Cactus Feeders founder Paul Engler and Colorado cattle feeding pioneer W.D. Farr were honored earlier this week as the first inductees into the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame. Recognition of these individuals took place during the Cattle Feeders Business Summit in Denver , hosted by Intervet/Schering-Plough.
Engler managed his first 100 head of cattle at age 14. He helped establish Hereford Feedyards in the 1960s and later started Cactus, which is one of the largest cattle feeding businesses in the world today. During his acceptance speech, Engler credited many other people, including Nebraska cattleman Louis Dinklage, for his success.
Farr, who passed away in 2007, was a past president of the American National Cattlemen’s Association, the predecessor group to NCBA. He was intensely interested in making cattle feeding more efficient, which led to his discovery of the fence-line feedbunk. Farr also was a visionary on Colorado water issues. His son, Dick Farr, accepted the Hall of Fame plaque on behalf of the family. Dick said his father would have been honored by the accolade, but possibly more interested in learning the latest about cattle feeding technology during presentations at the summit.
The Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame was created this year to recognize those who have set the standard in the feeding business. A virtual Hall of Fame will be launched on-line this fall, with long-term plans to select a building site where honorees and cattle feeding history will be displayed.