November 2019 News

New pages have been added to the Heritage Shorthorn Society website, as noted below—visit the website to “check out” these 4 new additions.

1. The new “Spotlight on Members” features Jack and Joyce Barnes who have J Bar J Shorthorns in Fallon, Nevada. Many of you may already know Jack because he has been active in raising Heritage/Native Shorthorns for over 60 years years and has been on the Board of Directors at AMSS. Jack is very passionate about his “favorite breed” and how they should be promoted.

Meadowbrook Lassie 3rd, and her sister

2. HSS has initiated a new section to provide additional information about Heritage Milking Shorthorns, which have been “short-changed” between the emphasis on beef type Shorthorns, and the composite dairy cows which are called “Modern Milking Shorthorns”. This new page is located below the Shorthorn Information grouping on the website, and will gradually be expanded as more articles are written.

3. Along with assorted new information about the dairy side of Heritage Shorthorns on our website, the most recent Cattle Viewpoints article is titled “Micro-Dairying with Heritage Milking Shorthorns”. It is authored by Dr. Joseph Schallberger.

4. Under the Ads Section is a new page for listing Shorthorn collectables which Shorthorn breeders may have to give away or to sell. Old Shorthorn Worlds or Milking Shorthorn Journals are particularly in demand. Any old Shorthorn memorabilia can be listed on the HSS website for free.

The Semen Code page currently has expanded the list of reference semen codes for classic Heritage Shorthorn bulls. HSS will be adding additional bull semen codes in the near future. HSS again encourages everyone to have their semen tanks inventoried and if you have old Heritage beef and dairy bull semen you do not want, list it for sale on the HSS website as there are many breeders looking for Heritage bull semen.

October 2019 News

“Butter Girl”

Realizing that many of our website pages are slanted toward the Beef side of Heritage Shorthorns, we have decided to create some new pages that will feature information about Heritage Milking Shorthorns and Heritage Dual Purpose dairy-type Shorthorns. We expect to have some of this information ready to post by Nov. 1st. Also, the next Cattle Viewpoints Article will be about utilization of Heritage Milking Shorthorns in today’s dairy environment.

We hope you have been enjoying the HSS Cattle Viewpoints Articles. They always seem to inspire/provoke a discussion on the Steer Planet website, which helps spark more interest in Heritage Shorthorns. Thanks again to the authors who have contributed these articles. If you have an idea for an article or would like to write an article please contact the HSS office.

It seems to be a tough year for marketing cattle. Do you have Shorthorns for sale which you want to list on the HSS Cattle for Sale page? Just send us an email with the information that you want included in the ad—these ads are free to our members, and there is not a specific word count limit for the Classified ads (within reason). As mentioned in prior monthly newsletters, the Cattle for Sale Page and the Breeders Ads Page routinely get the most views, along with the Members/Breeders List Page.

Do you have your own ranch/farm website or Facebook page? When you are updating it (has it been quite a while since it was updated?), please consider adding a link to the Heritage Shorthorn Society website.

September 2019 News

The Cattle Viewpoints Page of HSS has a new article posted: “Black Noses on Shorthorn Cattle”. Are you curious about this “color quirk”? This interesting article is authored by Dr. Martin Lee who has delved extensively into Shorthorn history and lineages.

HSS has created a new page which will be featuring fun photos and advertisements from the 1940’s, 1950’s and 1960’s. Once or twice a month we will be adding “new” old-time pictures—some humorous, some “nostalgic”, and some just quirky. Take a look on the HSS website for the “Pictures from the Past” Page, under “Interesting Pictures” in the website menu.

Our office periodically has inquiries from people who are interested in the health status of Shorthorn cattle with regards to Johne’s Disease and Bovine Leukemia Virus (BLV). If you test your herd for these diseases, HSS will now provide the option for our members to add this information to your Breeders/Members Page listing—“Tested for Johne’s Disease”, “Tested for BLV”. Just send us an email if you want this added to your farm/ranch information

August 2019 News

Meriville Penelope Anna

The “Spotlight on Members” Page changes quarterly. The new Spotlight posting features Winifred Hoffman and her daughters Miriam and Martha. Their background is with Milking Shorthorns, and their Shorthorn farm goes back several generations. One of the pictures in this article may look familiar since Winifred had the winning “Classic Photo” entry in our 2018 HSS Photo Contest, with a photo that shows her husband as a young boy. The “Spotlight on Members” Page is located under the Heritage Breeders/Members Section on the HSS website.

