LUDVIGSON STOCK FARMS
Ludvigson Stock Farms was founded by Lars and Joan Ludvigson in the early 1950’s in Cushing, Iowa. Origi- nally the operation was formed as a conventional farming business which included row crops of corn and soybeans, hay, a farrow to finish swine operation and a cattle feeding enterprise. The cattle feeding enter- prise garnered attention by topping the Chicago International Market during the height of its run in the 1950’s and 1960’s.
in the operation, the bulls would be performance tested in large Red Angus genetic pools. LSF contributed bulls to the Leachman Cattle Company pro- gram from 1996 to 2002 with an amazing run of all LSF bulls selling for an average of over $4,700. In the second year with Leachman’s, LSF produced the lot 1 and lot 2 bulls in the world’s largest bull sale. Lot 1, Leachman Pol Position 1358F sold for $20,000 and Lot 2, Leachman Meat & Cheese 1367F both bulls were out of a mother/daughter combo LSF Della D109 and LSF Crystal C09. These two females would be the foundation for our herd and their influence today is still found in the most productive females in our herd. In addition, to these top selling bulls, LSF would go on to produce the high selling bull in 1998, LCC Bullseye 1379G at $67,000 along with what Jim Leachman would say was one of the best flushes of embryo bulls he had ever seen. The flush brothers of LCHMN Sir Lancelot 1357G ($20,000), LCHMN Cowboy Up 1359G ($13,000), LCHMN Robbin the Rich 1389G ($12,000) and LCHMN Shiny Hood 1360G ($10,000) who would go on to be named the National Champion Red Angus bull in 1998. Also that year LSF sold the $35,000 Leachman End Cut 1383G. One of the best sets of Red Angus herd bulls ever assembled that year. The other herd bulls selling over the years at Leachman’s included LCC Sharpshooter 1369H ($42,000), LCHMN Enterprise 1370H ($12,000), LCHMN Vaquero 1412J ($19,000), LCC Market Place 1270K ($13,000) and LCC The General A501L ($30,000). Leachman Cattle Company had a great effect on LSF through the education of the Red Angus breed and the approach that the company took to evaluat- ing sires and to develop breeding programs. Ryan was the head of market- ing for Leachman Cattle Company from 1997 to 2000. The Ludvigson and Leachman families continue to have a close relationship to this day and still exchange thoughts as well as collaborate on breeding evaluations and strategies. It is an understatement to say that the LCC years had a profound effect on the development and success of LSF. THE MIDWEST YEARS LSF began its ignaugural Focus on Females Sale in September 2000 held at the main headquarters in Cushing, Iowa. This elite female offering was the largest Red Angus female sale in the country at that time. This event would be carried on every fall until 2008 when LSF began its expansion in the west. All females have been retained since then to fuel the large expansion that LSF has went through during the last years. LSF made another significant decision in the fall of 2002 to begin testing and marketing bulls with Neo-Sho Farms in Southwest City, Missouri. The move was made to enhance the strong customer base that LSF was develop- ing in the Midwest and to bolster Neo-Sho’s current customer base. LSF topped the event in 2003 with the sale of LSF Combination A301M for $46,000 to ABS, Bieber, Paul, Sonstegaard and Jinglebob. The next year LSF once again topped the event with the sale of LSF Canyon Classic 3037N for $20,000 to Wood Red Angus in Oklahoma.
Founders Lars and Joan Ludvigson
A commercial Angus cowherd was added to LSF in the 1970’s. Lars and son, Park, spent several summers in Montana in the early 1980’s selecting club calves and they recognized the increased productivity of crossbreeding Angus cows with continental bulls. LSF implemented a crossbreeding system and began to produce club calves which were sold in annual sale during the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. Lars and Park were very impressed with the growth of their Simmental calves and began to gravitate to breeding up their Simmental F1’s. LSF moved into the seed stock business in the early 1980’s producing Regis- tered Simmental bulls and females. LSF hosted annual female and bull sales throughout the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. During this time Lars and Joan were active leaders in the local, state and national Simmental and Cattle- men’s organizations serving as directors and committee members. LSF was a well known prefix in the Simmental breed during this time and can be found in the pedigrees of many bulls in AI studs during that time. RED ANGUS BEGINNING Lars and Park took a trip in the summer of 1992 that would shape the future of Ludvigson Stock Farms forever. Park had become interested in Red Angus cattle in the year prior through discussions with friends in the cattle feeding industry. Park researched the breed thoroughly and selected several breed- ers to visit to evaluate the qualities of the Red Angus breed. The trip proved to be exciting for both Lars and Park and in the fall of 1992, Park purchased 10 females from Panhandle Red Angus and Redland Red Angus as a test group. This “test” turned into an immediate approval of the breed through calf vigor, survivability, milking ability of the cows, body condition scores, time- liness of breed back and pounds at weaning time. Saying everyone at LSF was more than excited about Red Angus is an understatement. LSF would go on to add genetics from Panhandle, Redland, Buffalo Creek Red Angus and Sodak Angus Ranch.
THE LEACHMAN CATTLE COMPANY YEARS LSF made the decision that to correctly evaluate the bull progeny produced
4
Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online