About Us

“Do no harm” This is the oath Ken Stielow applies to his life and the management of the Bar S Ranch. As a seed stock producer, Stielow prides himself in selling cattle that only will improve, not harm, his customers’ herd genetics.

It started 60 years ago, in 1945, when Stielow’s father, Frank, bought 15 purebred Angus heifers and a bull to start what became a highly reputable commercial Angus herd. The family began to register cattle in the early 1970’s. We introduced an extensive Al program in both our registered and commercial herds and in 1987, we collected some of the early sire group carcass data used in calculating carcass EPD’s for the Angus breed. We have retained ownership and monitored both feedlot and carcass performance of ranch steers since 1975.

The Stielow family adheres to a strict selection process which is based on five criteria: fertility, calving ease, birth weight, weaning weight and cow maintenance. The emphasis stems from customer demands, “we’re listening to our customers”. Understanding his customer’s needs, Stielow expanded into the Charolais breed in 2000. He feels the ideal terminal cross is a Charolais/Angus.

The Bar S Ranch runs a commercial cowherd, serving as a testimonial to the operations purebred program. Top-quality heifers from both breeds have been retained on the ranch through the years as a means of increasing herd size. In 1991, the ranch’s first production sale was held in Russell, Kansas. Eight years later, a facility was built, and the production sale was moved to ranch headquarters.