Board Members
SPGCA Board Members
President: Teddy Gentry
Bent Tree Farms & SPGCA Headquarters
Email: tgbenttreefarms@gmail.com
Teddy Gentry, bass player for the county music group Alabama, was born and raised on Lookout Mountain in Fort Payne, Alabama. He, and his wife, Linda, have two children, five grandchildren, and one great grandchild. After receiving his first check from RCA records in 1980 for $61,000, he purchased 60 acres from his grandfather, which he called Bent Tree Farms.
Teddy started the South Poll breed in 1989 when he got the idea to genetically combine the best traits of four maternal Bos Taurus breeds to form a more heat tolerant animal that would work for his cattle operation. The South Poll is a four way cross of Hereford, Red Angus, Senepol, and Barzona. He wanted an animal with a gentle disposition and would produce tender beef on grass.
Bent Tree Farms is the home of the South Poll. Our cattle are always grass fed and naturally pasture raised.
Vice President: Bruce Shanks
Sassafras Valley Ranch
Email: sassafrasvalleyranch@gmail.com • Website: sassafrasvalleyranch.com • Phone: 573-578-3945
Bruce Shanks has been involved in the livestock industry his whole life. Bruce was raised on a diversified livestock farm in Southeast Missouri. He received a B.S. in Animal Science from Missouri State University, a M.S. in Animal Science/Animal Breeding from Montana State University, and Ph.D. in Animal Science/Meat Science from South Dakota State University.
Bruce and his wife, Sunshine, own and reside on Sassafras Valley Ranch in Belle, MO where they raise livestock under a managed-intensive grazing system on 750 owned and 1,400 leased acres. Their son, Paul, who grew up with South Poll cattle, and his wife, Lainyn, are the next generation of Sassafras Valley Ranch. Currently, the operation consists of 300 registered South Poll cows and a flock of 200 commercial Katahdin hair sheep and 30 commercial Kiko/Spanish goats. Sassafras Valley also conducts animal science nutrition research. They have four buildings that are dedicated to poultry, swine, small ruminant, large ruminant, and horse research.
Secretary: Josh Erickson
Erickson Cattle Co. in Cameron, MO
Website: facebook.com/ericksoncattleco • Email: southpollje@gmail.com
My family and I live in Cameron (NW) Missouri, where we run spring and fall herds of registered South Poll cattle along with my brother and dad. We purchased our first group of South Poll’s from a herd dispersal in South Missouri in 2011 and have been building on quality and numbers ever since. Prior to South Poll cattle, we had always run an Angus based commercial cow/calf and operation. We rotationally graze to make the most our grass and soil and intentionally minimize cattle inputs so that only the best cows stay in our herds. We market steer calves in the spring and fall to grass finishers and have recently started selling heifers as well.
If you have any questions about our operation or just want to visit about cattle, don’t hesitate to give me a call and I’ll be happy to visit with you.
Treasurer: Judy Freeman
Woods Fork Cattle Co. in Hartville, MO
Email: judy.l.freeman@gmail.com • Phone: 417-254-0914
Judy was born and raised in Los Angeles, then moved to San Diego county where she met her husband, Steve, at the Thoroughbred race horse breeding/training facility where they were both employed. They left there together in search of their ideal homestead, which led them to the south central Missouri town of Hartville. Their family includes three children and five grandchildren.
Steve and Judy have been raising beef cattle since 1987. A long search for a breed that has the fertility and adaptability to handle the heat and humidity of the Ozark summer led them to South Polls. They have been breeding up from a herd of commercial Brahman-crossed cows since 2006. The herd currently consists of about 160-200 Purebred and high percentage South Poll mother cows and 60-70 yearling heifers which are raised on a managed grazing system with an emphasis on fertility and adaptability in order to produce a profitable, easy-keeping cow herd.
Executive Secretary/Office: Kathy McCart
Kathy McCart and her husband Michael, own and operate M3 Cattle in Elba, AL, where they raise stocker cattle.
Kathy is the Secretary for the South Poll Grass Cattle Association. Previously, she worked as executive secretary for South Poll Grass Cattle Association, Bent Tree Farms, the Grassfed Exchange and Understanding Ag. She also served as a certified carcass ultrasound technician for 15 years.
