We are the largest breeders of Red Angus on the west coast, with 250 cows. The two of us run the farm with our kids. Our cattle are known for their strong carcase traits and high performance from weaning to yearling. In our most recent bull sale, prices averaged at $5,300 (€4,680). The best bull was $1,100 (€964) more than that. Prices are less than last year but they are down everywhere because buyers are concerned about the lack of rain we’ve had this year.

The home farm is 80 irrigated acres of clover pasture, but in total we farm 3,000ac. We have 1,000ac leased in the Sierra Foothills where the cows go for winter and spring.

It’s an hour and a half drive from the home farm. It’s getting harder to find land to lease in the valley. Right next to us used to be pasture but it is now a vineyard.

We AI 15% to 20% of the cows in October. We would use Canadian and European bloodlines but the figures don’t translate for us. We collect data in the Red Angus society and were the first society to do so. That’s why our father used the breed. When he started the herd in 1971, at that time the society required you to register birth weights.

We can access progeny data through the Red Angus Association and you can register to that organisation once you have 50% Red Angus. When we go to buy a bull we have certain benchmarks that must be met. Most of them come from RA Brown ranch in Texas, but we also AI to our own sires.

Our target for our sale bulls is that they are 730lb (330kg) at weaning. The cows weigh around 1,300lb (590kg) and calve down at two years of age. At the moment we are achieving 95% weaned per cow.

In terms of culling, hoof structure is a problem in the Red Angus breed, which we look out for. The key is not to get complacent with carcase weights and growth rates.

Calving starts in the second week of July and is usually completed in 90 days. The average calf weight is 78lb (35kg). All the females in the herd have to be Brucellosis-vaccinated and when they get that a clip is put in the ear. Any other tags we use are just for our own identification purposes.

The biggest threat to beef is lack of education among consumers about animal welfare and meat substitutes. The cattlemen and cattle-women association do some good outreach work on that front.