From there, Ellingson Angus joined Topp Herefords in a baldy heifer development program, which allowed the families to expand their seedstock offerings to commercial cattle producers. By adding Ellingson-sired, straight-Angus females bred to Topp Herefords bulls, producers could maximize the number of steers and heifers that qualify for the Topp Herefords marketing programs, while ensuring a source of proven, high-quality genetics for straight-Angus females.
The Ellingsons: Stetson, Sierra, Sheridan, Chad, Julie, Medora & Jameson By Tim McCray Tim@ABPmag.com
photos courtesy of Ellingson Angus
Today, the Ellingson Angus bred heifer program and the Topp Herefords baldy program work together seamlessly. Topp Herefords has a strong belief in having a consistent source of high-end Angus females. Ellingson Angus buys back firstcut, replacement-quality, Ellingson-sired, Angus females from its bull customers, breeds those females to Topp Herefords bulls, which, in turn, are offered to Topp Herefords customers seeking to maintain an Angus cowherd. By supplying top-quality Angus heifers to Topp Herefords bull customers, the crossbreeding system
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llingson Angus started in 1995 with the marriage of Chad Ellingson and Julie Schaff. Prior to that, Chad had begun what would become a nearly 20-year career in the AI industry with Genex CRI. Angus is in their blood. To say they’re involved in the breed and the business is like saying Garth Brooks or Willie Nelson sing a little. In fact, I may nominate them for the next episode of “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction.” Their list of accomplishments and accolades are probably too many to list in a page, but I admit that may be fun to do a bit later. Chad has “traded places” for a day with a chef at a local restaurant for a Certified Angus Beef promotion. He’s also been a judge not only at the local level, but the national level and in numerous stock shows. Julie’s been well embedded into the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association for a quarter of a century. Today, she serves as the organization’s chief lobbyist, spokesperson and administrator. Let me just wrap this up and say that, if there are two better faces for not only Angus but ranchers in general in the Upper Midwest, I haven’t met them. To top that off, they’re also two of the nicest, most down-to-earth people you’ll ever meet. The Ellingson Angus and Topp Herefords families have been friends for many years. They both have a strong commitment to their customers and supporting the genetics that their customers get from each of them, respectively. Their first business project together was marketing registered Angus and Hereford cattle to Kazakhstan.
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American Beef Producer
January 2021
