The American Angus Association^® recognizes Russell Angus Farm LLC with a Historic Angus Herd Award. The award recognizes operations that have been in continuous production of registered Angus cattle for 50 years or more.

Lee Russell, along with his son, Larry Russell, established Russell Angus Farm LLC in Fortescue, Missouri, in 1973. Their goal was to produce quality seedstock cattle that would improve genetics. The Angus breed’s advancements compared to other breeds in the cattle industry made Angus an easy choice for their operation. 

The Russells began purchasing seedstock cattle from a variety of Angus breeders. Several of their early purchases came from Sun Up Angus in Edgerton, Mo. They also used ABS Global as their AI source when purchasing semen.

After Lee’s passing, Larry partnered with his son, Chris Russell and the herd was moved to Forest City, Missouri. They purchased their first donor cow from Crouch Valley Angus. Chris then used his expertise to purchase quality donor cows from Advanced Genetics and embryos and semen from various other herds. 

The Russell’s have had great success selling cattle at a variety of Angus sales across the country, including the National Finals Angus Sale, the National Western Angus Sale, the Fort Worth Stock Show and Cattlemen’s Congress.

Russell Angus has received several awards over the years, including Missouri State Fair Reserve Champion Angus Bull in 1977 and Missouri Farm Family of the Year in 1979 and 2014.

With consumer demand for affordable, quality beef increasing in recent years, the Russells have added the sale of USDA Certified beef cuts to their operation. They have also built a facility where they can do embryo transplants, AI, and egg harvesting. From time to time, they lease their facility to veterinarians to lessen the travel distance for fellow cattlemen and their cattle in the area.

Today, Russell Angus Farms LLC is home to a herd of 100 cattle and is run by Larry and his wife Teresa, Chris and his wife Jenny and their children. Chris manages the daily operations on the farm and Larry and Chris work together when purchasing cattle and making genetic decisions. 

“Our entire family take on specific roles and chores on the farm,” Larry said. “That is the foundation to our success.” 

Visit www.angus.org for more information or to view a list of awarded members since the program began in 1988.