Earlier this summer HSS contacted the American Milking Shorthorn Society (AMSS) to see if they would be interested in discussing the possibility of HSS taking over their Native Shorthorn registration program. The reason that HSS inquired about taking over the AMSS Native program was to have a registration program that really benefited HSS members. HSS wanted to have a registration program which cost less, had less ”red tape”, and put customer/breeder service as its top priority. Unfortunately AMSS rejected the idea and was unwilling even to discuss this issue with HSS.

July 2019 News

A new article is now posted in the “Cattle Viewpoints” section—”Heritage Shorthorns’ Impact on World Cattle Breeds” . It is written by Dr. Bert Moore who is also the author of our extensive website section on Historic Shorthorns.

Members—do you have any Shorthorn calves, bulls, cow/calf pairs, or semen that you want to sell this summer or fall? Do you want to reach a nationwide audience? Send us a note with “the particulars” for free 3+ month listings on the HSS “Cattle for Sale” or “Semen for Sale” pages. Even better, send one or more photos to accompany the ad to make it more persuasive. (One-time $8/photo fee). Cattle for Sale continues to be the page visitors to the HSS website go to most frequently. Also on the Google search engine when someone searches under the heading “Shorthorns For Sale” the HSS Shorthorns for sale page is in the middle of the first page on Google. It is just another indicator of how many people are going to the HSS website.

HSS has purchased an advertisement for Heritage Shorthorns in the most recent issue of “Hobby Farms”. Like our other ads in assorted print magazines, HSS is targeting a variety of potential niche markets for our members, whether full Heritage Shorthorns or Heritage influenced (part modern and part heritage parentage) Shorthorns, and whether in a commercial setting or in a small family farm. The attached picture is a copy of the 1/4 page ad.

June 2019 News

We would like to acknowledge the many difficulties that our members have had to deal with this spring, especially in the Midwest. We sincerely hope that everyone is able to get their crops planted and their livestock cared for as we move toward summer.

Um! Um! Good!, by Stanley Ward

A big thanks to everyone who submitted photos and everyone who voted in this year’s HSS Photo Contest. The winner, by votes, is # 1. Um! Um! Good!, by Stanley Ward. The second place is a tie between # 2. What do you guys think? A Holstein? by Ralph Larson, and # 7. Can I have someone over for lunch? by Bert Moore. The first prize winner will receive a complimentary Heritage Shorthorn vest or sweatshirt, while the second places will each receive a Heritage Shorthorn cap or tote bag. (There was a 5 way tie for 3rd place—luckily we’re not giving prizes for 3rd!) All photos will remain posted for now, with the names of each person who submitted them.

A new category “Freezer/Locker Beef” has been added to the Member Listings options of what you typically have for sale. This category is to guide viewers of the HSS website to Member ranches/farms in each state if they are interested in purchasing local Shorthorn Locker Beef. If you want to add this category to your Breeders/Members Page listing, just send us a note.

HSS is now running an advertisement promoting Heritage Shorthorns in each quarterly issue of the Livestock Conservancy Magazine.

The June issue of The Stockman Grass Farmer magazine will be highlighting the Heritage Shorthorn Society in their Grazier’s Gear feature. A copy of this free promotion is attached below. HSS has paid to run a monthly listing in the Livestock Directory section of the Stockman Grass Farmer starting this July. A free copy of the magazine is available for any HSS member by calling the Stockman Grass Farmer office to request it: (800-748-9808).

Are you looking for ways to promote your cattle? For everyone who visits your ranch/farm, try giving them a Heritage Shorthorn brochure to take home with your ranch/farm contact information added on the back of the brochure. If you take cattle to any shows or sales, why not take some brochures along to hand out? These high quality, colorful handouts are designed to promote what you’re doing. They’re available to order from the HSS Store Page.

June 2019 Issue Stockman GrassFarmer

May 2019 News

Our second quarterly “Spotlight on Members” article is now posted and it features Dale & Laura Hart of Friona, Texas. Dale has been involved with purebred Shorthorns since 1948. He has obviously seen many changes over the past 70 years, but he is still committed to raising Dual Purpose Shorthorns.

A new article has also been posted on the “Cattle Viewpoints” Page. This article by Ralph Larson makes many good points about what traits to select for in your cow herd for a commercial setting, but it’s applicable to all cattle raising.

This has been a trying spring for many cattle breeders, but there is still time to snap some pictures of your spring calves &/or to look through family scrapbooks for photos for the HSS Cute Calves Photo contest. The deadline for submissions is May 14th, with member voting during the last half of May. There are prizes for the first & second place winners, so send in your pictures and captions.

