Bradford E. Ellsworth, Cabool, MO

Brad Ellsworth is a recognized leader and dairyman in Missouri. His activities in the dairy arena are both state and national in scope. He earlier established a record as a dairy leader in California and now continues the same in Missouri

Brad was born in 1939 at Oakland, California. He was raised on a registered Guernsey farm, Barnegat Ranch, owned by his father. A bottling plant was operated with home delivery of premium Golden Guernsey Milk. He was a 4-H Club member for many years and represented California as the state 4-H Boy’s Citizenship Award winner at the National 4-H Congress in 1956 and he was one of the four 1958 state delegates to National 4-H Conference at Washington, D.C. in 1958. In 1957 Brad become acquainted with the Milking Shorthorn breed while working with the show herd for Clover Knoll Farms at Rough and Ready, California. He purchased his first Milking Shorthorn at the Grand national Sale in 1965 and has been a Shorthorn breeder and dairy farmer—as well as an attorney-at-law since.

Mr. Ellsworth graduated from the University of California-Davis and the University of California Hastings College of Law. In 1959 he and Jean McGuigan were married. He was on active duty in the U.S. Army 1963-64 and rose to the rank of Captain.

In 1980 he and his wife Jean and their five children moved to Missouri where they established the family and their herd of cattle on a 160 acre farm near Cabool. The children are: James B., a computer operator; Bret C., dairy farmer; Brian G., law student; Julia M., college student; Jeanine E., travel agent student.

Brad and Jean named their farm the B.J. Ranch. Their Milking Shorthorn herd has several DHI class leaders and in 1987 the herd averaged 14,035 lbs. of milk, 535 lbs. of fat, 37.7 cow years. This is the highest average for a Shorthorn herd in Missouri and is sixth in the United States. The B.J. Ranch was awarded the Gold Progressive Breeder Award in 1988 by the American Milking Shorthorn Society. The Ellsworth family has owned and bred several All-Americans and several 100,000 pound life time producers.

Brad is known as an energetic leader who “gets things done.” He served on the Missouri Dairyman’s Institute Board and at present is the Secretary of the Missouri Dairy Association. He is a director and vice president of the Missouri Milking Shorthorn Association and he has served as president and also Executive Secretary of the American Milking Shorthorn Society. At present he is Secretary-Treasurer of the Purebred Dairy Cattle Association, a national organization comprising the six prominent dairy cattle breeds in the United States. Since 1985 he has been a member of the Dairy Shrine Board of Directors.

Brad and the family are active in community affairs. He is Chalice Bearer and Lay-Reader at Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration, Mt. Grove, MO; member of the Cabool, MO., R-IV Board of Education; past President and now Treasurer, Cabool Kiwanis Club; Member Missouri Bar Association; City Attorney for the Towns of Summersville and Licking, Missouri. It is a pleasure to recognize Brad with the 1988 AMDO Dairy Leadership Award.