Brooks Simmentals was started in 1986 when I purchased 2 Black Simmental cows and today that has grown to 70. Cattle and land are owned together with my parents, John and Wilma Brooks. AI has been used from the beginning and for the last nine years ET has become a major factor in upgrading my program. I enjoy showing cattle and have had champions at the Kansas State Fair and the Kansas Beef Expo, but raising show cattle is not my goal.  My objective is to raise cattle that are polled, solid-colored, and very functional for use in the commercial market with a strong emphasis on carcass quality.

Dikeman Simmentals consists of 45 purebred AI and embryo transfer females that are mostly black and all polled. Our goal is to balance phenotype and performance. We emphasize balanced EPDs, and use AI sires that have desirable carcass and meat traits. Our cattle are grazed in the Flint Hills native grassland area of Kansas seven months and then fed brome hay and supplement for five months. We calve in January through early March. Our cattle are moderate framed, functional, and have good dispositions. We strive for ‘optimum’ production rather than maximum production by producing cattle that calve easily, breed back quickly, look attractive, and perform well. We want our cattle to be productive in both commercial and registered herd environments. Mark and Becca showed heifers in Regional and National Classics that were very successful, but we don’t generally show in open shows.

Diamond D Simmentals was established in the Flint Hills near Manhattan, Kansas in 1968 by Calvin and Mary Louise Drake. Semen, imported from Canada, was used on Angus and Polled Hereford cows to enhance the polled gene. Artificial Insemination has been used for 33 years. Easy-fleshing, polled, rapid-growing females that calve easily are selected as replacement Heifers. EPD's are used in selection and carcass quality is stressed. Only AI Sires having sound EPD's and correct structure are selected. Both red and black cows comprise the herd of about 40 head. This is one of the earliest Simmental herds established in America still in continuous operation. Calvin is a retired professor of Animal Science at Kansas State University and spent several years in the cattle feeding industry.

The Schaake's have been breeding Simmental cattle since 1974, after an introduction to the breed when Scott showed the Grand Champion Steer (Simmental x Hereford) at the county fair.

Artificially Breeding our black cows to Simmental bulls gave us our start in black-factored Simmental genetics in 1975. In fact, many of our leading cow families trace back to "Chipper N726", who defined the word "longevity". She remained a productive donor cow to the age of 20 years.

Currently our program utilizes artificial insemination and embryo transfer. Selection pressure for calving ease, maternal influence, moderate growth, disposition and a manageable mature size has been stressed for several generations. Attention to structural correctness, fleshing ability and marketing appeal has been a priority since day one.