A Donation That Keeps On Growing!
The 2023 Cattle Drive is accepting donations October 1 – December 15, 2023.
The Cattle Drive program allows ranchers to donate a calf directly or donate the market value of a steer calf. Donors can also partner with friends or neighbors to participate. This annual program allows your donation to gain in value to contribute an even larger impact in the future of the industry!
To donate this year, contact MSF Program Coordinator, Heidi Kool at foundation@mtbeef.org or (406) 461-0642, Monty Lesh at (406) 853-1523, or Wayne Slaght at (406) 793-5532.
The Montanans Feeding Montana Initiative
Montana Stockgrowers Works to Connect Consumers and Ranchers Through Montana Food Service Industry
The Montana Stockgrowers Foundation (MSF) Cattle Drive program has set out to do something no other cattle organization in the state has done—match Montana born, raised, and fed cattle with local restaurants and retailers. The “Montanans Feeding Montana Initiative” seeks to connect the Montana food service industry to the high-quality beef raised by Montana ranchers.
The Cattle Drive program is in its sixth year, with this year launching the value-added focus that intentionally pairs partners together to keep the entire beef supply chain in Montana. One of the program’s goals is to economically increase profitability for everyone involved.
“Montana Stockgrowers understand the importance and desire of customers to know where their food comes from. What we have strived to do is link some of the best producers in the world, that are right here in Montana, with Montana consumers. We have it all right here in Montana. We have the best ranchers in the world, we have feedyards, and we have a lot of feed coming off the Yellowstone Valley that is being fed. To link Montana consumers through Montana restaurants and retail is really a win-win for everyone,” explained Turk Stovall, MSGA Second Vice President and owner of Yellowstone Cattle Feeders.
Each fall the MSF Cattle Drive program seeks steer donations from ranchers and businesses across the state. Donated animals are transported to Yellowstone Cattle Feeders in Shepherd, Mont., where they are put into the program and fed to ideal market weight. When each steer is at optimum weight, the process to match the donor’s steer with a restaurant or retailer in the region in which the steer had originated starts. Working with Blue Creek Marbled Meat Company the steer is harvested. Over 85% of the total steers donated in last year’s Cattle Drive were sold to local Montana retailers and restaurants through this Montanans Feeding Montana Initiative.
“I have always had a deep appreciation for where the food is coming from, what it’s eating, where it’s been, who’s handled it. To be able to come out to Yellowstone Cattle Feeders, from day one, and be able to see that and be hands-on in the process, it’s been an incredible experience,” shared Andy Glynn, Executive Chef of Billing’s High Horse Saloon and Eatery. “Anyone can go to the grocery store and pick up beef and take it home, put it on the grill and have dinner. But I want it to be more than dinner. I want it to be a meal. I want it to be a memory.”
Feddes Family Meats in Amsterdam, Little Belt Cattle Company in Bozeman, High Horse Saloon and Eatery and the Northern Hotel in Billings, and the Black Iron Grill Rotisserie in Miles City all participated in this year’s program. Additionally, Bret and Kim Lesh purchased beef through this program.
On Friday, MSF released a short film promoting the “Montanans Feeding Montana” initiative and highlighting one of the unique partnerships Montana Stockgrowers has created through this program. The film focuses on how the program works and the benefits to every sector in the pasture to plate experience. It includes interviews from Montana Stockgrowers members and Montana ranchers, a restaurant owner, and executive chef. Find the video at www.mtcattledrive.org.
“The primary goal of the program is to raise funds for the Montana Stockgrowers Foundation to support educational programs for producers, youth and the general public, academic scholarships, grants, and support leadership opportunities for those in the cattle industry,” explained Heidi Kool, MSF Program Coordinator. “This is also an exciting opportunity for ranchers to consider participating in because donors receive steer progress reports and carcass data of their steer’s performance against the best cattle in the state.”
Donations are currently being accepted for this upcoming year, to donate contact MSF Program Coordinator, Heidi Kool at foundation@mtbeef.org or (406) 461-0642, or visit www.mtcattledrive.org. MSF would like to thank all of its generous donors who have participated over the past six years of the program.
