The CSA Hall of Fame consists of those individuals who have contributed to the expansion and growth of the Simmental breed, as well as being leaders in their community and in the beef industry. To be inducted into the Canadian Simmental Hall of Fame, individuals have been recognized by their fellow breeders as leaders in promoting the Simmental breed. Their involvements both the Simmental breed and the agricultural communities have been great assets to the organization and the industry. The CSA appreciates all that they do for the breed and for this organization, and is proud to induct Gerry Kaumeyer, Wes Alm, and Wilf Davis to the CSA Hall of Fame.

Gerry Kaumeyer

Gerry was born in Regina, SK and grew up in the small town of Creelman, SK  After three years in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) as a pilot and flight engineer; he attended the University of Saskatchewan and the University of California in Los Angeles.

He was always fascinated by the cattle business and being brought up in a farm and ranch family, he made it his business to learn about the industry from experienced cattlemen and educators.  This included Alex Mitchell of Lloydminster whose Battle River Ranch Herefords were a top herd each year at the Regina Bull Sale.

His first venture in the purebred business, after a number of years raising commercial cattle was to develop a herd of Black Angus at a small ranch north of Stony Plain, AB.  This was a family operation with assistance from his three eldest children.

In 1968 he realized a boyhood dream by becoming involved with a large commercial ranching operation by joining LK Ranches of Bassano,AB; owned by the Charlie McKinnon family.  The McKinnons were leaders in the commercial cattle industry as was evidence by the fact that they imported Bismark, the second Simmental bull imported into Canada, (the first Swiss Simmental).  They also undertook an extensive AI breeding program utilizing Simmental, Limousin, Maine Anjou and Charolais semen, to test various new breeds’ suitability to Canada.  This resulted in one of the first “Exotic Sales” in North America on October 19, 1970. 

The purebred cattle operation of LK operated under the name National Beef Breeders with Gerry as manager.  Thanks to obtaining a number of import permits there were several trips to Europe to select cattle.  However, it became apparent that the record keeping and promotion required in the purebred business was not compatible with running a large commercial ranching operation.  As a result, Gerry bought out the company’s Simmental herd and moved them to a ranch west of Okotoks, AB.

Gerry was actively involved in the formation of the Canadian Simmental Association serving on the Board of Directors for three years and filling the position of President for one year. In 1977, Gerry married Hermie Dixon, owner of the Bar Eleven Simmental herd.  It made sense to combine the herds under the name Pioneer Simmentals and move the operation to the Bar Eleven Ranch in the foothills west of Nanton, AB.  The Bar Eleven herd was predominately of Swiss origin where as the National Beef Breeders herd included cattle of Swiss German and Austrian origins.  Pioneer did not show cattle but put there emphasis into raising “middle of the road” cattle suitable for commercial cattlemen.

One of the highlights of Gerry & Hermie’s Simmental experiences was the opportunity to tour Great Britain inspecting the “Elite Cows”, of the British Simmental Association.  This resulted in selecting Richardstown Jumbo semen for their breeding program and importing one of his daughters to Canada.

The Pioneer herd was sold in 1991, due to Hermis’s failing health.

The history of the introduction of the Simmental breed into Canada and the stories of the exciting times and the people involved in making Simmental a major factor in the Canadian cattle industry has been talked about for years.  Recently with the financial assistance of two past CSA presidents and some new comers, Gerry pulled together in the publication “Simmental in Canada, Celebrating 37 years of Progress.

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Wes Alm

Wes and Dix Alm started in the Simmental business in 1968-69, when the first Simmental semen on Parisien #1, became available.  Prior to that; Wes had been trying to find a way to increase weaning weights (maternal milk and growth_in his herd of commercial Hereford cows.  In 1962 Wes began using artificial insemination as a means to acquire the best genetics the Hereford breed could offer.  Wes has always been an innovator and he became one of the first people to take an AI course in Southern Alberta.  He made use of this knowledge for many years.

Wes first began cross breeding with Charolais as soon as the semen became available.  But those Charolais heifers still didn’t have enough milk.  When the Simmental advertise, “Milk and Meat”, he was interested!  When he saw those first half-blood heifer calves he was converted!

