Hereford Hall of Fame and merit honors
US - Bob Schafer of Mahnomen, Minn., and Upstream Ranch near Dalhart, Texas, were inducted into the Hereford Hall of Fame on Oct. 23 at the American Hereford Association (AHA) Annual Meeting.
10 November 2006
2 minute read
Also honored were Hereford Hall of Merit inductees, the late Guy Shull and Michael “Mike” MacNeil. Hall of Merit recipients aren't necessarily Hereford breeders, but have in their own ways greatly influenced the Hereford breed and cattle industry.
Bob Schafer
Schafer got his start in the Hereford business at a young age on the farm owned and operated by his mother, uncle and grandparents at Buffalo Lake, Minn. Little did folks know the influence Schafer would later have on the breed.
After graduating from the University of Minnesota with a degree in animal husbandry and working for the agricultural Extension service, Schafer became manager of Schermerhorn Farms of Mahnomen in 1956.
Under his management, the operation became a cooperator in the AHA's dwarfism research, and in 1963, was one of the first to enroll in the new Total Performance Records (TPR) program.
“Nearly 15,000 head would be performance tested over the next 40 years and 1,500 head would have ultrasound carcass data collected,” said Beth Carlson, Minnesota Hereford Breeders president.
In 1965, John Oxley purchased Schermerhorn Farms and combined it with his Oklahoma-based Hereford ranch. Extensive use of artificial insemination ensued. The Oklahoma herd was dispersed in 1976, and the rest of the herd in 2003.
Source: livestockroundup.net
