.
At LELLC, it’s cattlemen taking care of cattlemen. The team provides opportunities for their clients to benefit from programs that will offer additional premiums for their cattle. One such commitment has been their dedication to BQA.
“BQA is a full spectrum from beginning to end — it’s a necessity,” Varelman said. “We’re here to make the experience for the cattle as pleasant as possible.”
BQA TRAINING
LELLC is the only Colorado auction market to request an in-person BQA training to certify every staff member, from the owner to secretarial staff to field representatives. In addition to hosting BQA training for their team, LELLC hosts trainings for their clients and community members and hosted the first in-person BQA Transportation certification events in Colorado.
Both sellers and buyers benefit from a livestock auction market that professionally manages cattle. The team at LELLC believes in not only understanding the details of BQA as the beef industry’s foundational management program but embodying it, which helps to bring a level of value and comfort to both buyers and sellers.
“Our cattle buyers want BQA certified cattle, and we work with each individual to try and best fit their needs and the needs of their operation,” says Paul Chard with Cattlemen’s Resource Inc. “When we sell their cattle through a sale barn, they have the best opportunity to perform well.”
LELLC is also unique in that it is in a region of Colorado with a booming dairy industry, and consequently, it markets much of Colorado’s cull dairy cow population. Realizing that this segment of the beef industry is typically at higher risk of being compromised, whether from a health or mobility perspective, LELLC built a sound environment to promote and execute high-quality cull cow sales. This includes strict veterinary oversight when marketing cull cows and bulls, generating strong relationships with local dairies to communicate expectations for cow quality, as well as identify trends in animals coming through the sale to adjust management at the dairy.
For Varelman, her first priority is education and continuous improvement. “I’m not going to stop educating people. I love the industry, I love cattle, and there are no better people in the world than farmers and ranchers,” she said. “I believe that we have to continue to be strong in our values and keep educating people on such a wonderful protein — beef.”
The BQA Marketer Award is funded in part by the Beef Checkoff with additional support from Cargill. For more information on The Livestock Exchange, LLC and other 2021 BQA Award winners, visit: http://www.bqa.org/about/bqa-awards.
Focus on Learning and Sharing Knowledge Earns Bledsoe Cattle Company BQA
Feedyard Award
Feb. 2020
Bledsoe Cattle Company has a long history, with nearly a century’s worth of experience raising, working, and feeding cattle from the Texas panhandle to the plains of eastern Colorado. But if anything, the years have taught the Bledsoe family and their crews that no matter how much you know, there is always room to grow.
This philosophy has earned Bledsoe Cattle a place as an industry leader, and the 2020 National Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Feedyard Award. The company’s commitment to BQA guidelines has not only positively impacted its own operations, but its suppliers and customers.
“Doing it right is our priority and following BQA guidelines in that process, it’s huge for us,” said Grant Bledsoe, who owns and runs Bledsoe Cattle alongside his father, Bob Bledsoe, and their families.
One reason the Bledsoe’s place high value on BQA guidelines is due to advantages the company sees by following BQA across its incredibly diverse operations. Along with its main feedyard in Wray, Colorado, which has an 8,000 head capacity, Bledsoe Cattle owns farm land, pasture ground, and grow yards in Phillips and Yuma counties, as well as farm land and a stocker ranch in Harding County, South Dakota.
It all started when the family moved from Texas to start a cow/calf and sheep operation in southeastern Colorado in 1925. Henry Bledsoe, Bob’s father and Grant’s grandfather, relocated the family and cattle operations to Wray, Colorado in 1948, and added a feedlot in the early 1950s.
The current feedlot, located to the north of the town, was constructed in the 1970s, as the Bledsoes developed their farmland and pastures. Now, the fourth generation of the Bledsoe family is learning the ropes, down to the tradition of walking the feedlot pens each Sunday to personally inspect the cattle.
Having consistent standards for cattle care and treatment has been a key to the company’s success across all of its facilities over the years, and the family have been proponents of BQA for decades. Providing training and certification in BQA practices every three years for the company’s employees and contracted crews — some of whom have worked with the company for 40 years — continues to ensure consistent expectations for both employees and cattle at all properties.
