Dell Allen has had a front row seat to many changes that have helped ranchers become more efficient producers through the years.
The cattle industry has had many influential figures and Allen, a former professor at Kansas State University’s department of animal sciences, spent many years working in private industry. He was first at Excel Corporation, which later became Cargill Meat Solutions, before retiring in 2004. He continued to serve as a consultant in the meat industry for 12 more years.
Allen, who grew up on a family farm in Liberty, Kansas, received his bachelor’s degree in animal science from K-State in 1961, said one of the obvious changes is that beef producers have more scientific tools to raise quality cattle.
Allen was always driven on ways to enhance the value of beef because that benefits the producer.
While working on his doctorate at Michigan State University in the 1960s his thesis was about yields before yield grades were utilized. The project was sponsored by the American Angus Association to determine the red meat yields on cattle.
Allen fabricated one side into wholesale cuts and trimmed those wholesale cuts and the other side was dissected muscle by muscle and that became one of the foundations for yield grade.
The federal government was also in the process of doing its own research, too, he said.
In 1965 those grades were on a voluntary basis. That was followed up with a dual grade system and the industry could recognize quality grade or yield grade. Allen said that became a mandatory practice until the 1980s. Today packer yield grades are rarely used.
The livestock industry and packing plants have to work together and yet he recognizes the tension that often revolves around the need for each side getting a price they both can be satisfied with.
“I don’t know if you will ever get to the point where it is ideal for both,” Allen said.
Each side works on margins for profitability, he said, and in some segments of the beef industry producers can add value to their cattle with retained ownership.
“Know your genetics and then take ownership all the way through the packing plant,” Allen said. Retaining ownership is one way for producers to get that value and they need the right type of cattle, he said.
Angus influence
Over the years Allen has noticed the influence of the Angus breed. Mick Colvin whom he met many years ago at the Keystone International Livestock Show was a field representative for the American Angus Association. During dinner, Colvin told Allen about a carcass program that could be used to help promote the sale of Angus bulls.
Allen credits Colvin for his vision as he was the one who pioneered Certified Angus Beef and that focus to improve the quality of beef has benefitted cattlemen.
“Interesting though in the process of forming the Certified Angus Beef program all they had to be was basically Angus-like cattle they didn’t have to be Angus only,” Allen said. “At the plant level that means they had to be black. That’s why all the cattle have turned that color any more.”
Trends
The size of cattle has risen over the years. He remembered a time when the ideal weight for steers was 1,200 to 1,300 pounds. Today they are hundreds of pounds larger, but he does believe that upward trend has peaked.
Another trend is in the past five years more smaller livestock processing plants have gone into production, which Allen believes is good for the beef industry.
“Part of it has been the movement (by consumers) to going back to knowing where your food comes from,” Allen said. “Some of that might be just from marketing, but I think it’s here to stay.”
While the price of cattle are at record highs, he says one concern is that many stockmen are older and he worries whether younger producers will step up. Without younger producers, he said, the most likely consequence is the nation’s cowherd will be smaller.
“I think from a producer standpoint right now it’s pretty good. That will cycle depending on whether or not they can build up enough numbers and that is one of the questions I have had over time,” Allen said.
He also has seen a significant increase in the number of goats a trend he expects to continue, which is likely tied to the Hispanic influence.
He has been fascinated by 4-H and youth programs that have embraced livestock projects and Allen says it is a positive to have youth working with livestock.
“I’ve always said kids learn a lot from animals and it really doesn’t make much difference whether it is lamb, calf or what it is,” Allen said.
One of his favorite savings over the years was “Consumers enjoy the taste of beef and it is a quality of life decision they choose to make and cattle producers should always keep that in mind.” He chuckled about his comment.
“I think it’s still true,” Allen said. “It’s amazing to me people will still buy meat at the price it is, but it shows the attractiveness of it and what they like about it. I think a lot of that happened due to the improvement of the quality of the product.”
People enjoy the taste of prime beef and he says that is a function of how long cattle are fed in feedlot.
Among his many awards, Allen was presented with the Don L. Good Impact Award in 2024 at K-State where he was a faculty member for 22 years and coached the meat judging team. He was in the inaugural class of the Meat Industry Hall of Fame. (Pictured at top Dell Allen has had a front row seat to many changes that have helped ranchers become more efficient producers through the years.
