Hereford stalwart and American Hereford Association (AHA) Hall of Fame member, Glen Klippenstein, received the Cattlemen’s Beef Board’s sixth annual Beef Checkoff Visionary Award in July. It recognizes his exemplary support of and commitment to the Checkoff’s goals and vision.

“Glen is one of the true Beef Checkoff pioneers,” says Cheryl DeVuyst, 2026 chair of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board. “He’s a lifelong cattleman, and he stepped up when he saw beef demand declining in the 1970s and 1980s. Glen’s ideas and achievements changed our industry for the better in so many ways, and he truly deserves this year’s Beef Checkoff Visionary Award.”

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Klippenstein saw beef demand declining and strongly believed the industry needed to take action. He and other producers began to push for a $1-per-head national Beef Checkoff. Klippenstein served as one of the original members of the Beef Board, which held its first meeting in the fall of 1986.

“We were losing producers like crazy,” Klippenstein recalled back in 1990-1991. “So, we took the bull by the horns. And we got Congress to help us, which they finally did through legislation. And a whole checkoff program was begun.”

As chair of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board in 1990-1991, Klippenstein helped establish the rigorous financial and auditing practices that continue to ensure Beef Checkoff funds were used appropriately. Those practices are still in use today, including rules that Checkoff contractors cannot make a profit from their work or use any funding for political purposes. Klippenstein’s innovative spirit also contributed to the development of Checkoff programs aimed at consistently providing consumers with high-quality beef.

Hereford roots always

Glen Klippenstein was born on his grandparents’ homestead in Saskatchewan, Canada. His father managed a Hereford farm for many years. Klippenstein’s first of many 4-H show steers was a Hereford that was champion and sold for more than $800, when others sold in the $150 range.

He and his family moved to Pennsylvania in 1948. After graduating as the valedictorian of his high school class, Klippenstein studied at Penn State University under the mentorship of famous cattleman and professor Herman Purdy, a farm adviser to then-President Dwight D. Eisenhower. After graduating from Penn State, Klippenstein farmed in Pennsylvania for several years and started to build a herd of high-quality Hereford cattle. During this time, Klippenstein met his wife, Linda.

In 1966, Klippenstein forged a partnership with his friend Kirk Pendleton. The new venture prompted the Klippensteins to move their family and farm from Pennsylvania to Maysville, Mo., where Klippenstein and Pendleton launched Glenkirk Farms. Over the next 28 years, Klippenstein sold approximately 7,000 bulls, 7,000 females and tens of thousands of units of semen to 22 countries. Following the Glenkirk Farms dispersal in 1993, Klippenstein owned and operated Klippenstein Family Farms until 2000.

Klippenstein was chairman of the American Polled Hereford Association in 1983 and was inducted to the AHA Hall of Fame into 2005. He received the Beef Improvement Federation Pioneer Award in 2010.

Boundless leadership

Klippenstein also served as a Missouri senator from 1993-94 and, by Presidential appointment with unanimous U.S. Senate confirmation, served on the Federal Ag Mortgage Corporation Board as the Public Policy Committee chair. He returned to the legislature as a Missouri State Representative from 2010 through 2012. During his years in office, Klippenstein consistently educated fellow lawmakers and constituents about the value of agriculture.

Klippenstein and his wife, Linda, have four children and nine grandchildren. He and his son, Brian, continue to manage a small Hereford herd near Maysville.

“Glen is a prime example of a true cattleman who saw an opportunity to step up for his industry,” says Greg Hanes, CEO of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board. “He’s been absolutely tireless over the years, between raising great cattle and sharing his love and respect for agriculture. All of us at the Cattlemen’s Beef Board congratulate Glen on yet another achievement as he receives the 2026 Beef Checkoff Visionary Award.”  

Editor’s Note: Hear more of Klippenstein’s story and insights in episode 4 of the 1881 podcast.