“Bledsoe Cattle Company has implemented training and certification to the degree that permeates every aspect of their operation,” said Paul Dykstra, beef cattle specialist at Certified Angus Beef, which also recognized Bledsoe Cattle with its Commitment to Excellence award for feedlots in 2018.
“Low-stress cattle handling techniques are a matter of standard procedure in the Bledsoe operation, and I know that management takes part in hands-on training as they set an example for the feedlot crew,” Dykstra said.
The company’s diverse operations give it a unique advantage in implementing BQA best practices. Most calves are delivered to the company directly from weaning by a supplier, allowing Bledsoe to handle and care for the cattle for all but approximately the first 200 days of each calf’s life. Through several phases at the company’s feedlots, and winter and summer grazing locations, cattle are able to slowly acclimate to feedlot pens, bunks, processing, and vaccinations.
Not only has Bledsoe Cattle taken BQA guidelines into account at each facility, they’ve also built on their own experience. For example, the company’s weaning pens are specially designed to direct calves who begin to circle by placing perpendicular waterers at the center of the pen’s rear fence line, pointing them back toward feed bunks.
The number of properties that Bledsoe Cattle utilizes brings its own challenges, too. Between its own properties and in moving cattle from its cow/calf producer-suppliers, cattle may be transported by truck as many as six times before reaching a packing facility.
Transportation is taken very seriously, with one of Bledsoe Cattle’s owners or representatives present at each delivery of calves and nearly all shipments of fed cattle. Four of the company’s employees are also trained and certified in the BQA Transportation program, along with having decades of combined cattle hauling experience. By applying BQA’s transportation and low- stress cattle handling guidelines, going through the transportation process multiple times actually helps condition cattle to shipping, minimizes stress on both cattle and employees, and reduces rates of bruising and dark cutters.
In fact, with each positive transportation experience, cattle gain a sense of ease and comfort that ultimately yields a smooth final shipment.
“With everything we do, the gentler on those cattle we are, the easier on those carcasses we’re going to be,” Grant Bledsoe said.
The Bledsoes have taken this mentality beyond their own operations as well. For one, regularly providing training to the company’s hired processing crews allows livestock operations across eastern Colorado to reap the benefits of proper chute-side BQA techniques. The company has also established strong relationships with individual ranches and suppliers across the northern Great Plains states and work closely with them on cattle management topics.
Colorado Livestock Association President Mike Veeman and William Hammerich, CEO, said the Bledsoes are “true believers in low-stress cattle handling procedures.”
“To say they “wear BQA on their sleeve” is an understatement, as demonstrated by their efforts to reach back up the supply chain and encourage the ranchers that they purchase calves from to also adopt a robust BQA program,” Veeman and Hammerich said.
The Bledsoe family have also been advocates for the beef industry for decades, providing opportunities for the public and consumers to see into its operations and feel greater confidence in the products they consume. The company often provides tours of its operations for groups arranged by its long-time packer, Cargill Meat Solutions, from international experts considering export opportunities, to sustainability tours for organizations such as The Nature Conservancy. The company also hosts around 300 birdwatchers at its pastureland each spring to view the mating ritual of the greater prairie chicken, providing opportunities for visitors to learn about cattle and to debunk myths about the beef industry.
By continuing to focus on learning, and by providing opportunities to share their knowledge with partners and consumers, Bledsoe Cattle aims to adapt and improve its operations to benefit its cattle, partners, and ultimately, the beef industry as a whole.
The BQA Feedyard Award is funded in part by the Beef Checkoff with additional support from Cargill. For more information on Bledsoe Cattle Company and other 2020 BQA Award winners, visit https://www.bqa.org/about/bqa-awards.
About Beef Quality Assurance
Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) is a nationally coordinated, state implemented program funded by the Beef Checkoff that provides U.S. beef producers guidelines and certification drawn from common sense husbandry techniques and accepted scientific knowledge on how to raise cattle under optimum management and environmental conditions. BQA reflects a positive public image and instills consumer confidence in the beef industry. When producers implement the best management practices of a BQA program, they assure their cattle are the best they can be. For more information on BQA, visit http://www.bqa.org/.
This philosophy has earned Bledsoe Cattle a place as an industry leader, and the 2020 National Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Feedyard Award. The company’s commitment to BQA guidelines has not only positively impacted its own operations, but its suppliers and customers.
