November 2025 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN 13 Building Legacy KELSEY POPE | CONTRIBUTING WRITER PHOTOS BY CATHY WRIGHT and her husband, Matt Cover, helps with merchandising their customers’ cattle. Nick lives and works in Puerto Rico with his wife, Celina. Altogether, the Van Newkirk’s have nine grandchildren. Long-time hired man Travis Kezar has been with the operation for more than 20 years, and the Van Newkirks consider him part of the family. “This is a family operation,” Joe says, “My wife and kids are just as much a part of this ranch as I am. They get right in there and help with whatever ranch work needs to be done.” Balancing Tradition and Technology Hereford cattle are well suited for the weather changes of western Nebraska, as well as being low maintenance and feed efficient. “This has always been in my blood,” Joe says of raising Hereford cattle. “In the ‘80s, it was really not a very good place to be in the Hereford purebred business. But I knew the cattle were worth it, and we just kept plugging along, improving our cattle.” That grit and determination have suited the Van Newkirks well as they continue to operate with a blend of “old-school” cow sense and new-school efficiency. While they continue to breed cows to raise calves in a challenging environment, the ranch has evolved with modern technology, including artificial insemination, genomic EPDs and progressive farming. “Our cattle work is still done on horseback and we’re going to continue to do that,” Joe says. “A Iot of our customers like to have bulls that they can turn out that respect a saddle horse, respect a side-by-side or respect somebody on foot.” Cyndi adds that their working facilities have evolved. “We work cattle through the squeeze chute, which is much better than the way we worked cattle 40 years ago,” Cyndi says. “Easier on the cattle; easier on the cowboys.” Kolby highlights the value of technology and greater efficiency. “We’ve implemented more use of artificial insemination, embryo transfer and ultrasound to collect carcass data,” he says. “We also gather genomic DNA for more accurate EPDs in our cattle. All of this information helps us put our finger CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 Technology to Keep a 130-Year Ranch Thriving
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