A Black Angus cow from Trippton Angell’s herd with her two babies.
Trippton Angell operates a cow-calf operation that is a prime example of how FFA holds true to the best traditions of our national life.
Angell, a member of the Tatum FFA Chapter in New Mexico, is a freshman at Tatum High School. His Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) is focused on beef production-entrepreneurship. He started this operation in elementary school, as his grandad gave him a few heifers to start.
“When I was 7 years old during the spring brandings, my grandad gave me five Red Angus heifers to let me start my own herd,” he says. “Man, has it grown since then. The deal was that I had to give my grandad all of the steer calves to pay for all the cows’ expenses, but I got to keep the heifers to put back in the herd.”
Through the years, difficulties arose as the herd developed.
“While my original five heifers were preparing to calve, I sadly had one get struck by lightning,” Angell says. “Over the next few years, my dad and grandad changed their herds completely over to Black Angus as the market for them grew. Two years later, I traded in every cow to get some higher-quality Black Angus cows. I watched the size of my herd grow from seven to nine, then to 13.”
In 2023, Angell made a large purchase that changed the scope of his operation.
“I added 22 10-year-old bred cows I bought when my dad planned to sell them to the packer,” he says. “Since adding to my herd, I have taken over all of the daily responsibilities.”
A Black Angus calf from Angell’s herd.
Angell constantly works to improve his operation through hard work and time input.
“I check on them three times a week and make sure they have plenty of minerals and water,” he says. “During the breeding season when the bulls are turned out, I also feed them six pounds of cake three times a week. I also expanded my herd even more in late spring by buying eight first-calf heifers.”
Although Angell’s SAE hasn’t always been delightful because the cattle industry is unpredictable, he’s passionate and loves raising cattle.
“Despite all the hardships, my favorite part is seeing a little black fur ball of a calf that is mostly all legs experience his first day of life and look at you with big white eyes,” he says.
His recommendation to anyone looking into this SAE is to find someone with good advice. “As a very young rancher, the best advice I have is to find someone who’s like my dad,” he adds.
Angell’s final words of advice show his genuine love for the industry and FFA: “If it’s something you’re truly passionate about, like me, don’t let these hard times discourage you from ranching cows.”
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