“Doing it right is our priority and following BQA guidelines in that process, it’s huge for us,” said Grant Bledsoe, who owns and runs Bledsoe Cattle alongside his father, Bob Bledsoe, and their families.
One reason the Bledsoe’s place high value on BQA guidelines is due to advantages the company sees by following BQA across its incredibly diverse operations. Along with its main feedyard in Wray, Colorado, which has an 8,000 head capacity, Bledsoe Cattle owns farm land, pasture ground, and grow yards in Phillips and Yuma counties, as well as farm land and a stocker ranch in Harding County, South Dakota.
It all started when the family moved from Texas to start a cow/calf and sheep operation in southeastern Colorado in 1925. Henry Bledsoe, Bob’s father and Grant’s grandfather, relocated the family and cattle operations to Wray, Colorado in 1948, and added a feedlot in the early 1950s.
The current feedlot, located to the north of the town, was constructed in the 1970s, as the Bledsoes developed their farmland and pastures. Now, the fourth generation of the Bledsoe family is learning the ropes, down to the tradition of walking the feedlot pens each Sunday to personally inspect the cattle.
Having consistent standards for cattle care and treatment has been a key to the company’s success across all of its facilities over the years, and the family have been proponents of BQA for decades. Providing training and certification in BQA practices every three years for the company’s employees and contracted crews — some of whom have worked with the company for 40 years — continues to ensure consistent expectations for both employees and cattle at all properties.
“Bledsoe Cattle Company has implemented training and certification to the degree that permeates every aspect of their operation,” said Paul Dykstra, beef cattle specialist at Certified Angus Beef, which also recognized Bledsoe Cattle with its Commitment to Excellence award for feedlots in 2018.
“Low-stress cattle handling techniques are a matter of standard procedure in the Bledsoe operation, and I know that management takes part in hands-on training as they set an example for the feedlot crew,” Dykstra said.
The company’s diverse operations give it a unique advantage in implementing BQA best practices. Most calves are delivered to the company directly from weaning by a supplier, allowing Bledsoe to handle and care for the cattle for all but approximately the first 200 days of each calf’s life. Through several phases at the company’s feedlots, and winter and summer grazing locations, cattle are able to slowly acclimate to feedlot pens, bunks, processing, and vaccinations.
Not only has Bledsoe Cattle taken BQA guidelines into account at each facility, they’ve also built on their own experience. For example, the company’s weaning pens are specially designed to direct calves who begin to circle by placing perpendicular waterers at the center of the pen’s rear fence line, pointing them back toward feed bunks.
The number of properties that Bledsoe Cattle utilizes brings its own challenges, too. Between its own properties and in moving cattle from its cow/calf producer-suppliers, cattle may be transported by truck as many as six times before reaching a packing facility.
Transportation is taken very seriously, with one of Bledsoe Cattle’s owners or representatives present at each delivery of calves and nearly all shipments of fed cattle. Four of the company’s employees are also trained and certified in the BQA Transportation program, along with having decades of combined cattle hauling experience. By applying BQA’s transportation and low- stress cattle handling guidelines, going through the transportation process multiple times actually helps condition cattle to shipping, minimizes stress on both cattle and employees, and reduces rates of bruising and dark cutters.
In fact, with each positive transportation experience, cattle gain a sense of ease and comfort that ultimately yields a smooth final shipment.
“With everything we do, the gentler on those cattle we are, the easier on those carcasses we’re going to be,” Grant Bledsoe said.
The Bledsoes have taken this mentality beyond their own operations as well. For one, regularly providing training to the company’s hired processing crews allows livestock operations across eastern Colorado to reap the benefits of proper chute-side BQA techniques. The company has also established strong relationships with individual ranches and suppliers across the northern Great Plains states and work closely with them on cattle management topics.
Colorado Livestock Association President Mike Veeman and William Hammerich, CEO, said the Bledsoes are “true believers in low-stress cattle handling procedures.”
“To say they “wear BQA on their sleeve” is an understatement, as demonstrated by their efforts to reach back up the supply chain and encourage the ranchers that they purchase calves from to also adopt a robust BQA program,” Veeman and Hammerich said.
