Kim Lehmann is the middle brother of five and he has never lived anywhere but Nebraska. He and his wife, Michelle, of 40 plus years have two girls, Shelby and Jessika, and seven grandchildren. I’m certain that his first passion is his family, but I would suppose not too far down the list are the Red Angus cattle that he has spent years learning, knowing, developing and enhancing the breed.

Kim’s work in the valley at Cozad, Nebraska has been a labor of love. Generally, people are not in the cattle business to get rich, they do it because it’s the passion that drives them. Kim’s passions have taken him from being a herdsman to being an owner and ultimately breeding a bull that has been a game changer for the Red Angus breed and it’s breeders.

I am pretty thrilled to have married into such a bunch. As Colonel Potter from M*A*S*H said. “Five sisters ( in my case brothers) and not a bumb in the lot. I married the oldest, must to the chagrin of his mother, but all of the boys are successful as are all of their children. It may take a tribe to raise children but the family unit is of vast importance for the tribe to have something with whom to work.

All five of the boys were involved in 4-H and so was their mother, June, and her family as well. Kurt went to Montana and went to work for my dad shortly after graduation. His first involvement there was to clip club calves for the calf sale. He went home, but returned to Montana the following year and worked for Dad for 14 years. Derailed only by my father’s sudden and unexpected death in 1990. The next brother Kevin and his late wife Karen raised two children on a farm just north of Eustis. Kelly and wife Pam have one daughter who is working on her MD, and Kent and wife Jennifer have two littles who are still in elementary school, but who I am sure will be wildly successful at whatever they choose to pursue.

Kim and Shelly have always been a close knit family and are so proud and supportive of the girls and the grandchildren. All of whom seem to genuinely take an interest in the cattle and the farming operations. Kudos to their parents. Grandparents make such a difference in kid’s lives.

When Kim went to work for Heuftle Red Angus in the North Platte Valley near Cozad, I am not sure that he envisioned being in the crux of the Red Angus business 40 years later. In his career, he has literally done it all when it comes to farm and ranch work, he’s a herdsman, farmer, hay guru, feed lot manager, reproduction specialist, night calver, day calver, AI technician and one of the best, he’s a cowboy, a cowman and best of all a Papa. What a resume’.

One of Kim’s crowning moments has to have been in the spring of 2017 when a red bull calf hit the ground. KJL/CLBZ Complete 7000 is owned in partnership with Cory Banzhaf of Kearney, NE and Hansine Ranch of Pierre, SD. The calf grew into be quite the progeny and a game changer for the Red Angus breed. No success comes over night and this labor of years of study and trial and error and work have produced wonderful results.

As you may have heard in Kim’s radio interview, one of the faults of the Red Angus has been structural issues with their feet. This can affect a plethora of things, from travel, breed-ability, sustainability in a herd, in the feedlot and as breeding stock as a whole. This bull has exceptional feet and legs and has passed that trait onto his offspring as well which is a win for everyone in the industry. I wish to add that at the production sale when he was offered, he sold well. So well in fact that he was the highest selling bull in the history of the Red Angus breed.

If I sound as though I am bragging, you’re not wrong. I insert this. I wish to brag on every individual in agriculture. It is one of the toughest industries in the world. Production agriculture is particularly hard. There are so many elements working against these brave men and women. I say brave because they are rarely in this game exclusively to make money. It’s a heritage, it’s a lifestyle, it’s a passion, and without these people who are encouraging the next generations by making this generation better, there is no future.

One common thread I hope to promote throughout the course of these interviews and interactions it that these silent worker bees are toiling daily to promote agriculture, encourage younger generations, improving, improvising while fighting economies, inflation, opposing ideas, administrations and people all over the globe wishing to snuff out this way of life.

When I call you, it is so that you can tell your story. I want the efforts and wins to be noticed, I want your story, our story as agriculture warriors to be told, to be appreciated and to be admired. You are making a difference one animal, one crop, one little person growing up to come back to the ranch or farm, one win at a time.

God Bless, and be a too!

Editors Note : Nelseena Lehmann is the host of our radio programs, Horseman’s Corner and Cattleman’s Corner, which air on several radio stations throughout the true midwest. Visit our websites by Hale Multimedia –www.HorsemansCorner.com or www.CattlemansCorner.com for more, including archived programs. You may contact Nelseena at imatoo@nelseena.com.