A Few Moments with Genex Independent Contractor, Duane Freshe

The Genex beef team is in the thick of spring breeding, but a couple of our Independent Contractors took a few precious moments to answer some questions for me. I have really enjoyed getting to know them a little better and hope you do too!

Today was Duane Freshe's turn.

Duane and his son, Julius giving shots and applying ESTROTECT patches on a 317 head project for one of their long-time customers, Robert and Mandy Peck.

Tell us a little about yourself.   I’m a native Montanan, my wife and I both grew up and still reside there. We have three grown children; Jesika and Julius are still close to home and part of our A.I. business. Our oldest son Arin settled in Kansas, he and Sarah are expecting our first grandbaby at the end of August.  I have been involved in Agriculture and the cattle industry since I was a child. I owned and showed registered Angus cattle all over Montana and Washington through FFA. I was a state FFA officer in high school and raised my kids with that same love of agriculture.

What made you decide to become a Genex Independent Contractor (IC)?  I’ve been artificial inseminating cattle since high school and have been in the sales industry for my entire adult life, so semen sales was a perfect fit for me. I purchased Genex semen for several years before being approached about being the new Genex rep for central Montana. I was excited about the opportunity and have sincerely enjoyed all aspects of the business ever since.

What is the most difficult part of being an IC?  Often there just aren’t enough hours in the day! My belief is that customer service is #1, that’s how you get and keep good folks as customers.  So I would say my biggest difficulty is the miles I cover here in Montana and making the time for more one on one connection.  I have found that attending our area bull sales, and even more importantly, making ranch visits to my customers are two of the best ways to promote my semen sales. By visiting my ranch customers, wandering through their herd with them and seeing the newest crop of calves I am more able to advise them on specific bulls that would benefit their program. If you find an answer for adding more hours to the day please let me know!  

Do you have a memorable or rewarding story you would like to share from your time as an IC?

The first thing that popped into my head as memorable story was my first training trip to Shawano, Wisconsin, via air lines, when I went through security they found bullets in my vest pocket! Oops. 

The rewarding part of Genex for me is seeing the great changes my customer is able to make in their herd by using our bulls, and even more rewarding is being able to employ and work with two of my kids throughout A.I. season and watching them grow and learn more and more about the semen business and genetics of breeding.  

Who is your go-to Genex sire and why?  1AN01238 RESOURCE because he’s an incredible female maker for cows. Final Answer was a mainstay for years on heifers, but now I have moved on to 1AN01240 EFFECTIVE for his calving ease, accuracy and he’s real trustworthy for a heifer bull. I am currently also looking real hard at 1AN01375 REINVESTED and 1AN01348 JUSTIFIED and possibly 1AN01356 ALLIED in the future.

What is your favorite cut of beef?  Rib eye steak, baby! I’m a bit of a steak connoisseur truthfully, and love bbq-ing a meal for my family… Ask my kids, I can rave for hours after eating a great piece of beef!