Town Creek Farm Since 1993
FALL 2016
Vo l u m e 4 , I s s u e 3 • P u b l i s h e d b y To w n C r e e k Fa r m , We s t Po i n t , M i s s i s s i p p i • B r a n g u s a n d U l t r a b l a c k
PecansM and Cattle S BY
MY GRANDFATHER LYNN WHITE WAS BORN IN CISCO, TEXAS, IN 1900 AND DIED IN 1998. He
ILTON UNDBECK
were going fishing. I noticed a young pecan orchard with neat rows all bedded up with would have easily made it to 100 or so had he young trees. I thought, what a great idea. Pawbe had plenty of land to plant such an not tripped on a cast iron clothes iron in 1996, strategically placed near the bathroom orchard. I couldn’t wait until Saturday to tell MILTON SUNDBECK door by my grandmother many years before, him about my great new idea on how to grow prior to her death. We somehow thought she pecan trees. The Grit welcomes your inquiries Saturday came. We were on the way back was calling him home. and feedback. The Grit is I was the oldest grandchild and called him from thrashing limbs that were missed. I told published by Town Creek Farm, Pawbe what I had seen and what a great idea Pawbe as a small child. The name stuck and it was for increasing his production. all his grandchildren called him Pawbe from West Point, Mississippi. “We could just bulldoze all the Mesquite then on. I was named after my Dad and am Town Creek Farm and Seene Bean trees on the high ground. We still called Junior to this day. Milton Sundbeck, Owner Lynn White's father was a cowboy by day, could plant the whole place in pecans trees,” I said. After a light tap on my arm with his and a preacher on Sunday. Like so many Office: 32476 Hwy. 50 East walking stick, Pawbe asked, “Junior, do you others at that time in Texas, he made a living West Point, Mississippi 39773-5207 see any pecan trees growing up there on the off the land by wits and determination. To 662.494.5944 flats?” “No sir,” I said. “Well, if the Good Lord earn cash money in the fall, he would camp www.TownCreekFarm.com in creek bottoms and the whole family would intended for a pecan tree to grow up there, Joy Reznicek, President don’t you think we would see one?” His gather wild pecans for a month or so. Over 205.399.0221 question was an answer I didn’t fully time, Pawbe, who became something of a Joy@TownCreekFarm.com understand its breadth at the time. As I self-taught naturalist, became fascinated by became older and wiser, the more powerful varieties of wild pecans he encountered. As Clint Ladner his answer became in my understanding of he became a young adult his fascination with 662.812.8370 the natural world and all living things in it. pecans brought him to Georgetown, Texas. CLadner@TownCreekFarm.com In order to improve returns on He went to work for a gentleman Pawbe South American Representative investment in land, no matter what grows on referred to as Dr. Mann. Ing. Agr. Federico Maisonnave it or what is built on it, owners will often Pawbe learned how to "bud pecans," (011) 595 981 362 898 resort to creations of human ingenuity to manage an orchard and buy land where Skype: federico.maisonnave gain an advantage over boundaries hidden in pecans would prosper. Over time, Pawbe Maisonnave.Federico@gmail.com acquired land that could run cattle and, more the natural world. I have to keep reminding myself of Pawbe’s rule when it comes to our Total Commitment importantly, land that had a creek bottom cattle business. Seldom does a day go by that full of wild pecan trees. With a few loyal, I don’t see, hear or read about a breakhardworking Mexican families he through idea or product that will put more transformed the wild pecan trees into money in cattlemen’s pockets. productive orchards by budding, thinning High on my watch list when it comes to and trimming. He never sprayed or fertilized, the “no pecan tree on the hill rule” is DNA accepting the yield nature gave him from Since 1993 marker technology for breeding selection. year to year. Cattle grazed under the trees DNA technology seems to be better suited to until harvest was imminent. His most JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST TO RECEIVE THE MOST discovering what not to do. Certainly, when productive cattle ranch and pecan bottom UPDATED SALE INFORMATION AVAILABLE. it comes to identifying negative genetic was Southeast of Elgin, Texas. EMAIL INFO@TOWNCREEKFARM.COM conditions such as DD, marker identification Pawbe camped in the bottom during fall TO JOIN OUR FOLLOWING. harvest in a solid tent with wooden sidewalls. has merit. Like Johnes testing, if you have a positive animal you can cull it. One of my cousins named it the “Nut Discovering negative traits are one thing. Hut” and put the name over the door. Predicting positive heritable traits are A wood cook stove kept the camp another altogether. Picking a path forward warm and cozy. A grandson or two from the vastness of inherit traits is made all stayed with him most weekends. the more complex by unknown negatives It was there, in 1962, at a ripe old lurking in genomes. We know fertility cannot age of 17, that I learned one of the be predicted by genetic markers. Our friend most important lessons of my entire John McKnight has often said, “Fertility may life. Pawbe had one of his biggest have low heritability, but infertility is highly harvests ever that year. There was a heritable”. mountain of burlap bags packed with Connecting EPDs to genetic markers is pecans, carefully stacked by Mexican families who showed up each fall to help just the latest game in town. Maybe there is a way; to me it is like with harvest. predicting history with math. A week before harvest, my dad and I BRANGUS BULL LOT 136, 524C2, OUT OF A FIRST CALF HEIFER.