To continue national exposure of Heritage Shorthorns, there will be a press release article on the Heritage Shorthorn Society in the June issue of the Stockman Grass Farmer magazine. In addition, HSS is paying to have a monthly directory ad in this magazine for 1 year. The Stockman Grass Farmer magazine is devoted to the art & science of earning a profit from grassland agriculture, including grass fed cattle.

April 2019 News

We would like to acknowledge the difficulties that many members have had in dealing with weather issues over this past winter/early spring—extreme cold, massive amounts of snow, flooding, hail storms, etc. It certainly takes a lot of resilience and determination to persevere in farming/ranching.

The HSS homepage has had a major make-over. It’s has become more user friendly and is more colorful and interactive. Several website sections and pages have also been reorganized to make them more appealing and easier to navigate.

The 2019 HSS Photo Contest is up and running. The theme for this year is “Cute Calves”, so with spring calving season in full swing there should be many opportunities to use your camera or smart phone to get some great photos. There are prizes for the first and second place winners (as voted by all HSS members). The contest guidelines are on the HSS 2019 Photo Contest Rules page. Entries are already being posted.

The April issue of The Progressive Cattlemen Magazine has been published, and the Heritage Shorthorn Society ¼ page ad (see ad below) is causing a noticeable increase in viewers to the HSS website. They are especially looking at the Breeder’s Ads, the Heritage Breeders/Members, Cattle for Sale, and Cattle Viewpoints Pages. Due to a mistake by Progressive Cattlemen Magazine (the HSS ad is not listed on the index page), Progressive Cattlemen will be rerunning this same ad in their next edition, at no additional cost to HSS. The background photo for the ad was provided by HSS member Ralph Larson. While this ad is targeted toward commercial beef producers, HSS has future ads planned in other publications which target the dual purpose aspects of Heritage Shorthorns and their usefulness in small family farms.

March 2019 News

The second Cattle Viewpoints article is now posted on our website. Each article in the Cattle Viewpoints section will highlight different perspectives on the cattle business, with each one written by someone who has extensive experience with cattle. This second Cattle Viewpoints article is authored by Mr. Gary Kaper.

Starting this month (March 2019) and running through mid May, HSS is sponsoring our second Annual Photo Contest. The theme of this year’s photo contest is “Cute Shorthorn Calves”, so get out your camera or look through your photo albums for your best Shorthorn calf pictures. The “Rules” for submitting photos, and more information on the contest will be posted within the next week on the Heritage Shorthorn Society website.

Reminder: We expect that there will be many more people viewing the Heritage Breeders and Ads pages on the HSS website after April 1, 2019. The April 1st issue of “Progressive Cattlemen” magazine (national circulation of 55,000) will include an ad promoting Heritage Shorthorns, which is paid for by HSS.

February 2019 News

The Heritage Shorthorn Society is instituting a new feature on our website called Spotlight on Members. One member ranch/farm will be featured each quarter to highlight a cross section of our members (some who are relatively new to Shorthorns and some who have had Shorthorns for multiple generations) to show the appeal and adaptability of Heritage Shorthorns. This new feature is currently located just above the Membership Page. The first members in this new feature are Dave & Diane Robertson located in Crocker, Missouri.

The Cattle Viewpoints Page has been moved higher in the website page listings and is now just above the Heritage Breeders Page.

January 2019 News

As HSS celebrates its first year of existence it might be worthwhile reviewing how far HSS has come during this past year. The HSS website has been viewed by individuals from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and over 60 countries with Canada, Australia, and the UK having the highest number of non-U.S. viewers. The HSS website is currently on the first page of web search results for people inquiring about Heritage or Native Shorthorn cattle. Ads promoting Heritage “Native” Shorthorns have been run in several publications with more to come. HSS has utilized several other venues to get information out to cattle breeders about Heritage Shorthorns and about the breeders who produce them. A large number of Shorthorn cattle have been sold through the HSS website ads and we hope this will continue.

A variety of new features were added to the website in 2018 with the most prominent being Dr. Bert Moore’s section highlighting historically important bulls & some cows, and including their extended pedigrees. He continues to add more bulls, so be sure to check his section periodically. (There is now a slightly different order of pages on the HSS website to make it more intuitive, and the heading for Dr. Moore’s section is “Historical Shorthorns”.)

Moving forward HSS is adding more new features to the HSS website. The first new 2019 feature is the “Cattle Viewpoints” section where interesting and informative articles will be presented on a bi-monthly basis. These articles will be authored by a variety of people and should be of interest to everyone. The first article, written by Roy Lovaas, is now on the website under the heading of “Cattle Viewpoints”, located just above “Monthly Highlights”.

A second new 2019 feature, offered quarterly starting in February, will be an interview style article featuring individual HSS members. Several members have asked for this feature so HSS has decided to move forward with it. Further details will be provided when the first member interview is featured next month.

