Monday, February 19, 2001 CJ Online Kansas Plus Jim Suber:...
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Monday, February 19, 2001 CJ Online I Kansas Plus I Jim Suber: Father, son do ag industry proud 02/16/01 Page: 1 SpecialSection The Topeka Getting Around Kansas TH ETOPEKA CP,J!ITAL~JOUP.l',TAL Jim Suber: Father, son do ag industry proud By JIM SUBER Special to The Capital-Journal Great choice. That describes the selection of Jack and Lee Reeve to share the annual Stockman of the Year award given by the Livestock and Meat Industry Council based at Kansas State University. The council's 31st annual Stockmen's Dinner will be March 1 at the Holiday Inn in Manhattan, and that's when and where the Reeves will be honored. Jack Reeve is actually veterinarian Marshall P. Reeve. After receiving veterinary degree from K-State in 1943, he went into the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps for three years. He moved to Garden City in 1948 after a brief practice at St. Charles, Mo. He had a private practice in Garden City until 1960. In the meantime, though, he had begun cattle feeding at the Brookover Feed Yard in 1953, one of the pioneer places in that business. By 1959 he bought a ranch, and in 1962 he started the Reeve Cattle Company. Jack's career is filled with accomplishment and leadership roles. For example, he's a past president of the Kansas Livestock Association; he served on the Kansas Board of Regents; he has been a member of the Kansas-Colorado Water Compact Commission and the Kansas Board of Veterinary Examiners. His son, Lee, is now group manager of the family's operations, which include a feed yard that handles up to 34,000 head, and their famous alcohol plant Lee started in 1981. Later, he added a fish operation that uses warmer cooling water from the plant to raise tilapia, a food fish. The family also raises feed on 4,500 acres of irrigated land. They've always been innovators. On a personal level, both father and son have been gracious hosts to me, as well as patient ones while trying to explain some of their programs to me. One of my most memorable days as a reporter was a visit to their ranch and distillery and feedlot when they first began making alcohol. There were subsequent visits, but that one sticks out because they both were there and they both took valuable time with me and a photographer. One thing that stuck out, too, was how Lee was feeding both dry and wet stillage to some of the cattle, thus adding efficiency to their overall operations. It is difficult to believe that 20 years have passed since Lee began the alcohol plant. It was in a time of another energy crisis and when another farm crisis was about to boil over. In fact, there were recent export embargoes to the Soviet Union, interest rates exceeding 20 percent for operating loans, a cry for more value-added products and a shout for alternate energy sources, We had just come off another energy crisis, too. hllp:llwww.cjonline.com/stories/021601 Iksp_suber16,shtml l _ [,7'4arketplace, [;v:eb Iil-gepth Section Sponsors Search the advertising in this special section or other special sections, .(i) This section r'';\ All currentsections Enter keywords here [ Se.a:s~, 1 Browse the advertising in this special section, Viewadsin AdobeAcrobatReader. Getthe plug-in, American Family Insurance Antique Emporium of Wamego a9Jton_c..,bJ"y§.ler-PJy-DoQ~ Center For Plastic Surgery PA Clover Cliff B & B In The Country COLintrysideVeterinary Supply Cruisers Everything But Ice Factory Direct Appliance Flint Hills Bed & Breakfast Gambinos Pizza Heifner Nursery Flower Heinen P-H-E Services Inc Heinen Repair Service Kansas Rehab Hospital Kansas Rehab Hospital Kansas Rehab Hospital Kansas Rehab Hospital Kansas Rehab Hospital Kansas State University Oasis Tanning & Nails Payless Shoesource Plaza West Care Center Public Accountants Ravenwood Preserve Steves Thriftway The Barn Bed & Breakfast Inn The Cottage House The ETC, Shop Valley Falls Antiques Valley Falls Antiques
Transcript of Monday, February 19, 2001 CJ Online Kansas Plus Jim Suber:...
Monday, February 19, 2001 CJ Online I Kansas Plus I Jim Suber: Father, son do ag industry proud 02/16/01 Page: 1
SpecialSection The Topeka Getting Around
KansasTH ETOPEKA CP,J!ITAL~JOUP.l',TAL
Jim Suber: Father, son do ag industry proud
By JIM SUBERSpecial to The Capital-Journal
Great choice. That describes the selection of Jack and Lee Reeve to sharethe annual Stockman of the Year award given by the Livestock and MeatIndustry Council based at Kansas State University.
