Hartman Cattle Company, Tecumseh, Nebraska, was recently named the 1996 Premier Breeder by the American Maine-Anjou Association. The honor is awarded annually to the breeding program that produces the most show winning cattle, based on a point system.

Hartman Cattle Company (HCC) is owned and operated by Mike, wife, Kay, and their three children, fifteen-year-old Erin, fourteen-year-old Dalton, and nine-year-old Katy. HCC only shows at one show a year – the National. HCC-bred cattle dominated that show and their customers successfully campaigned individual after individual across the country to rack up the winning accumulation of points.

“We only show at the National for two primary reasons. We are not involved in the breed to show. Our goal is to produce cattle that have commercial acceptance and if they win shows, too, that’s fine. Secondly, we sell most of our cattle as calves and we never have yearlings left to haul because our customers like to take them after the National,” explains Hartman.

Both Hartman and Kay have been involved in the cattle business all their lives and are native Nebraskans. He, along with his dad and brother, were involved in the Charolais, Angus and Salers breeds for years. Kay grew up in the Shorthorn breed as her dad worked for the American Shorthorn Association for 31 years. No surprise, the two met while showing cattle and have been partners for 16 years. HCC became involved in the Maine-Anjou breed in 1991 and has quickly moved to the forefront. Cattle from the program continue to have the FJH prefix, which was used in the beginning, when the operation included Hartman’s dad and brother. This year at the National their string featured 35 head with all of the individuals having at least one other owner, proving the popularity of the HCC breeding program.

Hartman is quick to point out why he is involved in Maines. “I saw a lot of commercial adaptability in Maines. I liked what I saw in terms of weaning weights and feedlot performance and it was relatively easy to turn ‘em black. We are in this to provide cattle for the commercial segment. Our big push is to provide bulls. We merchandise a lot of bulls and try to have them all gone at weaning. This allows our customers to grow them out under their conditions and we are primarily selling into Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and South Dakota,” he stresses.

Hartman traveled throughout the U.S. and Canada in making the initial purchases with most of the cattle coming from Canada. Today the operation, located in southeast Nebraska, is home to 75 mother cows and an extensive embryo transfer program.

He credits the bull, Polled Pursuit, for putting their program on the map. He was purchased by HCC as a two-month-old calf from Poplar Haven’s program, based in Wimborne, Alberta. Three weeks later he went back and bought his dam. Poplar Haven had purchased the female from the JB Ranch, Pella, Iowa. It was JB who had mated her to produce Polled Pursuit.

Polled Pursuit has dominated the Maine breed for the past three to four years and was the Reserve Show Bull of the Year for 1996. One of his sons, FJH Executive, was the Show Sire of the Year for 1997 and is from the Hartman program, also. Executive is one of, if not the most heavily used A.I. sires in the breed right now.

In addition to the private treaty sales HCC holds two sales a year. The one in June features their young cattle. In December, they hold a Customer Appreciation Sale which allows their customers to sell progeny that were either produced by a HCC bull, female or from a HCC semen purchase.

Together, Hartman and Kay are a hard-working pair for the breed. He is strong in the marketing end as evidenced by the number of customers and repeat customers and the success of their sales. At the National, it’s Kay heading the show. In fact, this year Mike was in a Denver hospital on show morning. All 35 head entered in the ring right on time and Kay, Erin, Dalton, and herdsman, Steve Kruse, saw all their class winners and often even the second place winners back in for the champion drive without missing a beat.

“Steve has been with me for 19 or 20 years, even longer than Kay. He’s a real asset and we’re proud to have him,” says Hartman.

Their children are very involved in the business and will be found on the halter in the champion drive at the National. Dalton and Erin show Shorthorn cattle as not to compete with the HCC junior customers and Erin is an accomplished horse showman, also. They attend a one-room school in Tecumseh.

Hartman is very positive about the future of the breed and is adamant about what is necessary for Maine-Anjou to gain ground. “What has to happen is that more breeders have to understand the commercial segment.”

While this is the first time the Hartman program has won this prestigious award, their genetics have made a major contribution to the breed and has gained Maine-Anjou considerable recognition and respect by the industry.

The Hartman Cattle Co. mature cowherd was sold to DeRouchey Cattle Co. in 1998. In 1999 we scoured the US and Canada for the very best females available to reorganize our cowherd after this mature cowherd sale. Today’s 1998 models are the extreme tops retained from that new beginning.

In the subsequent years of 1999, 2000 and 2001, our very top heifer calves, ET’s and naturals, out of each calf crop were purchased by Hearthstone Cattle Co. and left to be maintained at Tecumseh in partnership with HCC. Because of this arrangement, absolutely none of the best heifers ever left our farm, allowing us to build one of the breed’s most select cowherds. The Hearthstone-Hartman (HHP) partnership was dissolved in 2002 and those cows were all retained by Hartman (FJH).

In the years to follow we have cherry picked the best heifers out of each calf crop to retain in our cowherd. In 2005 Dick and Janice Fackler purchased the heart of the HCC cowherd and left them at Tecumseh to be maintained under the Hartman & Associates (HAA) banner.

The disciplined blending of new and proven genetics through an intense embryo transplant program has rapidly advanced our generation turnover leaving us many full and maternal sisters. This ET program combined with the use of superior herdsires, AI and naturally, in the balance of our cowherd has generated large numbers of half and three-quarter sisters unparalleled in their uniformity.

HCC is strictly a pasture and forage operation dedicated to the production of quality Maine-Anjou seedstock. We run cows on approximately 1,500 acres of brome and native pastures and rented corn stalks in the fall and winter. Our cowherd currently numbers nearly 200 breeding age females and we annually calve between 100 and 200 recipient cows. Majority of our cows calve the first 90 days of the year. We look forward to calving season with great anticipation as we annually strive to make each year’s crop better than the last.

VISION
To be a primary source of registered and commercial seedstock for the 21st century.

MISSION
To breed and market Maine-Anjou cattle that contribute to the advancement of the beef industry.

GOAL
To produce quality seedstock that takes genetic merit to the next level and combined with unique customer service moves beyond the traditional, build more value and stay ahead of the industry.