CALF_News_June_July_2018

28 CALF News • June | July 2018 • www.calfnews.net W orking hard to produce the best quality cattle is no foreign language to High Choice Feeders (HCF) in Scott City, Kan. With owners who have a rich and long heritage in raising cattle, it’s almost second nature. HCF raises traditional feeder cattle, but they also feed specialty cattle, such as hormone-free and Certified Angus Beef. They have worked hard to set themselves apart in a niche environment that requires a bit more hands-on time and paperwork in the office but rewards them for the excellent beef they produce. “If you’re going to raise great cattle that grade high in the packing plants, you have to start with great cattle in the feedyard,” says Bradly Scott, partner and co-manager.“In my view, the cattle markets and the world have changed a bit since I was in my 20s and 30s. I think back then you could find deals on high-end cattle that you don’t see today. Everything changed with the addition of satellite dishes on top of your barn and house, and the advent of DTN [Data Transmission Network] livestock. Then along comes the internet with greater access to information. “Now, everyone knows what markets are, and what the cattle are worth. So, that said, we changed our thought pro- cess here years ago. Basically, in my view today, the type of cattle we buy – prob- ably the most expensive, highest quality cattle – are also the best value.” Scott and his family are centennial farmers from the Chicago, Ill., area raising cattle on land that his family initially settled in the 1850s. He and his father partnered with others in 2006 to purchase the two feedyards that are now known as High Choice Feeders. They enjoy the western Kansas area for raising cattle because of the temperate climate and accessible feed. “We really enjoy the time we spend in Scott City,” Scott says.“The community has been great to us, and the 300-plus days of sunshine a year isn’t a bad selling point either.” Buying and feeding higher end cattle has paid off in dividends for this group. In 2017, they were awarded the Certi- fied Angus Beef Feedyard Commitment to Excellence Award for their dedication to quality and customer service.“A lot of people thought beef would fall on its face, but we learned consumers want quality. Our feeding cus- tomers improved genetics, and we improved feeding because the consumer is our ultimate customer,” Ty Rumford, HCF general manager, shared at the CAB awards banquet. Rumford has been man- aging the feedyard facili- ties for over 20 years.“We feed cattle for customers all over the United States, and we can customize a program to whatever they want to do,” he says.“If By Aly McClure Contributing Editor Finished with Pride and Integrity they are a certified-hormone-free opera- tion on their end, we can finish them that way on ours. If they want to market them all the way through as Certified Angus Beef, we’ve got that covered, as well. It takes a little bit more work on our end to manage different programs, but it’s worth it to be able to provide exactly what our customers want.” While it may take a little more capital and work at the beginning, High Choice Feeders has decided they are in the game of producing the best beef possible for the long haul. By offering specialty pro- grams while also raising traditional beef, they have just about everyone covered, from producer to consumer. 