The 88 Ranch
The 88 Ranch was started in 1988 when Craig and Valerie Livingston both shared the same dream of raising purebred seedstock for breeding purposes. They researched all of the breed choices using MARC data and narrowed the choice down to two- Gelbvieh and Angus. Our first Gelbvieh cow/calf pair was purchased in 1988 and we became members of the American Gelbvieh Association. From there, we purchased more great females and A.I.ed everything to proven sires and kept the heifer calves back to grow our herd. Today, we are up to 200 head of purebred Gelbvieh or Gelbvieh-Angus Balancer cows. There has been a lot of hard work, sacrifice, and dedication to be where we are today. We have been fortunate enough to have great business people to do business with, great customers who believe in our program, and great friends and neighbors. We give God all the glory! He has blessed us beyond measure!
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We have been so honored to be featured by an amazing project. Our story is very near and dear to our hearts as Craig was a big part of our lives and continues to have his legacy live on the ranch. We could not have done it without our faith and support from friends and family.
If you want to read more about Craig's story, you can access that here: Telling the Story Project
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We also feel extremely blessed to be listed 12th in the nation as owners and breeders of Dams of Merit and Dams of Distinction in 2023. According to the AGA, only 5.5% of all active cows in the registry qualify for this elite selection of criteria based on early conception, regular calving intervals, and above-average performance on their progeny. Fertility and calving ease, followed by milk, growth, and carcass cutability have the biggest influence on profit.
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