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Straight Up | November 2024

A conversation with everyday Stockmen,

Featuring Cody Quam, Marda Angus Farms of Lodi, Wis.



About the Stockman.

"I am a fourth generation Angus breeder. I farm with my parents, Terry and Ardel; my grandma, Marjorie; my wife, Tracy; and our kids, Levi and Paisley. My brother, Brady, and sister, Bailey, are also involved in the farm along with their spouses and kids. We run 300 Angus cows along with 35 Shorthorn cows. The Angus cow herd began in 1946 with my great-grandfather Arthur Quam and the Shorthorn herd began in 1908 with my great-grandfather Stanley Miller. We have two sales each year at our farm, and we also consign to a few bull tests."


What about the beef cattle industry excites you the most?

"Making the next generation of cattle better than the last. Providing high-quality seedstock to producers and high-quality beef protein products to the world."


What is your least favorite job on the farm?

"Paperwork and there seems to always be a never-ending pile on my desk."


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

"If you ask my wife she would say my phone. Communicating with our customers and staying connected with the industry is key to the business, even if it is at all hours of the day."



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

"This is a hard one. Too many run through my mind but the top three would be MF Blackbird 51, MF Asti 016, and TC Blackbird Ursa 6087. They are the foundation of this herd today."


Describe your best and worst day.

"For me the best and worst day is sale bull clipping day. It is a dirty, long job but it is a very rewarding job when you are finished."


What is your go-to sorting apparatus?

"I tend to go without as I usually have a sorting list or paperwork in my hand, but I prefer a stick."



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

"Traveling with my wife even though most of our travels tend to be farm related."


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

"Persistence pays off and stay the course. The industry is vast, so raise what you like, and if you stick with that, you will find your market."


Upcoming Sale:

Saturday, November 16, 2024

At the farm near Lodi, Wis.


Photos courtesy Cody Quam

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