Hey, y’all!
It is finally the month of March and that means some exciting things for me because it’s Brahman month!
So this time, I thought I might tell you a little bit about what the Brahman breed means to me.
Growing up as a Kempfer, the white-eared, humpy cattle have always been around and they hold a very special place in my heart. Maybe it’s a generational thing? Dating back to the early 1930s, the Partin family introduced one of the first purebred breeding programs in the state. My great-great-grandfather Henry O. Partin purchased about 131 purebred cattle from Texas in 1936. In 1940, “Emperor” was born.
Emperor was a key player in shaping the Florida brahman program, but he also made history within my family. Granny set the tone for the grandkids when she climbed up on him and since then, we haven’t been able to pull it off quite as she did.
The Partin family also passed down another tradition, that every person in the family gets their brand. Something about seeing my dragonfly brand in the pretty white hide of a brahman, really makes me smile. Brahmans have laid the foundation of my family’s operation. The purebred herd is just the start of all the exciting things that inspire me to learn more and grow every day in this industry. My family likes to say “We’re in the Brahman business for the long haul”. I love promoting this breed, and I am so proud and honored that my family gets to be a part of the story. When someone asks me what my favorite breed of cattle is, I will always say “Brahmers”. Not only are they the prettiest and most fun, in my opinion, but they remind me of tradition, of my family, and the endless possibilities for the future of the Florida cattle industry.
What is your Brahman story? What do Brahmans mean to you?
I would love to hear it! Please email me or message me on social media. sallykempfer@ufl.edu @fcasweetheart God Bless,
Sally Kempfer “I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul” – Jeremiah 32:41