SPGCA Directors
Becky Szarzynski
Ember Cattle Co. in Fairfield, VA
Email: embercattle@gmail.com • Website: embercattle.com • YouTube: Ember Cattle Company
Becky, owner/operator of Ember Cattle Company in Fairfield, VA, is a Virginia native, who grew up on her family’s farm raising Angus beef cattle. After leaving university early to pursue a life in agriculture, she started exploring innovative farming strategies to reinvigorate the land and expand the family farm business. With experience in grass-fed and conventional dairies, as well as other beef cattle operations, Becky now manages Ember Cattle Co., a cow/calf operation, using adaptive grazing methods where she focuses on fine tuning her South Poll cattle genetics to thrive in a low input system in the Mid-Atlantic region. Becky actively contributes to agricultural knowledge by serving on the Virginia Forage and Grassland Council board of directors, the South Poll Grass Cattle Board, and as the Coordinator of the VFGC Farmer-to-Farmer Mentor Program. In her spare time, she continues to develop her YouTube Channel with vlogs about life as a grazier, experiments with crafting handmade tallow soaps or can be found spending time in the local rivers and mountains.
Dakota Blanks
Windy Acres Farm in Appomattox, VA
Email: windyacrescattle@gmail.com • Website: windyacrescattle.com • Phone: 434-942-5210
Born and raised in central Virginia, my agricultural background started early in raising tobacco on the family farm without a cow in sight. When tobacco wasn’t viable any longer, I moved into horticulture at a local wholesale tree nursery where my interest in plant life began to grow. Later, I worked as a professional firefighter for over 10 years while growing produce for retail customers as well as restaurants and convenience stores.
After being introduced to cattle by a neighbor I decided to buy a group of eight sim-angus heifers. A few months after, I decided to expand a bit and bought another 160 head of cow-calf pairs and leased several farms in the area. I left the fire service shortly thereafter to raise cattle full time.
I began to realize quickly these high input cattle wouldn’t cut it. I started intensively grazing our farms, taking away a lot of inputs and the cattle started falling to pieces. That led me on the search for cattle that could handle my environment and management. I landed on South Polls and have never looked back. From the cattle to the people, this breed is the best we’ve found.
My wife Ruth and I live in Appomattox VA with our two sons and daughter.
Dave Roberts
Roberts Farm in Fort Payne, AL
Email: dajero1@yahoo.com • Phone: 256-996-1788
Dave Roberts was born and raised in Illinois. He got his first calves when he was 10 years old for his 4-H and FFA projects. He had a registered and commercial Hereford bull at the time.
He attended Spoon River College and Western Illinois University where he was on the livestock judging team, member of Alpha Gamma, Sigma Agriculture Fraternity. After college, he married Jenny. Jenny continued her education and Dave took a job at Williams Farms as herdsman for their Polled Hereford herd. Dave and Jenny had cows of their own and acquired property along the way. During this period, Dave served on Western Illinois Hereford board as director and president. He was also director and president of the Illinois Polled Hereford Association. Dave served as beef superintendent of Hancock County Fair, was on Hancock County Beef Board, and these terms as township trustee.
The Williams passed on and Dave and Jenny moved to Alabama in 1998. Since then Dave has had the honor of working with Teddy Gentry and his South Poll cattle. He also worked for Tennessee River Music, Genex Corporation, and Lookout Mountain Genetics.
Dave and Jenny have three children who have all grown up and became involved in agriculture in one way or another. Sean is in meat products development for Tyson Foods and their subsidiaries. Sara and her husband have a farm in which they have cows, hogs, and have put up some grain bins. Jamie farms and raises grass and forage seed here in Alabama. Jenny is the director of Religious Education at church, but is soon to retire. Our family has a partnership operation in Illinois where they raise South Polls and Herefords.
Devin Dean
Desoto Farms in Fort Payne, AL
Email: deanautos25@yahoo.com • Phone: 256-996-2117
My family and I live in Fort Payne, AL. We raise only registered South Poll Cattle. I have been in some sort of agriculture most all of my adult life. I have had many different breeds of cattle, but being a businessman, I never could get any of the other cattle numbers to work out for profitability. The inputs to keep them maintained always out ran the income. I was introduced to South Poll Cattle and have literally fallen in love with them. My farm is based on a low input system. We make these cattle earn their keep and they do that year after year.
