Burdick man called ‘lifelong friend’ of livestock industry
K-State Research and Extension news service
MANHATTAN, Kan. – The Livestock and Meat Industry Council, Inc. named Pat Koons of Burdick, Kan. as the 2022 Stockman of the Year during ceremonies March 3 at Kansas State University’s Stanley Stout Center.
“Pat knows very few strangers and his easy laugh and appreciation of others fills any room he enters,” said LMIC secretary Justin Janssen. “Pat relates easily to young people and he has a knack for finding out what makes students tick. Pat Koons has been a lifelong friend of the livestock industry and a role model for all of us.”
Koons graduated from K-State with a bachelor’s degree in animal sciences and industry and went on to serve two years in the U.S. Army. After returning, he was the purebred herd manager at the Dewey Ranch south of Manhattan.
In 1971, Koons went to work for CattleFax as a market analyst and developing grass roots producer support for a fledgling entity.
Koons accepted the general manager role at Kearny County Feeders, Inc. near Lakin in 1972. For the next 34 years, he developed natural, NHTC, source and age programs, bred heifer program and auction, and was responsible for pricing options, feed yard operations and customer relations.
When Koons was not busy managing Kearny County Feeders, he was serving on the Board of Directors for the Kansas Livestock Association and Beef Empire Days, and was chairman of the Feeder Council. He also served on the National Livestock and Beef board and the Kansas State Fair Board Foundation.
In support of K-State, Koons is a member of the LMIC’s Royal Board and past president. He helped lead the effort to raise funds for the construction of the Stanley Stout Center, and was part of the team that oversaw building the facility.
With his many years of experience in the beef industry, he decided in 2008 to move back to the Flint Hills and run his own cow-calf and stocker operation, while continuing to share his experiences of the cattle industry as a cattle feeding consultant.
A video of the awards presentation is available at https://youtu.be/3GlTGkEPsRY.
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The Kansas State University Animal Sciences and Industry department serves students, livestock producers and the animal and food industries through teaching, research and education. The K-State ASI department prepares students for careers in the animal and food industries. The curriculum includes the study of nutrition, reproduction, genetics, behavior, meat science, food science with production, management, and agribusiness skills. For more about the K-State’s ASI department visit asi.ksu.edu.
The Livestock and Meat Industry Council is dedicated to facilitating interdisciplinary research that identifies and addresses issues/opportunities facing animal agriculture and the efficient production of food. The Council solicits volunteer contributions including money, land, livestock, equipment and other bequests in support of approved priorities and initiatives within the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, in cooperation with the College of Agriculture at K-State.
K State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county extension offices, experiment fields, area extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K State campus in Manhattan. For more information, visit www.ksre.ksu.edu. K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Story by:
Angie Stump Denton
785-562-6197
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