The Bledsoe family have also been advocates for the beef industry for decades, providing opportunities for the public and consumers to see into its operations and feel greater confidence in the products they consume. The company often provides tours of its operations for groups arranged by its long-time packer, Cargill Meat Solutions, from international experts considering export opportunities, to sustainability tours for organizations such as The Nature Conservancy. The company also hosts around 300 birdwatchers at its pastureland each spring to view the mating ritual of the greater prairie chicken, providing opportunities for visitors to learn about cattle and to debunk myths about the beef industry.
By continuing to focus on learning, and by providing opportunities to share their knowledge with partners and consumers, Bledsoe Cattle aims to adapt and improve its operations to benefit its cattle, partners, and ultimately, the beef industry as a whole.
The BQA Feedyard Award is funded in part by the Beef Checkoff with additional support from Cargill. For more information on Bledsoe Cattle Company and other 2020 BQA Award winners, visit https://www.bqa.org/about/bqa-awards.
About Beef Quality Assurance
Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) is a nationally coordinated, state implemented program funded by the Beef Checkoff that provides U.S. beef producers guidelines and certification drawn from common sense husbandry techniques and accepted scientific knowledge on how to raise cattle under optimum management and environmental conditions. BQA reflects a positive public image and instills consumer confidence in the beef industry. When producers implement the best management practices of a BQA program, they assure their cattle are the best they can be. For more information on BQA, visit http://www.bqa.org/.
A Lifelong Passion for Animal Care and Handling Earns Dr. Temple Grandin BQA Educator Award
Mar. 6, 2019
In the 1960s, when Temple Grandin visited her aunt’s ranch in Arizona, it changed the cattle industry for the better. At the young age of 15 years old, she was inspired by that visit and pursued a career in animal science and livestock equipment design. Today, she is Dr. Temple Grandin, an internationally known animal behavior expert, a published professor and the
winner of the 2019 BQA Educator Award.
“The thing that I love about Dr. Grandin is that she’s not afraid to be honest. That’s something about her that I really admire,” said Dr. Ron Gill, stockmanship and stewardship expert at Texas A&M University. “She’s been a great conduit for change in the industry, and her passion shows through in everything she does.”
Over the past 45 years, Dr. Grandin has been leading the effort for better treatment of livestock. Throughout her career, she has conducted valuable research into the welfare and handling of cattle, working closely with ranchers, feedlots and packers to identify and prevent problems in animal care. Her advice is practical and has helped farmers and ranchers improve their animal care and handling.
“As I got to working with Dr. Grandin, she would teach me things in a ‘common sense’ way that my grandfather tried to teach me. She had a different way of presenting it,” said Curt Pate, stockmanship expert. “I think she’s done that for the industry, too. Science and common sense.”
That science and common sense has also helped shape the minds of our future cattle leaders. Over several decades, Dr. Grandin has taught college courses, influencing hundreds of future members of the cattle industry. In her current role as professor of animal sciences at Colorado State University (CSU), she has continued her research while teaching courses on livestock handling and facility design. Dr. Grandin’s facility designs are found throughout North America and around the world. Several meat packers and some of the largest retail chains in the world use the objective scoring system she designed to evaluate the handling of cattle and pigs at meat plants to improve animal welfare.
Dr. Grandin will tell you that good handling matters. Many of Dr. Grandin’s research topics are key components of the BQA program. In fact, her input helped shape the BQA program from the beginning.
“Programs such as Beef Quality Assurance are really important for training people. BQA has been doing workshops all around the country to get people interested. Recently, I was involved in one of those workshops. We had a lot of ranchers there. I was very happy to see some young ranchers in the audience who were there to learn how to do things the right way,” said Dr. Grandin.
“It really goes without saying that Dr. Grandin has changed the way that people think about cattle production, especially when it comes to cattle handling,” said Libby Bigler, BQA coordinator at Colorado State University. “From a BQA perspective, she was doing BQA before BQA was even a program.”
Dr. Grandin’s passion for animal welfare is easy to see, and it’s changed the cattle industry for the better. Her efforts have made a major difference in the way that the beef industry handles cattle.
“The industry will always be working on improving,” said Dr. Grandin. “Animal handling has gotten so much better. It’s the bright spot. We have a lot of new people coming into the industry, and that is where training programs are extremely important.”
For more information on Dr. Temple Grandin and other 2019 BQA Award winners, visit https://www.bqa.org/about/bqa awards.
