What's New
Recently Updated (11/12/18)
Wildcat Cattle Company Named Premier Breeder
Wildcat Cattle Company was named Premier Breeder in Kansas City in October.
Melissa Dahnert Marries Michael Berggren
September 22, 2018
Austin Folkman Awarded $5,000 Scholarship
Austin Folkman, C&L Herefords was awarded the $5,000 Ball & Cottonwood Springs Scholarship.
4 Wisconsin Golden Breeders Honored in Kansas City
Baker Polled Herefords
Paul & Sylvia Baker
Boettcher's Brookview Acres
Butch & MaryEllen Boettcher
KLS Farm
Kevin & Kathy Stork
Lamar Polled Herefords
Emmett & Margaret Langness
Wisconsin Cattlemen's Association
2019 Winter Conference
February 8-9, 2019
Chula Vista Resort, Wisconsin Dells
WHA Spring Sale
Noon, Saturday, March 2, 2019
Grant County Fairgrounds, Lancaster, WI
Gordon D. Merry DVM 1925 - 2018
Dr. Gordon D Merry, age 92, peacefully passed away on Tuesday September 4, 2018 at home. He was born November 2, 1925 near Richland Center, WI. He was the son of William and Ruby ( Bender) Merry. He was married to Marian Brewer on September 11, 1948. He graduated from the University of Minnesota Veterinary School in 1954. He practiced Veterinary Medicine in Sun Prairie for 40 years until 1994. He is the third of six generations of Merry Hereford cattle breeders. Gordon marketed cattle all over the United States and sold a few in Canada as well as one in Argentina under the prefix of MGM ( Marian and Gordon Merry ). The family asks that in lieu of flowers please contribute to his endowment to the MGM scholarship fund which will be given to veterinary students with interest in Hereford cattle c/o Amy Cowan Hereford Youth Foundation, American Hereford Association 11500 N. Ambassador Dr. Kansas City, MO 64153.
Gordon is survived by sons Steve ( Jann ) Merry MD of Hartford, David ( Martha ) Merry DVM of Lebanon, OH, Roger Merry JD of Janesville, and Tim ( Paula ) Merry DDS of Germantown, WI. He was preceded in death by his wife Marian and daughter Judy. Gordon was so proud of his grand children Matthew Merry, Ginger Merry, Daniel Merry, Justin Merry, Leah Burroughs, William Merry, Michael Merry, Courtney Meyer, Joshua Merry, Kyle Merry, and Jenna Merry as well as his seven great grand children. Special thanks to his devoted care givers Anthony Beasley and Zaya Sugarjav. Visitation will be held on Friday September 21, 2018 at the Cress Funeral Home 1310 Emerald Drive, Sun Prairie from 2 pm to 4 pm and on Saturday September 22, 2018 from 10 am to 11 am at the Pratt Funeral Home 120 N. Park St. Richland Center. Funeral Services will be held Saturday September 22, 2018 at 11am. Burial will be held at held at the Bloom City Cemetery in the township of Bloom.
Important Dates & Deadlines
See the Calendar page for the latest important dates and deadlines to add to your calendar.
Thank You Brandner Family
The WHA thanks the Scott and Heidi Brandner Family for bringing their two great animals, Olive the heifer and Ricky the steer, to exhibit at Farm Tech Days this year. They were newcomers to this event and looked like old pros. Their interaction with the public was wonderful to watch,their passion for the breed was evident, and their commitment to our youth is 110%. When you see them at the Wisconsin State Fair please give them a big shout out because they earned it. It was a pleasure and an honor to work with them.
2018 Fall Tour
August 18-19, 2018
The WHA would like to give a huge thank you to all of the participants! It was a lot of work but a ton of fun for all who were able to attend.
