California Hereford Breeders Donate $40,000 to Wildfire Victims
A group of Hereford breeders from California is donating sale proceeds from a heifer to benefit cattlemen affected by the Camp Fire in northern California.
Money was raised during the Western States National Hereford Sale in Reno, Nev. when the Hereford heifer DF 0245 EMMA 907 741 ET sold for $40,800.
The Camp Fire burned 153,336 acres and destroyed approximately 19,000 buildings and homes after starting in early November. The fire was one of the deadliest wildfires in the state’s history killing at least 85 people.
To aid in rebuilding efforts a group of five Hereford breeders called the G5 Syndicate offered the heifer for sale. The group was made up of Dewar Farms, Bakersfield, Calif.; Lambert Ranch, Irvine, Calif.; Macfarlane Livestock, Cottonwood, Calif.; Schneider – Brown Ranch, Sloughhouse, Calif.; and Wunschel Ranch, Plymouth, Calif. The heifer was raised by Dewar Farms.
“The hardest decision was deciding which heifer we would donate,” says Madison Dewar, Dewar Farms and current California-Nevada Junior Hereford Queen. “It’s helped us realize that it’s not just about us, it’s about the Hereford Family as a whole and coming together to help someone we don’t even know in their time of need.”
The heifer named Emma was first sold for a little over $11,000. Then the heifer was donated back to the sale and sold two more times to generate $40,800 in donations. The final bid was placed by GKB Cattle, Waxahachie, Texas, which takes half interest in the heifer allowing Dewar Farms to continue showing the heifer.
“It was very heartwarming to see all those Hereford breeders give whatever they could,” says Andrea Dewar of Dewar Farms. “We never expected to raise that much money, it’s amazing how an ag community can come together.”
The following Hereford breeders and other cattle producers donated to cause:
- Mark and Stacy Holt
- Jill Jess
- Alto Livestock
- Downing Cattle Co.
- GKB Cattle
- Morrell Cattle
- Wooden Shoe Farms
- Potter Ranch Herefords
- Bar One Ranch
- Hildebrand Hay & Cattle
- Blackhills Herefords
- Scott Holt
- Mrnak Herefords
- Genoa Livestock
- Red River Farms
- Morrell Ranches
- Logan Ipsen
- Sierra Ranches
- Colyer Herefords
- Sticks & Stones Ranch
- Barber Ranch
- Barry Ranch
- Hoffman Ranch
- Sonoma Mountain Herefords
- Pedretti Ranches
- Brumley Farms
- Wheeler Cattle
- Hacklin Herefords
- CX Ranch
- Allison Hay & Herefords
- 4M Livestock
- AES (Amador/El Dorado/Sacremento) Cattlemen’s Association
- Murray Hay & Cattle
- Snedden Ranch
- McDonald Farms
- K Bar D Angus
- Harfst Ranch
- Wunschel Ranch
The G5 Syndicate was formed in 2016 at the Hereford Youth Foundation of America’s (HYFA) The Harvest event in Sonoma, Calif., to raise funds to provide scholarships, education and leadership for Hereford youth. The group had purchased embryos during a live auction at that event and has since stayed in contact to pool funds for other donations like the Camp Fire relief funds.
