LIVING THE LEGACY, by bailey k herrin

LIVING

THE LEGACY

By Bailey K. Herrin E very cattle producer dreams that the legacy of their farm or ranch will live on for future generations. Running M Ranch will do just that when Payne Midyette’s grandson, Will Moncrief, takes the reins this fall.

Payne Midyette, 93, has had a passion for cattle for most of his life. Midyette first shared this passion with his father, Payne Midyette Sr. In the 1930s and 1940s, his family had Hereford cattle that they eventually crossed with Brahmans. The Midyettes were producing Brafords prior to them becoming a nationally recognized breed.

In 1977, Midyette bought 391 acres in Madison County as an investment opportunity. He had all intentions of reselling the property; instead, he ended up running cattle on it. By the early 1980s, Payne had purchased three Braford bulls along with 125 Braford heifers from Bud Adams, his lifelong friend.

Midyette fondly reminisces: “Bud Adams and I were good friends; we grew up together. As high school boys, we both worked for one of the top cattlemen of the time. He’s the reason I got hooked on Braford cattle.”

By 1991, the ranch and Braford herd had grown large enough that a ranch manager was necessary.

“For nearly 30 years, Kit Storey has been the ranch manager at Running M,” Midyette notes. “Kit is a good cowman, good planner, very dedicated to his job, but most of all he has a big heart. We seem to complement each other. I’m thankful for all he has done for us over the years.”

In 1992, Midyette retired from Midyette-Moor Insurance Agency to focus on, and expand, Running M Ranch. He was able to grow the ranch to almost 500 brood cows, with most of them being registered Brafords. At one point, the farm was up to 2,580 acres, with the bulk of it being owned property. To reduce their workload as their age increased, Midyette and Storey opted to reduce the cattle numbers and plant pines in some of the cattle pastures.

The herd at Running M Ranch is down to about 300 brood cows and replacement heifers. A large part of the herd still consists of Braford cows, but the ranch has expanded its Braford Plus program.

“We’ve been running Red Angus bulls on some of our Braford cows,” Moncrief explains. “The Braford females make good mommas and the Red Angus adds a little extra

carcass merit to the calves. With us starting to finish our own cattle for a pasture-to-plate marketing opportunity in Tampa, we need to maximize the carcass traits in our calves to guarantee we are producing a premium product to our consumers. Brafords play a key role in our operation. One thing we have realized is that you have to maximize the value of the calves with the resources available.”

Running M Ranch is teaming up with River Bend Cattle Company, a specialty beef company, that is marketing Fresh from Florida, dry-aged beef. This new opportunity allows both Running M Ranch and the specialty beef company to cut out the middleman, all while delivering a premium product.

Moncrief has been gradually getting more involved in the management and breeding decisions at the ranch over the last few years.

“Grandpa has always kept extremely detailed records,” Moncrief explains. “He has decades worth of records on this cow herd. His meticulous notes make it easier for us to select our replacement heifers and make other management decisions. We prefer for our replacement heifers to be born early on in the calving season. This allows them to be a little bigger at breeding; it also shows that fertility runs in that cow line.”

Moncrief stresses that fertility, maternal ability and carcass merit are some of their top criteria for a cow to stay in their herd. He is meticulous about details:

“We prefer the cows to have pigment around the eyes to reduce the chance of eye problems in the future. We also like for them to have a good pretty red color with not too much white. Our goal is to raise moderate-sized, efficient cattle that are able to grow and stay fat on grass. I think we are a little different from most purebred guys. We try to utilize winter grazing for developing our replacement heifers and bulls to minimize the amount of input costs. Everything we develop is weighed consistently to calculate the weight per day of age and average daily gain. Our cattle survive strictly on forage with minimal supplementation, so we expect our replacement cattle to do the same.”

The ranch continues to be a family affair, as Aren Moncreif, Midyette’s daughter, handles the books, and Moncrief’s wife, Celina, is always willing to lend a helping hand on the ranch.

“I can count on Celina to help whenever we need it,” Moncrief says. “She’s always willing to help, whether it is working cattle or in the hayfield. I think we make a pretty good team.”

Each year, the cattle are gathered for marking and branding in late spring. All of the registered cattle at Running M Ranch have a hot brand that consists of a four-digit herd identification number along with the Running M brand. The cattle are also tattooed and tagged to guarantee that identification is available at a later date. While the cattle are up, they are vaccinated, castrated, dehorned and implanted. As Midyette and Storey start to reduce their roles at Running M Ranch, Moncrief is eager to carry on his grandfather’s legacy.

“Grandpa has worked hard over the years to build a phenomenal herd of cattle,” Moncrief says, beaming with pride. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to be able to continue the legacy of Running M Ranch. If it wasn’t for Grandpa and Kit, it wouldn’t be where it is today. They did a great job managing both the land and cattle. It makes my life easy when I have a good foundation to build from.”

Both Midyette and Moncrief have a wealth of memories on the ranch.

“That kid grew up on the place,” Midyette recalls with a smile. “He likes to ranch, and I am excited that he can continue to do what he wants – which is to work cattle and horses. I hope he can continue to do what he loves. It’s important to keep the land and family business going, but it isn’t easy.”

What is worthwhile seldom is – but Payne Midyette can indeed rest easy. Running M Ranch is in the hands of someone who shares his passion for ranching and Braford cattle. The dream of a generation-spanning legacy is sure to come true.