John Mentz
Christ the Rock Farm, Mark & Deb Schoen
Annah Dobson, Brittney Renn, Jerry Huth
Windy Hills Farm; Mark, Angie, Kim & Kelley Friedrich
Starck Centory Farm, Rick & Jenny Starck
Boettcher Brookview Acres, Butch & Mary Ellen Boettcher
2018 Northeast Iowa Hereford Breeders Tour
Sunday, August 26, 2018
View Tour Schedule and Information
Thank You Steiny’s Polled Herefords, Dave and Laurie Steinhoff, Bryan and Liz Johnson
The WJHA would like to thank Steiny’s Polled Herefords, Dave and Laurie Steinhoff, Bryan and Liz Johnson for donating “Whitey” to the Wisconsin Junior Hereford Association.
Congrats to Kermit Rhiner on buying the winning ticket!
Thanks to all who bought raffle tickets. $9,500 was raised! Special recognition to our sponsors over $100 include.
Gold Sponsors $500+ — Randy Filer, C & L Herefords, Lauren May, MGM Polled Herefords, Next Generation Genetics, Schlieckau Polled Herefords, Wildcat Cattle Company, Wiswell Farms
Silver Sponsors $250-499 — Scott Firlus, Windy Hills Polled Herefords, Josh Spaeth, Lamb Brother's Beef, BJ Reeg, Eric Yttri, Dalton Polled Herefords, Otter Creek Polled Herefords
Bronze Sponsors $100-249 — Ty Wagner, SnL's Whitetail, Y-Tri Farms, Rennsnest Polled Herefords, Mike Sorenson, Peters Polled Hereford, Baker's Polled Herefrod, Brookview Polled Herfords, Charlie & Chase Kent, Litzeau Herefords, Otter Creek Stock Farm, Owego Stock Farm, Plum River Ranch, Shannon Schenck
Dr. BJ Jones and Matt Breneman honored as WI Cattlemen of the Year
2018 Spring Hereford Sale Results
Total Gross: $97,600
Average on 39.75 lots: $2,455
Bulls Averaged: $2,653
Females Average: $2,310
High Selling Bulls:
- Lot 15: BB Whisky 4R Men a February 17, 2017 son of MSU TCF Revolution 4R. Consigned by Bacon Branch Beef of Platteville, WI and sold to Jerry Bevan of Platteville, WI. $4200
- Lot 4: C&L Homegrown 8Y 7D a January 26, 2016 son of NJW 73S W18 Homegrown 8Y ET. Consigned by C&L Hereford Ranch of Ixonia, WI and sold to BJ Reeg of Bellevue, IA. $4000
Volume Buyer: BJ Reeg with 6 bulls
High Selling Females:
- Lot 25: KLS Trust Main 19D a February 25, 2016 daughter of NJW 73S M326 Trust 100W ET. Consigned by KLS Farm of New Richmond, WI and sold to Spaeth Farms of Cadott, WI. $4800
- Lot 32: C&L Miss Pearl Z210 4E a February 7, 2017 daughter of GV CMR X151 MR 847 Z210. Consigned by C&L Hereford Ranch of Ixonia, WI and sold to Jim Liebhart of OK. $4800
2018 WHA Member Directory
Coming in the spring of 2018, a new WHA directory which will be printed and mailed to our membership, and used for hand-outs at all state promotional functions.
Advertising rates for the directory are as follows:
- $300 — Full color page
- $175 — Half color page
- $200 — Full B/W page
- $135 — Half page B/W
- $75 — Quarter page B/W
Deadline for directory ad information is April 1, 2018.
View Directory Advertising Form
BJ Jones Named 2018 Wisconsin Cattleman of the Year
Congratulations Dr. BJ Jones, Wildcat Cattle Company for being named 2018 Wisconsin Cattlemen of the Year!
2018 WHA Scholarship Winners
The WHA and WJHA each donate $800 every year. Congratulations to Tori Hanson, Sparta and Taylor Chwala, Jefferson.
To the WHA Board of Directors and Hall of Fame Committee,
Thank you for recognizing us at the annual meeting with the Hall of Fame Award. It was totally unexpected and most definitely a surprise! The Hereford breed is very important to our lives, so it was special to be recognized buy our friends and peers. Thanks to those friendships and relationships,developed over so many years of involvement in the WHA, that has made it so enjoyable.