If anyone has any questions about our operation feel free to call or stop by anytime. I will be happy to discuss them with you.
Doug Creech
Creech Farms in Albertville, AL
Email: pdccreech@gmail.com • Phone: 256-572-6244 (Mobile) and 256-302-0463
We began raising South Polls in 2015. In fact we purchased our first SP’s at the 2015 Field Day. Originally from KY and having grown up around cattle I began thinking about revisiting the practice as I was nearing retirement. While I wasn’t positive on the specific breed I wanted to raise, I was positive I didn’t wish to raise Black Angus as my family had done in KY. After researching various breeds, and with the help of my older son Josh, we settled on South Polls. This decision was not made hastily nor without many hours of research coupled with visits with Sumner Farms and eventually Dave Roberts which were both very helpful. From the research and meetings with other SP produces it became clear.
Roll forward six years and we couldn’t be happier with our decision. We run over 100 SP’s today between our two farms and I’m yet to find a single bad trait in these animals. I could write several paragraphs on all the qualities I like in them but will simply say the following. What Teddy Gentry set out to accomplish was clearly achieved and I have made that statement many times. If your desire is to raise cattle and make a profit then I’d encourage anyone to strongly consider this breed of cattle. I can tell you for certain this will be the only breed of cattle Creech Farms raises.
Ethan Foard
Easy E Cattle Company in Jefferson, SC
Email: ethan_foard@yahoo.com • Phone: 843-672-8993
Born and raised in Chesterfield County South Carolina. My love for agriculture started at a young age. My summers were spent with my grandparents who live the simplest life at their age. The farm animals were gone, and the pastures had been rented to crop farmers. My grandmother‘s garden fed them all year and nothing went to waste. I never knew that my entrepreneurial lifestyle would allow me to someday piecemeal the old family farm back together. Now that it’s whole again. I am proud to say that it’s home to our registered South Poll herd. It makes life worth living to have our nine-year-old daughter, enjoying this journey with the hopes of sustainability for generations to come.
Nathan Hahn
Unity Farms in Harrodsburg, KY
Email: unityfarms2@gmail.com • Phone: 502-354-1920
Nathan Hahn is a dedicated and passionate farmer and rancher committed to land and livestock stewardship. Alongside his family - Ellie, Sadie, Mathew - Nathan and his wife established Unity Farms in 2021, located north of Harrodsburg, Kentucky. Transitioning to full-time farming, Nathan and his family felt a strong calling to share, inspire, and promote their passion for sustainable agriculture. Embracing a philosophy rooted in the principles of observation and biological and ecological function, Nathan has eliminated industrial norms from their farming practices. With an unwavering belief in highly adaptable management strategies, the Hahn family strives to promote natural cycles, creating resiliency in their land and livestock. Having previously experienced the limitations of conventional farming methods, Nathan and his family discovered the truth in working with creation, aligning their processes with the Creator's original design. They now advocate for an adaptively managed, low-input operation that allows farmers, ranchers, land, and livestock to thrive. Through their journey, the Hahn family is privileged to share their experiences and are grateful for the support they receive.
Paul Epting
Rolling Hill Ranch in Mountville, SC
Email: paulkepting@yahoo.com • Phone: 864-630-0152
My wife and I, along with our three children, operate Rolling Hill Ranch located in Mountville, SC. Ranching started as a hobby shortly after we got married in 2008, as my wife Caroline was a cosmetologist and I was a General Contractor. Our passion to steward and care for God’s creation quickly grew as we began seeking ways to turn our hobby into a full-time occupation. Over the course of the next 12 years with many failures, a few successes, and a lot of study and education, our conventional farming practices transformed into regenerative farming practices as we wanted to be profitable while making our land better. That’s also when our cow herd began to transition from black to red. We bought our first South Poll cattle in January of 2020 and haven’t looked back since. We also purchased our new farm that same year, allowing us to expand our operation and reach our goal of being full-time first-generation ranchers. That dream became reality in October 2022!