280 COMMERCIAL BRANGUS, ULTRABLACK AND BLACK BALDIE BRED HEIFERS Heifers selling in the Town Creek Farm Commercial Heifer Sale are brought to you by reputation ranchers using original Cow Creek Ranch genetics from both Town Creek Farm and Cow Creek Ranch. Town Creek Farm is in its fourth year of hosting this sale which is a continuation of the 19-year running Cow Creek Ranch Commercial Bred Heifer Sale held in Aliceville, Alabama. Most all heifers selling are source-verified, uniform, multi-generation, genetically tracked heifers sired by Cow Creek Ranch bulls or out of Cow Creek Ranch cows and bred back to Cow Creek Ranch and Town Creek Farm bulls. Heifers have been certified palpated safe in calf by a veterinarian or ultrasound technician within 30 days of sale. Heifers will sell in groups of five (±) by consignor. Buyers have an option to roll two pens of heifers at the established price as long as the heifers are from the same consignor. After three pens, the price is reestablished through the bidding process. See page 2 (sale order and how we sell our cattle) for additional information. ■ LOTS 201 - 275 – Williamson Cattle Company, Faunsdale, Alabama, and Okeechobee, Florida
19-year consignor to Town Creek Farm and Cow Creek Ranch Commercial Heifer Sales Cow Creek Ranch Brangus and Ultrablack sired all black heifers bred back to low birth weight Town Creek Farm and Cow Creek Ranch Brangus and Ultrablack bulls. Heifers are ranch raised, genetically sourced and rank in the top 20 percent of Williamson Cattle Company’s 2015 calf crop. Calving from 12/27/16 to 2/24/17. Heifers will calve as two-years olds. ■ LOTS 276 - 320 – River Oaks Farm, John McKnight, Searcy, Arkansas –Special Consignment of Black Baldies 18-year consignor to Town Creek Farm and Cow Creek Ranch Commercial Heifer Sales Group 1: 15 Black Baldie and all black heifers out of Cow Creek Ranch cows bred to low birth weight sons of CCR Integrity 355S4 and CCR Sleep Easy 1503U. Calving from 11/10/16 to 12/25/16. Heifers will calve as twoyears old. Bucket broke. Group 2: 30 Black Baldie heifers out of Cow Creek Ranch cows bred to low birth weight sons of CCR Integrity 355S4 and CCR Sleep Easy 1503U. Calving from 2/1/17 to 3/30/17. Heifers will calve as two-years olds. ■ LOTS 321 - 345 – CP Bar Brangus, Paul Gray, Holcomb, Mississippi 17-year consignor to Town Creek Farm and Cow Creek Ranch Commercial Heifer Sales CCR Pathfinder 44R2, CCR Thunder 698S2 and CCR Integrity 305R6 daughters (out of Cow Creek Ranch Thunder, Buckshot, and Pathfinder granddaughters) bred to TCF Sleep Easy 87Z. Calving from 2/2/17 to 4/3/17. Heifers are black, very gentle, and by far one of the easiest fleshing set CP Bar Brangus has ever consigned. They are a thick, soggy set of forage-developed heifers that should make a tremendous set of cows. Heifers will calve as two-year olds. ■ LOTS 346-383 – Megehee Cattle Company, Jacob Megehee, Macon, Mississippi 12-year consignor to Town Creek Farm and Cow Creek Ranch Commercial Heifer Sales Group 1: Brangus heifers out of CCR Sleep Easy 9L2, CCR Integrity 355S4, CCR Thunder 641R4, and CCR Integrity 036P9 daughters and granddaughters bred to low calving ease Town Creek Farm and Cow