Supporting Montana from
PASTURE TO PLATE
2022 Cattle Drive Update
Montana Stockgrowers Foundation’s (MSF) Cattle Drive Program just completed its most successful program year yet. With a record number of donated steers and a focus on bringing Montana beef to Montana consumers, this program continues to raise funds to invest in Montana’s ranching community and ensure the future of Montana’s cattle industry.
Each fall MSF’s Cattle Drive Program seeks donations of either live steers or the value of a steer from ranchers and businesses across Montana. Steers are then transported to Yellowstone Cattle Feeders in Shepherd, MT where they are put on contest and finished. When each steer is at optimum weight they are sold and harvested with all proceeds benefiting MSF programs, including educational scholarships and leadership development.
This one-of-a-kind program allows donors to monitor the steer’s progress for the duration of the contest. Steers will be penned together, which results in feeding consistency, and are finished on a mixture of locally produced corn silage, corn, beet pulp silage, alfalfa and grain. Yellowstone Cattle Feeders welcomes visitors by appointment to view their facilities, the process and the cattle.
Once a steer is harvested, donors receive valuable data on their steer’s performance against some of the best cattle in the state. The top three in average daily gain and carcass data, as well as an overall champion steer are recognized at MSGA’s Annual Convention and Trade Show each December.
For the first time in the history of the program, over three quarters of the steers donated in the 2022 Cattle Drive were sold to local Montana processors and restaurants through the Montanans feeding Montana initiative. This initiative seeks to connect the Montana food service industry to the high quality beef raised by Montana ranchers.
MSF would like to extend a special thank you to Marc King for his services in grading the steer carcasses.
This program would not be possible without our generous donors. Thank you!
2021 Cattle Drive Awards
Average Daily Gain
1st Place
Rein Anchor Ranch – Charlie Rein
2nd Place
Veseth Cattle Company – Dale and Janet Veseth
3rd Place
Saylor Ranch – Chip Saylor
Carcass Value
1st Place
Bobcat Angus Ranch/Ratzburg Livestock – Bryan Ratzburg
2nd Place
Hahn Ranch – Dusty Hahn
3rd Place
Hobble Diamond Ranch – Michael Browning
2022 Cattle Drive Donors
Highland Cattle Co.
Highland Cattle Co.
3C Cattle Co.
Lane Nordlund and Russell Nemetz
Nutra-Lix
Andy Kellom
Glasgow Stockyards
NAY
Bruce Glennie
Marks Miller Post & Pole
Ryan and Nicole Jones
Ehlke Herefords
Franz Red Angus
Andy Head
Castle Mountain
John and Linda Swanz
Rolling Stone Ranch
Dynneson Ranch – Katelyn Larson and Alexis Dynneson
Dynneson Ranch – Keith Dynneson
Bobcat Angus/Ratzburg Livestock
Grande Ranch
21 Mile Creek Ranch
Merck
Two Creek Monture Ranch
Vogel Land and Cattle Co.
IX Ranch
Hahn Ranch
Olsen Ranch
Cayuse Livestock
Holden Herefords
Bales Ranch
Cline Genetics and Leo Barthelmess
Rein Anchor Ranch
Sutherlin Farms
Iverson Ranch
Paws Up
Ahlgren Ranch
Diamond Ring Ranch
Prewitt & Co.
VS Inc.
Woody Creek Cattle & Grain
Hammond Cattle Co.
Matador Ranch and Cattle
Hagenbarth Ranch
Chokecherry Cattle/Garrison Ranch
Schuett Farms
Taylor Ranch
Cedar Creek Land & Livestock
Jones Brothers Livestock
Sitz Angus
Cornwell Ranch
Veseth Cattle Co.
Hockett Farms
Peterson Grain & Cattle Co.
Boucher Ranch
Lee and Madylon Cornwell
2016 Leadership Class
Lazy YE Cattle Co.
Cross 4 Ranch
Cherry Creek Ranch
Drange Ranch, Inc
Ostendorf Red Angus
Cross W Livestock
Solaris Feeders
Chip Saylor
LO Cattle Co.
Willow Creek Cattle Co.
Lesh Cattle Co.
AgriBest and Ty Jones
Little Belt Cattle Co.
Stovall Ranch
Thompson Cattle Co.
Tash Livestock and Jeff Johnson
Bonanza Creek Ranch and Jim Peterson
Thank You
Yellowstone Cattle Feeders
for managing the cattle in the program
Marc King
for his help with the carcass data