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By: Maddie Hokanson, for Tri-State Livestock News
A mural as large as the man’s impact on the cattle industry spans the length and height of a two-story building in Rock Rapids, Iowa.
Tony W. Jansma was the founder of Jansma Cattle Company, one of the nation’s largest order buying and feeder operations at its peak. Tony began as a cattle buyer when he was just 16, and he continued until his passing in 2004 at age 69.
Jansma’s Story
Tony attended country school through 8th grade and then began farming with his dad, Walter Jansma.
In the beginning, Tony would attend auctions around the area and drive a straight truck to bring the load home at the end of the sale. Buying only as many cattle as could fit in the truck, he began his career purchasing cattle mostly for their own operation.