Creek Ranch bulls. All heifers sired by and bred back to low birth weight bulls. Calving from November 17, 2016, to January 16, 2017. Heifers will calve at 32 to 36 months of age. Group 2: Ultrablack heifers out of CCR Sleep Easy 9L2, CCR Integrity 355S4, CCR Thunder 641R4, and CCR Integrity 036P9 daughters and granddaughters bred to low calving ease Town Creek Farm and Cow Creek Ranch bulls. All heifers sired by and bred back to low birth weight bulls. Calving from November 17, 2016, to January 16, 2017. Heifers will calve at 32 to 36 months.
SALE INFORMATION ■ SALE CATALOGS Sale catalogs were mailed September 16, 2016. If you have not received a catalog, you likely are not on our catalog list or catalog is lost in mail. Please request a catalog at www.TownCreekFarm.com or call Roxanne at 205.799.6121.
■ SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Friday, October 14, 2016 Cattle available for viewing. 6 pm – Boot Scootin’ BBQ Party Live music by Cedar Creek Ramblers The Cedar Creek Ramblers have established themselves as one of the more powerful foursomes in the Southeast. Enjoy country tunes to bluegrass standards .
Saturday, October 15, 2016 11 am – Lunch Town Creek Farm Beef Burgers 12 noon – Town Creek Farm Commercial Brangus Bred Heifer Sale followed by Town Creek Farm Bull Sale
■ HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS Hampton Inn & Suites .........................662.494.7802 West Point, Mississippi, $105 - $115 (ask for Town Creek Farm block) The Hyatt Place ...................................662.370.1800 Columbus, Mississippi, $99 Single or Double (ask for Town Creek Farm block) America’s Best ...................................662.494.7090 West Point, Mississippi Please contact the hotels directly, or contact Roxanne Spurgin at 205.799.6121 or Roxanne@TownCreekFarm.com for assistance.
■ LOTS 384 - 437 – Longino Ranch, Cliff Coddington, Sidell, Florida
2-year consignor to Town Creek Farm and Cow Creek Ranch Commercial Heifer Sales Cow Creek Ranch and Town Creek Farm solid black Brangus and Ultrablack sired heifers bred back to low birth weight bulls. Group 1: A.I.’d to CCR Integrity 355S4. ECD: 12/24/16. Pasture bred to TCF Integrity 240B and TCF Integrity 14B8 (both sons of CCR Integrity 355S4) calve from 12/25/16 to 2/22/17. Group 2: A.I.’d to CCR Integrity 355S4. ECD: 1/22/17. Pasture bred to TCF Integrity 240B and TCF Integrity 14B8 (both sons of CCR Integrity 355S4) calve from 1/23/17 to 3/25/17. Heifers were developed at Cow Creek Ranch, Aliceville, Alabama, from weaning to sale day. Heifers were A.I.’d and pasture bred on Cow Creek Ranch. Heifers will calve as two-year olds. Longino Ranch has been using Cow Creek Ranch bulls for 12 years. ■ LOTS 438-452 – Montgomery Farms, Mark Montgomery, Moulton, Alabama 8-year consignor to Town Creek Farm and Cow Creek Ranch Commercial Heifer Sales CCR Integrity 386R4 daughters bred back to CCR Pathfinder 70Z2 and TCF Rockstar 546Z2. Calving from 11/15/16 to 2/23/17. ■ LOTS 453 - 462 – B&B Farm, Gerome Burrell, Linden, Alabama 4-year consignor to Town Creek Farm Commercial Heifer Sale CCR Ultrablack 1749Y5 daughters bred back to CCR Ultrablack 59B2. Calving from 11/5/16 to 4/9/17.
