The American Angus Associations Historic Angus Herd Award recognizes James Secrest of Nobleland Angus Farm, who has been in continuous production of registered-Angus cattle for 50 years or more.

Secrest established his Angus herd in 1958 with the purchase of an Angus heifer, Elbamere Lady G B 9 from Gallogly Brothers for $175. That same year he joined the National Junior Angus Association.

“My family had been raising Hereford cattle until 1956, when we decided to show an Angus steer at the county fair. That steer was named grand champion steer and we decided to switch to raising Angus,” Secrest said. “It was the best decision we could have ever made.”

After graduating high school, he bought seven Angus heifers from the MI-JO Angus Farms dispersal sale in 1968.

In 1970, Secrest decided to name his family farm, Nobleland Angus Farm and became an early adopter of Artificial Insemination technology. This decision made him a standout in the cattle industry, where many cattlemen weren’t using the technic yet. 

In 2017, Nobleland Angus Farm celebrated 50 years of selling Angus cattle at the Eastern Ohio Angus Sale, where Secrest has only missed three sales in 55 years. They have also been involved with the Ohio Beef Expo since its first breed show and sale in 1988.

Being members of the Ohio and Noble County Cattlemen’s Associations, the Ohio Angus Association and the Eastern Ohio Angus Association has allowed the Secrest family to participate in various shows and sales around the country. Secrest’s children and grandchildren have shown Angus cattle on the state and national level.

Nobleland Angus Farm has received many awards over the years, including the Ohio Angus Association Distinguished Service Award, the Farm Credit Mid-American Heritage Farm Award, the Noble County Cattlemen’s Association Distinguished Service Award and the Noble County Soil and Water Conservation District Award. The family farm has also been designated as an Ohio Century Farm by the Ohio Department of Agriculture for being in the family for over 100 years.

Today, Secrest still manages his herd of 30 head of cattle, alongside his daughters, Nancy and Sharon; son Brian; and grandchildren.

Visit the Member Center for more information or to view a list of awarded members since the program began in 1988.