Building a Legacy
Magnum Feedyard is a family-run 35,000,000-head cattle yard in Wiggins, Colorado. While working for a smaller feeding operation 30 years ago, Steve Gabel saw an opportunity to get involved in running the business.
Steve credits his success running his operation to a strategic location, a marketing agreement and rock-solid relationships in the industry developed over three decades. It’s a business founded on trust and integrity.
Magnum has a team focused on taking care of the thousands of animals on-site, leading to positive outcomes for the quality of the finished product and for the health of his business.
“We employ a consulting nutritionist, a consulting veterinarian, a consulting environmentalist, and the environmentalist helps keep us on the right track,” he said.
American AgCredit serves thousands of farms, ranches and agribusinesses like Magnum Feedyard. Steve said it makes all the difference to work with a lender who truly understands his business.
Opening Doors for the Next Generation
Steve said the unpredictable weather, challenges of animal husbandry and the increasingly competitive nature of the industry keep his job interesting and rewarding. With employee tenures often lasting for decades, Steve’s son Case said he feels a responsibility to carry on the success of his father and continue to build a profitable business.
“We have a responsibility to all of our employees to carry on the legacy,” he said. “At the end of the day, I enjoy the challenge of the business because it’s intense.”
Case said the feed yard’s commitment to sustainability and animal health are rooted in practices like conserving water in a drought-prone state, composting the organic matter the operation produces and participating in a Colorado State University study that measured nitrogen capture and emission at the feed yard.
“We all understand it’s our responsibility,” Case said. “First and foremost, take care of the cattle. If we take care of the cattle and provide them a good environment, they’ll take care of us. The rest is pretty easy.”
This article was originally published by American AgCredit.
