Welcome to the American Cattlemen Podcast, hosted by Gale McKinney, where information, entertainment, and the cow/calf industry come together. Whether talking to a country western entertainer, cow/calf producer, or industry professional, ACP promises a different ride than other podcasts.
Welcome to American Cattlemen’s Producer Profiles where Gale brings the business and lifestyle of the Cow/Calf industry together. Whether it’s the most recent production sale to your local county fair Gale brings you interviews with the grassroot folks of the industry.
Our audience is United States cow/calf producers and worldwide industry professionals derived from our extensive social media following of over 500,000 unique industry professionals. Each episode of the American Cattlemen Podcast will be promoted through our digital outlets and the American Cattlemen magazine and newsletter.
Previous Episodes
The Wagyu Super Returns to Nashville With Genetics, Education and an Evening on Broadway
The Wagyu business is bringing some of its best genetics back to Nashville this fall.
On Friday, October 9, 2026, The Wagyu Super returns for its third year, bringing Wagyu breeders and producers together for a full day of education, networking, and an evening sale at Ole Red in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. 
Sale manager Joe Pettit has watched the event grow during its first three years, but the basic idea remains pretty simple: bring together an exceptional set of Wagyu genetics, put them in front of serious cattle producers, and make the event something people want to attend.
This year’s sale begins at 6:30 PM Central on the third floor of Ole Red, with online bidding also available through Wagyu Auction House. The cattle will remain at their home locations and will be presented by video during the sale.
A Full Day Built Around Wagyu
This year, the event starts well before the first lot enters the virtual sale ring.
American Wagyu University begins at 11:00 AM at the DoubleTree by Hilton Nashville Downtown and gives producers an opportunity to spend much of the day talking about the business behind the cattle.
The program includes discussions on beef technical support, Wagyu genetics and breed data, marketing and production, along with a producer roundtable featuring representatives from Black Jack Ranch, Bar V Wagyu and La Roca Range.
That educational component makes the trip to Nashville about more than simply buying cattle.
For producers already involved in Wagyu, it is an opportunity to compare ideas and genetics with other breeders. For those newer to the breed, it provides a chance to learn and make connections before sitting down for the evening sale.
A Deep Genetic Offering
Once the attention turns to the sale, there is plenty to talk about.
Pettit describes the 2026 catalog as one of the strongest offerings The Wagyu Super has assembled, with young females, proven donors, bulls, Fullblood and polled genetics, and semen and embryo opportunities represented throughout the catalog.
Today’s Wagyu buyer has considerably more information available when evaluating those genetics.
The catalog incorporates economic indexes along with growth, maternal, fertility, and carcass information. Traits such as carcass weight, eye muscle area, marble score, marbling fineness and net feed intake give breeders additional tools for evaluating how an animal might fit their individual breeding program.
But numbers are only part of the story.
Throughout the offering are cattle representing established maternal lines, proven carcass genetics, and some of the breed’s more influential sires. The result is a catalog that gives buyers several different ways to approach genetic improvement rather than concentrating on a single trait or type of animal.
Headline Genetics—and Depth Behind Them
There are certainly animals in this year’s offering designed to attract attention.
The sale opens with Bar V Ms. Magnificent X6008, an unflushed virgin heifer that ranks among the leading females in the breed by BFI and combines carcass traits with maternal and fertility potential. She is also a full sister to Bar V Mr. Classic 565N.
Another unusual opportunity is Wyndford Itoguni 308H. Pettit’s catalog describes the six-year-old sire as one of the most significant sires offered through the event, with the buyer gaining the ability to collect and use or market semen from the bull.
But an important part of a sale this size is what comes after the headline lots.
The catalog includes cattle and genetic packages representing different pedigrees, price points, and breeding objectives. That gives producers an opportunity to study the entire offering and identify genetics that make sense for their own programs rather than simply chasing the highest-profile animal in the sale.
Why Nashville?
Buyers don’t have to be in Nashville to participate.
