Our Journey To Beefmaster

Cattle farming isn't just a livelihood for the Martins – farming overall is an inherited heartbeat, echoing down generations. Our grandfather, Frank Byron, was a "poultryman." having built a multi-generational poultry business providing eggs to businesses and families across St Louis and throughout Southeast Missouri. He was a humble, smart, and thoughtful man, and a sunrise-to-sunset hustler, hauling eggs from his humble Missouri farm to St. Louis, long before Interstate 55 smoothed the journey. This wasn't fancy farming – it was pure grit, paving the way for our father, Nathan Earl.

Dad juggled farm duties with a natural athletic talent, eventually serving in the Air Force before returning to raise cattle and hogs. Winter weekends weren't spent hibernating; they were fueled by the camaraderie (and occasional sibling mayhem) of butchering hogs for the coming year. Lessons were learned, bonds were forged, and a love for the land was ingrained in our six kids.

My brother Kevin has steadily built a commercial cattle operation via a detailed focus on consistent cow families and tending to the market dynamics of our area. I have been in and out of the commercial cattle business over the years mostly working with our late brother Kent. Kevin and I started to work closer together in 2020 and were looking to move beyond the commercial cattle industry and focus on building a seedstock, purebred operation focusing on a breed less common in our area. Kevin came across the Beefmaster breed and we liked the history/purpose of the breed; and the focus on the "6 essentials".

We initially started with a small herd of pure bred beefmasters from St Clair beefmasters; and followed it with a larger herd from G&R Beefmasters cross-breeding to purebred Angus in a non-registered "E6" operation.

In parallel, we took time to develop our understanding of the breed in more detail including the top breeders and the breeders in our area to build our network and solidify our approach. We are focused on combining the best pedigrees in the breed to establish our foundation and provide others in the breed a high performing, consistent set of animals to help enhance their programs.

Building Brilliance:
The Next Generation of Beefmasters

We are building our operation through hand-selecting a best-in-breed herd from the finest pedigrees in the nation including legends like L2 Ranch (Fred and Judy Long), Jones Beefmasters, Cottage Farms, Emmons Ranch, Diamond H, Next Gen, and Wallen Prairie Ranch.

We do not look at our operation as just breeders; we consider ourselves dreamers, collaborators, and stewards of Beefmaster excellence. We want to work shoulder-to-shoulder with fellow enthusiasts, building upon the legacy of these pioneering farms and ranches. Our goal? To help craft the next generation of champion Beefmaster cows and bulls, unlocking their immense potential and sharing it with farmers across southeast Missouri and beyond.

We would love to connect with fellow breeders and foster the Beefmaster revolution together.