Wisconsin Beef Producers Invited to 2026 Summer Tour

By Blake Jackson

Beef producers from across Wisconsin are invited to participate in the Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association 2026 Summer Production Tour on Saturday, June 27, in the Chippewa Valley.

The annual event provides an opportunity for cattle producers to network, exchange ideas, and explore innovative production practices at several successful beef operations.

The tour will begin at Rooney Angus near Chippewa Falls, a family-operated Angus ranch dedicated to producing practical, high-performing cattle. Working alongside Green Mountain Angus, the operation focuses on genetics that support calving ease, maternal performance, growth, structural soundness, and carcass quality.

The ranch manages approximately 400 cattle, including 250 cows, while bull development takes place at its Montana facility using management practices designed to promote longevity.

Participants will also visit Ranch Brand Meat Company, a vertically integrated business created through the partnership of Rooney Angus and Antczak Angus.

The company manages every stage of beef production, from breeding and raising cattle to processing and direct marketing, offering visitors insight into a farm-to-table business model centered on quality and transparency.

The second stop is the Strey Farm near Foster, where Steve and Leslie Strey have expanded their operation from five cows and 80 acres to 160 commercial Angus and Simmental cows and nearly 1,000 acres of cropland.

The family raises replacement heifers, markets feeder calves, and produces multiple crops while preparing the next generation for leadership through the involvement of Heidi Strey and Sam Sipiorski.

The tour concludes at Kostka Ranch near Strum, where Cody and Leeza Kostka transformed a former dairy farm into a thriving Charolais-focused beef operation with about 90 head of cattle.

Along with direct beef marketing, they emphasize consumer education and agricultural stewardship.

The event will also recognize 2026 Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association scholarship recipients and award winners.

Registration includes lunch, while participants are responsible for their own transportation between tour locations. Registration is $50 per person, or $45 for groups of four or more.

Registration is available online at https://www.wisconsincattlemen.com/events/summer-tour.

Photo Credit: istock-123ducu