“We’re not doing it just to do it; we’re doing it for a purpose,” says Adalaide Kline, the beef program director at Colby Community College in northwest Kansas.
Kline is building a quality herd of cattle while teaching students practical production skills and turning the program into a platform for advocacy and community partnership.
“The main purpose of the program is educating students to be equipped to go into any operation with the skills and confidence that would make them an asset,” Kline says.
In her fourth year at the helm of CCC’s beef program, Kline is in it for the long haul. When she took over, there was a seemingly random assortment of commercial cows. Since she took the position in 2022 she has redirected the program from strictly commercial cow-calf to now including registered Angus seedstock.
“There’s no reason we can’t have a really elite genetic herd,” Kline says.
Kline’s breeding philosophy is based on selecting balanced cattle that function in the terrain of the high plains. In the dry landscape of Thomas County, low maintenance cows who do their job are a must.
“I want to produce females that can wean a calf every year on lower inputs and still have genetically elite calves,” Kline says.
In order to reach these aspirations, Kline utilizes a detailed data driven approach. Kline uses an Excel sheet with all of the expected progeny differences of all the females and potential artificial insemination sires, mating each female individually in order to achieve the optimal genetic makeup for each calf. The program traces cattle from conception to consumption. She also receives carcass data on CCC cattle harvested at the National Beef packing plant in Dodge City.
“Having data on your animals is really important — it allows you to make better management decisions,” Kline says.
Students learn firsthand how to interpret that data and how it relates to real-world profitability and genetic improvement. Kline also teaches her students hands-on skills such as breeding cattle via artificial insemination (AI), pregnancy ultrasounding, branding, vaccination, health monitoring, feeding cattle and cattle handling. Kline, an instructor at CCC, takes immense pride also in her students.
“I think it’s my job to find what students like, what their potential is — even the potential they may not be aware of —and push them toward it,” Kline says.
Between lectures, and caring for the cattle, Kline spends a lot of time with her students and builds lasting relationships. Those relationships do not end at graduation. She loves to hear from alumni — whether it is just to check in or to share conception rates on cattle they AI-bred and pregnancy checked themselves.
The annual bull test sale plays a major role in the program, students gain real experience in planning and organizing all aspects of a production sale. Consignors, many of whom are alumni, benefit from the data driven program. Producers receive information on their bulls’ performance and feed efficiency as well as the ability to market their cattle to a new customer base.
Kline does not come from a traditional agricultural background. While her family owned a seedstock operation, she grew up in town. Instead of 4-H and FFA, she was devoted to sports. Which is part of what developed her passion for agricultural advocacy. Playing Division I soccer at Oklahoma State University and South Dakota State University presented her with a unique opportunity to share the truth about beef with teammates who had previously never encountered agriculture.
“I really want to pass that on to my students; for them to be aware that they need to be advocates for our industry,” Kline says.
Kline makes advocacy an expectation for all of her students —not an option. Partnering with Foote Cattle Company, the beef production students host the Beef Advocacy Dinner, an event where student athletes learn about the importance of beef rich diets, as well as a general overview of the beef production system. Here, beef program students can practice answering tough questions and become confident and approachable voices for the beef industry.
Another advocacy initiative is the Herd It Here podcast hosted by sophomore student, Kaleigh Mason. The podcast highlights different hands-on activities in the program, such as branding, weaning, and BVD testing.
For Kline, the cattle matter. Improving the genetics matters. The conversations about beef matter. However, what matters most is the students and using the responsibility and technical training to prepare them for a future in agriculture.
“The most amazing thing about my job is seeing students transform from quiet, uncertain freshmen into confident, passionate people who know what they’re doing,” Kline says.
