Straight Up | May/June 2025

A conversation with everyday Stockmen,

Featuring Lance Ellsworth, Ellsworth Cattle Co. of Elkhorn, Wis., and Cattle Visions of Clark, Mo.

About the Stockman.

"My wife, Wendy, and I moved back to the family farm that I grew up on in 2003 after starting Cattle Visions so I could raise my kids in the rural lifestyle that we all desire where habits of work ethic, humility, and faith are developed and hopefully absorbed.

My dad, Gary, who’s 84, started our beef cattle farm in the 1950s with his father and still feeds a pen of cattle to stay active. He started our purebred beef herd in 1971, when I was born. I enjoyed working with and showing cattle during my youth in the ‘70s and ‘80s.

I left for college in 1989 and was employed by semen companies for nearly 10 years after that. During that time, I had tremendous opportunities, representing both Alta and Semex, to tour elite cattle herds nationwide, promote industry impacting sires, and learn from the best stockmen in the country.

As previously mentioned, I then founded Cattle Visions in 2002 and moved back to the farm in 2003 to raise my kids, Tyler, Laura, Emily, and Kyle, while striving to improve the cow herd with their 4H/FFA show cattle. Kyle, my youngest son, a sophomore at UW-Platteville, helps out as often as possible, and intends to return to the farm upon his graduation. Wendy and Laura, who are both schoolteachers at an elementary school in town, will put on boots after their teaching days are over if needed. We have a diversified cow herd of Simmental, Limousin, Charolais, Maine, Angus, and club calf genetics where we emphasize quality over quantity."

What about the beef cattle industry excites you the most?

"That the whole industry is capturing record level prices and being rewarded for genetic investments! My whole life has been dedicated to genetic improvement!"

What is your least favorite job on the farm?

"Having to tube feed calves, it’s always a joyous moment when a tube-fed calf takes off on its own. Cold Wisconsin winters probably make this more frequent than it should be, but it happens."

What is the most used tool on your farm? How old is it?

"We have both older and newer feed shovels and pitch forks that get used daily. Skid steers get used daily too. A 25-year- old-plus CASE 1840 and 4-year-old Kubota SSV65."

Describe your best and worst day.

"Some of the most fulfilling days are the busiest spring days that can have calves successfully born on the farm, while watching older calves run around, observing heats, breeding for next year’s calves, hearing about successful cattle we raised competing at the preview shows, having customers rave about their new crop, delivering a few semen orders, and getting a report from Cattle Visions that we shipped out lots of tanks - all while watching the spring grass grow.

As I get older, I also like to relax in the calm after the storm of the busy times. Some of the best days are simply problem free days and the opportunity to hear from a friend or socializing at a cattle show or sale or eating Sunday dinner with the family or celebrating the fall harvest.

The worst days are typically resulting with a frustration of the best days not working out... a dead calf, an abortion, a busted flush, the cows pushing through the fence, an animal not cooperating in the picture pen, a machinery breakdown, accounts receivable building up, or hearing/experiencing that someone you care about has suffered an illness or loss. So goes the life of a passionate stockman, it’s a journey, and if it were easy, everyone would still be doing it, rather than the 1 percent of us that do."

Which animal (any species) has left the greatest impact on you?

"The first Simmental female I invested in was LBF Anticipation, from LeighBert Farms, who became the 2000 NWSS and American Royal champion cow/calf pair. Her stunning presence and progeny earned us immediate national exposure in the breed and her grand-progeny and great-grand progeny still influence our herd today. My collegiate judging coach, Tim Erickson, helped guide me through that process and he raised a few full sib bulls to her that were leased to AI studs. The first Charolais female born at our place will soon overtake her for financial success as we market her ET progeny this fall. She has produced us some tremendous calves, including the 2023 reserve champion bred and owned steer for Kyle. I’d be remiss to mention a few of the Cattle Visions sires that have positively impacted us, bulls like Silveiras Style, Colburn Primo, Broker, Monopoly, I-80, Here I Am, and I could go on for every breed, but I’ll keep it short and sweet."

What is your go-to sorting apparatus?

"We have a compilation of bent up show sticks and sorting sticks along with a fairly new paddle. They are all fair game and my wife loves it when it goes as planned on the sort… and not so much when it doesn’t. I know we’ve all been there, since the funny Facebook memes about the topic get posted regularly."

Your favorite non-farm activity to do in your free time?

"I enjoy summer golfing with friends and family. Time spent cell phone free in the woods during deer and turkey hunting seasons are relished for reflection and appreciation time. Now that my kids have graduated from showing cattle, there’s more of that time available, gratefully. I try to keep up with Green Bay Packer and Wisconsin Badger sports too, along with managing a fantasy football team with a dozen college buddies in a league we started in the early ‘90s. Those activities provide me a balance from the daily grind of being immersed in genetics 24/7."

The most important lesson you’ve learned in this business?

"It’s as much, if not more, a “people business” as it is the “cattle business.” Customers tend to be loyal if they are treated truthfully and honestly and you’ll earn their respect when you sincerely listen and provide real insight. Good cattle are born and lost every day, but your words and works can impact people for decades. I tell my employees annually; it takes years to recruit customers and only minutes to lose them."

Sale Offerings:

Private treaty, Kegley & Friends consignments, and semen sales at cattlevisions.com

Photos courtesy Lance Ellsworth

learn more www.cattlevisions.com