Times They Are A Changing

I received a phone call tonight from my grandbabies.  Well I have to admit they had some help from their mom, after all they are only two.  The difference in this call and every phone call I have ever received was this was a face time call.  Now I am not living in the dark ages I had heard of face time but until tonight I had never had a phone call, that included face time, I am very thankful that I didn’t grab the phone while standing naked in the bathroom, which I have been known to do, but don’t imagine I will ever again.  Some things are just best left unseen.

Now I know how my mamma felt when we had the conversation about potato chips.  I had fixed her dinner one night which was a hamburger and she asked for some potato chips.  I got her the chips and she started telling me the story of the first time she had potato chips.  She said that she and my dad had driven to a restaurant on the causeway over in Mobile Alabama, and they had potato chips on their menu.  She said this was the first time she had ever had potato chips, and they were wonderful, she and dad both loved them.  I was really surprised, so I said do you mean you had to go to a restaurant to get potato chips?  She laughed and said well Debra Ann they didn’t always come in a bag!  I started laughing and said so you mean you are older than potato chips?  She looked a little stunned and then laughed and said well I guess I am. 

Then I think of the cattle business, how much things have changed, just since Ronnie and I have been together.  The Certified Angus Beef Program was formed in 1978 to provide assurances of beef quality and flavor.  Back in the 70's consumers were dissatisfied with beef quality.  Ronnie and I had known each other since our days in 4-H , but we didn't seriously start dating until 1978.  The first pound of Certified Angus Beef® was purchased at Renzetti's IGA in Columbus, Ohio in 1978.  Here we are in 2013 Ronnie and I have been married 34 years and are grandparents.  In 2013 Certified
Angus Beef LLC reported record sales of its signature Certified Angus Beef® brand marketing more than 60 million pounds of product every month.  I guess one day I will have to explain to my grandchildren that yes I am older than Certified Angus Beef®  To learn more about go to  Certified Angus Beef®

There are so many things that have changed, I remember our first cell phone.  Ronnie carried it around in a big old bag we though it was the coolest thing ever.  Now I have a phone that I can carry in my back pocket with it I can take pictures, video, send email, receive email and text message and yes face time!  For family and friends that know me and understand how phone challenged I am, I said the phone could do it not that I was very good at using it.  I guess one day I will be trying to explain a rotary dial phone to my grandchildren because after all I am older than cell phones.  

Times they really are a changing!

2012 BCIA Fall Round Up Bull Sale

It's fall and that means bull sales, Gizmo Angus has consigned four stout two year old bulls to the:

18th Annual BCIA Fall Round Up Sale

Friday, November 8, 2013

11:00 a.m

Alabama Livestock Auction

Uniontown, Alabama

 

Lot #11

Gizmo JE 1102 916 920

Reg # 17226611

Dunlouise Jipsey Earl E161

Grandsire of Gizmo JE 1102 916 920

Granddam of Lots 11 & 13

Finks Pride 6211 345 71
 

 Lot #12

Gizmo EXT 1128 E15 6149

Reg # 17226629

Coleman EXT 6149 Sire of Gizmo EXT 1128

 

B/R New Design 036 Grand Sire of Lot 12

  Lot #13

 

Gizmo Rito 1143 314 9R9

Reg # 17226638

Sinclair Rito 9R9 Sire of Lots 13 & 14

  

Lot #14

 Gizmo Rito 1152 844 9R9

Reg #1726645

  

Thanks we hope to see you on sale day! 

 

 

Ronnie Gilmore: 850-232-6352

Jacob Gilmore: 850-232-3222

www.gizmoangus.com



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Search For Superior Cows

The 2013 Angus Pathfinder® Report has been released and we were proud and excited to have two Gizmo Angus cows listed in this year's report. Following is an excerpt from an article in the April 2013 Angus Journal: 

The Angus Pathfinder program® was started in 1978 in an effort to identify superior cows in the breed based on Angus Herd Improvement Records (AHIR®).  In identifying these superior cows, emphasis was placed on early puberty, breeding and early calving, followed by regularity of calving and above-average performance of offspring.

While outstanding cows can be identified after their first or second calves, the Pathfinder program requires a minimum of three calves from a cow to determine her regularity of calving and ability to produce superior calves for weaning weight year after year.  In addition, an important part of the report is the list of bulls that have sired five or more qualifying females. 