Sincerely Fred, Lori, Jerry & Joyce Larson
Wisconsin Junior Attend Faces of Leadership
Six Wisconsin Junior Hereford Association members attended the Faces of Leadership Youth Convention held August 1-4 in Kansas City. Jarrett Breber, Annah Dobson, Bailey and Lauren Jones, Brooke Peters along with Abigail Schulz joined 89 juniors from multiple states to visit local operations and businesses. FOL helps juniors develop leadership skills and meet fellow Hereford juniors from around the country. FOL is a great way to tour some awesome universities, hear educational and motivational speakers, and get an up-close look at some outstanding cattle operations. Tour stops included the American Hereford Association, Biozyme Inc., Jensen Brothers, Kansas State University and a Kansas City Royals game.
Annah and Abigail won scholarships through the WJHA to attend Faces of Leadership, and will be reporting on it at our annual meeting. Watch for details on the 2018 FOL convention in California next summer.
HOF Inductee: Steve Folkman
Left to right: Folkman Family, Fred Larson
On behalf of my wife Jill, we would like to thank the WHA on the honor of inductment into the Wisconsin Hereford Association Hall of Fame.
My involvement in the livestock industry started over 40 years ago when I showed a Charlois Hereford cross steer at the Waukesha county fair. It was back then that we met the Browns, Schuetts and John Craig and I had my first Angus experience with Dave Kilpatrick’s steer getting away and running the fair grounds later to be caught and dragged back and tied next to my steer. It gave me a much greater appreciation the Hereford breed.
In 1973 we started raising Herefords with my fathers purchase of the original 325 acres at Blair, Wi. This property adjoined Dad’s good friend and hunting partner Arnold Jorn’s whom we shared equipment, pastures, herd bulls , facilities and labor. Herd bulls were added from the Wisconsin State sale where Dave Simmons Champion Rollo Ruff along with a bred heifer from Leminagers. Two Kiyiwana New Trend (first Superior sire) sons from Spring Creek farm and a 15G son from Larry Hanson in South Dakota were added. Cows from Calderon Curran Grass Lake Michigan, Willard Allen and Augie Williams joined the herd as it was built to 125 head.
In 1989 I met my wife Jill and in 1990 we were married and have enjoyed 27 years on marriage and have 4 wonderful kids: Nicole 22, Curtis 20, Ali 19, Austin 17.
Family is important to our operation where every day we are early risers and All involved in the daily chores around the farm. We’ve enjoyed attending 14 JNHE as a family and you may have seen Lorna; Steve’s mom helping cook in the stalls.
Over the years we’ve bred or been a part of National Champions Absolute, Neon, and Vickey 36R. We’ve also owned 33N Redeem’s dam, 6T Doubletime’s dam, 1T Federal 6Y’s dam, J119 Logic’s dam, 54E Git ER Done’s dam and a host of other influential females.
We’ve also been proud to say that Doubletime, Vaquero, M326, Advantage, Federal 6Y, Logic, have been bred and or called C&L home.
Our involvement in breed activities started in 1981-84 serving on the WPHA board ; president in 1983. I served from 1991 through 1998 on the Wisconsin Beef Improvement board. 2003-2007 I served on the AHA board. Jill and I served on the executive committee for the 2005 JNHE which I co-chaired with Jerry Huth. I am currently since 2011 serving on the HYFA board where I’m the chairman JNHE steering committee. Jill has served since 2014 on the NHW board and is currently president.
It has been Jill and my involvement in HYFA and the Hereford women that have given us a tremendous amount of satisfaction in helping with the development and character building of the young adults in our industry. We have always tried to promote and support our local and national organization. We have hosted several WHA summer tours, held high school, county and college judging clinics and for several years provided beef live animal classes for the UW intercollegiate judging clinics at Arlington.
Again thank you for this honor. Both Jill and I hope to continue to help for many years to come in and industry we so love.
Annah Dobson named National Queen
Briana Katzenberger awarded Vanier Scholarship
Congratulations to the Following Golden TPR Breeders
- Jerry Huth
- Hank Handzel
- Owego Stock Farm
