9 minute read
Beef Believers
by B. Lynn Gordon
photos courtesy Ben & Darla Eggers
Ben and Darla Eggers are proven industry leaders.
Like many stockmen, Ben Eggers is a product of 4-H and FFA. Raised with Herefords and Holsteins near Jackson, MO, he took a liking to Angus cattle. At 12-years-old, he started begging his parents to let him buy a registered Angus. That purchase became the launching pad for his impressive, long-lasting involvement in the beef business. He began by exhibiting at the district fair, state fair, and learning livestock evaluation as a member of the FFA and 4-H livestock judging teams. “It was a long time ago, but I still remember winning high individual in the state FFA contest in 1970,” Eggers recalls. His brother, Richard, continues the operation known as Eggers Stock Farm on the home farm.
The southeastern Missouri farm boy was intrigued by livestock but, trying to be practical, he entered college as a math major. “I thought I could teach high school math and farm on the side.” Two years into his college program and 32 hours of advanced math classes later, the pull to agriculture won the battle. Ben would later realize how instrumental the calculus and statistics coursework was for a seedstock ranch manager. The next few years led him to involvement with many purebred breeders and the fledgling performance movement that was exemplified at that time by the Missouri Performance Tested Bull Sales that were developed by progressive performance breeders and the University of Missouri Extension.
SydGen hosts their annual production sale on the farm in November offering fall yearling bulls and the January born spring bull calf crop, plus a cross-section of females and embryos.
After stints working at a couple of Missouri cattle farms, he took a role with Macon Angus. The farm was located 60 miles from Columbia, MO, home of the University of Missouri, thus Ben took advantage of enrolling in three select animal science courses. “I was not worried about getting a degree, I wanted to learn about genetics, nutrition, and reproduction. Classes were three days a week allowing me to work the other four days at the farm.” Three years later, Macon Angus Ranch was forced to disperse due to the owner’s health issues.
Ben moved back to southeast Missouri to work with longtime friend Mark Boardman as he geared up for an even larger dispersal late in 1982. Then, a fellow student he met at the University of Missouri, Bill Bowman, told him of an opening at Sydenstricker Angus Farm, Mexico, MO. In November, Ben joined the team at Sydenstricker, and he’s been there ever since.
SYDGEN’S LEADING FIRSTS
• FIRST to print and polybag a production sale book to mail with the Angus Journal (1990)
• FIRST to include carcass EPDs in a catalog (1993)
• FIRST to print a definition for buying cattle with partial interest or possession options (1993)
• FIRST group of calves enrolled in Farmland Supreme Beef Alliance, partnering with Mike Kasten, Millersville, MO
• FIRST AI Stud owned and controlled by beef breeders - ORIgen, near Billings, MT (SydGen is a founding partner)
SYDENSTRICKER GENETICS (SYDGEN)
Angus cattle have been a part of the Sydentstricker family from central Missouri since 1952, established by Ralph E., and currently owned by his son, Eddie and his family. Initially named, Sydenstricker Angus Farm (SAF) the name was adjusted in 2001 to Sydenstricker Genetics (SydGen). SydGen is a 900 head cowherd, of which 20- 25% are embryo transfer calves and includes a spring- and fall-calving herd. The herd is maintained on 2500 owned and 750 leased acres, with 25% in crop rotation of corn, soybeans, and wheat and 75% in pasture and hay. Genetics are offered in a November production sale and a mid-April sale brings together consignments stemming back to SydGen genetics from their customers. The April SydGen Influence Sale is perhaps the only consignment sale in the country that has a genetic component. Strong maternal lines stem back to Leachman Lass 1004, GDAR Forever Lady 178, Leachman Royal Queen 2027 and GDAR Forever Lady 246 and the depth of impactful breed-leading sires makes SydGen one of the premier seedstock operations in the world.
An inspirational quote found in the Sydenstricker office that has served the team well.
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BUILDING A BASE
Eggers worked alongside Bowman for 7 years before Bowman left in 1989 to pursue other Angus industry roles. Shortly thereafter, a pivotal event occurred. Together, Sydenstricker and Eggers decided to disperse all but 50 head. “Eddie allowed me to select the 50 cows I wanted to keep as the base of the program. Everything else sold through auction.” This was a unique opportunity for Angus breeders to purchase deep into the program, and it opened the playing field to bring in new genetics. “It also proved that more than 10 bull calves could be sold in a Missouri sale.”
1991 was a herd-building year. Ben traveled much of the year, seeking genetic lines with functional performance, carcass traits, and evaluating the newly established industry performance measurement, EPDs. Bloodlines from leading Montana Angus herds such as Gartner-Denowh Angus Ranch, Hyline Angus, Papa Angus, and Leachman Angus drew his attention. The pick of the heifer calf crop from GDAR was probably the most enduring, with SydGen CC&7 and SAF Focus of ER produced by descendants of those females.
