SEYMOUR, Ind. — Blue skies and a cool breeze greeted members of the Southern Indiana Angus Assoc. (SIAA) on Sept. 27 for their tour of the farm of Gary and Cathy Wente near Seymour, Ind. All of the tour’s participants cooperated – except for the cows.
"We tried to show the cows to our friends, but they ran into the woods. Not a one was visible the whole time. It was too hot," the Wentes said, chuckling.
The black hides make Angus more sensitive to the heat, which means they don’t tend to be the most popular breed in the southwest. But in Indiana, Angus reigns supreme.
"We are friendly with people who raise other breeds, but there aren’t that many in our area," Gary Wente said. "Most cattle farmers around here raise Angus."
Wente, who is a third-generation farmer, owns 31 cows and 28 calves, and just acquired a new bull, which hasn’t proved itself yet, but Wente is optimistic.
"Most bulls we have bought from the group. That way you know what you’re getting and how it’s been treated," Wente explained.
"You don’t want a bull that will charge, especially with grandkids," Cathy added.
The Wentes enjoy mixing with SIAA members because, in addition to new bulls, the group provides many benefits.
"We have the same interests; we form friendships, and share information. We are learning from each others’ experiences," Wente said. "This is like a family."
Wente is also a third-generation residential carpenter, and he has built his family’s home and rebuilt part of his old barn. But he prefers farming.
"I’d rather be on the tractor, especially on a day like this," Wente said.
In that way, Wente might resemble his father, Howard Wente, who brought his heirloom tractor collection to the farm for the tour.
He owns a receipt for the first tractor his dad purchased in 1952, when Howard was just 11 years old.
It was a 1951 Ferguson tractor, and all the rest in the collection are Ferguson or Massey Ferguson, too.
"What is little known is that Harry Ferguson invented the three-point hitch, and it is the most-copied tractor," said Howard Wente proudly.
The SIAA also toured the farm of Jerry and Pixie Otte, who are celebrating 25 years of raising Angus cattle.