December 2018 News

HSS ordered a second batch of 2019 calendars and currently we have a limited number still for sale. As a Xmas gift the HSS calendar will bring a smile to anyone’s face. The calendars can be ordered online via the Store Page, or by sending a note and check by mail. ($14.75/ calendar includes mailing costs.)

Starting in 2019 HSS will be initiating 2 different new online feature pages. The first one starting in January will feature articles about different aspects of the Heritage Shorthorn and cattle business written by prominent cattlemen. The second one starting in February will showcase individual Heritage Shorthorn Society members and how they are using heritage genetics in their cattle operations.

Check out the changing ads on the Cattle For Sale section. As HSS has grown so has the interest in the Cattle For Sale section. Remember members have free classified listings and will receive nationwide exposure for their sale Shorthorns.

HSS wants to thank all of our members for their support and words of encouragement during this first year for HSS. Without your support we would not be able to maintain the website and promote these terrific cattle. Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas.

November 2018 News

The HSS custom calendars for 2019 are finally a reality. They are full size (81/2” x 11”), full color, spiral bound wall calendars which feature both historic and modern Shorthorn themed photos. The photos in this year’s inaugural calendar include many which were submitted by HSS members to the HSS Photo Contest. Photos include ones submitted by the following people:

Chris & Serena Blotter, Rich & Katie Forrest, John Hendrickson, Winifred Hoffman, Ralph Larson, Bert Moore, Dave & Diane Robertson, Joe Schallberger, Marcia Shaver, Stanley Ward, Katie & Shaun White

The pages in this calendar are guaranteed to bring a smile to everyone’s face. The pictures below are a few sample pages from this 2019 Calendar.

All of the labor to design, format, & order these calendars was donated, so the price of the calendars reflects an amount barely over the total production and shipping costs. The calendars can be ordered for $14.75 each via the HSS online Store Page with payment online, or ordered via an email request to the HSS office, with payment by a mailed check.

This is also a good time to order Heritage Shorthorn vests, sweatshirts, and tote bags from the HSS Store page so they will arrive in time for Christmas gifts. All profits from the Store sales are dedicated to the HSS fund for running national Heritage Shorthorn promotional ads.

Many new ads have been posted in the last month on the various HSS Ads Pages. These pages continue to be the focal point of many visitors to the HSS website. Thanks to the increasing number of paid Breeder Ads, HSS expects to expand its national advertising budget for Heritage Shorthorns in 2019.

On January 1, 2019 HSS will publish the first of what will be bimonthly articles about different aspects of the Heritage Shorthorn business written by prominent cattlemen. We are excited about this new endeavor and believe members will find the articles quite interesting.

October 2018 News

HSS apologizes for not publishing this month’s update on October 1st but we ran into computer problems while traveling abroad and could not get the Monthly Update to upload properly.

The HSS 2019 Calendar will be available to order starting Nov. 1st. We will have sample pages and pricing available at that time.

This is a good time of the year to order Heritage Shorthorn vests, sweatshirts, &/or tote bags as a Christmas gift for yourself or for someone else who is passionate about Shorthorns. Visit the HSS Store Page to see what is available for colors & sizes. Remember, all proceeds go into the HSS advertising budget for national promotion of Heritage Shorthorns.

HSS has contracted with Progressive Cattleman Magazine to run an ad next spring to promote Heritage Shorthorns to commercial cattle breeders. We believe this will be the first ad run in this magazine by any Shorthorn organization. It reaches over 55,000 cattlemen every month across the USA. HSS is currently looking at additional advertising venues and we will have further information in the coming months. HSS believes advertising is key to attracting new buyers of Heritage Shorthorns. We want to again thank members who are buying paid advertising on the HSS website as this is allowing HSS to get the word out on how Heritage Shorthorns can be incorporated into a variety of cattle operations.

Several other projects are in the works at HSS which will be announced in the next 2-3 months —these should benefit members and hopefully encourage sales of Heritage Shorthorns.

September 2018 News

HSS is seeing a shift in the demographics of visitors to the website.  Even more visitors to the website are focusing on the Cattle for Sale and Breeder’s Ads pages.  As the fall cattle selling season unfolds, list your Shorthorns for sale on the HSS website (free to members) so you can receive the national exposure which HSS provides.

For those not familiar with “The Shorthorn World” magazine it was the precursor of the current “Shorthorn Country” magazine now published through the American Shorthorn Association.  What set “The Shorthorn World” apart from many current Shorthorn publications was the numerous articles included in each issue that discussed all aspects of raising Shorthorns.  Most of the articles were written by Shorthorn breeders and contained helpful information that the average breeder could use.  Starting January 1, 2019 as an additional service to Shorthorn breeders and in the tradition of “Shorthorn World” HSS will be initiating bi-monthly articles written by prominent Shorthorn breeders on topics relevant to most HSS members.