The 2013 Angus Pathfinder Report identifies a total of 8,680 cows that have produced a calf measured through AHIR in the past 18 months, Examined were 2,060,329 different eligible dams with 6,810,762 weaning weights in order to determine Pathfinder status.  There are 1,992 members recognized in the 2013 report as owning a Pathfinder cow. 

In addition, 234 bulls that have sired a minimum of five or more Pathfinder Cows in the current listing are listed as Pathfinder Sires at the end of the report, which is available online under the Performance link at www.angus.org. 

AS Paul Harvey used to say “Now for the Rest of the Story” The two cows that made the pathfinder report are :

Gizmo Pride 525 065 0125 Registration #15394906 

525 with her 2012 Heifer Calf by Coleman Regis 904

This cow is out of Finks Pride 065 6198 LB Registration #13847351 a cow we purchased as an eight month old heifer from the Fink program in Kansas.  The 065 cow has done an awesome job for us here at Gizmo and we have four of her daughters currently working in our herd.  We liked her so much that we decided to flush her this year, and that decision was made prior to finding out she had produced a Pathfinder® daughter.  Another part of the history on the 525 cow is she is a cow we almost let go.  We came close to selling the 525 cow back when she had her first calf on her side and was bred back for her second, we just couldn’t pull the trigger and wow am I glad that we made the decision to keep her. 

Gizmo Pride 717 314 4132 Registration # 16030500

 

717  two days after calving in 2012

717 with her 2 day old Heifer calf out of Coleman Midland 430 

Gizmo Pride 717 314 4132 is out of Gizmo Pride 6211 8005 314 who was the natural daughter of our donor cow Finks Pride 6211 345 71.  Now for the rest of the story on this cow.  Prior to receiving the notice that she had made Pathfinder® we had been invited to participate in the Southeast Angus Classic in May.  This was the first time we had been issued an invitation to this elite sale so needless to say we wanted to select high quality cattle.  You guessed it 717 and her heifer calf by Coleman Midland 430 were selected to represent Gizmo in this year’s sale.  This is the kind of cow to build a herd around so although I hate to see her go I know she will be a good representative of our program.  She has been palpated safe in calf to Coleman Regis so she is continuing to prove that she deserves the honor of Pathfinder®.

Gizmo Pride 6211 8005 314 Dam of 717

 

 

B C Matrix Sire of 717

 

We invite you to the SE Angus Classic sale on May 18, 2013 at Lawler Farms in Opelika Alabama to check her and her calf out for yourself.

 

 

 

Southeast All Black Classic

Gizmo Angus Farm, Ltd.

has consigned two lots to the

Southeast All Black Classic 

Saturday March 30, 2013 Noon (CDT)

Florida Bull Evaluation Center - Greenwood, FL

Lot 60 - TT Miss Lucy W205

Registration # 17135124

and her bull calf

Lot 60A - Gizmo Talking Thunder 1277

Registration # 17444565

W205 and bull calf 1277

Lot 61 - Gizmo Blackcap 844 312 464

Registration #16333743



Gizmo Blackcap 844



Lot 61A - Gizmo Blackcap 1273 844 9R9

Registration #17444564

Gizmo Blackcap 1273

Hope to see you on sale day!

With Thanks

How do you thank someone who has done so much?

Lance Carter came to Gizmo Angus Farm on November 1, 2002. We called it a farm, but in reality, it wasn’t. We had 100 head of bred heifers. There were no working pens. When it came to doing anything that required a working pen, we improvised. It wasn’t pretty and it sure wasn’t fun. To add to that, all of the fences that were supposed to be erect, weren’t. None of this frightened Lance. I wish I had pictures from the beginning because it’s hard to explain how much work has been accomplished since Lance came to Gizmo.

In the years since Lance has been working with us, we have all worked hard, but Lance has been the backbone of the operation as well as Ronnie’s right hand. If you saw the before and after pictures, you would see the story of a man who worked hard every day and one who helped turn a farm in need to one to be proud of. What never shows in a photo is the heart of a man, his dedication, and the love for what he does. These things are there in everything Lance touched – the fence, the pens, the barns, the animals, and most of all in the hearts of Ronnie and I who will forever be thankful for Lance and all he has done for us and Gizmo Angus Farm.

Enjoy your retirement but remember, the coffee pot is always on, there’s an empty chair on the porch waiting, and it might be nice to sit with friends and enjoy what you helped build.