June 12, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact:
Morgan Marley, communications intern, 816-383-5236 or mmarley.intern@angus.media
Mississippi Angus Producer Recognized for Historic Angus Herd
Monogram Farms has raised registered Angus cattle for 50-plus years.
Douglas Preuss is known throughout Mississippi for his commitment to raising high-quality Angus cattle. On Monogram Farms in Terry, Miss., his fields have maintained registered Angus cattle for more than 50 years.
The American Angus Association is proud to recognize Preuss as a recipient of the Historic Angus Herd award as a way to showcase his commitment to the Angus breed. This award is presented to active Angus breeders and immediate family members who have been in continuous production of registered Angus cattle for 50 years or more.
In 1963, Preuss showed his first Angus steer named Napoleon and started his own legacy within the Angus breed. He bought his first steer from Dave Pingrey, who was among the state’s most prominent Angus breeders and member of the American Angus Association. His steer was named champion at the Hinds County Show, Southwest District Show and reserve champion at the State Round-Up. When Preuss sold Napoleon, the steer weighed 865 pounds and brought $1 per pound.
“I liked black cattle just like some people like Ford over Chevy,” Preuss said. “As a teenager, I wasn’t aware of the bred-in attributes of Angus. The Angus breed has been good to me. It gets into your blood and becomes a part of who you are.”
Using the money he made from selling Napoleon, Preuss bought three Angus heifers for $150 per head and started his Angus herd. One of the heifers was named Reserve Grand Champion at the Southwest District show in 1964. Today, Preuss’s herd has one descendant from his initial three females.
Continuing to build a quality herd of Angus cows, in 1974 Preuss was able to purchase 11 Angus heifers from Spears Angus in Oklahoma for $400 per female. Over 40% of Preuss’s current herd can be traced back to the heifers purchased from Spears.
Preuss started out involved in 4-H through his cattle projects, but quickly became immersed in different roles throughout the industry. He served as Mississippi Junior Angus Association’s first secretary in 1964, and has since been actively involved in the state’s beef cattle Extension and Mississippi Angus Association.
He has been an instrumental supporter of the Mississippi Beef Cattle Improvement Association (BCIA) program, where Monogram Farms has topped performance bull sales. For years he served on the BCIA board of directors and was president at one time. In 2011 he was nominated for the Beef Improvement Federation Outstanding Seedstock Producer Award, which he said he values more than winning any show.
Preuss and his brother both manage their cattle under the Monogram Farms name, but each have their own member codes with the Association. Today, their herd consists of about 180 head of cows.
Visit www.angus.org for more information on the Historic Angus Herd Award and to view a list of awarded members since the program began in 1988.
— Written by Morgan Marley, Angus Media
ANGUS MEANS BUSINESS. The American Angus Association® is the nation’s largest beef breed organization, serving more than 25,000 members across the United States and Canada. It provides programs and services to farmers, ranchers and others who rely on the power of Angus to produce quality genetics for the beef industry and quality beef for consumers.
For more information about Angus cattle and the American Angus Association’s programs and services, visit www.angus.org.
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