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Dependable Is Their Middle Name

By Bob Fitch

According to Doug Jauer, “My dad and grandpa raised crossbred cattle back then. Dad wanted to modernize and move into something that had a little more value-added ability. He got into Angus cattle and met some people who were likeminded and bred the same kind of cattle that he liked.”

Roger Jauer was committed to the production of efficient beef cows that can function in “real world” grass environments. His sons, Doug and Kurt, are just as committed to continuing the tradition. Rather than an emphasis on extreme E.P.D. numbers, Jauer Dependable Genetics has always focused on traits which affect the total value, longevity and dependability of the cow herd, such as udder quality, sound feet, good disposition and fleshing ability.

“We strive to raise an efficient herd to utilize the limited pasture available in our area and don’t need a lot of extra feed. We’ve just stuck with the concept ever since,” he said. They employ rotational grazing on multi-grass blends, spring grazing on winter rye, fall grazing on forage sorghum and winter grazing on corn stalks. An efficient cow herd allows them to utilize the alternative grazing techniques which, in turn, helps lower expenses and increases the bottom line.

“We kind of have a niche where our animals are very moderate frame and are easy fleshing, which means they get fat easily on grass and forage. There’s not a big supply of that kind of cattle right now. With today’s high cost of feed and gas and everything else, people are really looking for those traits and there aren’t many people flooding the market in our business of grass-type cattle.”

While pastures were in rough shape last summer with the drought conditions, the Jauer cows came through it in great shape. “We’re fortunate that we’ve maintained an efficient, moderate frame cow herd. That allows them to maintain their flesh when conditions get tough like that,” Doug said. “We weaned calves a little early and got the cows on stalks where they could continue to graze and take some pressure off the pastures. Through it all, our cows were fat, happy and content.”

The farm’s annual production sale on January 28th was hit with a snowstorm, which hurt the on-site attendance. Fortunately, with livestreaming and phone-in bids, it was still a success. In the early days of the genetics business, the family held its production sales at the old Moville sale barn, but later moved to Stockmen’s Livestock in Yankton. “That worked out well for us because we got a few Western customers that would never have come to Moville. It helped get our name out there a little bit,” he said.

Eventually tiring of transporting all the cattle and feed to Yankton, they moved the sale home to their calving facility. They upgraded the facility little by little. “The first year was a lot of cattle panels and everything kind of held together with baling wire and duct tape, but we are set up for it really well now.”

They’ve developed a customer base covering much of the United States – from Minnesota west to Montana and Utah, south into Oklahoma and Tennessee, east to Ohio and North Carolina, and most points in between.

On top of the genetics business and the traditional crop farming mix, the Jauers started advertising and selling local, farm-raised beef a few years ago. “We all grew up eating home-raised beef. Seeing the recent demand, we decided to offer it to the public as well. We castrate a few bulls and then feed out the steers and a few heifers with more of a traditional feedlot ration,” Doug said.

Jauers typically sell three to four animals a month, processed primarily by Tiefenthaler Quality Meats in Holstein, Iowa. “Those animals we normally would sort off and sell at the sale barn now bring a good premium as sides of beef. The beef is restaurant quality which is a higher quality than you can buy at the grocery store as many of our customers will attest.”

The Jauer farm is a three-generation affair. In addition to brothers Doug and Kurt, their father, Roger, is still hands-on. “He and mom spend about six weeks of the winter in Corpus Christi where my sister lives. I think Mom would live down there, but Dad gets a few weeks into it and he's ready to come home. He’s 78 and he still comes to the farm every

Roger’s grandfather founded the farm and now his grandchildren represent the fifth generation. Kurt’s sons know how to put in a hard day’s work. Chase is 14 and in eighth grade and Paxton is 11 and in fourth grade. When the farm lost an employee last summer, Doug said his nephews picked up the slack. “We relied on those two kids a lot. We worked Chase and Paxton pretty hard last summer. They did great. They didn't seem to mind the hard work a bit. They’re good workers, too. You don’t have to tell them everything. They grew up here so they kind of know the operation.” Some might even call the boys dependable. Runs in the family. The boys are active in 4-H, showing cow-calf pairs, breeding heifers and bucket calves.

In the sometimes-uncertain world of farming and cattle production, being. Karen used to sell saunas and massage chairs at home shows and events such as the Clay County Fair. Kurt’s wife, Candace, is a quality assurance professional at Wells in Le Mars. Doug's wife, Sarah, is a nurse practitioner at Limitless Male in Dakota Dunes.

Doug and Sarah have two children. Buzz is almost 7 and in first grade. Zoe just turned 5 and is in pre-school.

Karen and Roger’s daughter, Deanna, is an online customer service agent in Corpus Christi, Texas. She and her husband had their first daughter (Adalyn) last May. Karen and Roger’s son, Brant, is a veterinarian. He and his wife live in Saukville, Wisconsin. They love to fly their plane in to visit, especially during the Plymouth County Fair each year.

To learn more about Jauer

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