American Cattlemen Podcast

When you’re looking through a sale catalog, it helps to know the people behind the cattle. On this episode of Genetics & the Gavel, powered by American Cattlemen Media, we’re headed to Nowatzke Cattle Company in Michigan City, Indiana, to talk about the family operation and its upcoming Fall Production Sale. 
The sale is scheduled for Saturday, October 17, 2026, at 9335 W 200 N in Michigan City. We’ll discuss the breeding philosophy, get an overview of this year’s offering and let our guest highlight cattle and cow families buyers should take a closer look at.
We’ll also cover sale-day arrangements and online participation through CCI for those who can’t attend.
Listen to the episode below to learn more about the Nowatzke program and this year’s sale. For the current catalog and sale information, contact Barry Nowatzke at 773-255-4684.
 
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When you're looking for a bull, there's more to consider than the picture in the catalog. I want to know about the people behind the cattle, how those bulls have been raised and what the program is trying to accomplish. Those are the kinds of conversations I enjoy having on Genetics & the Gavel. 
For this episode, Matt and Cammie Burbank of Seedstock Plus are joining me to preview their Fall Bull & Female Sale. Before we get into the cattle, we'll give them a chance to talk about themselves, their family and how they got started in the beef industry. We'll also visit about their roles in Seedstock Plus and the philosophy behind breeding and raising cattle for the program.
The sale is Saturday, October 17, 2026, at noon at Joplin Regional Stockyards in Carthage, Missouri. The advertised offering includes 150 Balancer and Gelbvieh 18-month-old bulls, along with 30 commercial open heifers.
We'll spend some time on the bulls, how they've been developed and what buyers should know as they look through the offering. I've also asked Matt and Cammie to highlight a few lots and tell us what stands out about them. If you're looking to add females, we'll talk about the commercial open heifers, too.
We'll cover the practical side of sale day as well, including viewing the cattle, how the sale works and getting purchases home. If you can't be there in person, online bidding is available through DVAuction.
Join us for this episode of Genetics & the Gavel, powered by American Cattlemen Media. You can find more information about the sale at seedstockplus.com, and hear directly from Matt and Cammie as we take a look at what's coming to Carthage on October 17.
 
For previous episodes of Genetics & the Gavel, please visit:  www.americancattlemen.com.
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Two sales are coming up at Briggs Ranches’ Traylor Division in Bloomington, Texas, and we’re taking a closer look on Genetics & the Gavel, powered by American Cattlemen Media. The 49th Annual Tri-Star Sale begins Friday, October 23, 2026, at 5:00 PM, featuring registered Santa Gertrudis females. The offering includes genetics from Briggs Ranches, Harris Riverbend, Pitchford Cattle and San Jose Cattle Co.
On Saturday, October 24, the 23rd Annual Briggs Ranches Bull and Commercial Female Sale will offer 120 Brangus and Santa Gertrudis bulls and 250 commercial females.We’ll talk about the operation’s breeding philosophy, let our guest walk through the offering and highlight cattle buyers should take a closer look at. We’ll also cover the weekend arrangements and ways to participate.Listen to the episode below for more about Briggs Ranches and its upcoming sales. For catalogs and sale information, contact Joe Jones at 361-550-0994 or Tol Cawley at 936-581-1174.
 
For previous episodes of Genetics & the Gavel, please visit:  www.americancattlemen.com.
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The Stevenson family at Basin Angus Ranch is preparing to bring another group of Angus females to Billings, Montana, for its A Lasting Legacy Elite Female Sale on Saturday, October 17, 2026. The sale begins at 11:00 AM Mountain Daylight Time at Billings Livestock Commission. On this episode of Genetics & the Gavel, Doug Stevenson joins Aaron McKinney to talk about the family's cattle operation, the breeding decisions behind the Basin program, and what buyers can expect from this year's offering.
THE BASIN ANGUS PROGRAM
Basin Angus is a family cattle operation in Montana with a breeding goal of combining strong maternal phenotype with superior data.During the conversation, Doug discusses the family's operation, the philosophy behind its breeding decisions, and the kind of cattle Basin is working to produce.
THE 2026 ELITE FEMALE SALE
The offering includes heifer calves from Basin's ET program and natural herd, young donor cows, bred heifers, and proven mature production cows. A herd bull prospect is also included.During the Genetics & the Gavel conversation, Stevenson walks through each portion of the offering and highlights the cattle he wants buyers to study before sale day.
SALE DAY IN BILLINGS
The sale will be held Saturday, October 17, at Billings Livestock Commission in Billings, Montana. Breakfast and refreshments will be available that morning, and the auction begins at 11:00 AM MDT.Cattle are available to view at Basin Angus Ranch headquarters near Reed Point through Thursday morning, October 15. They will be moved to Billings Livestock Commission Thursday afternoon and will be available there through sale time.
Videos can be viewed at BasinAngus.com or CCI.live. Buyers who cannot attend can register to watch and bid online through CCI.live. Listen to the complete Genetics & the Gavel conversation with Doug Stevenson for more on the Basin Angus program and its October 17 offering.
 