The council's 31st annual Stockmen's Dinner will be March 1 at the HolidayInn in Manhattan, and that's when and where the Reeves will be honored.
Jack Reeve is actually veterinarian Marshall P. Reeve. After receivingveterinary degree from K-State in 1943, he went into the U.S. ArmyVeterinary Corps for three years. He moved to Garden City in 1948 after abrief practice at St. Charles, Mo. He had a private practice in Garden Cityuntil 1960. In the meantime, though, he had begun cattle feeding at theBrookover Feed Yard in 1953, one of the pioneer places in that business.By 1959 he bought a ranch, and in 1962 he started the Reeve CattleCompany.
Jack's career is filled with accomplishment and leadership roles. Forexample, he's a past president of the Kansas Livestock Association; heserved on the Kansas Board of Regents; he has been a member of theKansas-Colorado Water Compact Commission and the Kansas Board ofVeterinary Examiners.
His son, Lee, is now group manager of the family's operations, whichinclude a feed yard that handles up to 34,000 head, and their famousalcohol plant Lee started in 1981. Later, he added a fish operation thatuses warmer cooling water from the plant to raise tilapia, a food fish. Thefamily also raises feed on 4,500 acres of irrigated land.
They've always been innovators. On a personal level, both father and sonhave been gracious hosts to me, as well as patient ones while trying toexplain some of their programs to me.
One of my most memorable days as a reporter was a visit to their ranchand distillery and feedlot when they first began making alcohol. Therewere subsequent visits, but that one sticks out because they both werethere and they both took valuable time with me and a photographer. Onething that stuck out, too, was how Lee was feeding both dry and wetstillage to some of the cattle, thus adding efficiency to their overalloperations.
It is difficult to believe that 20 years have passed since Lee began thealcohol plant. It was in a time of another energy crisis and when anotherfarm crisis was about to boil over. In fact, there were recent exportembargoes to the Soviet Union, interest rates exceeding 20 percent foroperating loans, a cry for more value-added products and a shout foralternate energy sources, We had just come off another energy crisis, too.
hllp:llwww.cjonline.com/stories/021601 Iksp_suber16,shtml
l _
[,7'4arketplace,
[ ;v: eb Iil-gepth
Section SponsorsSearch the advertising in thisspecial section or other specialsections,.(i) This sectionr'';\ All currentsectionsEnter keywords here
[ Se.a:s~,1Browse the advertising in thisspecial section,
ViewadsinAdobeAcrobatReader.Getthe plug-in,
American Family InsuranceAntique Emporium of Wamegoa9Jton_c..,bJ"y§.ler-PJy-DoQ~Center For Plastic Surgery PAClover Cliff B & B In TheCountryCOLintrysideVeterinary SupplyCruisersEverything But IceFactory Direct ApplianceFlint Hills Bed & BreakfastGambinos PizzaHeifner Nursery FlowerHeinen P-H-E Services IncHeinen Repair ServiceKansas Rehab HospitalKansas Rehab HospitalKansas Rehab HospitalKansas Rehab HospitalKansas Rehab HospitalKansas State UniversityOasis Tanning & NailsPayless ShoesourcePlaza West Care CenterPublic AccountantsRavenwood PreserveSteves ThriftwayThe Barn Bed & Breakfast InnThe Cottage HouseThe ETC, ShopValley Falls AntiquesValley Falls Antiques
Monday. February 19, 2001 CJ Online I Kansas Plus I Jim Suber: Father, son do ag industry proud 02/16/01
And some crop farmers were asking for greater support from government,even as many were losing their farms to inflation and bank foreclosures,
Lee Reeve did what few other entrepreneurs did. He actually designed andbuilt a bonafide distillation plant and went about the business of gettinginto the ethanol business, Lee, a graduate of agricultural economics fromKSU, pushed as sharp a pencil as anybody,
Back then he knew more about heat exchange and fuel markets probablythan anyone within 1,000 miles, His fame grew, and by 1996 he hadbecome chairman of the U.S, Department of Agriculture's AlternativeAgriculture Research and Commercialization Board, had been the subjectof dozens of articles and had served on a variety of state-levelcommittees.
Dee James, executive director of the council, had this to say: "The Reevescontinue to be agricultural pioneers, They are always looking for newopportunities to explore, They are prepared to take risks, and they arewilling to help others along the way,"
Jim Suber is a former staff writer for The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is anindependent regional columnist who writes about rural life and agriculturalissues,
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