THESE HEIFERS SELL FROM RIVER OAKS FARM.
■ LOTS 463 - 492 – Lowell Dollar Farms, Lowell Dollar, Bainbridge, Georgia
First year consignor to Town Creek Farm Commercial Heifer Sale Brangus and Ultrablack daughters bred back to low birth weight Brangus and Ultrablack bulls. Calving from January 28, 2017, to April 19, 2017.
THESE HEIFERS SELL FROM LONGINO RANCH.
HEIFERS BELOW SELL FROM WILLIAMSON CATTLE CO.
Total Commitment
3 Quality Assurance always comes first.
Town Creek Farm Sale Since 1993
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2016 • 12 NOON at the farm’s Town Creek Pavilion near West Point, Mississippi Brangus Bull 14B9, Lot 3, Sells. Year IMF: 4.87%; Year Ribeye area/cwt: 1.46 SQ. IN.
170 Town Creek Farm Bulls Brangus and Ultrablack Bulls INCLUDING 60 FULL 2 YEAR-OLD BULLS AND 8 ANGUS BULLS Entire 2 year-old calf crop sells, no bulls have been sold from this group. Powerful, practical, functional bulls developed on a grass silage-based ration. Bulls guaranteed fertile and reproductively sound. Largely Cow Creek Ranch based genetics.
BRANGUS LOT 33, 4329B5 SELLS. CARCASS INDEX OF 0.72.
brangus lot 7, 027B4 sells. Year IMF: 4.14%; REA/cwt: 1.29. BRANGUS LOT 80, 610C SELLS. Year IMF: 4.30%.
Videos of bulls will be available on-line at www.TownCreekFarm.com October 1, 2016.
BRANGUS LOT 52, 788B4 SELLS. heifer bull with -3.7 BW EPD.
■ Entire calf crop of full two-year old bulls sell. No bulls have been sold. ■ Bulls developed on high roughage, BRANGUS LOT 20, 343B9 SELLS. deep with high growth.
BRANGUS LOT 36, 518B4 SELLS. WEANING WEIGHT OF 650 LBS.
BRANGUS LOT 100, 05C sells. 3.95% year marbling.
BRANGUS LOT 35, 4861B9 SELLS. YEAR REA/CWT: 1.24 SQ. IN.
grass silage-based low energy ration to ensure durability, reliability, weight maintenance. ■ Bulls reproductively sound. We are committed to proving highly fertile genetics that are functional. Every heifer calves as a two-year old. ■ Slick haired, heat and humidity tolerant bulls. ■ Large selection of user-friendly, high maternal, low birth weight bulls needed to produce valuable replacement heifers. Profit begins with a live calf. ■ Expansive herd health program. Annual whole herd Johnes testing. Bulls sell trich tested and guaranteed Johnes free. Buy On-Line with DVAuction.Com.
BRANGUS LOT 82, 1119C SELLS. FERTILITY INDEX OF 0.80.
brangus lot 83, 59C5 sells. 733 LB. WEANING WEIGHT.
Florida Cattlemen Have High Selling Calves in Producers Cattle Video Sale What’s the Earning Power of Your Calf Crop?
