ALGOMA — Greg and Karen Denzine of Deer Creek Angus in Phillips, received the annual Beef Quality Assurance Award, according to a July 10 press release from the Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association. The award was one of three that recognized companies in various areas of the industry for their dedication to excellence in Wisconsin’s beef industry.
The Denzines own and operate a purebred angus operation that was established in 1994, according to the press release. The family was honored for “the great pride” they take in managing their livestock in a stress-free environment where they raise and harvest all their own forage.
The award description noted that the Denzine family selects cattle for genetic traits that lead to high quality beef, which they sell across the state. In recent years, they have become extremely involved with Taylor County Extension and have helped host multiple educational events and are an excellent, transparent advocate for the beef industry.
“Tammy Vaassen, Wisconsin Beef Council executive director, and I know first-hand about the awesome work Greg and Karen do with their cattle and their beef products, and we were pleased to nominate them for this award,” said Sandy Stuttgen, DVM, an associate professor and livestock educator with the Agriculture Institute of the UW-Madison Division of Extension in Taylor County. Stuttgen, the county-based educator and the Wisconsin Beef Quality Assurance co-coordinator along with Tammy and Bill Halfman, the Extension statewide beef specialists, nominated the Denzine family who are members of the North Central Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association.
Recognizing producers’ commitment to BQA is important, to show by example, the men, women, families and their management practices for raising beef that our consumers prefer, according to Stuttgen. The Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association along with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, awards those producers who provide consumer confidence in their beef with their day-to-day production practices.
The 2024 Cattlemen of the Year honors went to Springs Creeks Cattle Company, owned by the Bob and Rhonda Mitchell family. They operate a seedstock herd of Angus, Limousin, Red Angus and Lim Flex cattle in the driftless region of southwest Wisconsin just outside Boscobel.
Springs Creeks have a joint female sale in the fall and a bull sale each February. They also consign cattle to various sales throughout the U.S., including the Black Hills Show and Rodeo. They also are known for exhibiting high quality cattle on a national level at shows such as the National Western Stock Show. More recently, the family started selling beef directly to consumers through farmers markets, online avenues, and school districts in their area.
Brad Robson of Viroqua, received the 2024 Friend of the Cattlemen award. Robson has been an instrumental member of the Vernon County Cattlemen, serving in several leadership roles. He currently represents Vernon County on the WCA Board of Directors where he diligently attends meetings and provides productive input.
Robson also helped recommend and recruit the past two WCA Steak Trailer Managers — Craig and Vickie Dunnum, and most recently, Dave and Carrie Goss. He is known as an excellent advocate for the Wisconsin beef cattle industry.
The Environmental Stewardship Award went to Chris and Jenny Reichert of Reichert Land and Cattle in Sheboygan Falls. With their three children, Chris and Jenny manage their cattle on an intensive rotational grazing system and implement cover crops and no till practices to reduce erosion on their crop ground. Living near Lake Michigan, they have an even more vital role to play in maintaining soil and water quality. The Reicherts are passionate about their farm and ensuring it maintains and improves quality for future generations.
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