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Progressive Producers Earn Honors at National Red Angus Convention Awards Banquet

Posted September 25, 2019

DENVER – Meaningful progress is not achieved overnight. It takes dedication, sacrifice and perseverance to be an early adopter, lead by example and make a positive impact in the world of beef cattle genetics. Red Angus producers who embrace these tenets have earned the most prestigious of honors. The Red Angus Association of America recognized these top producers at its awards banquet in Dubuque, Iowa, on Sept. 13, 2019, during the 66th annual National Red Angus Convention.

The Breeder of the Year Award is presented to members who maintain an excellent standard of quality in breeding Red Angus cattle. This year’s recipient, Green Mountain Red Angus, owned and operated by Bob and Julie Morton of Three Forks, Montana, is well known for its contributions to the Red Angus breed. Providers of excellent customer service, the Mortons boast of many repeat bull buyers who value Green Mountain genetics for their reliability and performance, evidenced by the multiple bulls purchased by bull studs. They have helped guide the Red Angus breed through involvement on several association committees and board-level leadership through both prosperous and difficult years. Their passion for and dedication to the breed has assisted in moving Red Angus into the spotlight as the fastest-growing beef breed in the United States.

The Pioneer Breeder of the Year Award honors long-time members of the RAAA who have maintained quality and excellence in their herds through diligent breeding and culling practices. This year’s recipient, Jane Piccatto, embodies those qualities and, according to her peers, has always been willing to sacrifice to make the road easier for those who came behind. Piccatto and her late husband, John, have been Red Angus breeders for 43 years and have consistently partnered with the state and national Red Angus associations to advance the Red Angus breed. A true pioneer, she and her husband opened many doors for others to further develop the breed.

The Commercial Producer of the Year Award is presented to producers who successfully utilize Red Angus genetics on their farm or ranch. Recipients also have demonstrated a history of employing Red Angus commercial marketing tools, such as the Feeder Calf Certification Program, to add increased value to their calf crop. This year’s recipient, Bichelmeyer Land & Cattle, can justly say they raise Red Angus from conception to consumption. Bichelmeyer Land & Cattle once consisted of 500 commercial black Angus cows but when Joe Bichelmeyer, co-owner, noticed the high-quality carcass and maternal traits of Red Angus, he and his wife, Marty, and brother, Jim, made the switch to Red Angus. The Bichelmeyers also operate Bichelmeyer Meat Company, a fifth-generation butcher company, where they serve a wide and diverse consumer base, utilizing beef from their own herd for the store.

The Red Angus Association of America serves the beef industry by enhancing and promoting the measurable advantages of Red Angus and Red Angus-influenced cattle. The RAAA provides commercial producers with objectively described cattle by implementing new technologies and utilizing scientifically sound principles that quantify traits of economic importance to beef producers in all segments of the beef industry. For more information, visit www.RedAngus.org.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, contact:
Brandi Buzzard Frobose, Director of Communications 
(785) 448-0239 • brandi@redangus.org

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Green Mountain Red Angus, owned and operated by Bob and Julie Morton, was the 2019 recipient of the Breeder of the Year Award, awarded by the Red Angus Association of America at the National Red Angus Convention in Dubuque, Iowa, Sept. 13, 2019. (L to R) Bob, son, Tom, and Julie Morton of Green Mountain Red Angus, presented by Chuck Feddes.

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Jane Piccatto was the 2019 recipient of the Pioneer Breeder of the Year Award, awarded by the Red Angus Association of America at the National Red Angus Convention in Dubuque, Iowa, Sept. 13, 2019. (L to R) Steve Andras presented the Pioneer Breeder of the Year Award to Jane Piccatto

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Bichelmeyer Land & Cattle Co. was the 2019 recipient of the Commercial Producer of the Year Award, awarded by the Red Angus Association of America at the National Red Angus Convention in Dubuque, Iowa, Sept. 13, 2019.
(L to R) Joe and Marty Bichelmeyer, presented by Chessie Mitchell