A Family’s Love for Limousin
Roger and Ann Vorthmann of Vorthmann Limousin
are the
2006 Iowa Seedstock Producer of the Year
They know all their cows by name or number and can walk up
on many of them to give them a pat in the middle of a snowy
field of cornstalks. They can recite every cow’s bloodlines
and progeny. Their house is filled with awards and photos of
herd sires and dams, patriarchs and matriarchs of their cow
herd today. And they have the coziest cattle fitting
facilities, complete with a separate enclosed washroom so
calves can be clean and comfortable without ever leaving the
building.
Roger and Ann Vorthmann of Treynor, Iowa, have had a special
interest in cattle since they were 4-Hers. They’ve been in
the Limousin seedstock business for 23 years. Roger was
first impressed with Limousin cattle right after he started
farming on his own 32 years ago. At that time, his sister
had a Limousin 4-H steer that gained well. Roger soon added
a Limousin herd bull and was pleased with the muscle and
performance that the bull added to his commercial cows.
Today, the Vorthmanns have a 50-head breeding herd of
purebred, registered Limousin cattle.
“We try to raise a complete animal. We want our cattle to
meet our criteria for increased performance while
maintaining our advantage in calving ease,” says Roger
Vorthmann. He has a laundry list of basic goals they strive
to produce. They want moderate, efficient, deep-bodied,
muscular, easy calving, docile, high yielding, structurally
sound, fertile, good performing cattle.
They have transferred their love of the cattle business to
their three children, Chad, Debra, and Erica. The Vorthmann
family is well known within the Limousin breed as superb
show persons. The Vorthmann children showed at every
National Junior Limousin Show from 1988 through 2004, as
well as at state fairs, breed field days, and regional shows
including the National Western Stock Show, North American
International Livestock Expo, American Royal and Iowa Junior
Beef Breeds Association shows. The Vorthmann family has been
the only family so far to have all three kids win the Senior
Showmanship Award at the National Junior Limousin Show.
“We are firm believers in breeding heifer projects for our
youth. Our children started their 4-H careers with Limousin
breeding stock heifer projects and grew their cowherds. They
learned responsibility and a work ethic that has carried on
into their adult lives,” says Ann Vorthmann.
All three Vorthmann children have stayed involved in the
family business and help as much as possible, especially
during the family’s fall production sale. Chad is director
of information and media resources with the Colorado Farm
Bureau. He also lists the family’s sale catalog and builds
and maintains their Web site, www.vorthmannlimousin.com.
Debra is the family’s herdsman and photographer. She is a
professional cattle fitter who clips and fits for premier
seedstock producers throughout the United States. Erica is
married to Josh Shipman and both are seniors in marketing at
the University of Nebraska in Omaha. Erica is also employed
full time at Weise Research Associates, and builds the VL
sale catalog. She has shown since she turned 5 and had grand
and reserve champions many times in the bred and owned
Limousin shows.
Most of the Vorthmanns’ cow herd was developed from the
progeny of females that Chad, Deb and Erica purchased during
their years in 4-H. Chad’s choice was EAFM Cookie, Deb’s
choices were WD Martika and WULF Farthing, and Erica’s
choices were TUBB I35A and VORT Hope. The cows were chosen
for their structure, capacity and disposition. The
Vorthmanns first herd sire was Spitz Tycoon, followed by
Lead Out, Sierra, Top Cop, Farmer, Law Dog and Vort
Pacesetter.
With the children grown, the Vorthmanns aren’t showing
cattle as they once did to keep their name in front of
purebred breeders. So they started a unique production sale
where they offer their entire calf crop including their
top-end animals. Three years ago, they started an annual
private treaty sale held each fall at their farm nestled in
the Loess Hills near Treynor.
“All the cattle listed at the sale are also offered on our
Web site. People are surprised that we will sell our best
animals. Whether they go to the show ring or a commercial
customer, if our cattle do well, it’s good for our
business,” explains Ann.
The Vorthmanns select replacement females based first on
sound structure, deep body, adequate muscling, and good
disposition. After that they consider birth weight,
performance, and expected progeny differences.
“We would rather have our females be polled, but that
doesn’t influence our decision to retain them. Mainly, they
need to be sound and functional females,” says Roger.
The Vorthmanns have recently started a hybrid seedstock
program called Lim-Flex. They have two registered black
Angus cows bred to a homozygous black, homozygous polled
Limousin bull, JCL Loadstar. Those two calves are due in
spring 2006. They also have three registered Angus heifers
that will be bred to Limousin bulls in 2006.
“Our plan is to keep our own Lim-Flex cattle homozygous
polled while breeding cattle that are very functional for
our commercial producers,” says Roger.
“Our long term goal is to increase marbling without
decreasing muscle, yield grade and feed efficiency.
Developing the perfect animal is very challenging, but
that’s what makes it more fun,” he adds.
Roger and Ann have volunteered within the beef industry for
many years. They have served on the Iowa Limousin
Association Board of Directors for 18 years and worked on
all committees. Roger was president for two years and
secretary for 13 years. Ann helped with the secretarial
position and has been an ILA Junior Advisor for many years.
Ann has organized and chaired three National Junior Limousin
Shows and Congresses, and has served as coordinator for the
Iowa Limousin Association Expo Sale in February for eight
years. The Vorthmanns have each served two terms on the
Heartland Limousin Association where they have held several
offices. Roger is also serving his second term on the North
American Limousin Board of Directors.
The Vorthmanns have also received several cattle or
agricultural awards including the 2005 North American
Limousin Junior Association Honorary Member, ILA Producer of
the Year, ILA Breeder of the Year and ILA Seedstock Producer
of the Year, Pottawattamie County Cattlemen’s Producer of
the Year, Iowa Master Pork Producer, West Pottawattamie 4-H
Family of the Year, and Council Bluffs Kiwanis Outstanding
Young Farmer. |
