The 2027 inductees into the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame (CFHOF) were announced last week. Honorees will be recognized February 3 at the 18th Annual Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame Banquet, which will be held in Nashville, TN.
Joel Jarnagin of Cobalt Cattle Company near Garden City and Tom Basabe of Simplot Land and Livestock Group in Grand View, ID, are the 2027 Hall of Fame inductees. Jarnagin, a native of Jetmore, gained experience in the cattle feeding industry in Hawaii and Texas before returning to Kansas in 1995. In 2015, he became chief executive officer of Cobalt Cattle Company, formerly Green Plains Cattle Company, which operated a single 73,000-head yard. Jarnagin has helped the company expand to seven locations with a capacity of 410,000 head, making Cobalt the fourth-largest cattle feeder in the U.S. He and his wife, Vicki, have two children and five grandchildren.
Basabe worked his way up the ladder before taking over Simplot Land and Livestock from his father in 1988. He has continued to build upon the success of the business, increasing feeding capacity to 230,000 head and growing the cowherd to 32,000 across 16 ranches. Today, Simplot is the seventh-largest cattle feeding business and second-largest ranching operation in the nation.
In addition to the inductees, CFHOF also recognizes individuals for leadership and service in the cattle feeding industry. Temple Grandin of Fort Collins, CO, a distinguished professor of animal sciences at Colorado State University, will receive this year’s Industry Leadership Award. Grandin’s work has transformed how cattle are handled throughout the supply chain, cementing her place as a pioneer in animal welfare and behavior.
The 2027 Arturo Armendariz Distinguished Service Award recipient is Ray Nelson of Moses Lake, WA. Nelson dedicated 38 years to El Oro Cattle Feeders, a division of Agri Beef, before retiring at the end of 2025. The CFHOF banquet is held in conjunction with CattleCon. To purchase tickets, click here.