Tom Jones – Hy-Plains Feedyard – Progressive cattle feeder

“You have to own something in your life.” That’s an unofficial motto for Tom Jones, owner-manager at Hy-Plains Feedyard near Montezuma, Kansas. He sets the bar high, but tomorrow will move it even higher. A lot has changed since 1999 when he and investors bought the feedyard, but something that’s never wavered? The focus on beef demand drivers. Now that cattle grade 100% Choice or better, he’s moved his sights to Prime, along with the added information consumers ask for: transparency and traceability. In 2017, the company opened its Hy-Plains Education and Research Center. It’s part research, part demonstration facility, part communal office space, but all grounded in sharing knowledge and growing more of it. There’s a GrowSafe system outside to monitor feed efficiency, and a Silencer chute and working facility on the inside. The second floor houses a viewing deck for up to 200 people. “My biggest desire was to be able to bring in a busload of fourth graders and have them watch us process cattle,” Jones says. So that’s what they do. Out in the feedyard, animal welfare is more than a buzzword, it’s standard operating procedure. They spend time teaching stockmanship skills, and everyone from pen rider to mill worker to management is invested in making a difference. It’s part of owning what they do. This is their story. The fourth in the 5-part series, “A Rare Breed: Committed to Quality.” Hy-Plains Feedyard was named the 2019 Certified Angus Beef ® Progressive Partner Award winner. Find more by visiting https://www.cabcattle.com/a-rare-breed/