Town Creek Farm Beef Hits Market TOWN CREEK FARM ROLLED OUT ITS BRANDED BEEF PRODUCT LINE in the retail case in late June 2016 just in time for 4th of July grilling. It was a natural progression to bring Town Creek Farm Beef to the retail market since it was already on menus in Café Ritz, a West Point, Mississippi, restaurant owned by Milton Sundbeck. “We’ve proven the Town Creek Farm genetic base consistently grades Choice and our consumers will have an enjoyable eating experience every time. Why allow our product to get lost in the commodity meat shuffle?” says Sundbeck. Town Creek Farm Beef offers case-ready beef at Café Ritz. It has been received with overwhelming response from our customers. “We can’t keep enough steaks in the case. We have a waiting list of customers when supply is out,” says Sundbeck. e culinary buzzword is local and natural. Town Creek Farm Beef is born, raised and developed on Town Creek Farm. It’s harvested, processed and aged 21 days in Mississippi State University’s USDA Inspected Meats Lab. “e fact that we are working with a land grant, agricultural college makes this project even more appealing,” says Sundbeck. Cattle harvested through Town Creek Farm Beef program meet natural certifications from USDA and do not receive growth hormones, antibiotics or steroids. Cattle are pasturedeveloped on a grass silage-based ration with no animal byproducts in their feed. “We are expanding our presence by working with area restaurants who focus on farm-raised, local products. is is a win-win for Town Creek Farm, local restaurants and consumers,” says Sundbeck.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR FRIENDS AND CUSTOMERS FROM BRAZIL, JMT AGROPECUARIA, FOR EXHIBITING THE CHAMPION BRANGUS FEMALE AT ESTEIO LIVESTOCK SHOW IN POA, BRAZIL. The Grand Champion Heifer is sired by a Cow Creek Ranch Embryo, JMT Neto 9011Y9, which is now a herd sire for JMT. Over the past six years, JMT has imported more than 300 Cow Creek Ranch genetically produced embryos. Two Cow Creek Ranch embryo bull calves are leading at A.I. sires in South American semen studs. JMT manager Fernando Waihrich said, “Town Creek Farm this is our victory! We think of genetics in the same way; moderate, practical and functional.”
DRAWDY BROTHERS OF FLORIDA BLEW THE LID OFF THE TOP IN JUNE 2016 AS THEY MARKETED THEIR COW CREEK RANCH/TOWN CREEK FARM (CCR/TCF) SIRED HEIFER CALF CROP through the Producers Cattle Auction Video Sale. There was a bidding war on these CCR/TCF sired heifer calves. Drawdy’s 90 heifer calves topped their weight class by nearly $30 per one-hundred weight. In fact, the heifers outsold every weight class and averaged more total dollars per head than any group of heifers offered of all weight classes. Other heifer lots were sired by Brangus, Angus and Ultrablack. “Speaking with bidders at the sale, it was very apparent that cattlemen were in attendance just to bid on Drawdy’s Cow Creek Ranch genetic-based heifers. They were a fancy set of heifers bred, raised and backed by reputation cattlemen and genetics. The Drawdys continue to add top Town Creek Farm bulls to their bull battery every year,” said Town Creek Farm’s Joy Reznicek. The Drawdy Brothers have been using Cow Creek Ranch genetics since 2009. Their base female herd was purchased through 2009 Cow Creek Ranch Commercial Bred Heifer Sale. 2016 calf sale results have seen Cow Creek Ranch/Town Creek Farm genetics continue their sale topping trends of 2015. These genetics have proven time after time that you can be at the top of the steer market and produce heifers worth as much or more than steer calves. So we ask, what’s the earning power of your calf crop? TOWN CREEK FARM COMMUNITY extends heartfelt sympathy to John McKnight and his family on the loss of John’s wife, Martha. Remembering her wit and gentle soul will remain in our hearts.
TOWN CREEK FARM CATTLE SHOWCASED ON COVERS OF TWO NATIONAL LIVESTOCK PUBLICATIONS. Frontline Beef Producer, published by the Brangus Journal, featured a group of three-year-old spring calving cows and calves in their Fall 2016 issue. The photograph was taken by Wade Fisher of Ideal Videos during a recent visit to Town Creek Farm. Cattle Today, spotlighted a picture of TCF Rapid Reward 145Z3 on the cover of their September 3, 2016, Brangus cattle feature issue. FLORIDA CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION (FCA) IS ONE OF THE MOST PROGRESSIVE VOLUNTEER CATTLE ORGANIZATIONS IN THE U.S. During their annual convention they host a PAC auction that consists of donated seed stock genetics. Proceeds go to their active Political Action Committee. Town Creek Farm extends a big thank you to J 3 Cattle Company for purchasing the credit donated by Town Creek Farm. J 3 Cattle Co. is owned by Joe Hilliard and his family Chelsa, Rana and Jack.