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The pastures and surrounding corn fields could use some rain. There are cows to check, summered in several locations across Putman County. They have kids’ activities at night, and the show cattle need to be turned out when it cools down. Together, they consider herd health and adjustments in the show barn and catch up before bed. Tomorrow, they will wake up and do it again.

Joe and Kerry Gensini, Hennepin, Ill., are just like every cattle producer in Central Illinois. They keep up with their kids, son Kade (16) and daughter McKlay (12), and attend several cattle shows a year. But in addition to managing their cow herd of Maine-Anjou influenced cows, they own and operate Gensini Excavating, an excavating, concrete, and site utility work business.

Humble Beginnings

While studying at Black Hawk College East Campus (BHE) in nearby Galva, Ill., Joe and Kerry met and fell in love. Kerry, who grew up on a dairy farm near Athens, Wis., was recruited to be on the BHE Horse Judging Team. They later married and worked for Dave Guyer in Tipton, Ind., on his show cattle operation. After the passing of Joe’s maternal grandfather, Walter Urnikis, the pair returned to Joe’s hometown of Hennepin and now live on Walter’s homestead.

“When Kerry and I moved home, we didn’t have any means or methods for making a living, to be quite honest. The goal was to farm my grandfather’s farm, which is not very good dirt and that wasn’t going to cash flow,” says Joe. “So, we decided we were going to jump off into being livestock producers and create a cowherd of our own.”

In the summer of 2000, they purchased 34 cows from Nick Reimann at Reimann Ranch near Ree Heights, S.D. Joe and Nick were close to the same age, and had traded cattle back and forth before.

“Nick’s mom and dad were going through a drought, and they let me come up and pick whichever 34 cows I wanted. That number was 34 only because that’s how many we could legally get on a pot,” recalls Joe.

Those 34 cows served as the base of the young herd. Eventually, Gensini Show Cattle grew to more than 200 cows. Then Kerry got pregnant. The breeding season and artificial insemination (AI) projects did not stop. “I was due with Kade on July 15th, and I was AI-ing with this big belly,” Kerry laughs. In addition to their own cattle, Joe started trading club calves and selling to 4-Hers. Still looking for a way to supplement income, Gensini Excavating began in 2001 with an old township dump truck and backhoe. The excavating business started gaining traction around 2010. At that point, Joe and Kerry had to decide where to put their focus and ultimately prioritize their family.

Most of the cows were sold, but the family elected to retain about 20 females. Some of those females are the base of the present-day herd, with three to four generations of the same cow families still working for the Gensinis in and around Hennepin.

Their Type

Traditionally, Joe and Kerry selected their females for phenotype and a certain presence. In 2015, before Kade entered the showring for the first time, the process began again. “We’ve always had a plan when it comes to picking out and buying our livestock that we’ve purchased to this point,” says Joe. “It’s always been that the cow comes first – yes, they have to do good in the showring and that’s all fine and dandy – but we’ve always bought them hoping that they would succeed more in the pasture than in the showring.” The cattle at Gensini Show Cattle are raised in typical upper Midwest conditions and see all kinds of weather challenges – snow, mud, humidity and recently, drought. In a way, the cows at Gensini Cattle are pampered with processed feed and barns for calving. Joe believes that to provide the best care, they must be supplemented beyond the pasture grass that is available.

Kent Jaecke, owner of Rockin’ K Productions, recalls the first time he walked through the Gensini cowherd. He saw stout, powerful females with tremendous look and maternal predictability. He says visitors today will see the same traits.

“I was blown away by the diversity of their genetic foundation, but they also kept a very consistent, real-world type and kind amongst their donor battery, as well as the heart of the cowherd,” he says. Like every family that shows livestock, there has been personal favorites from each of the Gensinis. According to Joe, BBR Mafia Queen 299H “Queenie” was a great starting point for his family and a many time champion for McKlay.

