The Pursuit of Perfection at the 808 Ranch
Management : Cow & Calf
Management : Weaned Calf
Nutrition : Minerals
The 808 Ranch is seeking new heights for beef production in the Ozarks of Missouri.
“We’re on a mission to produce the best carcass cattle for the American beef-eating consumer,” says Lamar Steiger, co-owner of The 808 Ranch in Anderson, Missouri.
Many of Lamar’s strategies for beef production today stem from more than a decade spent as a beef supply chain consultant for Walmart, helping the company improve the quality of beef it purchases.
Over the course of several years, Lamar toured the country with Walmart executives to determine how they could efficiently and effectively advance their beef marketing. This work led to the development of the Prime Pursuits program with 44 Farms, an Angus seedstock operation in Texas, as the link to provide genetic consistency from the start while connecting to the rest of the supply chain.
The success of Prime Pursuits spurred Walmart to invest further in the beef industry by becoming a partner in a packing plant that is currently under construction in Nebraska.
“They’re investing a lot of money into making sure the customer gets a great eating experience every time,” says Lamar.
After purchasing the ranch in 2020, Lamar knew he wanted to ask his brother Carl to join him in the venture. Lamar and Carl can trace their family ranching roots to the JH Ranch in Wyoming, established by their grandfather in the 1930s and later run by their father, Don. In the 1970s, Don relocated the operation to northwest Arkansas, and Lamar eventually managed the beef and dairy farm. Then, in 1983, Jack Shewmaker, Lamar’s father-in-law, purchased the ranch and Lamar and Shari operated the Angus seedstock business until the late 1990s.
Carl also has fond memories of the JH Ranch, riding on horseback amongst the pine trees with Devil’s Tower in the distance.
“That’s where ranching grabbed my heart, and I decided I wanted to be a rancher,” says Carl.
For 27 years, Carl managed a ranch south of Kansas City, Missouri, and raised his family before entering semi-retirement.
“I am basically now the asset manager of The 808 Ranch and help develop the ranch,” says Carl.
“The 808 Ranch is a very purpose-driven ranch,” says Lamar.
It all starts with genetics and the goal of producing quality Angus bulls that can be marketed as part of the 44 Farms cooperator herd program.
“We’re bringing in elite precision genetics from 44 Farms. A lot of their donor cows and superior bulls are used to produce embryos,” says Carl.
Angus bull calves developed at The 808 Ranch are later sent to Cameron, Texas, to be sold at 44 Farms to cattle producers around the country. The resulting progeny from those genetics are then able to participate in the Prime Pursuits program.
“Prime Pursuits is out there gathering up cattle all over the United States, looking for cattle that meet the specs of what Walmart wants for their customers – a very consistent product high in marbling, that gets to the consumer at a price that they can afford,” says Carl. “It also works for the ranchers because they are receiving a premium that helps them year in and year out.”
“Genetics is of utmost importance, but right alongside the genetics has to be the nutrition program for every rancher,” says Lamar. “The ranchers who are ignoring nutrition are going to suffer the consequences long-term – like not getting paid as much for their cattle. Their cattle are not going to be the type of cattle the grocery stores want.”
The 808 Ranch also emphasizes nutrition due to its impact on pregnancy rates, especially given all of the embryo transfer (ET) work they do.
“Open cattle are just the biggest bane, not only for sustainability but also for profitability for a rancher,” says Lamar. “A good nutrition program goes alongside genetics to ensure that cattle not only get pregnant, but then they have a healthy pregnancy.”
Four years ago, The 808 Ranch began using Purina® Wind and Rain® mineral. Then they transitioned to Purina® Wind and Rain® Fly Control mineral with Zinpro® Availa® 4 for more trace minerals and fly control support.
While calves are nursing, they have access to Purina® Accu-Creep® in a creep feeder. The 808 Ranch also feeds Purina® Precon® Complete Feed to help wean calves.