Online bidding makes it possible to buy from home, and because the cattle themselves are being presented by video, the sale has been designed from the beginning to accommodate remote participation.
But that isn’t quite the same as being there.
Bringing Wagyu University, breeders, consignors, buyers and the sale together in Nashville creates something that is increasingly valuable in the cattle business: an opportunity to spend a day with other people who are serious about the same industry.
Then at 6:30 PM, the education and conversation give way to the gavel.
The setting doesn’t hurt either.
Ole Red puts The Wagyu Super right in the middle of Nashville, giving producers a chance to combine cattle business with an evening on Broadway.
For Pettit and The Wagyu Super, that’s part of what the event has become.
Good cattle bring people to a sale.
Good cattle, good people, and a little Nashville make it an event.
For previous episodes of Genetics & the Gavel, please visit: www.americancattlemen.com.
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HeartBrand Cattle Prepares for Family Matters Registered Akaushi Female Sale
HeartBrand Cattle will offer registered Akaushi genetics from its long-established Texas program during the Family Matters Online Sales Event Vol. V, Monday, October 5, at 6:00 PM Central.
The sale features 39 lots selling as 42 head, including A.I.-bred females, pasture-exposed bred females, cow-calf pairs, and open heifers. The offering represents multiple generations of selection within the HeartBrand program and gives buyers an opportunity to select females at several different stages of production. 
HeartBrand’s story extends beyond producing seedstock. The Beeman family’s program connects HeartBrand Cattle with HeartBrand Beef, giving the operation a direct connection between the genetics it produces and the beef those genetics ultimately create.
Jordan Beeman, President of HeartBrand Beef, represents the fifth generation of the Texas ranching family.
That connection is reflected in a simple statement prominently featured in the sale catalog: “Cattle Backed by a BEEF Company.”
HeartBrand reports that its beef operation graded more than 17,000 individual carcass sides in 2024. That information gives the operation another tool for evaluating cattle and making breeding decisions as it continues developing its Akaushi genetics.
The Family Matters offering begins with A.I.-bred females and continues through pasture-exposed bred females, cow-calf pairs, and open heifers. Throughout the offering are females representing generations of HeartBrand breeding and established Akaushi genetics.
The cattle are parent-verified by DNA, individually EID tagged, and branded with the HeartBrand logo. Females represented as bred have been third-party pregnancy verified.
On this episode of Genetics & the Gavel, Jordan Beeman joins Gale McKinney to discuss HeartBrand genetics and preview the Family Matters offering. Beeman walks listeners through the different groups of females selling, highlights cattle buyers should study, and explains how HeartBrand’s connection to the beef business influences its breeding program.
The HeartBrand Cattle Family Matters Registered Akaushi Female Sale begins at 6:00 PM Central on Monday, October 5, 2026. The cattle are located at the HeartBrand ranch in Harwood, Texas, and are available for viewing by appointment before the sale.
Online bidding will be available through LiveAg.
For previous episodes of Genetics & the Gavel, please visit: www.americancattlemen.com.
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Previewing the 21st Annual Illini Elite Simmental and SimAngus Sale
Curt Rincker of Rincker Simmental and Corey Wilkins of Allied Genetic Resources join host Aaron McKinney for a preview of the 21st Annual Illini Elite Sale.
Curt and Corey discuss Rincker Simmental’s operation, cattle-breeding philosophy and the overall depth of this year’s offering. The sale features competitive, show-ready heifer calves, a deep set of AI-bred females, elite donor IR Miss Vienna G965, and cutting-edge pregnancies and embryos backed by proven Simmental and SimAngus cow families. 
Whether you are building a competitive show string or looking to strengthen the genetics in your breeding program, the Illini Elite Sale offers an outstanding opportunity to invest in high-quality females with a productive future.
The sale begins at 1:00 p.m. CT on Sunday, September 20, at the Rincker Sale Facility in Shelbyville, Illinois. Buyers can also watch and bid online through CCI.live.
Genetics & the Gavel is powered by American Cattlemen Media.