McKlay’s favorite animal is her current show heifer, LDSC Stella 152K, raised by Luke Doris and Freking Cattle. She says Stella has a great attitude, she is fun to show, and she loves to win, like the rest of the family. Unlike his sister, Kade prefers showing steers. His favorite steer was Barry, his 2022 state fair steer. He had a long list of accolades, including Reserve Grand Champion Market Animal at the Illinois State Fair, and Reserve Grand Champion Prospect Steer at the 2022 National Western Stock Show.

In Kade’s early years, the showring trended toward flatter made show heifers. Joe was worried those females would not make good mother cows later in life, so he stuck to his instincts. He chose sound-made females with a notch more muscle, more bone and more center body. Eventually the style began to evolve. “All of a sudden everyone decided their cattle should look a little more like ours and less like those we were showing against in the beginning. As the trend changes, Stella [LDSC Stella 152K] this year will remain pretty unbelievable. But I think Queenie started it,” says Joe. “As the industry changes, we’re never going to change,” he adds.

Evolution Of A Program

With the growth of the excavating business, the original Gensini Excavating headquarters became too small for the necessary equipment and storage. With a little creativity, the entire Deer Drive location was converted into a livestock facility in 2017. “There is a living quarters for Devan and a sale barn which was the shop for the excavating business. The show barn, was previously cold storage with a dirt floor, and the back building which we now use for hay and equipment was additional storage,” says Joe. The upgrade to the livestock facility was necessary, because of the steady expansion of the herd with past show heifers, their progeny, and the development of an intensive embryo transfer (ET) program.

In 2021, Devan Cox was hired to manage the show barn at Gensini Show Cattle. Since that time, Devan has worked on several national champion females, champion steers at all levels, numerous sale calves, and promotional bulls. Devan has his own ritual when it comes to show preparations. He never cuts his hair between shows and waits until right before they leave to get it trimmed. Kade says it’s a superstition, but so far it has been working.

The duo of Devan and Kade handle most of the general upkeep on the farm. Devan does the daily feeding for all the cattle, in addition to his responsibilities in the show barn and traveling to shows. “My favorite part is getting to connect with others in the industry who share similar views and the love of the Maine breed. I find it enjoyable from the perspective that I did not grow up in this breed, but have watched it grow over the years,” Devan says.

Involvement In The Breed

With their Grandpa Walter’s guidance, Joe and his sister Angie (Heckman), began showing cattle in the early 1990s. They showed Maine-Anjous, along with club calves and show steers. The majority of their Maine-Anjou cattle came from two influential herds in the early days of the breed – Ron Espe, Waterman, Ill., as well as Ulrich Show Cattle, Lowpoint, Ill. Their first introduction to the junior Maine-Anjou program was in 1997 says Joe. That year, Angie exhibited the Grand Champion Maine-Influenced Female (current day MaineTainer division) at the National Junior Heifer Show.

At the same show, held in Columbus, Ohio, the Gensinis won Champion Progress Steer, and that steer went onto win the Illinois State Fair Open Show the same summer. Those show heifers from their junior careers would be the base of their own young herd. More than 20 years later, they are still raising Maine-Anjou cattle.

As Joe says, “With our breeding program, we believe in the Maine-Anjou cow. They are the base of our herd and we like MaineInfluenced cattle. We’re actually hoping that the Maine Angus and the MaineTainer divisions become even more sought-after cattle.” Joe says there is no better way to keep bone, hair and muscle in a cowherd than with Maine-Anjou based cows.

“If you have Maine-Anjou based cows, and breed them to any other breed, their offspring are always going to have some bone, some hair and some muscle,” he says. “And they’re docile. Traditionally, Maine-Anjou is quite a bit more docile than other breeds. We’ve never had a problem with their attitude here.” Since their first National Junior Heifer Show 26 years ago, the event has come full circle. McKlay has also been on several champion teams in the Fitting Contest, and always participates in the Showmanship Contest as well.