For previous episodes of Genetics & the Gavel, please visit:  www.americancattlemen.com.
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When you talk Hereford cattle, the Lowderman name belongs in the conversation. At Lowderman Cattle Company in Macomb, Illinois, cattle are a family business, with a shared passion for the breed and the people who raise them. 
Monte Lowderman joins Aaron McKinney on Genetics & the Gavel, powered by American Cattlemen Media, to talk about the family’s program, raising cattle that can compete in the show ring and remain productive afterward, and opportunities for young people to get involved in the beef industry.
We also preview The Illini Top Cut Annual Fall Production Sale, coming up Sunday, October 11, 2026, at 1:00 PM Central, at the Lowderman farm in Macomb. The offering includes Hereford show heifer prospects, herd bull prospects, donors and bred females. Listen to the conversation for Monte’s perspective on the cattle and what buyers can expect on sale day.
 
For previous episodes of Genetics & the Gavel, please visit:  www.americancattlemen.com.
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For more than five decades, the Cowles family at Pleasant Hill Farms has worked to build a cattle program around maternal strength, performance, and phenotype. 
On Saturday, October 10, 2026, Pleasant Hill Farms will welcome cattle producers to Rockfield, Kentucky, for its 14th Annual Fall Production Sale, featuring Angus and Simmental females along with frozen genetics. 
On this episode of Genetics & the Gavel, Pleasant Hill Farms' Corbin Cowles joins Aaron McKinney to talk about the family's cattle operation, the philosophy behind the PHF breeding program, and what buyers can expect from this year's offering. 
A Program Built Over Generations 
Pleasant Hill Farms traces its registered Angus program to 1972, when the family purchased its first registered Angus heifer. The goal from the beginning was to produce high-quality beef cattle while continually improving genetics. 
That philosophy is summed up in a phrase used throughout the Pleasant Hill program: “Where Maternal Power, Performance and Phenotype Matter Most.” 
The PHF breeding program emphasizes fertility, udder quality, disposition, skeletal soundness, body composition, foot and heel design, and breed character. Individual performance, DNA-enhanced EPDs, and ultrasound information are also incorporated into breeding decisions. 
Today, Pleasant Hill Farms operates both Angus and Simmental programs while the next generation of the Cowles family takes on a larger role in the operation. 
The 2026 Fall Production Sale 
This year's Fall Production Sale gives buyers several ways to add Pleasant Hill genetics to their own programs. 
The offering is divided into four primary groups: Angus females, Angus frozen genetics, Simmental females, and Simmental frozen genetics. 
The live cattle offering includes proven females from both the Angus and Simmental programs. The frozen genetics portion provides additional access to genetics developed and used within the PHF breeding program. 
During the Genetics & the Gavel conversation, Cowles walks through each portion of the offering, discusses the cattle Pleasant Hill has assembled for October 10, and highlights several lots buyers may want to study before sale day. 
Sale Day at Pleasant Hill Farms 
The 14th Annual Pleasant Hill Farms Fall Production Sale will be held Saturday, October 10, at the farm near Rockfield, Kentucky. 
Complimentary lunch begins at 11:30 AM Central, followed by the sale at 12:30 PM Central. 
Ron Kreis will serve as auctioneer. Ringmen listed for the sale are Ty Murray, Chuck Grove, and Craig Reiter. 
Cattle are available for inspection prior to the sale. Pleasant Hill Farms is located at 9039 Russellville Road, Rockfield, Kentucky 42274, and online bidding is available for buyers unable to attend in person. 
Listen to the complete Genetics & the Gavel conversation with Corbin Cowles for more on Pleasant Hill Farms, its breeding philosophy, and the cattle and genetics being offered on October 10.
 
