Hugh Ingalls
Hugh Ingalls, 86, got his start ranching with a registered Black Angus heifer his dad, Lawrence, gave him in 1942.
Ingalls was a timid 11-year-old. The heifer stood out in the show ring as it was the first black calf shown at the Western Junior Livestock Show in Rapid City.
鈥淓verything else was red and white,鈥 recalls the Stoneville native and 2016 Eminent Farmer/Rancher.
Ingalls walked away with a blue ribbon and his heifer continued to perform well outside the show ring. 鈥淪he is the foundation of my herd; she had all heifer calves for quite some time,鈥 he says.
Although at the time Black Angus cattle weren鈥檛 grazing their neighbors鈥 rangeland, the breed is a long-standing tradition in the Ingalls family. In 1895, Ingalls鈥 great-grandfather, James Ingalls, purchased his first Black 鈥淎berdeen鈥 Angus bull. Grandpa, Albert Ingalls, brought the breed to Meade County when he homesteaded in 1908.
Ingalls鈥 great-grandfather, James, was a first cousin to Charles Ingalls, the father of pioneer author, Laura Ingalls Wilder.
Today, Ingalls鈥 great-grandchildren make the seventh generation of Ingalls to raise registered Black Angus.
The breed is traditional for the family, but as a kid, they were the ones that didn鈥檛 have horns or get sun burnt bags, and by comparison they are a good milking cow and good mothers.
The family is credited by the American Angus Association with having the longest continual history of registered Black Angus in the United States.
Known for calm disposition and performance, commercial cattle producers have come to count on Ingalls鈥 Angus genetics. Like his father before him, Ingalls sells private treaty.
鈥淚 like the personal contact it allows me to have with the buyers. You spend a little more time with them 鈥 which is why we hesitate to change,鈥 Ingalls explains.
Today, Ingalls and his wife, Eleanor, remain actively involved in the day-to-day ranch operations. 鈥淲e have two hired men who help, but I still cut all the hay, keep everything fed and help with calving. I鈥檓 thankful I can do this. I just don鈥檛 tag calves anymore. I don鈥檛 want to buck up against those mother cows anymore,鈥 says Ingalls, with a chuckle.
His passion for the land and cattle is evident. 鈥淚f you don鈥檛 enjoy what you鈥檙e doing, you鈥檇 better find a different project,鈥 he wisely explains. 鈥淲hen you choose a vocation, you want to do the best you can with it. If you aren鈥檛 interested in what you鈥檙e doing, then you鈥檙e not enjoying the best part of life.鈥
Encouraged by his dad, Ingalls pursued a two-year agriculture degree at South 啵啵直播秀 State University. This began a life-long relationship with the University, its researchers and faculty.
Ingalls was among the first South 啵啵直播秀 cattle producers to participate in production testing in 1956, and for the last 30 years, he has sold his steers to the SDSU Research Feedlot.
When Ingalls returned to the ranch full-time in 1949, he was determined to continue his family鈥檚 legacy and work to raise better cattle and take care of the land. 鈥淭here is always a sense of accomplishment when you see where you were and where you are at the end of the day. I enjoy that sense of accomplishment even today.鈥
Growing up a child of the Depression and raised primarily by his father, after his mother died in childbirth, Ingalls says his dad, Lawrence, instilled a strong work ethic and faith in his children; an example Ingalls followed when he and Eleanor raised their six children: Marie Shilling, Peggy Rahn, Dan, Kenneth, Beth Hotchkiss and Laila Brownlee.
鈥淲e were taught to do the best with what you have. There was a lot of work and we never had much, but we didn鈥檛 expect much either,鈥 he explains. 鈥淲hen I was young, attending church and Sunday School wasn鈥檛 a question. That consistency had a strong influence on me.鈥
Ingalls further explains the important role his faith in God has had on his life. 鈥淢y faith has given me purpose in life and direction. I wouldn鈥檛 want to go through hard times and tough decisions without knowing there was something better to look forward to.鈥
Along with his faith, Ingalls, a humble man who isn鈥檛 comfortable talking about himself, also attributes hard work and 鈥渂ull-headedness鈥 with getting him and the ranch through tough times. 鈥淵ou stick with it and do the best you can. Be conservative and have your family close around you, helping you.鈥
Over the years Ingalls has gone out of his way to help young ranchers throughout his community, loaning them cattle to help them get a strong start. Following October 2013 Storm Atlas, Ingalls offered to loan cows to young ranchers to help them through devastating livestock losses.
鈥淚 was concerned at the time for young operators so we did what we could to help them 鈥 pretty much everyone survived,鈥 he says.
Getting involved when there is a need for leadership has been as much a part of Ingalls鈥 legacy as his ranch. As a young father he was a Sunday School teacher. 鈥淚 am naturally timid, so it wasn鈥檛 easy for me to teach, even though these were kids 鈥 I thought I was too young to teach, but that鈥檚 where they needed help,鈥 he says.
Over time, as he was called to lead, Ingalls overcame his fear of speaking in front of groups. He and Eleanor even took a Dale Carnegie class together.
Through the years he has actively served his community and South 啵啵直播秀鈥檚 beef industry. Ingalls has served as chairman of the Meade County School Board, president of Black Hills Angus Association, chairman of Mead County Farm Bureau, Sunday school teacher, chairman of the South 啵啵直播秀 Angus Association, member of South 啵啵直播秀 Stockgrowers Association, chairman of the South 啵啵直播秀 Delegation of the American Angus Association, Faith Stock Show Committee, Central States Fair Board, South 啵啵直播秀 Beef Industry Council and president and director of the South 啵啵直播秀 Beef Improvement Association.
Ingalls has been recognized for his contributions to agriculture and the beef industry including: Outstanding Young Farmer (1961); American Angus Association Centennial Angus Herd 啵啵直播秀 (1983); Black Hills Angus Association Outstanding Angus Producer of the Year 啵啵直播秀 (1990); Black Hills Stock Show Stockman of the Year (1995); South 啵啵直播秀 Angus Association South 啵啵直播秀 Honored Angus Family 啵啵直播秀 (1998); South 啵啵直播秀 State University Friend of the Beef Industry 啵啵直播秀 (2004); Rapid City Chamber of Commerce Ag Producer of the Year (2005); Black Hills Angus Association Distinguished Service 啵啵直播秀 (2007); Black Hills Stock Show Hall of Fame Silver Spur 啵啵直播秀 (2010); American Angus Association Aberdeen Angus Heritage Foundation inductee (2010); South 啵啵直播秀 Beef Industry Council Prime Promoter Individual (2015); and the American Angus Association Century 啵啵直播秀 (2015).
鈥淚t is always rewarding to work with other ranchers toward a common goal,鈥 Ingalls says.