From the Field
Be A Limousin
Ambassador
By Andy Rest, NALF regional manager
Since I returned to the Limousin business almost
four years ago, it has become very evident
to me that our breed continues to pay an
extremely high price for our past weaknesses.
That old adage about the perception is
the reality seems very true in this case.
Long-time Limousin breeders have seen
impressive gains in structural soundness, depth
of body, fertility, maternal ability and probably
most importantly disposition. Unfortunately, in
the rest of the cattle industry mention the word
“Limousin” and cattlemen still think of wild cattle
with no rib, little fertility or maternal ability.
To help dispel this notion, I think all of us need
to become more active within the beef industry.
A great place to start is becoming active in
your county, state and national cattlemen’s
organizations. You will gain valuable exposure
for yourself and the breed. By serving on
various committees you’ll develop friendships
with other cattlemen and at the same time
you’ll be giving back to our industry.
Hosting a local 4-H, FFA or
college judging team for a
workout is another great way
to gain exposure. Many of the
kids judging today will become
the ag leaders of tomorrow.
Exposing them to high quality
Limousin and Lim-Flex cattle
will pay dividends in the long
run. I had a college judging
team coach friend of mine call
me after a workout at Linhart
Limousin before the American
Royal contest in Kansas City.
He said he was blown away
by the outstanding quality
he had seen that day.
Along these same lines, hosting
a tour stop on a local, county or
state cattlemen’s tour is another
great way to gain valuable
exposure for your program
and the breed. These stops
168 | JUNE/JULY 2019