story by Coleman Cornelius
published Jan. 13, 2021
In 1936, when he was 15 years old, Johnny Matsushima raised his first Hereford steer as a 4-H project and showed it at the Weld County Fair in Greeley. He was showing alongside a younger 4-H rival named Kenny Monfort, whose family was already well-established in the Colorado beef industry.
Monfort had the grand champion steer at the fair that year. But Matsushima had an idea: He took his steer back to his family’s farm south of Greeley. He fed it a bit longer, hauled the animal to auction at the Denver Stockyards, and fetched top dollar.