by Angie Stump Denton, Beef Improvement Federation

MANHATTAN, Kansas – The Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) presented Paul Bennett, Red House, Virginia, the BIF Pioneer Award June 9 during the group’s annual research symposium online. Shane Bedwell, American Hereford Association chief operating officer and director of breed improvement, presented the award.

The Pioneer Award recognizes individuals who have made lasting contributions to the improvement of beef cattle, honoring those who have had a major role in acceptance of performance reporting and documentation as the primary means to make genetic change in beef cattle.

A family operation, Knoll Crest Farms (KCF) has been producing seedstock genetics since 1944.
The Bennett cow herd includes three breeds — Hereford, Gelbvieh and Angus. Annually, KCF markets 400 bulls. In 2020, the KCF prefix was recognized with 40 Certified Hereford Beef sires and 31 Dam of Distinction females from the American Hereford Association; 10 Dam of Merit and 2 Dam of Distinction females from the American Gelbvieh Association; and 29 Pathfinder females from American Angus Association, all of which validate the merits and genetic influence of the Knoll Crest program.

“The KCF prefix is synonymous with multi-trait excellence and as a result has gained the respect of the most progressive seedstock and commercial cattlemen alike while placing leading genetics in every bull stud in the U.S.,” says Shane Bedwell, American Hereford Association chief operating officer and director of breed improvement. “Through Paul’s leadership and mindset of being an early adopter of key breed improvement tools, he has positioned Knoll Crest Farms as a true nucleus seedstock operation.”

Bennett has served as BIF president and is a leader in his community. He has dedicated time to national breed associations as well as national and state cattlemen’s associations’ advisory committees and is a deacon at Union Hill Baptist Church.

To date, more than 1,200 beef producers, academia and industry representatives have registered to participate in the organization’s 52nd Annual Research Symposium — Online. BIF’s mission is to help improve the industry by promoting greater acceptance of beef cattle performance evaluation.

For more information about this year’s symposium, including additional award winners and coverage of meeting and tours, visit BeefImprovement.org/symposium.

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The Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) is an organization dedicated to coordinating all segments of the beef industry — from researchers and producers to retailers — in an effort to improve the efficiency, profitability and sustainability of beef production. The organization was initiated more than 50 years ago to encourage the use of objective measurements to evaluate beef cattle. Continuing the tradition, BIF is now the clearinghouse for developing standardized programs and methodologies for recording of performance data for all traits, from birth weights to carcass traits. Its three-leaf-clover logo symbolizes the link between industry, extension and research.