Page 26 - MWC 4-21-2022s

The Midwest Cattleman · April 21, 2022 · P26
A Long History with Limousin By Brenda Black

William Long is the sixth sin as a lifetime member of
in his family tree to work the NALF. He also serves on the
land and raise beef. Long and boards of the Iowa Limousin
Sons Limousin and Long and Association and the Heart-
Sons Cattle Company are lo- land Limousin Association
cated in southern Iowa, where (HLA). May 26-28, the Long
rolling hills are covered in family will play a key role in
corn, soybeans, and alfalfa. helping host an HLA Show in
Waterways among the crops, their hometown of Afton, Ia.
and land better fit for cattle As passionate as Long is
than corn, are filled with nine for the breed, he's savvy to
different groups of Limousin the need to ever improve it.
and Lim-Flex cattle. Each one “I still love the things we
is designed to meet high ex- loved about them years ago,”
pectations in the pasture and Long said, “That bam! That
on the plate. wow aspect of a 70-pound calf
“Back in the 70's,” Long that would grow like mad.
said, “my dad first used Lim- But the more you work at try-
ousin semen on commercial ing to achieve that, and the
cows to breed up to purebred tougher you are on the breed,
status. It was into the late the harder it is. It's like eat- said. “It gives me a job to do difference it makes on animal
80's before he completely con- ing a Krispy Kreme donut for and I love watching them health. Having the right feed
verted to purebred. Our goal the first time. It's wonderful. grow. My dad started me in and clean water won't make
was to always try to be regis- Then you eat the second, and the feed lot at 16. My dad's much difference, according
tered.” the third and the fourth...and granddad brought cattle from to Long, if you don't have the
In the Limousin breed, by the sixth, it's impossible Nebraska and he'd put cattle right cattle.
registered doesn't necessar- to get that first-bite feeling on the train in Creston, Ia., “You have to love cattle to
ily mean purebred anymore. again. By comparison, we're to ship to Chicago. I try to be cross them right,” Long said,
According to the Rules and still trying to get back to that proud of that history every “You want cattle that the
Regulations of the North “first impression” of Limou- day when I walk out the door. packer wants. I work very
American Limousin Founda- sin, by using a full blood on a My dad says I need to find hard to walk that tight rope
tion (NALF), “Animals regis- percentage cow.” some old guy to run the trac- and it pays off. And when
tered as Lim-Flex must be 25 Long began integrating tor and feed wagon. But that's they leave the feed lot, noth-
to 75% Limousin as computed Red Angus genetics into a me already!” ing makes you more proud
by the North American Lim- select group of their Limou- In their small feedlot on than watching those big cat-
ousin Foundation and at least sin to be more successful in the family farm, Long is able tle walk on the truck, know-
25% Angus or Red Angus certain segments of the beef to monitor finishing stock on ing you got it right.”
with a maximum allowance industry. By 2003, he had set a homegrown ration that in- To get to that level of suc-
of another breed or unknown his sights more than ever on cludes hay and chopped corn cess, it starts in the breeding.
breed of 12.5% (1/8th).” performance in the feed yard silage along with purchased Long's father was among the
When Long bought out his and for the packing house. wet distillers. And he opts for early adopters of A.I., where-
father's herd in 1996, he re- That passion continues today. rural water for all of his cat- as Long himself prefers all
mained committed to Limou- “I love to feed cattle!” Long tle where possible, seeing the natural matings. Perhaps he