T-Heart Ranch honored at CCA awards

DENVER—The Colorado Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) held the Mid-Winter Conference on Jan. 15-17 in Denver, focusing on agriculture-related issues that will be addressed during the 2018 session of Colorado’s General Assembly. Committee meetings were also held during the conference, which help establish the organization's policies and stance on a wide range of legislative and regulatory topics impacting Colorado’s beef industry.

CCA members gather for the conference to gain knowledge about their industry, create policy that drives their trade association and present awards to those who have served the state’s beef industry in an exemplary fashion.

The T-Heart Ranch, owned and operated by Shane and Beth Temple of Center were named the 2017 Outstanding Seedstock Producer of the Year.

The Temples had a humble start when they purchased 30 commercial cows in 1995 to today having a 2800 head ranching operation and feedlot near Center.

T-Heart Ranch currently maintains the registered Simmental and SimAngus cowherd to produce their replacements and the registered SimAngus bulls for their annual High Altitude Bull sale held each March.

The historic L-Cross ranch runs a mostly commercial cowherd of Angus and SimAngus cattle to produce bred replacement females that they market each December through the High-Altitude Female Sale. They are located in the high elevation of the San Luis Valley where their feedlot is at 7,680 feet, so the Temples are very conscious of High Altitude Disease. Since the heritability for this disease is high, they are carving out a market needing genetics that can survive the harsh conditions of high elevations.

The Temples, as well as their four children, Shelby, Lindsey, Ashley and Coy; are a genuine ranching family and run an impressive operation.