Athens – Located in the eastern portion of Limestone County, Stroud Farms
is owned and operated by the Alabama Beef Cattle Improvement Association’s
Outstanding Commercial Producer, Wesley Stroud .
Stroud and his family have been raising beef cattle in the Athens area for over 48 years. Their operation consists of about 750 acres of owned and leased land, where they maintain about 200 brood cows and replacement heifers.
To produce an end-product that meets the demands of the industry, Stroud utilizes Black Angus, Red Angus, and Salers, in a “back cross” system to produce calves with approximately 50% Continental genetics and 50% English genetics.
Although Mid-Western feedlots serve as the primary market for Stroud’s calves, the Strouds are founding members of the Alabama BCIA-sponsored heifer sale in conjunction with the North Alabama Bull Evaluation Center sale in Cullman. In addition, the Strouds have enjoyed quite a bit of success selling replacement heifers directly off the farm.
Stroud’s operation depends heavily on forages, utilizing most all of the forages that are routinely grown in the area. The operation grows and harvests its own hay and implements a grazing-management program involving frequent rotations between pastures.
A portion of the Stroud operation is enrolled in the CRP program, with that portion being managed in such a way as to be of maximum benefit to various types of wildlife. In addition, since the operation consists of numerous creek bottoms, great care is taken to prevent erosion problems.
Stroud has been an active member of the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association for many years. He has served as president of the Limestone County Cattlemen’s Association, and has been on the LCCA Board of Directors for over 25 years. He is also currently on the Alabama BCIA Board of Directors. Stroud will represent Alabama as the Commercial Producer of the Year at the Beef Improvement Federation Convention in Lexington, Ky. May 28-31.
The Alabama BCIA congratulates Stroud on his accomplishments and awards him the 2002 Outstanding Commercial Producer Award