Mike Sitz Angus Ranch

History

The Sitz family has a long history with Angus cattle. Starting in 1923 Grandfather, William August Sitz and his wife Frieda purchased registered Angus cows from William Williams of Clarks, Nebraska. When these heifers calved the bull calves were traded back to William Williams for more heifer calves and thus began the expansion of the Sitz Angus herd.

In the late 30’s and early 40’s Will and Frieda’s oldest son, Bill, spent many a night sleeping in the barn with the cattle while he and his family were on the road showing cattle. Bill enjoyed showing at the County Fairs, AK-SAR-BEN and the State Fair. He remembers driving the family’s registered Angus cattle and Hampshire hogs to the railroad dock at Buda where they loaded them on a rented cattle car on the route to various fairs.

Bill and Dee as newly weds in the 1940's.

In March of 1937 with Bill, Delores and little Bobby in tow, Will and Frieda left their farm in Buda, Nebraska and began a new life in the ranching community called the Green Valley south of Atkinson. During this time in 1945 Bill became a lifetime member of the American Angus Association.

In 1947 Bill Sitz and Dee Stout were united in marriage. Living in Holt County they named their ranch the 36 Angus Ranch. Shortly after they moved with their cowherd to the ranch in southeastern Rock County where they raised Angus cattle and their children, Bill Jr., Judy, Sheryl and Mike.

Mike was active in FFA and in 4-H showing cattle. The Burwell FFA were formidable competitors and Mike came home with many top honors including the gold medal as the top Senior Showman at the State Fair along with garnering top awards at the AK-SAR-BEN. After graduating from UNSTA in 1974, Mike returned to the ranch in Rock County.

Mike and Debra Cook, a cattle feeder’s daughter, were married in 1975. The young
couple struggled and survived through the 1980’s. Though it didn’t seem economical
at the time, Mike continued to AI, performance test, and register his calves.
It was during this time that the young couple was advised by their banker to
either crossbreed their registered herd to Charolais bulls or move to town and
get a job. Mike firmly believed that there was more to the profitability of a cowherd
than high weaning weights and crossbred vigor, so he chose to ignore his
banker’s advice and to breed and cull for only the most profitable angus cattle.

William and Freida Sitz with their
Heifers at AK-SAR-BEN in 1948.

Mike and the Burwell FFA boys at a beef
show in the 1970's.

Mike with 1972 Grand Champion Market Steer.

Sitz Family today

Joel Johnston Angus

Joel, Bethany (Sitz) ranched southwest of Thedford when their registered Angus cowherd started in 2007. Shortly after Joel and Bethany were married, they traded a horse to Mike for their first three registered Angus cows. From the original three cows, Joel built up his purebred herd with bred heifers and share cows from Mike. Joel began selling the bulls on the Mike Sitz Angus Sale in 2012. All the cows in the Johnston’s purebred herd came from the Mike Sitz cowherd that has been “closed” for four generations. The 100-year-old closed herd has been built on foundations, not fads.

“Mike and I share the same vision of what we are looking for in a cow and bull. I strive to raise cattle with eye appeal, thickness, strong maternal traits, moderate frame size, strong pedigrees, and do well in the Sandhills,” Joel stated. “With just myself and no hired man, the cows work for me- not the other way around. Because the cattle can excel in a commercial cows’ environment, our bull customers want those genetics.”

Mike and Joel only sell two-year old bulls from that closed cowherd. Once weaned, the bulls run on winter range and cake. The yearlings run on native summer Sandhills range, then return to headquarters in the fall. The bulls receive a high roughage ration with room to run. On the first Monday in February, the 2-year-old bulls travel to Burwell for the annual sale.

The heifers are developed on winter range and cake to gain about 1 pound per day, then go on summer pasture for breeding. The heifers are synchronized and AIed, with a cleanup bull only running for 30 days. Any open heifers are culled. Some of the cowherd travels to cornstalks for the winter, then return home just before calving to winter range, cake, and hay. The rest of the cowherd remains on the ranch, running on Sandhills winter range, cake, and hay.

Joel thanks all the customers who have bought bulls and looks forward to continuing doing business. The Johnston’s would like to welcome the new customers, as well.

And, yes, that first trade worked out. As of 2024, Mike still has the horse!

The same cow lines of the Marshall Queens, Blackbirds, Evidences Eppionia’s, Erica Ellen’s, Proud Formera’s, Dora’s and the Emma E’s that once originally grazed on the Sitz farm in Buffalo County in the 1920's, and then later on the ranch in Holt County, still continue in the present day herd.

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