Carroll says he’s known his regional manager, Casey Jentz, for a long time. Jentz introduced him to McCulloh because Jentz knew McCulloh wanted to keep the Woodhill Angus herd together, if possible.

Capital and labor are two of the biggest entry barriers into the cattle business. While Carroll is in his mid-40s, his full-time cohorts — Taylor Winter, Caleb Oostenryk and Micah Oostenryk — are all between 30 and 35. Labor and determination are available in spades.

The group was able to piece together pastures within two counties. They are making conservation efforts by seeding rolling terrain back into pasture in an area known for crops.

When existing facilities were too expensive, the TWG crew built three hoop barns in one location to create their own working facilities. These can also house the earlier-calving cows when the weather is roughest, though true to commercial needs, the later-calving cows stay outside.

McCulloh has assisted with the Woodhill transition over the past year. McCulloh and Carroll discuss the breeding program’s direction as they look to the needs of the commercial cattle industry over the next three to five years.

“We talk nearly every day. He’s a great mentor to me. We are working to maintain the Woodhill philosophy of problem-free and profitable Angus cattle, but we are moving forward, too,” he says. “We’re still in touch with what the commercial guys need, and we’re working to come up with the genetics to improve their programs.”

Carroll has big goals for the operation, like building a dedicated sale facility and a calf buyback program, but that will come with time. They just haven’t had much of it yet.

Their inaugural TWG bull sale will be April 12, and they plan to have a production sale in the fall.