About Beef Quality Assurance
Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) is a nationally coordinated, state implemented program funded by the Beef Checkoff that provides U.S. beef producers guidelines and certification drawn from common sense husbandry techniques and accepted scientific knowledge on how to raise cattle under optimum management and environmental conditions. BQA reflects a positive public image and instills consumer confidence in the beef industry. When producers implement the best management practices of a BQA program, they assure their cattle are the best they can be. For more information on BQA, visit www.bqa.org.
winner of the 2019 BQA Educator Award.
“The thing that I love about Dr. Grandin is that she’s not afraid to be honest. That’s something about her that I really admire,” said Dr. Ron Gill, stockmanship and stewardship expert at Texas A&M University. “She’s been a great conduit for change in the industry, and her passion shows through in everything she does.”
Over the past 45 years, Dr. Grandin has been leading the effort for better treatment of livestock. Throughout her career, she has conducted valuable research into the welfare and handling of cattle, working closely with ranchers, feedlots and packers to identify and prevent problems in animal care. Her advice is practical and has helped farmers and ranchers improve their animal care and handling.
“As I got to working with Dr. Grandin, she would teach me things in a ‘common sense’ way that my grandfather tried to teach me. She had a different way of presenting it,” said Curt Pate, stockmanship expert. “I think she’s done that for the industry, too. Science and common sense.”
That science and common sense has also helped shape the minds of our future cattle leaders. Over several decades, Dr. Grandin has taught college courses, influencing hundreds of future members of the cattle industry. In her current role as professor of animal sciences at Colorado State University (CSU), she has continued her research while teaching courses on livestock handling and facility design. Dr. Grandin’s facility designs are found throughout North America and around the world. Several meat packers and some of the largest retail chains in the world use the objective scoring system she designed to evaluate the handling of cattle and pigs at meat plants to improve animal welfare.
Dr. Grandin will tell you that good handling matters. Many of Dr. Grandin’s research topics are key components of the BQA program. In fact, her input helped shape the BQA program from the beginning.
“Programs such as Beef Quality Assurance are really important for training people. BQA has been doing workshops all around the country to get people interested. Recently, I was involved in one of those workshops. We had a lot of ranchers there. I was very happy to see some young ranchers in the audience who were there to learn how to do things the right way,” said Dr. Grandin.
“It really goes without saying that Dr. Grandin has changed the way that people think about cattle production, especially when it comes to cattle handling,” said Libby Bigler, BQA coordinator at Colorado State University. “From a BQA perspective, she was doing BQA before BQA was even a program.”
Dr. Grandin’s passion for animal welfare is easy to see, and it’s changed the cattle industry for the better. Her efforts have made a major difference in the way that the beef industry handles cattle.
“The industry will always be working on improving,” said Dr. Grandin. “Animal handling has gotten so much better. It’s the bright spot. We have a lot of new people coming into the industry, and that is where training programs are extremely important.”
For more information on Dr. Temple Grandin and other 2019 BQA Award winners, visit https://www.bqa.org/about/bqa awards.
About Beef Quality Assurance
Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) is a nationally coordinated, state implemented program funded by the Beef Checkoff that provides U.S. beef producers guidelines and certification drawn from common sense husbandry techniques and accepted scientific knowledge on how to raise cattle under optimum management and environmental conditions. BQA reflects a positive public image and instills consumer confidence in the beef industry. When producers implement the best management practices of a BQA program, they assure their cattle are the best they can be. For more information on BQA, visit www.bqa.org.
Care for Cows Earns Kraft Family Dairies 2018 National BQA Award
Feb. 2, 2018
Simply put: they care for their cows.
Ask any of the dairy workers in Colorado about Kraft Family Dairies and that’s the response you’ll get.
Since beginning their operation in 1985, Mary and Chris Kraft have made cow handling and safety a priority in every line of their production. Whether it be lowering stress levels when moving to and from the parlor, closely monitoring health through RFID enabled collars, or changing out water, beds and food regularly, the Kraft’s understand that a happy cow leads to a better quality product.
“Suave, suave,” Chris jokes. “We always talk about being smooth, being not hard on the cows. I talk to my cows with love. As I say in Spanish, ‘un amor.’”
Ask any of the dairy workers in Colorado about Kraft Family Dairies and that’s the response you’ll get.
