Name: Val Reiss

Home State: Kansas, but only 8 miles from the Colorado State Line!

Your Ranch Name/Web Site: Reiss Club Calves, but now Reiss Livestock, to cover Pigs as well.

Species/Breeds Raised? We have raised several different breeds in show steers, prefer crossbreds, and raise several different breeds in pigs as well.

How long have you been in the business? I was given my first heifer in 1974 at age 8. We sold our first show steer in 1988, and had our first "good one" in 1994. We started our sow operation in 2007.

How did you get started? When my Grandpa Reiss passed away in 1974, my Grandma gave each of her 5 grandkids a heifer. That was the start of my cowherd. I slowly built until 1986, with the purchase of 10 heifers from Gene Meitler. Since then, I have had as many as 200, or as few as 4. Hogs, we purchased several elite gilts throughout the country.

How do you market your animals each year? We are part of the Wallace County Club Calf Group, and we have a sale the Saturday before Labor Day every year. Currently, most of the calves in the sale are raised in a cooperator herd, because my business does not allow me to have a big cow herd. Hogs, we have several sales throughout the year. both with live animals at the house, and on the internet at Showpig.com. We also attend many sales with pigs.

What is your "dream mating" (livestock of course!)? Pannell "708" X Heat Wave. Pannell 708 in my opinion, is the best Maine-Angus cow ever. She was pictured in Maine-Anjou Association ads as the "Optimum Maine-Anjou" cow throughout the 1990's. She was a full sister to Pannell 830, who is the mother of Pannell 4072, the famous Jirl Buck donor cow. One of my first trips anywhere to look at cattle, we went to Jim Pannell's and I saw 708, with a calf on her side that later went on to be undefeated for life for Hilton Wise in Texas. Have not seen that impressive of a pair since!

How many people work on your operation? Nobody full-time. My sons, Dakota and Garrett, help me after school and on the weekends and they own ½ of the sows. My wife Donna helps sometimes as well.

What is your favorite time of the year on your operation and why? I love calving with club calves. Each calf could be the next "great one". The anticipation of driving up to see what each calf looks like cannot be duplicated, nor can the conversations between myself and the boys about calves.

If you could "trade" your best animal for another breeders best animal, what breeder and what animal would you pick and why? I was truly impressed with Lot 2 at the 2009 Sweetheart Sale, a Who Made Who out of the 602 Cow Family. It has been a long time since I have seen a cow who combined flawless conformation with an impeccable pedigree like that cow. I have also seen a couple absolutely awesome cows at Roger Hainy's over the years, and would love to pick from his herd.

Are there other breeders you go to for advice, or who you bounce ideas around with? Who? Cattle, I will call Wyatt Baker and Matt Lautner the most often, though I always like to pick Mark Copus' brain a couple times a year. Matt is great to talk to about what calves or bulls he likes, and Wyatt sees cows and how to mate them, pretty similar to myself. Hogs, Dan and Hyatt Frobose of Ohio. Dan is truly a bank of information, and Hyatt knows most of the current genetics.

If you had to pick somone (besides yourself) who has had the biggest impact on your program's success, who would it be and why? Duane Jeffries of Wilburton, OK. Duane was my college judging coach, and he started me on this wonderful path of raising show livestock, by convincing me to breed 5 of our worst hereford cows to Sugar Ray. He also taught me how to act around other breeders, and helped me get started promoting my animals. He did different things to set me up as more knowledgable than I was. Like helping fit near the ring at State Fair and helping as a counselor at a fitting camp with two guys named Jirl Buck and Mark Copus.

Of all the animals you've raised, who is your favorite and why? The baldy Golden Child that the advertising has featured for a couple of years. He was a joy to look at in the pasture as a baby. It was even more fun to see him at the Michigan State Fair, and see how a great feeding family like the Smoe's can make one look!

If you could have a "Fantasy Stock Show", who would be your players?
Fantasy Show (location): Denver
Fantasy Judge: Randy Daniels
Fantasy Animal (can be a specific animal or a general mating): "Toad", Shane Geist's last steer that he showed in Denver.
Fantasy Showman: Dakota Reiss
Fantasy Fitter: Wyatt Baker, Doug Brock, Dakota Reiss, Garrett Reiss ( I get to run the show stick at the chute, and Matt Lautner has a calf in the chute next to us!)

Besides yourself, who is the breeders you most admire? Jim Pannell; he had a great set of cows. As you look through the current Maine breed, it is fun to notice how many great cattle trace back to the Pannell herd. I hope to leave a lasting leagacy with my breeding program like Jim has.