Ledru Freyenberger recognized at Cattleman of the Year

Ledru Freyenberger, who was recently recognized by the Henry County Cattlemen association as a Cattleman of the Year 2020 award recipient, didn't get into farming until he was 50 years old.

'I was born on a farm and I always enjoyed it, but when I got out of school, I didn't have the opportunity to farm. I didn't have the desire either because it took a lot of money to get into it, so I worked construction for 25 years,” Freyenberger said.

The former construction worker, who grew up and has lived in the Wayland area all his life, began looking to get back into farming in the early 90s. He used money he made from owning a construction company to buy his first plots of land.

Looking back, Freyenberger said his decision to get back into farming was especially funny because his wife, who he married just as he began his cattle farm, had vowed never to marry a farmer.

'I didn't get married until I was older, just a couple years before I started farming. My wife was born on a farm and she knows about all the chores, and having to chase cows if they got out,” he said.

When they initially got married, Freyenberger was still running his construction business but went into farming full time just two years later.

'One time my cows got out during the day. I was still doing some construction. My wife owned the grocery store in Wayland, so she went to chase my cows because I was way off somewhere else. When she opened the gate to chase them in and all the rest came out. Later, somebody finally came to help,” he said.

'She knew that was what I wanted to do and she enjoys it. I don't have her come out to help me chase that often,” Freyenberger added.

Though being on a farm was familiar ground for Freyenberger, raising cattle was a whole new experience.

'We had chickens and pigs and we had some cattle and farm ground. I didn't have cows when I was young other than milk cows or feeder cattle,” he said.

Part of the reason Freyenberger decided to go into cattle farming was because the land he bought was 'mostly pasture ground.”

'I kind of wanted to get into cattle because the farms I bought were cheaper farms because they had pasture. The good ground was out of my price range at the time. I bought most of my ground in the early 90s - most of it was less than $1,000,” he said.

Because pasture ground has to be grazed, the natural choice for Freyenberger was cattle.

'It was a learning curve. I did a lot of reading and had friends that helped me too,” he said.

Among the lessons Freyenberger has learned on the job, one of the most memorable included switching to fall calving.

'I bought some cattle from the sale barn that were to calve around March and April, and they ended up calving in June and July and so I didn't know what to do with them,” he said.

The late calving prompted the farmer to read up on calving in September because he 'couldn't get back into a cycle to calve in the spring.

'I was one of the first in the area to start fall calving. Most calves are born in early spring, anywhere from February to April, so this is a little different,” he explained. The farmer added there are several advantages to calving in the fall, including warmer ground and fewer snow storms.

Now twenty years into his farming career, Freyenberger raises about 150 cows a year until they hit about 500 lbs. before selling them off. The farmer's favorite part of his farm operation is watching calves with their mothers.

'It's just fun to go out into the pasture when they're calving. It's a good feeling when you have a live calf on the mother,” he said.

Another important part of being a cattle farmer for Freyenberger is being active in the community. The farmer said he's been involved with the local Cattlemen Association since he started farming 20 years ago.

Adam Smith, president of the association, said part of what stood out about Freyenberger was how the award recipient got into the cattle industry.

'He grew and kind of built his own herd and is overall a good producer,” Smith said.

The president added Freyenberger's involvement with the community and commitment to taking good care of his cattle and land were also considerations the award panel recognized.

'I've worked with the Natural Resources Conservation Service to build ponds and put up fences. I also started doing rotational grazing. I try to take care of the land real well, don't want to abuse it because we need to keep it for the next generation,” Freyenberger said.

Freyenberger added that being recognized as Cattleman of the Year was special and unexpected.

'It was my first time [receiving the award]. It's great to be honored by your peers,” he said.

Though he's not quite finished, the 71-year-old cattle farmer is now looking to slow down and begin passing on his farm to his nephew.

'I realize that I'm getting older, my body isn't made for working real hard anymore,” he said.

'I have a nephew that's been helping me. He farms a little and still does construction too. He's been buying a few calves and may be able to take over some day,” he added.