The first few half-blood heifer calves born at Bar 15 were contracted to Dr. Allan Dixon of Bar Eleven Ranch.  Through the late 60’s Wes used bulls such as Pacific, Bismark, Extra and Beat.  In 1971 he imported four Simmental heifers from Switzerland; selected by Hans Ulrich Sr.  By this time he was keeping all the replacement heifers he could raise, in addition to profiting from the heavier weaning weights on his steer calves.

By 1973 things were really booming in the Simmental business, and Wes and Dix had built up enough numbers to be thinking about their first production sale.  They went to Switzerland in May of that year to select heifers for importation.  It was also in 1973 that Wes, Don Jess, and Dave McNab started a sale management company called MJA.  Their first sale was the Bar 15 Ranch Ltd. Production sale in July of 1973, held at the farm near Claresholm, Alberta.

From 1973 – 75, Wes  went to Switzerland every May to select females for his own herd and for others who had been granted import permits.  Because of the drop in cattle prices in 1975, that was the last importation.  Wes recalls that drop in the cattle market vividly.  Freed Nelson from Warner was a good customer; in the 1974 sale he paid $2900.00 each for fifteen ¾ blood heifer calves and by that fall they had dropped to less than $1500.00.

 Wes not only worked very hard at building his own herd of Simmentals from half-bloods up to purebreds and establishing one of the first Fullblood herds, he also served on the Alberta Simmental Board of Directors to help shape the future of this new “exotic” breed.  He served for three years from 1970 -73.  Then he was elected to the Canadian Simmental Board of Directors and served for 11 years from 1973 – 84 (the longest term ever served by a CSA board member).  He was always very concerned about the acceptance of Simmental in the commercial cattle industry, and was instrumental in getting the “Steer a Year” program started and in the hiring of Will Irvine as the Commercial Fieldman for the CSA.

In 1981, Wes offered the Fullblood Simmental herd to his daughter and son-in-law, Anne & Quentin Stevick; who then bought a ranch a Pincher Creek, Alberta and run under the name of Bar 15 Simmentals.  Wes’s son , Glen and his wife Donna and their two girls now run the Bar 15 Ranch Ltd., west of Claresholm and they still have a herd of high percentage Simmental commercial cows that they cross with Red Angus.  They have done very well selling their steers on the computer tape every fall and marketing replacement heifers in the spring.

Another compliment to Wes achievements is that all his children are involved directly or indirectly with agriculture; either with Simmental in 4-H or using Simmental bulls in the herd.  Wes is now retired and keeps busy with his woodwork or his team and wagon, but he still lives at the ranch and keeps an eye on the progress of the cattle.  You can bet he watching the progress of the Simmental breed with a sense of its true beginnings.

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Wilf Davis

Wilf Davis grew up at Whitewood, Saskatchewan on a farm that produced grain and purebred Hereford cattle. After a number of years being actively involved with the farm and showing the family Herefords at summer fairs, the Regina Bull Sale and the Toronto Royal Winter Fair, a decision was made to attend University.

After graduation in 1959 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture from the University of Saskatchewan, Wilf spent the next eleven years working with all aspects of beef cattle production, as a livestock specialist for the Manitoba Department of Agriculture.

Wilf, along with a number of Manitoba cattlemen, established Bar 5 Simmental Stock Farms Ltd., in 1969. As part of Bar 5, in the early 1970’s, he selected and imported Simmental Cattle foundation breeding stock from Switzerland, Austria, Germany and France, helping to introduce the breed in North America. Wilf continued a working relationship with Bar 5 in various capacities, until Bar 5’s dispersion sale in 2001.

In recent years, Wilf has also been a self-employed, livestock marketing consultant for a variety of purebred cattle producers. Services include sales management, livestock photography, selection and order buying.

In 1996, Wilf entered into partnership with Marnie Somers in Carberry Sandhills Consulting, providing consulting and marketing services to the horse industry. Their company has contracts to provide media relations and conference planning services to the North American Equine Ranching Information Council (NAERIC), which is the PMU ranchers’ association with headquarters in Kentucky; and to Wyeth in Pennsylvania, the parent company of Ayerst Organics in Brandon, Manitoba.

On behalf of the CSA and all of its members, the CSA Board of Directors is proud to make this induction into the Hall of Fame. For all Gerry, Wilf and Wes have done for this association, for the Simmental breed, and for the industry, thank you for all your years of involvement and dedication, you truly are an asset to our organization.

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