In 2017, Oak Meadow Farms won Reserve Champion Pen of Five at the National Western Stock Show (Denver, Colo.), showing five of their best Simmental bulls. So for an encore, they went back in 2018, and won the Grand Champion Pen of Five Percentage Simmental Bulls. And they’ve won numerous state and national awards going back many years. But that comes as no surprise to their customers, because quality cattle has been their trademark for many decades. Dr. Lynn Aggen and his wife Barb, and their family, have run the farm as a family business since the 1970’s.
On a recent day, this reporter found the Aggen family hard at work, but they were quick to take a break and share a little of their history, philosophy and business plan. The Aggens raise Simmental cattle, which is a breed that originated in Switzerland, and is among the oldest breeds of cattle. Simmental cattle are popular for their excellent reputation in milk and beef production. The beef yield is high and well-marbled. They are also known for excellent dairy yield, and the cows are generally easy and quick to milk.
Barb explained how they came to this area, stating, “45 years we’ve been here in Harmony. We came from the University of Minnesota… Three years after we moved here, we’re on the farm.” She also explained that her husband continues to work full-time as a veterinarian in Harmony and Cresco, in addition to running the farm. She described this situation as, “Busy, very busy,” dealing with their roughly 120 cattle, but quickly added that their children and grandchildren help on the farm a lot. Barb and Lynn said for the Grand Champion award, most of the credit goes to their son Matthew and his son Hunter.
Barb shared that, “We got into the Simmental through the Bigalk’s, Earl and Arlene. Lynn worked Earl’s cattle, and he was impressed with that breed.” Lynn added that in his first year of raising cattle (before he had Simmentals), “We went to the county fair the first year, and we were pretty proud… we were what they sometimes call ‘barn-blind’,… and we just got squished (by the competition). But a lot of the cattle that were better than ours were from Bigalk’s… so, if you can’t lick ‘em, join ‘em.”
Matthew explained that modern cattle breeding involves a lot of genetic information, such as EPD’s (Expected Progeny Difference). He went on that, “It’s an evaluation of a lot of traits. It’s a way to predict how that animal is going to produce,… We like to have the total package of all EPD’s.” Lynn added that, “We have purebred Simmental and we have what are called Foundation or Percentage Simmental, which are bred to have two breeds in them.” He said there are significant advantages to this type of breeding, because it produces cattle that are larger, higher quality and quicker to market, which means more profit for the farmer. Matthew added, “Disposition is extremely important. In this area, there’s a lot of people that work off the farm… everybody is a yard-light farmer, they need easy handling cattle.”
Regarding the technology of modern beef farming, Lynn said, “We try to adapt to the technology as it comes.” He added that years ago, he didn’t realize how significant artificial insemination and IVF (in vitro fertilization) would become in the industry, and he’s sure more innovations will be coming along.
Obviously, farming is a “24-7” job because of the uncertain nature of animals and weather, and the Aggen family shared a favorite story that highlights this fact. One winter, a cow that was expected to calve around New Years Day actually started calving on Christmas Eve. So with frantic shouts of “Battle stations!” echoing through the house, the family sprung into action to take the cow to the veterinary clinic for a C-section delivery.
Matthew stated, “Our motto is Performance with Quality… and we always try to raise honest, healthy animals. There’s always a priority on herd health, generation after generation.” The Oak Meadows Farms website (www.oakmfarm.com) tells more about their operation and their stock, including pictures. It even includes history and achievements such as a picture from when Lynn was enshrined in the Minnesota Livestock Hall of Fame.
Lynn pointed out that Beef Month is a good time to remember the importance of farming in the local economy. He shared his opinion that, “Tourism is good, but tourism is a drop in the bucket compared to agriculture,” because if farmers run into trouble, it will quickly impact everyone. Regarding his busy life as a veterinarian and a farmer, Lynn said, “The advantage is it gives me exposure to a lot of people, and they know I’m ‘Mr. Simmental,’ some even tease me about it… And I learn a lot from my (veterinary) clients. And hopefully they learn a few things from me, too.” When asked if he’s planning to cut back or retire anytime soon, Lynn answered, “Well, I’m going to retire here, sometime.” His family laughed and said the key word in that statement is “sometime.” Lynn quipped, “My truck has 442,000 miles. I’d like to take it to 500,000.” At this point, it appears the truck, and the owner, are going to keep on rolling.