Today, we raise registered South Poll cattle using management-intensive grazing practices to produce the best quality bulls and replacement heifers possible. We strive to develop low input cattle that excel in our heat and humidity and thrive on our fescue dominant pastures, all while raising a healthy calf every year.
Rodney Cravens
Lone Pine Farms in Hartville, MO
Email: cravensr2@gmail.com • Phone: 417-464-7071
My wife, Jenna, our three children, Lucy, Henry, Grady and I reside on the family farm that was purchased by my great-grandfather in 1918. I grew up on a dairy farm a mile down the road where I developed a passion for agriculture and cattle. My Christian faith and sports, especially basketball and baseball, played a huge role in my formative years. After high school I attended College of the Ozarks, majoring in physical education, and upon graduation I taught social studies and coached a variety of sports for 9 years in my hometown of Hartville. I am currently the elementary principal at Hartville School District in south-central Missouri and have served in that position since 2013.
My father, Joel, and I have run commercial beef cattle together since he retired from the dairy in 2013. Steve and Judy Freeman have been a huge influence on our operation. We have gained invaluable knowledge from them regarding soil health, grazing practices, cattle adaptability, and profitability. They are the reason we began using South Poll bulls and since 2014 we have been "breeding up" using fullblood bulls. We currently run approximately 150 cows and are continually working to improve our genetics. I have a passion for pedigrees and improving genetics through proper selection. We have begun registering our females and in the future I hope to be able to provide the commercial cattlemen with bulls and females that work in a low-input, grass only environment.
Troy Lohman
TNT Farm in Butler, IL
Email: troyneillohman@gmail.com • Phone: 217-556-2066
I own TNT Farm in Butler Illinois. A 5th generation family livestock farm. Over the years I have tried multiple breeds of cattle searching for the perfect fit for fescue, hot summers, bitter cold winter, low input, high output, all in a moderate frame with a calm disposition. I found exactly that in South Poll cattle. Great mothers, calm dispositions, fescue tollerant, fly tolerant & they handle the weather extremely well. I run a herd of Kiko's meat goats with my cattle herd. Its been a winning combination
Wesley O'Neal
O’Neal Cattle Company in Bremen, GA
Email: w11oneal@aol.com • Phone: 770-206-0318
O'Neal Cattle Company is a small family farm located in Bremen Ga. My 2 brothers Jeff and Steven help out with daily operations. I am married to my wonderful wife Jaime with 3 beautiful children Faith, Oaklee and Kade and A great son-in-law, Clay and a precious granddaughter Lennon. Growing up my dad always had cattle off and on. So I guess you could call me a 2nd generation farmer. I always wanted to have my own herd but I was always busy with sports growing up. I went off to college to play Baseball and when I came home from school I started working at the dealership my dad started in 1990. In 2012 my brother and I purchased the dealership from my dad to carry on the family business. Fast foward to 2019 the opportunity finally came and I bought my first set of commercial cattle. It didn't take me long to realize that those weren't gonna work for us here and I started studying regenerative farming and cattle that worked on grass with low inputs. Everything kept leading back to the South Poll breed. In 2020 I bought my first set of South Poll cattle and I could tell immediately a huge difference in temperament and just how well they did on grass. It has been a pleasure to raise South Poll cattle and try to grow the awareness of this breed.
SPGCA Honorarium Board Members
Greg Judy
Green Pastures in Clark, MO
Website: greenpasturesfarm.net • Email: gtjudy4099@gmail.com
Greg and Jan Judy of Clark, Missouri run a grazing operation on 1620 acres of leased and owned land. Greg and Jan went from near bankruptcy in 1999 to paying off a 200 acre farm and house in 3 years with custom grazing on leased land and are completely debt free today. Today they own 4 farms and lease 12 farms. Planned grazing is used to graze cow/calf pairs, bred heifers, bulls, and stockers. They own a 350 head grass genetic South Poll cow herd, hair sheep flock, graze pastured pigs and pastured layers. Greg has written two books on ranching practices, “No Risk Ranching” and “Comeback Farms.” Greg has given numerous talks and schools all over the US, New Zealand & Canada teaching the benefits of planned grazing, leasing land, multi-species grazing & custom grazing. Greg quit his off farm job in 2009 and is now a full time rancher. The Judy’s website is: greenpasturesfarm.net.