One purchase surprised even Sydenstricker: the purchase of VDAR New Trend 315 for $73,000, from Van Dyke Angus Ranch, Manhattan, MT in 1989. Sydenstricker knew the conservative Eggers would only spend that much money on a bull if Ben was confident in the impact the bull would have. New Trend 315 went on to set many records, sire influential daughters and be heavily used in the AI industry. “New Trend 315 was one of the early high marbling bulls and the timing was just right, as the Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) was getting its wings,” says Ben.
BEN EGGERS LEADERSHIP ROLES AND HONORS
• Southeast Missouri Cattlemen’s Association - Founding Member & President, 1978
• Missouri Cattlemen’s Association President, 1993
• American Angus Association - Board of Directors, 1998 – 2003
• National Cattlemen’s Beef Association - Nominating Committee Member
• American Angus Association - President, 2006
• Beef Improvement Federation - President, 2010
• Missouri Cattleman’s Association - Cattleman of the Year Award, 2017
DARLA EGGERS LEADERSHIP ROLES AND HONORS
• Mizzou Ag Alumni Association - President, 2000
• Honorary State Farmer FFA Degree
• Missouri Cattlemen’s Association - Cattlewoman of the Year Award, 2003
• Mizzou Block & Bridle - Missouri Livestock Person of the Year, 2009
REFINING DIRECTION
As the program rebuilt its presence in the Angus breed in the early 2000s, Eggers was looking for a new name. “Commercial cattlemen no longer just buy a bull; they are investing in genetics, and the new name reinforces our attention on balanced genetics.” Fertility, growth, and carcass traits became the focus. “A respected cattleman once told me, ‘the most valuable cattle are the ones that do it all.’ I never forgot that,” says Ben. In 2001, they decided on Sydenstricker Genetics (SydGen).
Not only was Eggers continuing to build a premier seedstock Angus herd, but he was also active in influential industry organizations. He served on the American Angus Association (AAA) Board of Directors and at the helm of the organization in 2006 as President. In 2010, he was elected President of the Beef Improvement Federation (BIF).
“I didn’t plan on being president of these organizations, but I let my fellow breeders know that if I could contribute in any way, I would.” While fulfilling his leadership roles, Eggers was often reminded of a quote his boss, Eddie, had in his office. It read, ‘There is no limit to what a man can accomplish if he doesn’t care who gets the credit.’ Ben enjoyed the interaction with breeders and stakeholders always focusing on his role as a servant leader. “I may have been the leader, but I was there to serve at the direction of the members.”
The industry has been fortunate to have Ben on the frontline helping craft policy and guidelines and contributing his 40-plus years’ hands-on experience as they tackled topics such as the development of EPDs and genomic enhanced data measurements, the introduction of performance indices, adoption of feed efficiency tools, improvements of carcass quality, and end-product consistency. SydGen customers have benefited from his knowledge and progressive vision as well.
TALENTED TEAM
There is never a slow or dull day in the management of a seedstock operation. Egger’s role started with conducting day-today operations and has grown into managing the business side of the enterprise, leading public relations and marketing efforts, administration of embryo transfer, donors, sire-selection, and semen sales, plus coordination and implementation of production sales.
1997 Commitment to Excellence Award from Certified Angus Beef. (l-r) Award presented by Mick Colvin, President of CAB, Eddie and Kim Sydenstricker, Darla and Ben Eggers.
Darla & Ben Eggers at their home in Missouri.
Receiving the 2001 Outstanding Seedstock Producer of the Year Award from the Beef Improvement Federation. (l-r) Galen Fink, BIF President, Eddie L. Sydenstricker, Ben and Darla Eggers.
Joining Ben, in 2010 to coordinate the office management tasks was his wife, Darla. A northwest Missouri farm girl, Darla was active in 4-H and showing livestock before graduating from the University of Missouri with an Animal Science degree. She took her interest in the livestock industry and worked for the large Hereford ranch, Glenkirk Farms, Maysville, MO., served as an advertising coordinator for the American Hereford Journal, was publication editor and junior coordinator for the Missouri Pork Producers and prior to joining the team at SydGen, served as Executive Director of the Missouri Cattlemen’s Foundation for over nine years.
“Ben and I never ran out of things to talk about or to eat. We would joke since I was working in the pork industry and he in the beef industry,” claims Darla. “We were equal opportunity carnivores.”
Although working side-by-side in the busy and ever-changing environment, managing a ranch together was never in the plans for the couple. Yet, it has turned out to be a positive for SydGen and the Angus breed.
“I’m a filer, he’s a piler,” adds Darla, but it’s their people and leadership skills which allow them to positively engage with customers and fellow breeders. Darla has embraced the role and the challenge of the volume of data and recordkeeping associated with a seedstock program. “The number of pieces of data we turn in is unbelievable, but we focus on providing our customers with the amount of data we would want to select an animal from.”
Both individuals have a solid skillset that has been valuable for the ranch, the association, and the industry to tap into. As true advocates for their community, Missouri agriculture and the seedstock industry, Ben and Darla Eggers, have never shied away from representing or believing in the beef industry.
learn more sydgen.com
Mark your calendars for SydGen annual production sale, November 21, 2020 at the farm near Mexico, MO. For more information visit sydgen.com
