About Flying AJ Ranch, with Montana stockgrowers Arlin and Jenifer Fratzke: Stevensville, Montana

The Flying AJ Ranch is owned by cattlemen Arlin and Jenifer Fratzke and is located in the heart of Western Montana in the Bitterroot Valley. Surrounded by the Sapphire and Bitterroot Mountains, our Stevensville ranch has mild temperatures and excellent growing seasons which help to provide an ideal opportunity for humanely raising Angus cattle. By growing our own hay and feeding our cattle all-naturally, we remain as self-sustaining as possible.

Arlin and Jenifer both have agriculture in their backgrounds. Jenifer learned to love agriculture during her childhood visits to her grandfather's small horse ranch, and Arlin grew up on a farm in the Bitterroot. During high school, Arlin was active in the Stevensville FFA Chapter and at one time served as secretary. He studied vocational agriculture and developed a passion for Angus cattle and ranching---a passion that he still has to this day, shared by Jenifer.

For more than a decade, the Flying AJ Ranch has used artificial insemination (AI) extensively on our ranch: selecting for calving ease, maternal traits, performance testing, carcass quality, and feed efficiency. We expect our cattle to stand alone, on their own merits. The Flying AJ Ranch is on the leading edge of Angus genetics. We continually improve the performance data and feed efficiency of the stock by culling the herd every year for performance and docility and by retaining our own heifers and incorporating their genetics into the herd.
Most of our calves are born in February and weaned the first of October. Our bulls are put on test at Midland Bull Test, “The Granddaddy of Performance Testing.” Through competition, Midland provides objective and comprehensive performance data. Every April, we consistently sell our bulls at the Midland Bull Test Sale, www.midlandbulltest.com.
The Flying AJ Ranch is dedicated to conservation stewardship of land and humane treatment of livestock. Our recent purchase of a pivot irrigation system has not only decreased our consumption of water in the Bitterroot Valley but has increased our farming production.

Jenifer hauls hay on the Farmall M for the bulls. Our registered Black Angus cattle demonstrate our progressive Angus genetics among Montana ranches.

Today Jenifer is using our 1940 Farmall M workhorse to pull a homemade wagon filled with 1500-pound haybales
back to the barn.