Berwald Red Angus Named RAAA 2024 Breeder of the Year

DENVER—Berwald Red Angus, owned by Austin and Becky Berwald of Toronto, South Dakota, has been crowned the 2024 Breeder of the Year by the Red Angus Association of America. The award was presented by, Seth Leachman at the National Red Angus Convention in Lincoln, Nebraska, on Sept. 12.

Recipients of the prestigious Breeder of the Year award have shown exceptional dedication to preserving and enhancing the Red Angus breed's reputation within the cattle industry, while upholding and advancing the highest standards of genetic excellence.

“Austin has been extremely progressive with his operation,” said Leachman. “He’s built the kind of genetics that seedstock producers are searching for and produced quite a few herd bulls for other breeders. His animal husbandry skills and the way he treats his cattle are second to none and people are noticing those efforts and character qualities as a Red Angus breeder. This operation is built by a team united and this award is a reflection of all their hard work.”

Berwald’s expertise and passion for cattle stems from his family’s deep-rooted history in dairy farming. His father later chose to transition the family farm from dairy cattle to commercial Red Angus, with the aim of producing superior females to strengthen and grow the herd. Building on his father’s vision, Berwald implemented a more intensive breeding program, utilizing embryo transfer and artificial insemination to produce cattle tailored to meet their customers' needs. His efforts paid off, as their inaugural sale in 2023 was a resounding success.

“We’ve had a lot of support and sometimes that’s not easy being the new guy,” said Berwald. “This award’s not just for us, it’s for all of our customers and the people who have believed in our program. It’s nice to see the time and effort and all the hard work be recognized and know it’s appreciated but this award is for our entire team.”

The Red Angus Association of America serves the beef industry by enhancing and promoting the measurable advantages of Red Angus and Red Angus-influenced cattle. RAAA provides commercial producers with objectively described cattle by implementing new technologies and using scientifically sound principles that quantify traits of economic importance to beef producers in all segments of the beef industry. For more information, visit www.RedAngus.org.