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Texas Agriculture Archive

November 15, 2002

Hillert boosts state's
supply of superior bulls

As general manager of the Beef Development Center (BDC), Craig Hillert of Anderson is involved in the important work of identifying superior cattle genetics.

Located on the grounds of the Tom J. Moore Cattle Company since 1998, BDC is the state's largest bull testing development center.

"The program demonstrates and evaluates post weaning growth and development on silage-based rations," notes Hillert, who with a B.S. in Animal Science from Texas A&M University, as well as a degree in Agriculture Development, is well-qualified for his job. "We work to establish a continuous supply of performance-tested bulls that will sire many desirable cattle for the future."

Hillert strives to provide purebred and commercial breeders of all sizes an economical alternative to developing bulls at home as well as helping them increase marketing potential.

"After testing the bulls, we market them through two annual sales to seedstock and commercial cattle operations," he adds.

Hillert, along with his wife, Vicki, manages all aspects of the BDC, including the day-to-day operations, annual operating budget, customer relations, marketing and advertising, coordination of annual bull sales and collection and interpretation of performance data.

"We are fortunate to be at the forefront of identifying genetics in beef bulls which can potentially increase the efficiency of producing beef and result in a consistent beef product. We work closely with different state breed associations as well as producers," he says.

They also help with their family cow/calf operation and manage the health and production of over 20,000 stocker calves annually.

Big business consolidation (packer concentration) worries Hillert, who believes stricter laws are needed to prohibit companies from dominating market share and controlling prices. And he favors new food safety programs aimed at boosting consumer confidence.

"I also think we should examine ways producers can achieve a consistent, fair price for the commodities they produce in order to increase profitability of production agriculture," he says.

Hillert helps organize and conduct an annual youth market steer show. His interest in cattle was enhanced through 4-H and FFA livestock judging experience.

The Hillerts are active in the Grimes CFB, where Vicki serves as a director, chairs the local YF&R program, and assists with Ag Day activities for kids. Together, they hope to increase awareness of Farm Bureau and what it has to offer to other young people in the agriculture industry.