The cattle industry has had many influential figures and Allen, a former professor at Kansas State University’s department of animal sciences, spent many years working in private industry. He was first at Excel Corporation, which later became Cargill Meat Solutions, before retiring in 2004. He continued to serve as a consultant in the meat industry for 12 more years.
Allen, who grew up on a family farm in Liberty, Kansas, received his bachelor’s degree in animal science from K-State in 1961, said one of the obvious changes is that beef producers have more scientific tools to raise quality cattle.
Allen was always driven on ways to enhance the value of beef because that benefits the producer.
While working on his doctorate at Michigan State University in the 1960s his thesis was about yields before yield grades were utilized. The project was sponsored by the American Angus Association to determine the red meat yields on cattle.
Allen fabricated one side into wholesale cuts and trimmed those wholesale cuts and the other side was dissected muscle by muscle and that became one of the foundations for yield grade.
The federal government was also in the process of doing its own research, too, he said.
In 1965 those grades were on a voluntary basis. That was followed up with a dual grade system and the industry could recognize quality grade or yield grade. Allen said that became a mandatory practice until the 1980s. Today packer yield grades are rarely used.
The livestock industry and packing plants have to work together and yet he recognizes the tension that often revolves around the need for each side getting a price they both can be satisfied with.
“I don’t know if you will ever get to the point where it is ideal for both,” Allen said.
Each side works on margins for profitability, he said, and in some segments of the beef industry producers can add value to their cattle with retained ownership.
“Know your genetics and then take ownership all the way through the packing plant,” Allen said. Retaining ownership is one way for producers to get that value and they need the right type of cattle, he said.
Angus influence
Over the years Allen has noticed the influence of the Angus breed. Mick Colvin whom he met many years ago at the Keystone International Livestock Show was a field representative for the American Angus Association. During dinner, Colvin told Allen about a carcass program that could be used to help promote the sale of Angus bulls.
Allen credits Colvin for his vision as he was the one who pioneered Certified Angus Beef and that focus to improve the quality of beef has benefitted cattlemen.
“Interesting though in the process of forming the Certified Angus Beef program all they had to be was basically Angus-like cattle they didn’t have to be Angus only,” Allen said. “At the plant level that means they had to be black. That’s why all the cattle have turned that color any more.”
Trends
The size of cattle has risen over the years. He remembered a time when the ideal weight for steers was 1,200 to 1,300 pounds. Today they are hundreds of pounds larger, but he does believe that upward trend has peaked.
Another trend is in the past five years more smaller livestock processing plants have gone into production, which Allen believes is good for the beef industry.
“Part of it has been the movement (by consumers) to going back to knowing where your food comes from,” Allen said. “Some of that might be just from marketing, but I think it’s here to stay.”
While the price of cattle are at record highs, he says one concern is that many stockmen are older and he worries whether younger producers will step up. Without younger producers, he said, the most likely consequence is the nation’s cowherd will be smaller.
“I think from a producer standpoint right now it’s pretty good. That will cycle depending on whether or not they can build up enough numbers and that one of the questions I have had over time,” Allen said.
He also has seen a significant increase in the number of goats a trend he expects to continue, which is likely tied to the Hispanic influence.
He has been fascinated by 4-H and youth programs that have embraced livestock projects and Allen says it is a positive to have youth working with livestock.
“I’ve always said kids learn a lot from animals and it really doesn’t make much difference whether it is lamb, calf or what it is,” Allen said.
One of his favorite savings over the years was “Consumers enjoy the taste of beef and it is a quality of life decision they choose to make and cattle producers should always keep that in mind.” He chuckled about his comment.
“I think it’s still true,” Allen said. “It’s amazing to me people will still buy meat at the price it is, but it shows the attractiveness of it and what they like about it. I think a lot of that happened due to the improvement of the quality of the product.”
People enjoy the taste of prime beef and he says that is a function of how long cattle are fed in a feedlot.
Among his many awards, Allen was presented with the Don L. Good Impact Award in 2024 at K-State where he was a faculty member for 22 years and coached the meat judging team. He was in the inaugural class of the Meat Industry Hall of Fame. Allen and his wife, Joyce, (pictured at top in the photo courtesy of Kansas State University) live in Derby, Kansas.
Dave Bergmeier can be reached at 620-227-1822 or [email protected].