For previous episodes of Genetics & the Gavel, please visit: www.americancattlemen.com.
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Making Cattle Processing Easier: Matt Poindexter of Midnight Cattle Tags
In this episode of Cattlemen and Veterinarians: A Partnership in Bovine Health, hosts Kaid Panek and Dr. Shynia Peterman, DVM, sit down with Matt Poindexter of Midnight Cattle Tags to explore practical ways cattle producers and veterinarians can make processing cattle safer, faster, and more efficient. 
Matt’s background in the cattle industry has taken him from his family’s Missouri farm to an extraordinary experience helping develop beef cattle operations in Russia. After returning home, Matt became involved in backgrounding cattle and custom cattle tags before eventually helping launch Midnight Cattle Tags. What started as late-night tag printing and a desire to solve everyday problems has developed into innovative tools designed by people who actually work cattle.
A major focus of the conversation is Midnight Cattle Tags’ battery-powered ear tagger and tattooer. Matt explains how a hand injury originally inspired him to develop an easier way to apply cattle tags. Instead of repeatedly squeezing a traditional applicator, the battery-powered system allows operators to place tags with the pull of a trigger, reducing strain during long processing days.
The group also discusses cattle handling, workplace safety, efficiency, and the importance of developing a processing crew where everyone understands their role. Matt’s philosophy is simple: less is more. A smaller, experienced crew can often process cattle more calmly and efficiently while reducing unnecessary confusion around the chute.
Listeners also get a preview of products under development, including battery-powered syringes, ear notchers, chute-mounted coolers, and livestock management technology designed to improve medication tracking, inventory, billing, and communication with veterinarians.
Ultimately, this episode demonstrates how practical innovation can improve cattle processing for both animals and handlers. From reducing repetitive strain to improving workflow and animal handling, Matt, Kaid, and Dr. Shynia Peterman offer producers useful ideas for making the next processing day safer and smoother.
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Building a Career in the Cattle Industry: More Than One Road to Success
The cattle industry has always been built on hard work, relationships, and a willingness to adapt. But one thing I’ve learned over the years is that there isn’t just one way to build a successful career in agriculture. 
When many young people think about the cattle business, they picture owning a ranch, raising cattle, or perhaps becoming a veterinarian. Those are tremendous careers, but they represent only a small part of an industry that depends on talented people in dozens of different roles. That was one of the reasons I wanted to sit down with Corbitt Wall on a recent episode of Beef Unscripted.
Corbitt’s career is a perfect example of how opportunity often finds those who are willing to keep learning, build relationships, and say yes to new challenges. A fourth-generation cattleman, Corbitt has worked in the sale barn business, managed commercial cattle operations, served with USDA, and today has become one of the most respected livestock market analysts in the country through his work with DVAuction and as host of Feeder Flash.
What’s interesting is that none of those opportunities happened overnight. Like many successful people in agriculture, one opportunity led to another. Along the way, he developed skills that producers sometimes overlook—communication, market analysis, relationship building, and the ability to explain complex topics in ways people understand. Those skills have become every bit as valuable as understanding cattle. Today’s cattle industry offers opportunities that simply didn’t exist a generation ago. Digital marketing, video production, livestock photography, data analysis, genetic consulting, online auction management, precision livestock technology, nutrition, finance, media, and communications have all become essential parts of modern agriculture. The common thread isn’t necessarily what job you have. It’s whether you’re creating value for the people you serve.
Every day, producers across the country rely on Corbitt’s market commentary because they trust his ability to separate headlines from meaningful information. In an industry where decisions often involve thousands of dollars, that trust is earned one report at a time. Our conversation also reminded me that careers are rarely built exactly as planned. Most successful people in agriculture will tell you they didn’t follow a perfectly straight path. They took advantage of opportunities, learned from mentors, accepted new responsibilities, and continued growing throughout their careers.
