Jim Watson has transformed 1000 acres of native rangeland and timber in Northwest Montana into solid breeding ground for the premier Tibetan Yak seedstock herd in the U.S., and 80 head of Plains Buffalo. Only 35 miles from Glacier National Park near Kalispell, MT, Spring Brook Ranch operates in a primarily local market.

“The buffalo are raised for a local meat market using the ‘Gate to Plate’ business model,” Watson said. “We butcher cull yak for a local meat market and ship yak breeding stock all over the country. The demand for high end, show quality yak is getting stronger as is the market for trained yak pack steers.”

Making a living in agriculture was only natural for Watson, after being raised around cattle stockyards. He also has a farming enterprise with his brother in the Mississippi Delta, with 2100 acres of rice and soybeans. He said he is also a mechanical engineer by training.

Watson purchased the CattleMax software to help with his record keeping in 2003, after using paper and spreadsheets.

“We did research on the web and downloaded demos. CattleMax was certainly the right choice to make. We have not regretted it for a minute,” he said.

He said his favorite feature in CattleMax is the customizable reports, and they do not work cattle without a printed worksheet.

“We also really like the sales catalog generator. It is a great, professional looking sales tool,” Watson said. “We keep a major catalog on the web and will generate custom catalogs per customer request.”

He said they also take many pictures of their animals as they mature to place in the software, and then pass the “scrapbook” along to the new owners. Watson appreciates being able to view the pictures in the office when he is evaluating the animals.

Watson said CattleMax has also helped them better market their animals.

“We have the best and most up to date sales catalogs in the business. Our sales literature is very professional and credible,” he said. “Being able to include animal pictures is a big plus. When we sell a registered animal, we are able to generate excellent reports for the new owner such as health history and weight history. They really like getting these information files for each animal.”

For more information on Spring Brook Ranch and their Tibetan Yak and Plains Bison, visit them online at http://www.SpringBrookRanch.com