Rancher Rich Porter of Reading will be recognized March 6 by Kansas State University’s Department of Animal Sciences and Industry (ASI) as the 2025 Stockman of the Year. The award is presented by the Livestock & Meat Industry Council (LMIC) at the annual Stockmen’s Dinner to be held at 6:00 p.m. at the Stanley Stout Center in Manhattan.
Porter owns a grazing and backgrounding operation, where he annually receives around 7,000 head of 300 lb. high-risk calves from the Southeast that he grows to 800 lbs. For most of the year, the cattle graze native grass and are supplemented with distillers’ grains. In the winter, calves receive corn silage in a drylot.
Porter graduated from K-State in 1972 with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and in 2004 with a master’s in agribusiness. He also earned a law degree from Southern Methodist University in 1975.
A staunch supporter of the K-State ASI department, Porter generously served as the lead donor for the Stanley Stout Center. He also has donated to many other ASI projects and the College of Agriculture. Porter has participated in numerous ASI cattle research trials and is a member of the LMIC board of directors, serving as president from 2020 to 2022. Additionally, he has received the BEEF Magazine National Stocker Award and the Distinguished Alumni Award from the K-State Department of Agricultural Economics.
To register for the dinner, click here or call (785) 532-1267. The cost to attend is $50/person.