Meet Brandon DuBois

Many cattle producers know the challenge of balancing an off-the-farm job with maintaining a cow herd. Throw a husband/wife and kids into the mix and things get chaotic quickly. However, most people would tell you it is well worth the sacrifice of time.

Brandon DuBois knows this hectic lifestyle all too well. Living with his wife, Hannah, and three kids — Adisyn (12), Avery (10) and Porter (4) — in Winnifield, Louisiana, they raise purebred Brahman cattle. While Brandon didn’t grow up on a cattle farm, he got an early start into the business by showing livestock in 4-H and FFA. Right out of college, he purchased his first set of calves to start a commercial herd.

Brandon and Hannah are first-generation cattle producers, but Hannah’s great-grandparents grew cotton and sweet potatoes on land that has been in the family since the 1800s. Brandon and Hannah have been blessed to build their home on that land.

“I am a first-generation cow guy, and it all started by buying my first calf after a rodeo calf scramble,” Brandon remembered. “My 4-H agent and FFA adviser helped me decide to pursue a career in agriculture.”

From his first two calves, he expanded a Brahman-influenced commercial cow-calf herd. As life sped up, he was working full-time for John Deere, working as an auctioneer, and raising a family, so Brandon decided it was time to scale back the herd, quit leasing pastures, and start focusing on a seedstock operation.

“Going from a commercial cow-calf to a purebred operation was a big learning curve,” Brandon said. “Now we have to keep up with the latest and greatest reproductive tools.”

The DuBois’ have been raising purebred cattle for about two years, and they enjoy the values and work ethic that raising cattle instills in their children, two of whom are involved in 4-H.

“My kids get up every morning at daylight, and they are out feeding their show animals,” Brandon said. “That’s where it starts; it starts in the barn.”

Rearing three young kids on the farm, with two working parents, can be chaotic. In between Brandon’s job at John Deere, and his own auction business, it’s also important to him and Hannah to be an involved family — watch the girls’ softball games, take the kids to gymnastics or soccer practice, and help them care for their 4-H animals (ironically sheep, not cattle).

“I tell everybody this; I showed pigs and cattle a little bit in 4-H and FFA, and we raise cattle, but they show lambs,” Brandon joked.

In the future, Brandon and Hannah will continue to fine-tune their Brahman cattle and teach their children the value of waking early, caring for livestock, and producing a well-raised animal. The lessons Adisyn, Avery and Porter learn on the farm are priceless.

“I believe whether it’s showing or just feeding calves, it’s teaching those kids that nothing comes for free. It teaches them work ethic and responsibility,” Brandon explained.

Looking forward, Brandon is eager to transition his auctioneering business to a full-time career. DuBois Auction Company hosts livestock sales, estate sales, liquidations and banquet auctions. Brandon has been a licensed auctioneer for 15 years. Brandon and Hannah are the owners of the company, and they recently purchased a piece of property near the Mississippi River with the goal to expand and begin selling farm equipment and real estate.

“We started out very small, like most auctioneers, selling junk. And now, we are opening a farm equipment auction,” Brandon explained.

In addition to growing the auctioneering company, Brandon has set goals for his cattle herd. Raising quality Brahman cattle to sell at seedstock auctions or to young students for show animals is his priority. Part of growing as a more well-rounded cattle producer includes being active in local, state and national cattlemen associations and actively using Best Management Practices to steward their land for future use.

Preparing the land and cattle business for his children, if they choose to carry it on, means fostering a sustainable ecosystem for generations to come. Brandon and Hannah have always implemented rotational grazing and mineral rotation to manage soil erosion.

Brandon believes the longevity of cattle farming isn’t solely dependent on caring for the land, but also fostering a healthy political atmosphere for producers and driving beef demand by consumers. Brandon was involved with Louisiana Cattlemen’s Association (LCA) immediately after college and was mentored by Robert Joyner, the serving executive, who became a close friend. Now, Brandon serves LCA as vice president.

“Being involved, being on the board, and growing with the organization showed me how LCA and NCBA help our producers,” Brandon said.

From education to natural disasters to policy, Brandon believes that organizations like NCBA and LCA, with producers collaborating on pivotal issues, will guide the cattle industry to a bright future, one where his children can raise cattle and enjoy high-quality beef.