Mark Anderson, NALF Executive Director: “The North American Limousin Foundation is extremely proud to induct Charlie Hunt in the NALF Hall of Fame. As a longtime and devoted Limousin breeder, Charlie and his family have been very progressive and proactive in their approach to producing high-quality Limousin genetics. They were one of the first to utilize complete phenotype data capture on their herd to enhance EPD accuracy and one of the first breeders to genomically enhance their cattle when that technology became available as well. They have been in NALF’s whole herd reporting system (LIMS) since its inception.”
The Charles Hunt Family operation began in the 1960s after Charlie attended the University of Nebraska. What started as 350 black baldy cows currently exists as a 6,500-acre diversified operation consisting of dryland and irrigated corn, soybeans, alfalfa, wheat, and grassland supporting 300 cows, private-treaty bulls, and replacement females.
The goal at Hunt Limousin Ranch is to: “Conserve the land for the future generations, keep current and knowledgeable on the leading cattle issues, provide high-quality cattle for a fair price, and treat people with honesty and integrity.” The three foundations at the core of the breeding program are calving ease, growth, and docility. Hunt Limousin cattle consistently rank in the top percentiles of the Limousin breed.
Collecting and utilizing performance records form the backbone of their business. When they started in the purebred Limousin business, the family developed the “Hunt Herd Manager” computer program to track breeding data, calf data, cow and sire data, mailing lists, customer purchases, and files where they can enter and track expected progeny differences (EPDs). The Hunt family believes strongly in total herd reporting and does this through the North American Limousin Foundation’s Limousin Inventory Management System (LIMS) program.
In 2017, the Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) presented Hunt Limousin Ranch with the BIF Seedstock Producer of the Year Award during the group’s annual meeting and symposium in Athens, Georgia. This national award is presented annually to a producer to recognize their dedication to improving the beef industry at the seedstock level.
Through the years, the Hunt family has implemented programs to stay on the cutting edge of seedstock production. In 1995, they started a customer buy-back program. In 2000, when their son Daniel graduated from the University of Nebraska and returned home to the ranch, they expanded their heifer development program, bull sales, embryo transfer work, and row-crop farming ventures.
Hunt genetics have been used all over the globe, including Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand. Bulls have been exhibited at the National Western Stock Show for 32 years. Bulls are available for private treaty as well as through their online sale that happens each January.
Charlie and his wife, Nancy, have four children, David, Susan, Sally, and Daniel, nine grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren