Teague Diversified
This diversified livestock and farming operation in northeast Colorado was established in 1992 and includes two generations. Caring for the environment is a top priority for this family.
meet the teagueS:
describe your operation
We are a diversified livestock and farming operation located in Fort Morgan, CO and Hamlin, TX. My parents, Gary and Laura Teague, started the business in 1992 after graduating from Colorado State University. We have a feeder cattle buying station in Hamlin and market those calves to feedyards in Colorado. We also have a cow/calf and crop farming operation in Fort Morgan.
how do you keep animals safe and healthy?
Cattle health is a huge deal in our operation.
We deal with thousands of high-risk calves a month, so we spend a lot of time
and effort ensuring those calves have every opportunity to be healthy and
thrive. We believe the most important factors in ensuring cattle health are
good feed, timely vaccinations, and judicious antibiotic use when needed. We
also offer a calf-buy-back program in Texas that provides incentives for
producers who follow accepted vaccination and animal handling guidelines,
allowing us to create a healthier and safer environment for calves from birth
to the time they enter the feedlot.
how do you care for the environment?
Caring for the environment is another big priority in our business. In agriculture, we are one of the few industries that actually gets paid for taking care of the environment. We have a rotational grazing system in place on our ranch that allows us to both utilize and improve the grasses native to our area. We also find ways that our cows and yearlings can benefit our farming operation. This includes a winter cornstalk rotation and using manure from our feedyard on our farms to promote soil biodiversity and reduce chemical fertilizer use.
what message do you hope to pass on to your kids about farming and production agriculture?
I hope my kids know what a blessing it is to grow up on a farm. It is not an easy lifestyle, but there are few people in the world who get to experience in their lifetime what we do every single day. Few kids today grow up learning the values that are essential in ag business, things like work-ethic, honesty, and integrity; that know the feeling of saddling up your horse well before daylight, driving cows all day, then making sure the livestock are fed that night before you feed yourself. You gain an understanding of the value and fragility of life, because every day you are making decisions that impact the health of the animals under your care. That type of experience cannot be taught anywhere else but on the farm.
Teague Diversified
wiggins, CO
COW/CALF RANCH
Cows are bred and calves are born and raised every year on cow-calf farms and ranches, spending time grazing on grass pastures within sight of their mothers.
BACKGROUNDING
Between 6-12 months of age, cattle spend time at stocker and backgrounder farms and ranches where they graze on a variety of pastures. Here they gain weight and convert forage and grass into lean protein.
FEEDYARD
Cattle spend their final 4-6 months at a feedyard being fed a scientifically-balanced diet and receiving daily care.