EmpowerU Podcast: “The Past Only Molds the Future…”
Guest: Jared Boyer
Hosts: Weston Hendricks, Luke Domingue
Air Date: October 18, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of EmpowerU dives into the journey of Jared Boyer—cattleman, coach, family man, and co-owner of Boyer Core Cattle—exploring how personal history shapes ambition, decision-making, and success in the livestock industry. Jared shares valuable insights from his upbringing in rural Ohio, the family’s dynamic business evolution from greenhouses to show cattle, and his hands-on approach to running one of the Midwest’s standout operations. The conversation blends practical livestock tips, entrepreneurial wisdom, and themes of resilience and family values.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Jared Boyer’s Background and Roots

• Ohio origins and family business

  • Grew up in a rural part of NE Ohio, now more suburban but still rich in agriculture.
  • The Boyer family runs a longstanding greenhouse operation: “My mom and dad, they started it, and like I said, in the mid-80s... They had kind of an open house for their 40th anniversary last week.” [11:28]
  • All five siblings are involved in the family business.

• Early ag exposure despite a non-ag school environment

  • “When I graduated high school, I graduated with, I think, a little over 500 kids in my class, and I bet myself and maybe one other family in our whole school were ag oriented.” [03:14]
  • Started showing livestock after talking his dad into buying calves, eventually focusing almost exclusively on shorthorn cattle.

2. Judging, Coaching, and Life Lessons

• Transition to livestock judging

  • Attended Blackhawk and Western, then returned to coach at Blackhawk (2012–2016), coaching three teams. [05:56]
  • Advice for collegiate judging: “The students that showed up went to class... I can honestly say those students that continually came to class and just applied themselves, I think they’re in a lot better place at this point, too.” [07:32]

• Team dynamics and personal growth

  • “My competitiveness probably kicked in a little bit… Whatever you’re doing, you want to be competitive.” [07:32]
  • Importance of surrounding yourself with driven, supportive peers.

3. Family Greenhouse Business: Lessons Carried Forward

• Risk, pride, and community

  • Parents transitioned from produce to wholesale and retail flowers and built a community-oriented operation.
  • “You really can’t imagine what it’s like… They’ve grown it so much and it’s clean... everything that they’ve done, I think, is with customer satisfaction in mind.” [13:50]

• Business parallels with the cattle operation

  • “A lot of growing up and seeing my parents do how they applied to their business is a lot what we do try to today.” [11:28]

4. Livestock Showing Evolution & Expansion

• Humble beginnings and lessons learned

  • First show cattle were purchased from Kate’s Farms in 1995—a tradition continued for years.
  • “We had no idea what we were doing... And honestly, even through my whole career, I didn’t win a whole lot… My highlight… was my last year of showing.” [16:25]

• Diversifying experience

  • Family showed a range of livestock: “We showed sheep, we showed pigs, we showed cattle... we even showed meat chickens and turkeys.” [22:40]

5. Building Boyer Core Cattle: Partnerships & Strategic Growth

• Combining family operations

  • Jared and Bailey merged their cattle backgrounds, with strong support from in-laws and siblings.
  • “Honestly, the whole thing is we’ve never really sat down and just like, hey, what’s this look like? I bought eight heifers... from Horsley Brothers… and that was about the first year we had a sale.” [23:17]

• Calculated risks and lean years

  • “The night of my steer sale, I had $953 to my name and… my steer sale went good, and then we had that heifer sale. But… I was pretty nervous.” [27:41]

• Growth strategy & teamwork

  • “Before we made any financial investment into anything, we tried to have a plan of how are we going to pay for that.” [27:41]
  • Jared credits his brother Jake’s thoroughness and his own willingness to “jump in the deep end” as a strong partnership balance.

6. Cow Power: Key Cows and Matings

• Notable donors and lineage
  • Annie Lucal: “That cow has done a really nice job through multiple breeds… she’s definitely been something for us that has been very successful.” [35:47]
  • 7311 Charolais: Mother to several champions, described in detail for influencing program direction. [39:07]
  • 701 Hereford cow: “I don’t put a lot of Hereford embryos in just because I don’t have a huge clientele for Herefords. But that cow continually… she’s done her job, I would say, pretty successfully.” [39:07]
  • Tammy cow: The cornerstone cow of their operation. “She owes us nothing… she was probably realistically what made all of this possible for us.” [39:07]
  • “It’s kind of crazy when you look back and you’re like, man, that mating’s almost 12 years old, but they’re still really nice.” [39:07]

7. The Bull Pen: Promo Bulls & Semen Sales

• Promo bulls and division of labor

  • “We were getting enough cows and… if we were gonna buy some bulls… we could breed cows to him, we can flush cows to him, and then we can run them behind cows.” [45:26]
  • “My wife… has completely taken that [semen sales] over. She’s done a tremendous job.” [45:26]