That’s a lesson worth remembering, especially for young people entering agriculture today. If you’re willing to work hard, remain curious, and build relationships, there are more opportunities in this industry than ever before. Whether your future is raising cattle, marketing livestock, analyzing markets, managing technology, producing content, or helping producers make better decisions, agriculture needs talented people who care about its future.
The cattle business has room for people with many different talents. The key is finding where yours can make the greatest impact. I hope you’ll take the time to listen to my full conversation with Corbitt Wall on Beef Unscripted. We discuss his career journey, today’s cattle markets, the evolution of cattle marketing, and why he believes the future remains incredibly bright for those willing to invest in this industry.
Sometimes the best career advice doesn’t come from someone telling you what to do. It comes from hearing the story of someone who simply kept saying ‘yes’ to the next opportunity. That’s exactly what you’ll hear from Corbitt Wall.
For future episodes of Beef Unscripted check out our website!
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Linz Heritage Angus 10th Annual Production Sale
In this episode of Genetics & the Gavel, powered by American Cattlemen Media, host Aaron McKinney visits with Ben Weis, Ranch Manager at Linz Heritage Angus in Byars, Oklahoma. Ben previews the Linz Heritage Angus 10th Annual Production Sale, scheduled for September 18, 2026, at noon Central Time. 
This year’s offering marks an important milestone as Linz Heritage Angus adds an annual fall bull sale to complement its female sale. The offering features 40 age-advantaged, 18-month-old Angus bulls and 45 elite females selected for their genetic strength, proven pedigrees, structural quality and real-world performance. Raised primarily on grass with minimal concentrates, these bulls are developed to remain sound, go to work and hold up in demanding commercial environments. The females offer powerful genetics, impressive EPD profiles and valuable outcross opportunities for cattle producers looking to strengthen their cow herds. Ben also discusses the Linz Heritage Angus breeding philosophy, the depth of this year’s offering, featured lots, sale-day information, shipping options and online bidding through LiveAg.
Based at Blue Branch Ranch in Byars, Oklahoma, Linz Heritage Angus is a family-owned seedstock operation backed by generations of experience in the cattle, beef and restaurant industries. Its mission is straightforward: produce Angus cattle that help create cows that stay, steers that pay and consistently better beef. Join Linz Heritage Angus on September 18 for its 10th Annual Production Sale and this special bull and female offering.
For previous episodes of Genetics & the Gavel, please visit: www.americancattlemen.com.
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Charly Cummings on Auctioneering, Livestock Marketing & Better Beef
In this episode of Better Beef, host Kaid Panek sits down with Charly Cummings, one of the most respected voices in livestock auctioneering and the 2011 World Livestock Auctioneer Champion. From sale barns and production sales to his work with Superior Livestock, Charly has built a career around cattle, communication, and earning the trust of producers who place their livelihoods in his hands when sale day arrives. 
Charly shares how his journey began as a young Kansas kid learning the auctioneer chant from his uncle before attending the Worldwide College of Auctioneering. He explains that becoming a successful auctioneer requires much more than talking fast. A clear, recognizable chant is important, but professionalism, knowledge of the product, integrity, and the ability to command a room are equally essential. For Charly, those qualities form the foundation of an auctioneer producers and buyers can trust.
The conversation also explores Charly’s road to becoming a world champion. He discusses competing through state and national contests, the interview and live-auction portions of the World Livestock Auctioneer Championship, and how winning in 2011 transformed his career. With new opportunities came an intense travel schedule, forcing Charly to eventually learn one of the hardest lessons of his career: when to say no and make more time for his family.
Kaid and Charly also dive into the responsibility auctioneers carry on sale day. Every animal represents years of work, genetics, management, and financial investment. Charly explains why knowing the true value of the cattle, staying composed during “slick spots,” and treating every buyer with respect can make a tremendous difference. Those relationships often extend for years, turning customers and sale hosts into friends and family.
Finally, Charly shares his vision for better beef, emphasizing animal care, nutrition, veterinary health, safe handling, stewardship, genetics, technology, and continuous improvement. It’s a conversation about much more than auctioneering—it’s about cattle, family, integrity, rural communities, and the people committed to moving the beef industry forward.