Several banners from more recent National Junior Heifer Shows grace the barn walls, with three more added from the 2023 National Junior Heifer Show. McKlay was named the Reserve Grand Champion Owned MaineTainer with Stella, Third Overall Bred & Owned Maine Angus Female with MS China’s Mafia 216K ET, and Grand Champion Owned Maine-Anjou female with her senior yearling CMCC Jump Start 1015J ET bred by Moore Cattle Co. in Oklahoma.

Part of the draw to the Maine-Anjou breed is the membership. Quickly and simply Joe said the people are why they keep prioritizing American Maine-Anjou Association (AMAA) events, like the

National Junior Heifer Show. “Honestly, the anticipation of the travel and seeing everybody - that’s where we’ve benefitted the most,” he says. “The event itself is busy, but busy in a good way. I love the MaineAnjou Junior National because it’s the one show we go to a year, where the focus is not solely on the animal. The kids take off and go do whatever they want to do, and they have an excuse to go do it, because the association puts on all these wonderful events.”

Additionally, Joe and Kerry credit the folks behind the scenes at the AMAA. They said that all the people in the office who work with registrations and accounting are so helpful, and those individuals seen more at events like Lindsey Broek, Director of Shows, Communications and Events and Blake Nelson, Executive Vice President go out of their way to talk to the breeders and junior members. Jaecke, who often lends his announcing voice for youth livestock events such as the National Junior Heifer Show, says the Gensini family’s dedication to the AMAA and AJMAA programs is an asset to the Maine-Anjou community.

“Joe and Kerry have a foresight to build a foundation for generations to come in the Maine-Anjou arena. They are committed, passionate and willing to bring the energy it takes to be a leader in this breed,” he says.

A Way To Give Back

After they made a substantial purchase of McKlay’s heifer Stella, and her flushmate LDSC Shirley 155K, shown by Nalaney Guyer of Illinois, the Gensini family decided to offer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to Maine-Anjou breeders in early 2023. “I had this idea,” says Joe. “I wanted to pick a spot to offer a portion of those heifers to a partnership that was more so going to be offered toward the Maine-Anjou enthusiasts than anyone else. So that’s what the sale in Denver created, was a Maine-Anjou setting.” This idea became the Special Lot A in the Power In The Pens Sale held January 14, 2023 at the National Western Stock Show. Special Lot A was the opportunity to purchase 1/3 embryo interest in both heifers (Stella and Shirley). This unique lot sold for $200,000 to the Schrag-Nikkel partnership. A portion of this sale was donated to the Reaching Beyond MaineAnjou Foundation and was the largest gift to date. The intention was to benefit the American Junior Maine-Anjou Association (AJMAA) and specifically the National Junior Heifer Show.

The Gensinis called the National Junior Heifer Show their “vacation every year,” and they hoped to enhance the already positive junior national experience. Together with the AJMAA, they wanted to create a gift or memorabilia from the event for every exhibitor to take home.

“I really feel like right now, in our world, we need to worry about the kid that’s at the bottom of the class more than the one that’s at the top. Sometimes those kids come from a situation where it’s not always the easiest, or the most rewarding, but when they come to junior nationals, just the feat of getting there alone is a big deal,” says Joe. All participants at the 2023 National Junior Heifer Show took home a backpack, thanks to the generosity of the Gensini Family. “Every kid that walks in the showring is going to go home with a really cool gift that they can take and be proud of and show to their friends and family,” Joe adds.

Plan Going Forward

The future for Gensini Show Cattle sounds simple. “We want to become a Maine-Anjou destination,” Joe says. Recently, they have offered cattle through private sales, AMAA National Sales and other unique partnerships with fellow breeders. Traditionally they have also had an Online Bred Heifer Sale around Christmas.

