A lifetime spent in the cattle industry lead Tom Jones to oversee the development of the Education and Research Center near Montezuma, KS. Designed to educate producers and consumers, the center, established in 2017 is a high point in the career of the Managing Member of Hy-Plains Feedyard. A graduate of Kansas State University, Jones worked on the live cattle side at Brookover Company as well as the packing plant industry at IBP and Hy-Plains Dressed Beef before putting an investment group together to purchase Hy-Plains Feedyard.

In the 1970’s, the Brandt family’s cattle operation grew rapidly under Bill Brandt’s direction, increasing from 1,200 head to 125,000. Today, the 125,000-head feedyard is the center of the Brandt Co. The company’s portfolio also includesa vertically integrated farm operation, a high-tech compost yard and a jointly owned rail line for corn shipments. The majority of the cattle are harvested at One World Beef, a packing house in nearby Brawley, CA, and operated by Bill’s son.

A 5th generation cattleman, Jack Reeve received his veterinary degree from Kansas State University and served in the U.S. Army before setting up a practice in Garden City, KS. Always an entrepreneur, Reeve started feeding cattle, developing farmland and eventually building a large ethanol plant. Today, Reeve Cattle Company continues with a capacity of 50,000 head.

An industry leader in Colorado agriculture, Steve Gabel opened Magnum Feedyard near Wiggins, CO, in 1993 with a capacity of 4,000 head. Today’s capacity is 22,000-head and Gabel also runs a smaller cow-calf operation in his hometown of Galeton. A graduate of Colorado State University, Gabel serves on the Board of Governors for the college. Magnum Feedyard received the 2017 National BQA Feedyard Award.

In 1983, after operating a grower yard and wheat pasture operation through the late 70’s, Johnny Trotter and SL Garrison brought together a group of cattlemen to purchase the 40,000 head United Beef Feedyard, which became Bar-G Feedyards. Currently Johnny serves as chief executive officer of Bar-G, near Hereford, TX, overseeing a 125,000-head capacity operation. Trotter owns and manages farms and ranches across the southwest and serves on many boards and committees as well as being one of three partners in All American Ruidoso Downs in Ruidoso, NM.