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Soldiers' Hill Angus Farm Named Virginia BCIA 2005 Outstanding Seedstock Producer of the Year
Livestock Update, March 2005
Dr. Scott P. Greiner Extension Animal Scientist, Beef, VA Tech
Virginia BCIA is proud to present the 2005 Virginia Outstanding Seedstock Producer Award to Soldiers' Hill Angus Farm of Warrenton, VA. Soldiers' Hill Farm, owned and operated by Dennis Pearson and his father Harvey, began in the early 1970s as a 4-H heifer project. With the roots established through a commercial cow-calf enterprise, Soldiers' Hill has concentrated on registered Angus since 1990 and evolved into a leading performance Angus herd.
Soldiers' Hill's herd breeding objective has been focused on providing practical, balanced performance genetics to the commercial cow-calf sector. This has been accomplished through the use of highly proven, dependable AI sires. Soldiers' Hill practices whole-herd AI, and embryo transfer is utilized to rapidly propagate superior bloodlines. Sires are selected to balance calving ease, growth, maternal traits, and carcass merit.
Since 1990, Soldiers' Hill has utilized the Virginia BCIA Central Test Station at Culpeper for bull development and marketing. Over the past 15 years, they have developed a strong reputation and following for their genetics and become know as a source for predicable performance genetics. Highlights of the Soldiers' Hill program include the breeder group award at Culpeper in both 1999 and 2004, the Bartenslager and Premier Angus Breeder Award from Virginia BCIA in 2000, and the high ADG bull in the 47 year history of the Culpeper BCIA test in 1998. An active marketing program and customer service have been key to the success of their modest size operation, which consists of 65 breeding age females. Select Soldiers' Hill females have been offered through state association sales as well as off the farm.
Dennis Pearson, a 1983 graduate of Virginia Tech in Animal Science, has been an active beef industry leader. He is currently president of Virginia BCIA and Chairman of the Culpeper Test and sale committee. He serves as vice president of the Northern Virginia Angus Association. Additionally, environmental stewardship has long been a priority at Soldiers' Hill, and for their efforts they were the 2000 recipient of the Conservation Farmer Award for Fauquier County. Soldiers' Hill has also been host for several tours, field days, and educational events.
Dennis and his wife Miriam have two children- Hunter and Rebecca. They are members of the Warrenton Baptist Church and active leaders in the Fauquier County 4H Livestock Club.
The Virginia Beef Cattle Improvement Association is pleased to present the 2005 Virginia Seedstock Producer of the Year Award to Soldiers' Hill Angus Farm.