Since beginning their operation in 1985, Mary and Chris Kraft have made cow handling and safety a priority in every line of their production. Whether it be lowering stress levels when moving to and from the parlor, closely monitoring health through RFID enabled collars, or changing out water, beds and food regularly, the Kraft’s understand that a happy cow leads to a better quality product.
“Suave, suave,” Chris jokes. “We always talk about being smooth, being not hard on the cows. I talk to my cows with love. As I say in Spanish, ‘un amor.’”
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It’s that “amor” that earned Kraft Family Dairies the 2018 BQA Dairy Award winner. They combine their compassion and precision with a focus on preventative management and beef quality assurance (BQA) guidelines throughout all stages of the on-farm production cycle.
But what really makes the Kraft’s stand out is their two-farm system that ships out close to 500,000 pounds of milk each day. On their Quail Ridge site, the family milks 4,500 head three times daily. This is where healthy cows are kept and monitored for quality assurance and comfort. Not too far down the road, the family also owns Badger Creek Farm, a lot that provides intensive and individualized care for hospital, maternity and special needs cows. It’s there that the family milks 1,100 cows three times daily. Thanks to this system, at any given time, less than 2% of cattle on the operation are in the hospital. |
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As Mary would call it, it’s a “TLC operation.”
“The Kraft Family’s commitment to cattle care and implementation of BQA principles is among the nation’s elite,” said Libby Bigler with the Colorado BQA Coordinator.
One of the most unique features of the farm focuses on well-being. The family uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) collars on each of their cows. The collar can not only monitor milk production and reproductive status, but also changes in health and behavior. That helps the Kraft’s quickly determine if an animal is sick in the beginning stages of illness.
They also use hand-held computers that connect with the collars to provide data to the herdsmen. From there, they’re able to make on-the-spot decisions about treatments, breeding and cow needs. Plus, that data is sent back to a computer and stored to record treatments, health notes, milk weights and schedule future events.
The Kraft’s believe, “you can’t manage it if you don’t measure it.”
“There is nothing more important at Kraft Family Dairies, LLC then the health of their animals and overall herd health,” Dr. Gregory Goodell with the Dairy Authority, LLC said. “As with any business one may have the best equipment in the world, but without the passion and knowledge to manage such an operation, the facility would be wasted.”
That passion shines through in how they manage the barns for their animals. Their beds are in close proximity to the milking parlor, so cows only have to travel a short, low-stress distance for milking. The cows also have access to fresh feed and water 24 hours a day. Their beds are regularly cleaned and stocked in an effort to provide comfort and cleanliness.
“Everybody sleeps better when you make your bed at home, so our cows sleep better and produce better as do our calves when they all have a fresh bed,” said Stratton Kraft, Mary and Chris’ son who also helps on the farm.
The Kraft’s also keep an “open-door” policy on their farm for consumers to learn more about where their food comes from and to allow them to experience dairy production first hand. They host about 50 tours each year for schools, chefs, international guests and many others.
On those tours, the Kraft’s showcase how the BQA standards guide what they do in order to improve consumer confidence in beef. They understand that consumers want to know more about how their food is raised, animal welfare and how food production affects the environment.
By adopting the BQA guidelines, the Kraft’s can confidently open their doors to the public to show the best practices in the business.
“I want consumers to know that I eat this beef, too,” Mary said. “I want to have a really wholesome wonderful product for my family, and I think my job as a farmer, my job as a mom, is to make sure that you and your family have the same quality food.”
For more information on Kraft Family Dairies and other 2018 BQA Award winners, visit https://www.bqa.org/about/bqa-awards.
“The Kraft Family’s commitment to cattle care and implementation of BQA principles is among the nation’s elite,” said Libby Bigler with the Colorado BQA Coordinator.
One of the most unique features of the farm focuses on well-being. The family uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) collars on each of their cows. The collar can not only monitor milk production and reproductive status, but also changes in health and behavior. That helps the Kraft’s quickly determine if an animal is sick in the beginning stages of illness.
They also use hand-held computers that connect with the collars to provide data to the herdsmen. From there, they’re able to make on-the-spot decisions about treatments, breeding and cow needs. Plus, that data is sent back to a computer and stored to record treatments, health notes, milk weights and schedule future events.
