meet your neighbors Photo by Terry Ropp
Stephan van der Merwe, a native of South Africa, pictured with his wife Brittany and daughter Elsie, has a small Bonsmara herd, which he plans to expand with the opening of the U.S. borders to semen and embryos this year.
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Pioneering a Breed By Terry Ropp
Stephan van der Merwe is planning to advance the Bonsmara breed in the U.S.
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In the early 1800s, Dutch cattle was frustrated by legal issues though some breeders in South Africa found cattle remained in the country. The borthe European breeds did not fare ders are expected be open once again to Bonsmara semen and embryos soon. well in their variable climate. Now enter a young South African A cross with Longhorn Zebu and the Egyptian Longhorn was developed and was named Stephan van der Merwe. He came to the U.S. on a work visa to the most widespread breed in South America. Two issues, however, with the hardy and work on crop farms. He worked 10 months efficient cattle were delayed sexual matura- in the U.S., returning home for two months before coming back to the U.S. tion and not breeding regularly. The deep red Bonsmara cattle are 5/8 During his second rotation, he met and Afrikaner, the early Dutch breed, with became friends with Brittany, a bank teller in Marion, Ark. They eventually married, 3/16 Hereford and 3/16 Shorthorn. and he spent the first two years According to Oklahoma they were married continuing State University, in less than to work on a crop farm. 25 years Bonsmara became Lincoln, Ark. A year ago the couple, now the dominant breed in terms with a then 1-year-old daughof animal numbers. ter named Elsie, purchased 66 Seven years ago an attempt acres in Lincoln, Ark., that conto insert Bonsmara cattle tained six Tyson chicken houses. into the American industry Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com
“Entering agriculture from scratch is difficult,” said Stephan. “The only way that made sense to me is to start with chickens and expand to include cattle. If you start crop farming, you’re chasing acreage and starting where you have to buy both cattle and land is not feasible. With chickens; you know what your income will be and can expand accordingly.” Stephan knew nothing about raising chickens having come from a South African crop and sheep farm, and also having worked on a South African ranch and 6,000-head ranch in Zambian. Despite the learning curve, Stephan was in the poultry business, eventually switching from broilers to Cornish production because of the reduced labor inputs. Stephan, however, still longed to be a cattle producer. Knowing the Bonsmara cattle were coming to America and the MARCH 2, 2020
