Cattlemen’s Association makes numerous stops on annual tour

Charter bus after charter bus hit the roads on Tuesday for the 2026 State Cattleman’s Association summer tour hosted by the Southwest Minnesota Cattlemen’s Association.

The day-long event aims to bring together cattle producers, ag industry professionals and community members for a full day of agricultural insight, networking and hands-on learning.

One of the stops Tuesday was at Triple C Feeders, a fifthgeneration family cattle feeding operation west of Balaton, operated by Troy Chandler and his father, Jeff. The operation has evolved from traditional dirt lots to a modern feeding facility that includes a 2,000head monoslope bed-pack barn, updated cattle housing and a feed system utilizing flat storage and concrete bunkers for improved efficiency. Alongside the feedlot, the Chandler family farms approximately 3,000 acres of corn, soybeans and alfalfa to support the operation.

Other stops on Tuesday’s tour included Loyson Farms Inc., a multi-generational family operation led by Doug and Jodi Loyson alongside their four children, featuring row crops, hay production and a growing cattle feeding enterprise; Delaney Herefords Inc., another multigenerational family operation rooted in nearly 100 years of Hereford cattle tradition. Jerry and Shelly Delaney, alongside their children, manage a cow herd of 180 mother cows and 80 replacement heifers while utilizing advanced genetic technologies to raise high-quality Hereford cattle marketed through annual sales; Weber Land and Cattle Inc. near Lake Benton, where Weber Land and Cattle Inc. is a familyowned Red Angus operation focused on raising high-quality cattle with an emphasis on phenotype, structure and functional genetics. Jesse and Michelle Weber, alongside their five children and Jesse’s parents, Joe and Jodi, manage a diversified ranch and farming operation; Coon Creek Cattle Company, owned and operated by Jeremy Larson near Tyler, is a Limousin cattle operation with origins dating back to 1983 when Jeremy’s grandfather first started raising cattle. Today, Jeremy continues that legacy with a strong focus on rotational grazing, moving cattle daily throughout the grazing season to promote pasture health, cattle performance and longterm sustainability; ADM in Marshall Corn Processing is a leading agricultural processing facility that sources corn from local producers and transforms it into a wide range of valueadded products; Ralco which was founded in 1971 and headquartered in Marshall, Ralco is a third-generation, family-owned agricultural company whose products are distributed in more than 40 countries worldwide; Todd Meulebroeck Farms located near Russell where Todd and Dennis Meulebroeck operate a diversified cattle feeding and crop farm with capacity for around 800 head of cattle alongside 1,500 acres of corn, soybeans and hay; and Vos Feeders, which was purchased by Danny Vos in 2009 after transitioning from hauling cattle to full-time farming and feedlot management. Danny and his wife, Holly, operate a diversified cattle and crop operation that includes a modern confinement barn feedlot, a newly constructed cattle working and loadout area, cow-calf pairs and raising corn. Danny is able to incorporate grazing cover crops into this system as well.