Page 18 - MWC 9-15-2022s2

The Midwest Cattleman · September 15, 2022 · P18

Curfman Carves Way for Many with Charolais By Brenda Black

West Central Illinois is can handle most of the farm ple wanting to start or enlarge didn't think he could create a
home to one of the oldest Cha- equipment used to plant and a herd,” Rick said. “They can new breed. It was a short step
rolais herds in the nation, that harvest 750 acres of corn and get all they need right here, to a registered Charolais herd
also ranks among the top 10 soybeans. instead of going to several from there, so that was the
in size east of the Mississip- His skillset is shared by a breeders to accumulate that route he took.”
pi River. Three generations of majority in the region, where kind of quantity and quality.” By the mid-70s, real prog-
Curfman men work full time crop farming far outpaces beef Those breeders often be- ress took shape in the pure-
as Charolais seedstock pur- cattle production. The dichot- come the repeat customers bred Charolais venture for the
veyors who have provided the omy presents an interesting that form the heart and bulk Curfmans, when Roger came
genetics for starting or grow- challenge for the Curfmans of the Curfman Charolais up with a bull out of Nebraska
ing Charolais herds to count- when it comes to marketing buyer base. from the Camelot lines.
less purebred and commer- registered Charolais. “That's as it should be,” “He just really put some
cial breeders in 29 states and “Our biggest challenge Rick said. “If we hadn't been nice females in our herd,” Rick
three countries. The Curfman here in Pike County is that doing it right, we wouldn't be said. “If you study our pedi-
family is serious about the we can't sell anything locally,” in business. This is not a side- grees clear back, most of our
seedstock business, and for 65 Rick said. “We haven't had a line for us. The typical Charo- cows will go back to that bull.
years, Charolais has guaran- production sale for the past lais breeder has 20 to 40 cows He bred natural service for 13
teed them a profit. 20 years. Word of mouth by and they sell a few animals a years to both spring and fall
Rick Curfman, his father repeat buyers and the fact year as progeny. We sell all of herds. The day we put him
Roger and Rick's son Ryan that we've been in business ours as seedstock.” on the trailer, he looked like a
comprise the team that cares long enough that our herd has When Rick says “all,” he four year old. My dad said to
for 180 females who calve name recognition is how we means ALL. Every bull calf me, 'You will have to go down
fall and spring. Rick com- market our cattle across the goes into sire service some- and load him yourself, I can't
mutes from home pastures, nation.” where. go down there.' He was our
past rental properties where Though they have to throw “We don't finish cattle,” kingpin, our mainstay. We lik-
more Curfman Charolais a wide net, the sheer volume Rick said. “Every bull we raise ened him to the lines from an
graze, and meets his dad and of cattle at Curfman Charo- is worthy of becoming a sire. insurance commercial some
son at ranch headquarters 20 lais provides latitude in mar- No calves are cut and sold as time back. 'When E.F. Hut-
miles north of where he slept keting. steers. Many years ago, Joe ton speaks, everybody listens.'
a short night before. His dad, “We have the opportunity Garrett was the executive di- I used to say that about the
at 87 years of age, is still ac- to sell groups of cattle to peo- rector of the Charolais breed. Camelot bloodlines. It was a
tive in day-to-day chores, He was on a campaign great line of cattle.”
while Ryan is in charge of to castrate more bulls. Today, Curfman Charolais
calving. Ryan, a graduate of I admit, there are a lot is still pretty proud of their
Western Illinois University, that need to be, but Dad bull pen. While they buy a
is father to two teenage sons always had a running select few animals to fit their
who are beginning to step joke on the topic. He'd program, they do not artifi-
into their father's, grandfa- say, 'No, the bulls don't cially utilize bulls from semen
ther's and great grandfather's need to be cut, you need catalogs.
boots. The 14-year-old already to sell the cow that “We think we have better
didn't raise a keeper.'” bulls walking our pastures
Fortunately for the that we think we can breed
Curfmans, they've had to,” Rick said. “We have a
keepers for a good long breeding program rather than
while. But they weren't breeding to last year's nation-
always white. Roger al champion.”
had a pretty good Angus To that end, the Curfmans
herd until around 1958, take the genetic potential of
when Charolais caught every one of their bulls and
his eye. grows him slowly for the best
“Dad went and outcome for their customers.
bought three registered “We grow bulls out on a
Charolais cows ration that grows them to
and a half-blood be athletes,” Rick said. “We
Charolais bull and feed in such a way that they
bred up from that,” will have good legs and feet.
Rick said. “He A lot of yearling bulls are
wanted to create a pushed hard in the industry
new breed with ¾ to achieve more size as a year-
Charolais and ¼ ling. A lot of them will end up
Angus, but when with bad feet and actually fall
he got to that apart when put to work. We
point, he had some bring these bulls along slow-
really tremendous ly and have a niche market
cattle, and some selling two-year-old bulls, so a
not-as-good. So, he customer can take him home