For previous episodes of Genetics & the Gavel, please visit:  www.americancattlemen.com.
American Cattlemen Podcast is Sponsored By:
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Smith Valley Angus will welcome Angus breeders and cattlemen to Salem, Missouri, on Friday, October 9, for its 9th Annual Production Sale at the SVA Sale Facility. Brian and Kim Smith have assembled an offering representing the depth of the Smith Valley program, with females from established cow families, donor prospects, ET females, bred cattle and bulls scheduled to sell. 
The Smiths continue to develop their program around proven Angus genetics while building an offering designed to provide opportunities across several segments of the seedstock business. This year's catalog includes cattle from some of the families that have played an important role at Smith Valley, along with younger genetics representing the direction of the program.
A centerpiece of the event will again be Smith Valley's support of Sacred Selections, an organization that assists Christian families with adoption expenses. Smith Valley will donate 100 percent of the proceeds from Lot 8, SV Mary Blackbird 6006, to help with adoption expenses through the organization.
Brian and Kim are also joined in the operation by full-time herd manager Dustin Daehn, who brings additional practical cattle experience to the Smith Valley program. During their conversation with Gale McKinney on Genetics & the Gavel, Brian and Kim preview the 2026 offering, discuss the females and bulls they are particularly excited about, explain the importance of the Sacred Selections donation, and provide buyers with the information they need ahead of sale day.
The Smith Valley Angus 9th Annual Production Sale begins at 1:00 PM on Friday, October 9, 2026, at the SVA Sale Facility in Salem, Missouri. Lunch begins at 11:00 AM, with Wes Tiemann serving as auctioneer. Videos and additional sale information are available through Smith Valley Angus.
 
For previous episodes of Genetics & the Gavel, please visit:  www.americancattlemen.com.
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The Wagyu business is bringing some of its best genetics back to Nashville this fall.
On Friday, October 9, 2026, The Wagyu Super returns for its third year, bringing Wagyu breeders and producers together for a full day of education, networking, and an evening sale at Ole Red in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. 
Sale manager Joe Pettit has watched the event grow during its first three years, but the basic idea remains pretty simple: bring together an exceptional set of Wagyu genetics, put them in front of serious cattle producers, and make the event something people want to attend.
This year's sale begins at 6:30 PM Central on the third floor of Ole Red, with online bidding also available through Wagyu Auction House. The cattle will remain at their home locations and will be presented by video during the sale.
A Full Day Built Around WagyuThis year, the event starts well before the first lot enters the virtual sale ring.
American Wagyu University begins at 11:00 AM at the DoubleTree by Hilton Nashville Downtown and gives producers an opportunity to spend much of the day talking about the business behind the cattle.
The program includes discussions on beef technical support, Wagyu genetics and breed data, marketing and production, along with a producer roundtable featuring representatives from Black Jack Ranch, Bar V Wagyu and La Roca Range.
That educational component makes the trip to Nashville about more than simply buying cattle.
For producers already involved in Wagyu, it is an opportunity to compare ideas and genetics with other breeders. For those newer to the breed, it provides a chance to learn and make connections before sitting down for the evening sale.
A Deep Genetic OfferingOnce the attention turns to the sale, there is plenty to talk about.
Pettit describes the 2026 catalog as one of the strongest offerings The Wagyu Super has assembled, with young females, proven donors, bulls, Fullblood and polled genetics, and semen and embryo opportunities represented throughout the catalog.
Today's Wagyu buyer has considerably more information available when evaluating those genetics.
The catalog incorporates economic indexes along with growth, maternal, fertility, and carcass information. Traits such as carcass weight, eye muscle area, marble score, marbling fineness and net feed intake give breeders additional tools for evaluating how an animal might fit their individual breeding program.
But numbers are only part of the story.
Throughout the offering are cattle representing established maternal lines, proven carcass genetics, and some of the breed's more influential sires. The result is a catalog that gives buyers several different ways to approach genetic improvement rather than concentrating on a single trait or type of animal.
Headline Genetics—and Depth Behind ThemThere are certainly animals in this year's offering designed to attract attention.
The sale opens with Bar V Ms. Magnificent X6008, an unflushed virgin heifer that ranks among the leading females in the breed by BFI and combines carcass traits with maternal and fertility potential. She is also a full sister to Bar V Mr. Classic 565N.
Another unusual opportunity is Wyndford Itoguni 308H. Pettit's catalog describes the six-year-old sire as one of the most significant sires offered through the event, with the buyer gaining the ability to collect and use or market semen from the bull.
But an important part of a sale this size is what comes after the headline lots.
The catalog includes cattle and genetic packages representing different pedigrees, price points, and breeding objectives. That gives producers an opportunity to study the entire offering and identify genetics that make sense for their own programs rather than simply chasing the highest-profile animal in the sale.
Why Nashville?Buyers don't have to be in Nashville to participate.
Online bidding makes it possible to buy from home, and because the cattle themselves are being presented by video, the sale has been designed from the beginning to accommodate remote participation.
But that isn't quite the same as being there.
Bringing Wagyu University, breeders, consignors, buyers and the sale together in Nashville creates something that is increasingly valuable in the cattle business: an opportunity to spend a day with other people who are serious about the same industry.
Then at 6:30 PM, the education and conversation give way to the gavel.
The setting doesn't hurt either.
Ole Red puts The Wagyu Super right in the middle of Nashville, giving producers a chance to combine cattle business with an evening on Broadway.
For Pettit and The Wagyu Super, that's part of what the event has become.
Good cattle bring people to a sale.
Good cattle, good people, and a little Nashville make it an event.
 