For previous episodes of the Better Beef Podcast, please visit: www.americancattlemen.com.
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More Than Genetics: The Idea Behind Genetic Allies
When Chris Earl and John Wessel came up with the idea for Genetic Allies, they recognized something pretty simple: there is value in bringing good Angus breeders together.
Not just to sell cattle, but to share genetics, knowledge, and fellowship with others who have the same passion for the Angus business. 
The producers involved are accomplished cattlemen with their own programs, their own breeding philosophies, and their own ideas about where they want to take their cattle. Genetic Allies gives them an opportunity to bring some of their best genetics together, learn from one another, and enjoy the relationships that are such an important part of the cattle business.
That was really the conversation I wanted to have when I visited with Chris Earl of CK6 Consulting ahead of this year’s Genetic Allies Female Sale, September 12 at Edgar Bros Angus near Rockham, South Dakota.
Good Breeders Make Each Other Better
There is something to be said for surrounding yourself with people who are good at what they do.
Each of the producers involved with Genetic Allies has built a program of their own. They have developed cow families, made breeding decisions, learned from the ones that worked, and probably learned even more from a few that didn’t.
Bringing those producers together creates an opportunity to share some of that experience.
And when you get cattlemen like that together, the conversation naturally turns to cattle.
What worked?
What didn’t?
What cow families are you excited about?
What are you trying to build next?
Those conversations matter.
We have more genetic information available to us today than cattlemen could have imagined a generation ago. EPDs, genomic testing and other tools have given breeders tremendous ability to evaluate cattle and make breeding decisions.
But there is still value in experience.
There is value in looking at cattle with somebody who has spent a lifetime breeding them. There is value in talking about why a mating worked, why another one didn’t and what somebody is trying to accomplish with the next generation.
That knowledge gets shared when good cattlemen spend time together.
Bringing Different Genetics Together
The other thing I like about the Genetic Allies concept is that nobody has to give up the identity of their own program to participate.
Quite the opposite.
Each breeder brings something different to the table.
Different cow families. Different genetics. Different experiences. And sometimes a different way of looking at cattle.
For buyers, that creates an opportunity to evaluate genetics from several outstanding Angus programs in one place and decide what might complement the cattle they already own.
For the breeders themselves, it creates an opportunity to see what others are doing and perhaps discover genetics that can move their own programs forward.
That’s where the word Allies makes a lot of sense.
These producers can have their own programs and their own goals while recognizing that there is value in working together.
More Than a Sale
I’ve always thought some of the best conversations at a cattle sale happen before or after the cattle actually go through the ring.
They happen walking through the pens.
They happen leaning against a fence.
They happen over a meal when somebody starts talking about a cow family, a bull they used or a mating they are excited about.
That’s fellowship, and I don’t think we should underestimate its importance to this business.
The cattle business has always been built around relationships. Some last for a sale season. Others last for generations.
Genetic Allies creates another place for those relationships to develop.
Certainly, there is business being done. There are cattle to sell and genetics to evaluate.
But there is also an opportunity to spend an evening with people who share the same interest in good Angus cattle.
I think that’s an important part of what Chris and John envisioned.
Genetics, Knowledge and Fellowship
The 2026 Genetic Allies Female Sale will be held September 12 at 5:00 PM Central Time at Edgar Bros Angus near Rockham, South Dakota, with online bidding available through DVAuction.
There will be an outstanding set of Angus females and genetic opportunities to evaluate.
But my conversation with Chris reminded me that Genetic Allies is about something more than assembling cattle for a sale.
It’s about bringing outstanding Angus producers together.
Sharing genetics.
Sharing knowledge.
And enjoying the fellowship that comes from spending time with others who have the same passion for good cattle.
That’s a pretty good idea.
And it’s probably why Genetic Allies works.
For previous episodes of Genetics & the Gavel, please visit: www.americancattlemen.com.
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