by Quin LaFollette, Western Region
Let’s Do Our Best
Hi everyone from northwest Wyoming.
by Callie Cooley, ASA Publication Business Manager
Greetings from Montana! I hope this update finds you well and enjoying the holiday season. As we look ahead to the New Year, I’ve found myself reflecting on 2025—a year that has given us much to recognize and appreciate at the American Simmental Association (ASA).
by Chloe Tolar
Donnell Brown has been involved in SimGenetics from a very young age, participating in AJSA events that helped shape his values, career, and future.
by Andea Bedford, Bovine Veterinarian
Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is making its way through Western Europe. There is a current outbreak in France with recent cases being reported along the Spanish border.
by Dr. Elizabeth Dressler, ASA Geneticist
Expected progeny differences (EPD) for mature weight (MW) and cow energy requirement (CER) have been released by the American Simmental Association (ASA) in a research release format.
Simbrah Synergy Showcase XVIII
Date: Sept. 27–28, 2025
Judges: Barry Wesner, IN (Cattle); and Rusty Mertink (Showmanship), Giddings
Percentage Simbrah Females
DECEMBER
14 Trauernicht Simmental’s Nebraska Platinum Standard Sale — Beatrice, NE
19 Buck Creek Ranch’s Grand Event Vol. VI — Yale, OK
Remembering the history of the Simmental breed and its people.
ASA Publication, Inc., Archive Grows with Donation from Member
Our Pioneers — E. C. “Teddy Blue” Abbott
DNA Testing Requirements for Herdsires
Tax Planning for Cow-Calf Operations: Don’t Let
by Tina Barrett, Executive Director of Nebraska Farm Business Inc.
The past several years have been profitable for cattle producers.
Feedlot Production Continues to Decline
by Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension
The September 1, 2025, feedlot total was 11.08 million head, down 1.1% year-over-year, and the tenth consecutive monthly decrease compared to one year earlier.
GOP Senator Calls on DOJ to Investigate Beef Consolidation
Senator Kevin Cramer is urging the US Department of Justice (DOJ) to accelerate its long-running investigation into potential anticompetitive practices among the nation’s largest beef packers—National Beef, Cargill, Tyson Foods, and JBS—citing renewed concerns over pricing power and market fairness.
In Memoriam…
Joe Mercer Belfalls, Texas
Arthur Joseph Mercer III was born on June 6, 1947, in Temple, Texas, and died on October 2, 2025, at the age of 78 at his home near Belfalls, Texas, after a long, fierce battle with cancer.
Europe’s Outbreaks Raise Alarms: Is Lumpy Skin Disease Headed Here?
by Andea Bedford, Bovine Veterinarian
Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is making its way through Western Europe. There is a current outbreak in France with recent cases being reported along the Spanish border.