From Bottle Calf to Beef Filled Freezer: A Beginner's Guide to Raising Your Own Beef

Leeann has had a life-long love affair with cattle; well, actually livestock in general. Growing up on a small ranch in the Northern California foothills, she was blessed to have parents who encouraged her non-stereotypical interests. A gift few parents would have allowed their young daughters to pursue in the mid 1960s. The family dinner menu was often centered around a 4-H project raised by her, her sister, or brother. After graduating from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a Bachelor's degree in Dairy Husbandry, her love of cattle, dairy cattle in particular, has led her through a variety of jobs and businesses, all involving dairy cattle. After her early jobs as a dairy herdsperson and dairy manager, she went to work for a national bank with one of the country's largest dairy loan portfolios. Her responsibilities as a vice president and dairy field specialist sent her around the Western United States appraising dairy cattle, dairy beef, and evaluating dairy and calf ranch management. Leeann's time in the banking industry was followed by building her own dairy cattle appraisal and consulting company. In the late 1990s, Leeann, her husband Jonathan, their young son, and soon-to-be-born daughter moved to the Stephenville, Texas, area where they became managing partners of a dairy farm. The couple currently lives in East Texas where they continue to enjoy sharing home-raised meats and vegetables with friends and family. They can occasionally be spotted spending an afternoon or evening at a local livestock auction, just for the heck of it.