Field notes5 min
Cowboy 101: Game Changer
The single decision that changed our operation more than anything else - switching to a breed that fit the land.
GY
Gil Yearwood
2024-05-18
Photo · Ellett Valley archives
We tried Angus. We tried Hereford. We tried Red Devon and Murray Grey. Every one of them could survive on grass; none of them really thrived through a Virginia summer.
"The first load of South Poll heifers came off a trailer in 2007. By August they were still slick-haired and putting on weight while the neighbor's Angus were standing in the pond."
That was the game changer - not a program, not a certification, not a marketing plan. A breed that actually fit the place.
- Gil Yearwood, from the porch, Blacksburg VA