Bert Moore is continuing to add information in the Shorthorn History Section.

HSS is creating a 2019 wall calendar which highlights interesting “old time” and “modern” Shorthorn pictures.  It includes photos submitted by many of our members.  It will be available for purchase later this fall.  Details to follow in next month’s update.

August 2018 News

The winners of the HSS 2018 Photo Contest are Winifred Hoffman for the Classic photo “Young Breeders Assess a Calf”, and Ralph Larson for his Current/Modern photo “Big Sky Country”. 

We had lots of comments on how difficult it was for members to choose favorites because such a variety of good ones had been submitted.  Some were picturesque, some were cute, some had very clever captions, and many showed a variety of ways that Shorthorn cattle enrich our lives.  Thanks again to everyone who submitted photos and to members who took the time to send in their votes.

Bert Moore is continuing to contribute installments to the “Historic Shorthorns” section of the HSS website—be sure to check this section periodically to read what has been added.

Promoting your cattle: Currently the “Cattle for Sale” Page, “Heritage Breeders” Page and “Breeder Ads” Page are the most often visited pages on the HSS website.  If you have Shorthorn cattle or semen to sell, send us the information for posting one or more classified ads on our website—this advertising is free for members.  Pictures of the cattle for sale can be added for $8/photo, to help catch buyer’s attention.  The Breeders Ads Page is an inexpensive way to reach a national audience of people who are interested in Heritage Shorthorn cattle, to promote your herd and to highlight the type of cattle that you raise—contact the HSS office for more information.

There have been additional Heritage/Native semen codes listed on the Semen Code page in the References Section to help in identifying Heritage/Native semen that you may have in your tanks.  We do encourage all cattle breeders to have their semen tanks inventoried since there are breeders who are interested in purchasing semen on a variety of old Shorthorn bulls.  If you have Heritage/Native semen to sell, list it for free on our Semen for Sale page.

July 2018 News

HSS is proud to announce the expansion of the HSS website with the inclusion of a new section called "Historic Shorthorns" that is being authored by Dr. Bert Moore.  It will include pictures, pedigrees, and information on historically important Shorthorns over the past 120+ years.  There will be installments periodically over the next year.  The introduction and first installment (1890-1910) are now on the HSS website in the Shorthorn History section.   We believe this will be of interest to all Shorthorn Breeders whether they are members of HSS or not.

The HSS “Classic Bull” section (which covers bulls born from 1950 to 1985) has been refined. It is now also located in the Shorthorn History section.  Several additional bulls will be added over the next couple of months as information becomes available.  

HSS is still trying to gather semen code information on Heritage/Native bulls for the Reference Section, and we would appreciate any help from cattle breeders.

The Photo Contest is now closed and ballots are being sent to all HSS members for voting on favorites.  Winners will be announced in the August Update.  If you haven’t looked at the photos lately there were several recent entries in both categories.

The HSS ad highlighting Heritage Shorthorn genetics (see copy of ad in the June update below) will be published next week in the July Herd Issue of Shorthorn Country.

Several new ads have been placed on the HSS website over the last month.  We encourage members to send us classified ads for free posting on our website because of the expanding interest by buyers looking to purchase Heritage/Native Shorthorn cattle or semen.   HSS continues to hear about successful sales that members are having through contacts made via the HSS website.

The Heritage Breeders Page has been updated.  Some HSS members do not currently have Heritage Shorthorns, and have opted not to be listed on the Breeders Page.

June 2018 News

The Livestock Conservancy announced their official name change of Native Shorthorns to Heritage Shorthorns (Native).  The Livestock Conservancy states “This new name accurately reflects the breed’s history in the United States and its value for meat, milk, and draft purposes.”  The Livestock Conservancy quarterly magazine also ran an article on the Heritage Shorthorn Society, creating a surge in viewership of  the HSS website.

View fullsize

HSS will have an ad in the July issue of “Shorthorn Country” promoting Heritage Shorthorns.  To the right is a preview of the upcoming ad.  Shorthorn Country was picked for the ad simply because of demographics.  We have seen 10X the increase of page viewership from ads in Shorthorn Country as compared to ads in the Milking Shorthorn Journal—simply “more bang for the HSS buck”.   HSS has plans to run ads in several different publications in 2019 to expand interest In Heritage Shorthorns.  Membership fees provide HSS with the funds to promote Heritage Shorthorns.