• Key bulls: Outsider, Outlier, Next Level, One For All, and White Snake

  • White Snake: “I have a lot of hopes for that bull... I hope he’s not one of those that you just love so much phenotypically that they don’t raise anything. But I got a lot of faith in his mother.” [45:26]

8. Pregnant Recip Program & Strategic Land Use

• Origins and execution

  • Bought nearby pasture ground to scale up the herd and introduced an innovative program using commercial cows as recips.
  • “One of the biggest things was… how do we grow? How do we pay for this?... We bought 180 commercial open cows… that’s too much for me to handle, 100 was a nice number.” [53:50]

• Cost control vs. labor

  • “We didn’t get rich off of selling pregnant recips, but we saved money.” [56:03]
  • Discusses market changes and adjusting strategies in response to livestock price fluctuations.

9. Show Heifer Preparation and Feeding Philosophy

• “Good cattle are going to convert. Good cattle are going to have an appetite. If they’re not eating, they’re probably just not good enough.” [60:40]
• Long-term show prep: Challenges in timing condition/finish for jackpots vs. major shows.
• On not “pushing too hard” and balancing between keeping them fresh and not over-finishing. [63:01]

10. Practical Advice: Getting Started & Sale Strategy

• Starting a program: Buy donors, embryos, or bred heifers?

  • “Whatever is feasible at the time for you… not every one of them is going to turn out… Anything, if they were good and they were affordable, we try to, you know, try to buy them.” [67:35]

• Sales order and online sales

  • Sorts sales “alphabetical order by breed and then by age.” [71:32]
  • Online sales work best for them: “It’s really beneficial for the buyer to be able to get the animal that they want that they can afford.” [75:08]

11. Values and Motivation

• Faith, family, and gratitude

  • “The biggest driving force for me is honestly my family and our friends… we’d have dinner, we’d say grace… our food, our family and our friends, those things motivate me.” [77:59]
  • The power of competition and community: “We might be friends, but I still want to beat you.” [80:46]

• On mentoring and the next generation

  • “I enjoy working with young people… I enjoy that part of it, working with some of those kids… I think I’m very, very fortunate, I’m very blessed for the life that we live.” [82:58]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “My mom was like, man, she’s like, we’re so proud of you. We didn’t even think you were going to graduate high school.” – Jared Boyer, [07:32]

• “Take pride in your work. No matter what it is.” – Jared Boyer, [13:50]

• “Before we made any financial investment into anything, we tried to have a plan of how are we going to pay for that… That was probably one thing—I’ll be honest—my brother Jake, he’s really very thorough in his thought process.” – Jared Boyer, [27:41]

• “Good cattle are going to convert. Good cattle are going to have an appetite… If they’re not eating, they’re probably just not good enough.” – Jared Boyer, [60:40]

• “The biggest driving force for me is honestly my family and our friends.” – Jared Boyer, [77:59]

Inspirational Closing & Final Reflection

• On faith and daily motivation:
  “Every morning when I get up, [my wife] is usually in her office reading her Bible… She’s always telling me I need to do more of that. And I try. I really do. I have a full faith. And I am definitely obviously at that point. And… we all have imperfections. But the biggest driving force for me is, honestly, my family and our friends.” [77:59]

• Hosts’ final words:
  “I think the one that we picked up for today’s episode resonates with what you’ve said here recently. Deuteronomy 31:8… Do not be afraid and do not be discouraged… Throughout this entire episode… you took having the $900 to your name and the sale and not giving up and letting the Lord essentially guide you through your path.” [84:25]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:14] — Jared’s early life, rural Ohio roots
• [07:32] — Lessons from coaching, advice for students
• [11:28] — The family greenhouse business
• [16:25] — First livestock showing experiences
• [23:17] — Launching Boyer Core Cattle and early risks
• [39:07] — Favorite cows, key matings, and donor impact
• [45:26] — Promotional bulls, semen, and ‘White Snake’
• [53:50] — Pregnant recip program and land acquisition
• [60:40] — Show heifer feeding and preparation philosophy
• [67:35] — Starting a livestock program: donor vs. embryo vs. bred heifer
• [71:32] — Sale strategy and ordering
• [77:59] — Sources of drive and motivation; faith and family
• [84:25] — Deuteronomy 31:8 and closing gratitude

Summary:
Jared Boyer’s journey is characterized by grounded values, entrepreneurial agility, and an unwavering commitment to family and fair competition. His insights are both practical—regarding show cattle genetics, operations, and financial decisions—and personal, underpinning the enduring importance of faith, community, and resilience in agriculture. Whether you’re a seasoned breeder, new to livestock, or simply looking for insight into what drives success in rural business, this episode is full of actionable wisdom and heartfelt stories.