In 2024, the Gensinis would like to host their first sale. “Ultimately people are going to want to come here and buy our genetics. I get phone calls constantly and whenever we’ve offered just a small sampling to the public, the interest has been tremendous. We sold 9 eggs the other night and averaged $7,850/egg. I think the opportunity is there, it’s just when are we going to seize that,” Joe says.

Hennepin, Ill. is centrally located, and easily accessible from both I-39 and I-80. The potential for foot traffic is tremendous but has not been fully tapped yet. “I want people to think about coming here and seeing elite livestock. I also want them to think about us and see us as friendly, approachable people.” “Sure, we’re competitors, but we’re friends too,” Joe says. Joe’s goal is to continue to raise halfblood or more Maine-Anjous, so that every calf born at Gensini Show Cattle will have MaineTainer papers or higher. Gensini Show Cattle purchased Sweet Willie 890F ET, a purebred Maine-Anjou bull, a few years ago and originally intended him for a clean-up bull. Since that time, he has had several years of successful semen sales with his first daughters coming up in production. “He’s just starting to make his mark in the Maines,” Joe says.

Along with Buck Cattle Co., Griswold Cattle, Moore Cattle Company, and Morton Cattle Co., they purchased interested in BKMT Klassified 12K ET this spring. They hope Klassified will complement the Sweet Willie females already in their herd. Ultimately, the Gensini family also wants to raise elite, AI quality bulls. Joe says that breeders tend to forget that the herd bull is 50% of a cowherd. “Say you’ve got a super cow that’s done well in the showring and is recognizable with fresh genetics, bred to some of the top AI sires. A guy should be able to produce an elite bull that other people can take advantage of in their own cowherd. That’s where I think our bull market is at,” he says.

It is important for Joe and Kerry to see longevity in their program, from the cows in their herd to their children’s participation in AJMAA activities. For the past 15 years, Jaecke has worked closely with the couple developing a marketing program and long-range plans for the future. “Every breeding decision or purchase made by Gensini Show Cattle will not only greatly affect the success of their program, but it will also produce live cattle and genetics that will be available to the general AMAA membership,” he says.

WORK/LIFE BALANCE

The challenge every day, is figuring out how to get everything done. At the Gensini’s house, there is cattle to feed, calls to return, jobs to line up and vaccinations to order, in addition to the hubbub of running a business and keeping a home. A typical day for Kerry starts in the barn, then she gets cleaned up and heads to the Gensini Excavating office. After work, the family will get ready for McKlay’s softball game or Kade’s fishing tournament. Then, they will end in the barn before bed. “It’s a hard balance, it really is,” Kerry says. “It’s day to day with what comes up, and we try to put out any fires that might arise.”

Kerry serves as head herdsman at Gensini Show Cattle, and acknowledges her dairy background for helping with the basics. She says the cattle part is the same, and she is thankful for the family’s quiet cattle that allow her to be hands-on for calving and beyond. Joe says Kerry and the kids, with Devan’s help, are the real reason he can dedicate so much time to Gensini Excavating. “It works itself out because the excavating business steals me, labor wise, away from the farm. The farm benefits from the excavating’s income. The balance is that they complement each other for us to live our lives how we want,” he says.

Joe also credits the cattle industry for helping structure Gensini Excavating and their emphasis on treating people well. “Customer appreciation and sales, all those things that I learned in the cattle business, I took to the excavating business and that’s why we’ve thrived,” says Joe. Add to the list, a real desire to plan and make thoughtful decisions for the future. Jaecke says Joe and Kerry are forward thinkers.

“They have been building a foundation for generations of future Maine-Anjou breeders,” he says. For now, the Gensinis will continue raising and showing elite cattle to compete at the highest level. It is a true team effort where each family member, and Rodeo (their blue heeler), have their own responsibilities to get as much done every day as possible. “When we slow down and the kids are gone, we’d like to ranch together,” Joe says. ”We’d like to have some cows and we’d like to see one of your kids show one of our heifers. That’s where we’re going to get the most enjoyment.” ###