It’s a mindset that makes Maplecrest Farms a strong ambassador, not just for the brand but for the entire breed. 

Joanie, with daughter, Lindsey, and her husband, Adam Hall, raise registered Angus cattle with two primary goals: producing high-quality seedstock that perform well in a wide variety of environments, and ensuring end-user satisfaction. Those goals tie everything together, from promoting Angus to sharing their story with CAB partners and beef consumers. 

Their deep understanding of the cattle industry and demand drivers, along with exemplary support for CAB’s mission earned the 2025 CAB Ambassador Award. They were recognized at the brand’s Annual Conference in September. 

Champions for the breed 

Joanie’s late husband, John, had a teacher’s heart. The topic he loved most was Angus cattle. 

Whether cattlemen he met had 10 head or thousands, he understood everyone’s part and shared those insights with his family. 

“The one thing he was never willing to sacrifice was quality,” Lindsey says. “We weren’t ever going to cut corners. We have to take care of our customers, treat them with respect and always teach.”  

The Grimes’ hobby of raising show heifers went awry after one road trip across Kansas in 1998 changed their direction, Joanie says. What started as 40 cows has grown and expanded to an Angus seedstock business with more than 300 cows.

Since that road trip, they’ve also broadened their customer base. 

“Folks in our region want their cows to look good, but we also understand and respect the bigger picture and our role as registered Angus breeders in the beef production chain,” Lindsey says. “It’s a delicate balance and you have to be very disciplined.” 

They like their cows moderate-framed, easy-fleshing and sound-structured, Adam adds. She should check the box for maternal and functional traits, but also carry strong carcass traits, for their commercial customers. 

Approximately half of their Angus bulls are shipped to Kansas and developed for Gardiner Angus spring and fall sales. Their Ohio customers pay more attention to phenotype than genotype, so they hold back some Angus and Sim-Angus bulls to sell closer to home. They also host a female sale every September.

Patient study of pedigrees, examining how cattle are built and then choosing careful mating combinations, has paid off.  

“There’s some thought in the industry that you can’t have both,” Joanie says. “John was very successful in breeding cattle that not only produce Prime carcasses, but also are very fine individuals that you are proud to look at in the front pasture.”  

Watching John teach cattlemen for years and his leadership on the American Angus Association Board of Directors turned the entire family into champions for the beef industry. 

“There was nothing Dad loved more or was more passionate about than raising a high-quality steak for someone’s plate,” Lindsey says. 

A growing connection 

As Ohio natives, Joanie says watching CAB take off was like watching a hometown kid make it to the big leagues for John. 

Hillsboro is only three hours from the CAB office and in closer proximity to many brand partners. The family is always willing to attend food shows to represent Angus producers and share how cattle are cared for on the farm. They also host CAB ranch days throughout the year. 

Guests flood the yard, filing into an open-sided tent, eager to learn what it takes to raise the CAB brand that fills shelves in Sysco distribution centers. They make it interactive, bringing cows to the pens by the yard.   

After hosting dozens of tours, Lindsey says the biggest surprise is when guests realize the science and technology ranchers use. They walk through the barn and see the semen tanks and where embryos are kept. They show them where cows are flushed and then bred using in vitro fertilization. 

“Those are things they can relate to because they understand from a human perspective,” Lindsey says. “It’s so fun to see their faces light up because they had no idea we use the same technology.” 

Being ambassadors for CAB has shown them that everyone has a role in the beef supply chain. From the suburban mom buying and cooking meals for her family to the dad who’s grilling steaks for a holiday weekend, Lindsey says her family is passionate about raising premium beef for all kinds of families. But she’s also thinking a step ahead. 

“Even though we’re at the beginning of the production chain, we’re always thinking about the restaurateur and foodservice distributors and how the decisions we make at breeding affect the eating experience they deliver to their customers,” Lindsey says. 

And ultimately, the success of both their businesses.