|
>
Department >
Home >
Beef
>
Beef/Cattle
>
Profiles
Beef/Cattle Extension Program
Producer Profile: Larsen Ranch Angus
By Janna Kincheloe, County Agent
for Rosebud-Treasure County
"It’s
important to try to make a name for yourself and
build a solid reputation." |
Larsen Ranch Angus, located several miles southwest
of Rosebud, MT, is owned and operated by Jim and Carin
Larsen, their son Tyler and his wife Tisha, and their
daughter Wendy and her husband Lafe Warren. The ranch
was established in 1917 by Jim’s grandfather,
Hans Christian Larsen, and expanded by Hans’ sons,
George, Neil and Chet, when he returned from World War
II. Today, the ranch covers 20,000 acres, including
1,500 acres of dryland winter wheat and hay barley and
600 acres of irrigated hayground and continues to expand.
 The
Larsens run 250 registered and 550 commercial purebred
Black Angus cows. The goal of the Larsen Ranch Angus
program has always been to produce the ost efficient
cow possible. They keep production information on all
their cattle to help them make decisions. Says Jim,
“We know what works and what doesn’t work
on our ranch based on performance records.”
They began breeding registered cattle more than fifty
years ago and have held an annual bull sale on the fourth
Monday in every March since 1974. Bulls must meet stringent
performance criteria and semen testing to be included
in the sale. Steer calves are generally sold via video
auction and delivered in the fall. Heifer calves that
are not retained have been sold to the same buyer for
the past 27 years. The Larsens feel that selling a majority
of their cattle by the pound helps ensure that they
are producing cattle that fit the consumers’ needs.
Wendy, who works for the Bureau of Land Management
in Miles City, recently helped the ranch obtain low-
and no-interest government loans to establish a pivot
irrigation system. The Larsens use one pivot for intensive
grazing on a pasture mix of meadow bromegrass, orchardgrass,
tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, alfalfa, alsike clover
and Garrison foxtail.
They use two additional pivots to produce high quality
alfalfa hay. Having an expanded hay base has allowed
the Larsens to minimize winter feed costs. Cows are
grazed on native range and fed alfalfa as a protein
supplement. The remainder of the hay, approximately
1,200 tons, is sold to area producers.
Most of the management decisions for the ranch are
based on the “cuss and discuss” method,
according to Jim. “I have 40 years experience
ranching in this area. I base most of my decisions on
that experience.” Jim uses research data from
scientists at UDSAARS at Fort Keogh in Miles City for
information on range and grazing management. He says
it is also helpful to have Tyler, Wendy and Lafe (all
Montana State University graduates) around to provide
information and different perspectives on issues.
When asked how the Larsen Ranch is different from others
in the area, Jim answers without hesitation. “We
have more versatility than most. With both irrigated
and dryland crops, we can meet all of our own feed needs
and still have an opportunity for an additional income
source. Diversification is a must in today’s industry.”
One of the main challenges the Larsens face is the increasing
cost of maintaining an operation. “Every input
costs more every day—fuel, fertilizer, insurance,
taxes, and so on,” explained Jim. “It is
also a challenge to keep a ranch in the family with
ever-changing estate and inheritance laws. We have organized
ourselves as a small chapter corporation in order to
deal with some of those challenges.”
As far as challenges and opportunities in the livestock
industry as a whole, competition and marketing issues
top the list. “With world market issues determining
supply and demand on a local level, it is difficult
to determine what your strategy should be,” Jim
says. “It’s important to try to make a name
for yourself and build a solid reputation.”
Beef:
Questions & Answers is a joint project between
MSU Extension and the Montana Beef Council. This column
informs producers about current consumer education,
promotion and research projects funded through the
$1 per head checkoff. For more information, contact
the Montana Beef Council at (406) 442-5111 or at beefcncl@mt.net
|