For previous episodes of Genetics & the Gavel, please visit:  www.americancattlemen.com.
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HeartBrand Cattle will offer registered Akaushi genetics from its long-established Texas program during the Family Matters Online Sales Event Vol. V, Monday, October 5, at 6:00 PM Central.
The sale features 39 lots selling as 42 head, including A.I.-bred females, pasture-exposed bred females, cow-calf pairs, and open heifers. The offering represents multiple generations of selection within the HeartBrand program and gives buyers an opportunity to select females at several different stages of production. 
HeartBrand's story extends beyond producing seedstock. The Beeman family's program connects HeartBrand Cattle with HeartBrand Beef, giving the operation a direct connection between the genetics it produces and the beef those genetics ultimately create.
Jordan Beeman, President of HeartBrand Beef, represents the fifth generation of the Texas ranching family.
That connection is reflected in a simple statement prominently featured in the sale catalog: “Cattle Backed by a BEEF Company.”
HeartBrand reports that its beef operation graded more than 17,000 individual carcass sides in 2024. That information gives the operation another tool for evaluating cattle and making breeding decisions as it continues developing its Akaushi genetics.
The Family Matters offering begins with A.I.-bred females and continues through pasture-exposed bred females, cow-calf pairs, and open heifers. Throughout the offering are females representing generations of HeartBrand breeding and established Akaushi genetics.
The cattle are parent-verified by DNA, individually EID tagged, and branded with the HeartBrand logo. Females represented as bred have been third-party pregnancy verified.
On this episode of Genetics & the Gavel, Jordan Beeman joins Gale McKinney to discuss HeartBrand genetics and preview the Family Matters offering. Beeman walks listeners through the different groups of females selling, highlights cattle buyers should study, and explains how HeartBrand's connection to the beef business influences its breeding program.
The HeartBrand Cattle Family Matters Registered Akaushi Female Sale begins at 6:00 PM Central on Monday, October 5, 2026. The cattle are located at the HeartBrand ranch in Harwood, Texas, and are available for viewing by appointment before the sale.
Online bidding will be available through LiveAg.
 
For previous episodes of Genetics & the Gavel, please visit:  www.americancattlemen.com.
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Curt Rincker of Rincker Simmental and Corey Wilkins of Allied Genetic Resources join host Aaron McKinney for a preview of the 21st Annual Illini Elite Sale.
Curt and Corey discuss Rincker Simmental’s operation, cattle-breeding philosophy and the overall depth of this year’s offering. The sale features competitive, show-ready heifer calves, a deep set of AI-bred females, elite donor IR Miss Vienna G965, and cutting-edge pregnancies and embryos backed by proven Simmental and SimAngus cow families. 
Whether you are building a competitive show string or looking to strengthen the genetics in your breeding program, the Illini Elite Sale offers an outstanding opportunity to invest in high-quality females with a productive future.
The sale begins at 1:00 p.m. CT on Sunday, September 20, at the Rincker Sale Facility in Shelbyville, Illinois. Buyers can also watch and bid online through CCI.live.
Genetics & the Gavel is powered by American Cattlemen Media.
 
For previous episodes of Genetics & the Gavel, please visit:  www.americancattlemen.com.
American Cattlemen Podcast is Sponsored By:
Moly Manufacturing
Central Life Sciences
Medgene
Forge