“With the innovations that [the cattle industry is] making with reproduction, nutrition’s about the biggest part of that,” says Chace Jamison, cattle manager at The 808 Ranch. “So, if your cattle aren’t ready, they’re not going to breed.”
The 808 Ranch uses a combination of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and sexed semen in its ET breeding program, which requires an investment in both time and finances.
“If you’re going to spend the money to go through the IVF process, the embryos and setting the cow up…to not have the cow ready nutritionally, it’s just a waste of money both places,” says Jamison. “What you put in the cow you can get out of the cow. You’ve got to treat the cow right to treat the calf right.”
Through the years, the teams at The 808 Ranch and Purina have been able to fine-tune nutrition to meet the ranch’s genetic goals, according to Christi Keeler, sales specialist for Purina Animal Nutrition. “Mineral is the cornerstone that fuels that animal to its maximum potential,” she adds.
Keeler enjoys getting to help operations like The 808 Ranch in their pursuit of producing quality cattle.
“My goal every day when I go and put my boots on and I pull out of my driveway is I want a relationship with every customer I pull into,” says Keeler. “It's about the performance that I can bring to them, that they can trust me, and that they can rely on me.”
The whole team at The 808 Ranch is grateful for the support and results they’ve received while working with Purina to push their genetics to the next level.
“What’s been fun for me is to track the progress we’ve made over the last four years with Purina,” says Carl.
“I appreciate the relationship we have with Purina,” adds Lamar. “I’m very thankful for all of the work and all of the research Purina does to make sure we have the best experience that we can have and have the healthiest calves ready to go into the beef cattle market.”
Watch The 808 Ranch’s full story on their episode of The American Rancher at The American Rancher. Does your cattle nutrition program stack up? Find out with a Purina® Proof Pays® feeding trial.
“We’re on a mission to produce the best carcass cattle for the American beef-eating consumer,” says Lamar Steiger, co-owner of The 808 Ranch in Anderson, Missouri.
Many of Lamar’s strategies for beef production today stem from more than a decade spent as a beef supply chain consultant for Walmart, helping the company improve the quality of beef it purchases.
Over the course of several years, Lamar toured the country with Walmart executives to determine how they could efficiently and effectively advance their beef marketing. This work led to the development of the Prime Pursuits program with 44 Farms, an Angus seedstock operation in Texas, as the link to provide genetic consistency from the start while connecting to the rest of the supply chain.
The success of Prime Pursuits spurred Walmart to invest further in the beef industry by becoming a partner in a packing plant that is currently under construction in Nebraska.
“They’re investing a lot of money into making sure the customer gets a great eating experience every time,” says Lamar.
Family ties
Consulting with Walmart sparked the idea for Lamar and his wife Shari to get back to their ranching backgrounds by purchasing The 808 Ranch along the rocky bluffs of the Elk River in southwest Missouri.After purchasing the ranch in 2020, Lamar knew he wanted to ask his brother Carl to join him in the venture. Lamar and Carl can trace their family ranching roots to the JH Ranch in Wyoming, established by their grandfather in the 1930s and later run by their father, Don. In the 1970s, Don relocated the operation to northwest Arkansas, and Lamar eventually managed the beef and dairy farm. Then, in 1983, Jack Shewmaker, Lamar’s father-in-law, purchased the ranch and Lamar and Shari operated the Angus seedstock business until the late 1990s.
Carl also has fond memories of the JH Ranch, riding on horseback amongst the pine trees with Devil’s Tower in the distance.
“That’s where ranching grabbed my heart, and I decided I wanted to be a rancher,” says Carl.
For 27 years, Carl managed a ranch south of Kansas City, Missouri, and raised his family before entering semi-retirement.
“I am basically now the asset manager of The 808 Ranch and help develop the ranch,” says Carl.
Genetic pursuits
When Lamar started The 808 Ranch, he sought to attain what he was consulting Walmart to do: create a better eating experience for beef consumers.“The 808 Ranch is a very purpose-driven ranch,” says Lamar.
