CALF_News_June_July_2021

20 CALF News • June | July 2021 • www.calfnews.net By Patti Wilson Contributing Editor y now, most of us are aware of the influence Walmart has had on America. Twenty percent of beef eaten in the United States passes through their meat case; a whopping 80 percent of us live within 10 miles of a Walmart store. With those kinds of numbers, who’s the guy responsible for guiding public relations traffic and communicating with the many people along this incredible supply chain of beef? It’s Lamar Steiger, fresh meat consultant for Walmart and a cowman with roots deep in generations of agriculture. A Long and Winding Road Steiger’s grandfather was a rug manufacturer in Wisconsin. He loved to travel and see the country, and eventually found his way to the Pitchfork Ranch in Wyoming in the 1930s. So enamored with the area, he purchased a ranch near Hulett, on impulse. His son, Don (Stei- ger’s father), settled there after serving in the military during World War II. Hereford cows were purchased from Wyoming Hereford Ranch, and Don lived on the cutting edge of reproduc- tive technology. He was among the first to employ artificial insemination (AI) in beef cattle in the 1950’s and used Charolais, Limousin and Simmental genetics as soon as they were available in the United States A confirmed bachelor at age 30, Don reportedly went to an Episcopal church service in Sundance on July 4, 1954, where he spotted his future wife in a love-at-first-sight encounter. The feeling was mutual. The couple’s attempts to marry right away were thwarted by her mother, who was so distraught by the situation, she was “forced to take valium to recover from shock.” Steiger, chuckling, says no one at that time had ever heard of valium. What was that? Nonetheless, the duo wed quickly and moved to the Hulett ranch where they produced a family of six, Lamar being the fifth child. A serious farm accident in the 1960s prompted the Steiger family to move to a warmer climate where Don’s old inju- ries were made more bearable. Steiger remembers their 1970 move to the Ben- tonville, Ark., ranch, particularly moving five potloads of Charolais cattle to the northwest Arkansas location. After the move, Don raised beef cattle, ran a dairy and made a valiant effort at keeping several sons employed on the farm. The 1980s were a tough time; the elder Steiger was eventually forced out of business, and Steiger’s in-laws, Jack and Melba Shewmaker, purchased the Bentonville ranch in 1983. They named their purchase Jac’s Ranch, and estab- lished a herd of elite purebred Angus. It operates successfully today, managed by Melba Shewmaker, and is the largest registered cattle herd in Arkansas. Steiger’s Story Asked how he got to a prominent position at Walmart, Steiger explains his ambitious mindset – he had great role models. “My dad was a cutting-edge cattleman, utilizing AI and new breeds. He was active in the Wyoming and national Beef Improvement Federations. My father-in- law, Jack, worked his way up to president of Walmart.” He climbed the proverbial ladder of success from the ground up. Steiger laughs when he relates the advice of Jack Shewmaker: “If you want to be a bear, be a grizzly. They have more fun.” Having a front-row seat during Walmart’s explosive expansion had a big impact on Steiger, recognizing the opportunity there as “the chance of a Lamar Steiger The Bridge from Cowman to Meat Case P RO D U C E R P RO F I L E B Steiger’s family has established the 808 Ranch, producing elite Angus genetics in southwest Missouri. Photo by Shari Steiger