The Kraft’s believe, “you can’t manage it if you don’t measure it.”
“There is nothing more important at Kraft Family Dairies, LLC then the health of their animals and overall herd health,” Dr. Gregory Goodell with the Dairy Authority, LLC said. “As with any business one may have the best equipment in the world, but without the passion and knowledge to manage such an operation, the facility would be wasted.”
That passion shines through in how they manage the barns for their animals. Their beds are in close proximity to the milking parlor, so cows only have to travel a short, low-stress distance for milking. The cows also have access to fresh feed and water 24 hours a day. Their beds are regularly cleaned and stocked in an effort to provide comfort and cleanliness.
“Everybody sleeps better when you make your bed at home, so our cows sleep better and produce better as do our calves when they all have a fresh bed,” said Stratton Kraft, Mary and Chris’ son who also helps on the farm.
The Kraft’s also keep an “open-door” policy on their farm for consumers to learn more about where their food comes from and to allow them to experience dairy production first hand. They host about 50 tours each year for schools, chefs, international guests and many others.
On those tours, the Kraft’s showcase how the BQA standards guide what they do in order to improve consumer confidence in beef. They understand that consumers want to know more about how their food is raised, animal welfare and how food production affects the environment.
By adopting the BQA guidelines, the Kraft’s can confidently open their doors to the public to show the best practices in the business.
“I want consumers to know that I eat this beef, too,” Mary said. “I want to have a really wholesome wonderful product for my family, and I think my job as a farmer, my job as a mom, is to make sure that you and your family have the same quality food.”
For more information on Kraft Family Dairies and other 2018 BQA Award winners, visit https://www.bqa.org/about/bqa-awards.
Colorado Companies Earn Beef Quality Assurance Awards, Put Colorado in Limelight
Feb. 9, 2017
Two Colorado companies earned recognition for their outstanding efforts in Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) on Feb. 3 in Nashville, Tenn. at the 2017 Cattle Industry Annual Convention and NCBA Trade Show. Magnum Feedyard Co., LLC, owned by Steve Gabel of Wiggins, Colo., was honored as the recipient of the 2017 National BQA Feedyard award, while IMI Global, owned by John and Leann Saunders of Castle Rock, Colo., was presented the 2017 National BQA Marketer award.
“This is a win for Colorado’s beef industry,” says Libby Bigler, Colorado BQA program coordinator. “Both IMI
“This is a win for Colorado’s beef industry,” says Libby Bigler, Colorado BQA program coordinator. “Both IMI
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Global and Magnum Feedyard are great examples of how Colorado cattle producers have really embraced the BQA program. Both are excellent promotors of the BQA message not only to their fellow industry members, but also to the consuming public.”
Award winners are selected by a committee comprised of BQA certified representatives from universities, state beef councils, sponsors and affiliated groups, who assess nominations based on their demonstrated commitment to BQA practices, their service as leaders in the beef industry, and their dedication to promoting the BQA message to grow consumer confidence. “Our 2017 award winners are exemplary models for promoting beef as a quality product from the local to the national level,” says Chase DeCoite, associate director of BQA for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). “They are working diligently to implement the newest, safest, most efficient animal health, handling, daily management and record-keeping practices, and are truly examples of sharing the BQA story!” |
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Colorado’s cattle industry was center stage during the annual Best of Beef Awards Breakfast, earning two of the five total BQA awards. Each year the National BQA Awards program, designed to recognize outstanding members of the beef industry who are committed to improving consumer confidence in beef, honors an outstanding Cow-Calf, Feedyard and Dairy producer, as well as a marketer and an educator.
It has been eight years since a Colorado operation has been recognized for BQA achievements at the national level. In 2009, Jim Docheff of Diamond D Dairy in Longmont, Colo. earned the National BQA Dairy award.
For more information on Magnum Feedyard and IMI Global, watch the videos below. Learn about all of the 2017 National BQA Award winners on the National BQA YouTube Channel.
It has been eight years since a Colorado operation has been recognized for BQA achievements at the national level. In 2009, Jim Docheff of Diamond D Dairy in Longmont, Colo. earned the National BQA Dairy award.
For more information on Magnum Feedyard and IMI Global, watch the videos below. Learn about all of the 2017 National BQA Award winners on the National BQA YouTube Channel.
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