SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)–During National Agriculture Month, KELOLAND News wants to recognize people who work in the industry.
Bieber Red Angus is a family-owned seedstock operation with roots in registered Red Angus cattle, located 10 miles west of Leola, South Dakota.
The family has over 50 years of experience in the beef cattle industry. Their herd was founded with proven cows from leading breeders. Today, they raise and sell performance-based bulls and females with a focus on strong maternal and carcass traits.
“We are dedicated to producing profitable cattle and progressive genetics in a commercially oriented system,” Kristin said.
Craig and Peggy Bieber own and run the operation, with help from their son daughter Kristin and her husband Jake.
“It truly is a family affair,” Kristin said.
The operation runs almost 1,000 registered Red Angus females and sells around 550 breeding bulls annually, Kristin said.
Craig grew up on the ranch and had a passion for the land and cattle from an early age.
“As CEO, he [Craig] oversees all operations of the ranch and coordinates the sales of registered animals each year. He is also very active in the Red Angus breed and beef industry as a whole,” Kristin said.
Peggy works alongside Craig as the office manager for the ranch, managing the bookkeeping, cattle record entry, sale clerking and hospitality. Jake manages cattle feeding and contributes to the sales and cattle handling. Kristin helps in the office as well as manages marking as far as catalogs, ads and social media.
“I bring our two daughters to the ranch with me every day so at any given moment we have three generations on the ranch,” Kristin said.
They also employ three full-time ranch staff members in addition to the family, which is essential to the operation.
“We value the input they share and the time they put in to make sure we excel at our goals,” Kristin said.
Land conservation is something that is important to the Bieber operation.
“In addition to our cattle, both my grandfather and my father believe strongly in land conservation through improved grazing management techniques,” Kristin said. “They both believe in being stewards of the lands and leaving it better than we found it. My dad Craig works diligently on his rotational grazing schedule to ensure that we aren’t overgrazing the pastures.”
The history of Bieber Red Angus goes back to 1961, when Kristin’s grandparents Ron and Lois Bieber moved to the ranch and started a diversified crop and livestock operation. In 1968, Ron bought his first registered Red Angus cattle and officially became a Red Angus seed stock herd, Kristin said. By the early 1970s, the herd numbered 250 breeding females and shortly after they sold all of the crossbred cattle to focus on the seed stock operation.
In 1975, they hosted their first production sale on the ranch in their Morton building, the same building that the productions sales are still held today.
They have hosted a bull sale there every year in the spring and have since added several other sales throughout the years, Kristin said.
Unfortunately, Ron passed away in August 2020.
“Agriculture is truly a lifestyle rather than just a job,” Kristin said. “We wake up every day and care for our livestock and the land with commitment and hard work, because we share the same values and ultimately the same goals as the consumers who use our products – to take care of our families and provide safe and healthy food. We truly love cattle and the beef industry, and we get to do what we love every day alongside our family.”
You can learn more about Bieber Red Angus through their Facebook page, Instagram and YouTube channel.
KELOLAND News is recognizing people who are part of the agricultural industry whether they’re a farmer, rancher or involved in another way.
