FEATURE ARTICLE
Stalwart Ranches COMMERCIAL PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
by Brad Wright The winner of the 2022 International Brangus Breeders Association Commercial Producer of the Year award is Stalwart Ranches. Stalwart Ranches is owned by Mike and Vanessa Manners. Mike grew up in England dreaming of one day owning his own Texas ranch. That dream became a reality in 1993 when he bought hIs fIrst ranch in Montgomery County, Texas. Shortly after purchasing the ranch, he met Bill Cawley who was very active in the Brangus breed. Mike hired Bill to be his ranch manager, and in 1994, Stalwart Ranches bought their first Brangus cows. As the operation grew, more ranches were purchased in Montgomery, Houston, and Madison Counties. By 2011, the registered Brangus cowherd reached 1200 breeding age females and was one of the largest registered Brangus operations in the United States. However, 2011 was a tough year in Texas as a massive drought affected most of the state.
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April 2022
When water became scarce, the decision was made to disperse the cowherd. It would not be a final goodbye, but the land would not sustain the cowherd during that tough year. In the dispersal, Stalwart Ranch cows were bought by breeders all over the country and some of those cows went on to become donor cows in various embryo transfer programs. Out of the dispersal, Stalwart Ranches retained about 100 females that would be the base of the rebuild that they knew would happen. In 2012 and 2013, as conditions improved, rains came, and grasses improved, Stalwart began to buy cows and stock ranches. This time around, Stalwart Ranches had more of a commercial focus. Many of the cows they purchased were targeted from past customers so that the cows were always influenced by Stalwart genetics. In 2015, Stalwart purchased (continued on page 38)
