Maddi Kerlee

I grew up on a 1,000 cattle ranch in CA and was introduced into the cattle industry by my parents who owned a herd of registered Angus cattle. When I was younger, my parents would take me to open shows. I started showing for fun when I was just 2.5 years old! I was very involved all throughout my youth years showing steers in 4-H and as a member of the California and National Jr. Angus Association. I competed at three Angus Jr. Nationals with my final youth show being in Tulsa, OK where I was named Reserve Champion Showman back in the mid 80’s. After graduating from Chico State University, with a major in Animal Science and a minor in Agriculture Business, I married my husband Chip Kerlee.

Our small family ranch, Kerlee Cattle Co., is located in central California. We focus on raising, selling, and showing purebred Shorthorns, Maines and Chi’s as well as club calves. My husband and I both work full time, farm walnuts, and have two children. We own MHK Construction Inc, and I’m also a High School Agriculture teacher. Our cattle operation is definitely a family affair as there are challenges of balancing full time jobs and the ranching. Using technology and daily communication is the best way for us to keep both occupations running smoothly. Our sons, Kyle and Aaron assist with daily chores, irrigating, processing, and breeding decisions as well as in the show barn. Aaron, our youngest, has taken on the responsibility of managing the show string and plans to come back to the ranch after finishing college in Oklahoma.

One thing that we enjoy most about ranching is calving season. It’s exciting to witness the outcome of decisions made from the previous year! Whether we’re flushing our own cows, purchasing embryos from elite breeders across the country, or artificial inseminating, there’s a lot of planning that must be calculated. Raising and selling high quality show stock is our primary goal. Observing the genetic improvements made in our herd is what keeps us excited to be part of this great industry.

Maddi Kerlee
Kerlee Cattle Co.
Denair, CA