It all starts with genetics and the goal of producing quality Angus bulls that can be marketed as part of the 44 Farms cooperator herd program.
“We’re bringing in elite precision genetics from 44 Farms. A lot of their donor cows and superior bulls are used to produce embryos,” says Carl.
Angus bull calves developed at The 808 Ranch are later sent to Cameron, Texas, to be sold at 44 Farms to cattle producers around the country. The resulting progeny from those genetics are then able to participate in the Prime Pursuits program.
“Prime Pursuits is out there gathering up cattle all over the United States, looking for cattle that meet the specs of what Walmart wants for their customers – a very consistent product high in marbling, that gets to the consumer at a price that they can afford,” says Carl. “It also works for the ranchers because they are receiving a premium that helps them year in and year out.”
Nutrition plus genetics
When Lamar was touring the beef industry with the Walmart team, they also visited several cattle nutrition providers, and he came away impressed not only with Purina’s long history, but moreover, with its research to optimize cattle performance.“Genetics is of utmost importance, but right alongside the genetics has to be the nutrition program for every rancher,” says Lamar. “The ranchers who are ignoring nutrition are going to suffer the consequences long-term – like not getting paid as much for their cattle. Their cattle are not going to be the type of cattle the grocery stores want.”
The 808 Ranch also emphasizes nutrition due to its impact on pregnancy rates, especially given all of the embryo transfer (ET) work they do.
“Open cattle are just the biggest bane, not only for sustainability but also for profitability for a rancher,” says Lamar. “A good nutrition program goes alongside genetics to ensure that cattle not only get pregnant, but then they have a healthy pregnancy.”
Four years ago, The 808 Ranch began using Purina® Wind and Rain® mineral. Then they transitioned to Purina® Wind and Rain® Fly Control mineral with Zinpro® Availa® 4 for more trace minerals and fly control support.
While calves are nursing, they have access to Purina® Accu-Creep® in a creep feeder. The 808 Ranch also feeds Purina® Precon® Complete Feed to help wean calves.
“With the innovations that [the cattle industry is] making with reproduction, nutrition’s about the biggest part of that,” says Chace Jamison, cattle manager at The 808 Ranch. “So, if your cattle aren’t ready, they’re not going to breed.”
The 808 Ranch uses a combination of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and sexed semen in its ET breeding program, which requires an investment in both time and finances.
“If you’re going to spend the money to go through the IVF process, the embryos and setting the cow up…to not have the cow ready nutritionally, it’s just a waste of money both places,” says Jamison. “What you put in the cow you can get out of the cow. You’ve got to treat the cow right to treat the calf right.”
Building relationships
The mineral program has served as the foundation for establishing The 808 Ranch’s relationship with Purina.Through the years, the teams at The 808 Ranch and Purina have been able to fine-tune nutrition to meet the ranch’s genetic goals, according to Christi Keeler, sales specialist for Purina Animal Nutrition. “Mineral is the cornerstone that fuels that animal to its maximum potential,” she adds.
Keeler enjoys getting to help operations like The 808 Ranch in their pursuit of producing quality cattle.
“My goal every day when I go and put my boots on and I pull out of my driveway is I want a relationship with every customer I pull into,” says Keeler. “It's about the performance that I can bring to them, that they can trust me, and that they can rely on me.”
The whole team at The 808 Ranch is grateful for the support and results they’ve received while working with Purina to push their genetics to the next level.
“What’s been fun for me is to track the progress we’ve made over the last four years with Purina,” says Carl.
“I appreciate the relationship we have with Purina,” adds Lamar. “I’m very thankful for all of the work and all of the research Purina does to make sure we have the best experience that we can have and have the healthiest calves ready to go into the beef cattle market.”
Watch The 808 Ranch’s full story on their episode of The American Rancher at The American Rancher. Does your cattle nutrition program stack up? Find out with a Purina® Proof Pays® feeding trial.
