Nov. 12, 2018

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

For more information contact:

Clint Mefford, director of communications

(816) 383-5143

cmefford@angus.org

 

PHOTO: Available upon request via prphotos@angus.org

 

 

Celebrating a Centennial

Cousins in Pennsylvania receive American Angus Association Century Award.

 

Rains Angus and McKean Brothers, both of Mercer, Pennsylvania, were named the Century Award recipients during the Awards Recognition Breakfast Nov. 5 at the 2018 Angus Convention in Columbus, Ohio.

The American Angus Association® initiated the Century Award to recognize its members and their families who have been in continuous production of registered Angus cattle for at least 100 years.

Frank Woods of Woods Angus purchased his first Angus cattle in 1913 and became a member of the American Angus Association. Frank’s son, John Woods, who continued to develop and raise the herd his father had started, had three daughters, Joan (Brandt), Peggy (McKean) and Dorothy (Rains). When he was ready to retire, John gifted each of his grandkids, which included two Brandt children, four McKean children and one Rains child, an Angus heifer to start a herd or do what they wanted with.

Now fourth-generation Angus producers with genetics from their great-grandfather’s original herd, Dale and Brenda Rains own and manage Rains Angus, and Greg and Peggy McKean own and manage McKean Brothers.

“A family that has stayed with the Angus breed and followed through – that’s not something you see a lot of in our breed today,” Dale said. “People are in and out, but we’re an example where the cattle have been passed down the line and continued.”

Rains Angus operates a seedstock business and sell bulls and females throughout the year in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland and Michigan. On average, they run 45 head of mature cows and will keep 12-14 bulls each year. They market those bulls through the Pennsylvania Performance Bull Test and exhibit at the Ohio Beef Expo and the Michigan Beef Expo, as well as sell private treaty.

“It was really a 4-H project gone wild,” Greg said of how he developed his herd. “The first couple heifers we had were JoJo and Maria, and we just thought they were pets. Then they each had a calf, and about that time, we were old enough for 4-H. So, we started showing and would keep a couple heifers, and it just took off from there.”

Today, McKean Brothers calve 100 cows per year on average. They host a spring production sale in April where they sell 30-35 bulls and 30-35 females. Additionally, Greg and Peggy feed out around 200 head a year.

These families recognize the importance in quality cattle care and land management for the future generations. The Rains’ son, Chance, and the McKeans’ children, Cody, Marshall and Rachel, represent the fifth generation of Angus breeders in their family.

For more information on the American Angus Association Century Award, visit www.angus.org.

 

Written by Kate Ryan, Angus Communications

 

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, Canada and several other countries. It’s home to an extensive breed registry that grows by nearly 300,000 animals each year. The Association also provides programs and services to farmers, ranchers and others who rely on 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, visit www.angus.org.

 

 

 

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