Circle A Ranch in Missouri: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Circle A Ranch is a family Angus operation headquartered in Iberia, Missouri, that began in 1991 with about 140 females on 640 acres. It was named the 2002 Beef Improvement Federation Seedstock Producer of the Year and, per recent coverage, runs more than 10,000 acres at Iberia and 8,000 at Huntsville.
| Location | Iberia, Missouri, with a second ranch near Huntsville |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1991, with about 140 females on 640 acres, per a 2005 conference page |
| Sectors | Registered and commercial Angus; female, bull and feeder calf sales |
| Scale | More than 10,000 acres at Iberia and about 8,000 at Huntsville, per Missouri Farmer Today |
| Why it is elite | 2002 BIF Seedstock Producer of the Year; 2005 Regional Vision Award; Angus Sire Alliance founder |
| Ownership | Family-owned; the Gust family, with Sarah Lennon managing, per Missouri Farmer Today |
| Official website | Circle A Ranch official site |
History of Circle A Ranch
A National Angus Conference tour page says Circle A began in 1991 with about 140 females on 640 acres and is owned by the Dave Gust family. By 2005 it described about 30,000 acres across four locations in Missouri and Iowa. Missouri Farmer Today reports that manager Sarah Lennon says the ranch was founded by her grandparents.
The ranch founded the Angus Sire Alliance in 1995, focused on fertility, efficiency and carcass traits. It won the 2002 BIF Seedstock Producer of the Year award and the 2005 Regional Vision Award from the National Cattlemen's Foundation.
What Circle A Ranch Grows and Raises
Circle A pairs a registered herd with large commercial herds. The 2005 conference page describes about 300 registered head and 2,000 commercial females at each Missouri location, with heifers developed in Iowa. A BIF nomination described feed efficiency research facilities, over 4,000 carcass records contributed to AHIR, a DNA repository of about 3,500 steer samples and an internet-based data system linking the ranches.
Missouri Farmer Today reports a large feedlot at Huntsville and describes the ranch as using data to make decisions. Herd numbers and acreage have changed since 2005, so check current figures with the ranch.
How Circle A Ranch Makes Money
Female and bull sales
The 2005 conference page lists a September female production sale, a March bull sale and a May customer appreciation sale.
Feeder calf and commercial sales
Circle A Influence Feeder Calf Sales, consignments to Show-Me Select and commercial heifer sales, and private treaty sales are listed.
Genetics and data
The Angus Sire Alliance and carcass data programs link seedstock and commercial customers. The ranch employed a full-time commercial marketing staff member at the time of the BIF nomination.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Circle A Ranch
First lesson: connect seedstock and commercial herds. Feedback from commercial cattle and carcass data improves the registered program and gives customers evidence.
Second lesson: diversify sales channels. Female sales, bull sales, feeder calf sales and private treaty give multiple ways to capture value. Third, invest in measurement: feed efficiency testing and DNA repositories support long-term selection.
A ranch that started with 140 females and 640 acres and grew to thousands of acres knows a thing or two about expanding herds, and about expanding the fence line to match. For readers who enjoy farm satire, farm humor, ranch humor and farm jokes, farm.FM is the place to go, and a ranch with a feed efficiency research center is practically asking to be teased about its cattle's dietary standards. The heifers, we suspect, are above it.
For context, farm.FM is the nation's first satirical farm site and the home of Tractor Tunes, country music for farmers. Its contributors each keep an archive, and this one is a good sampler of ranch humor and farm jokes.
How to Contact Circle A Ranch
Website: https://www.circlearanch.com/
Only the website was verified for this profile; the domain appeared on a 2005 National Angus Conference tour page for the ranch. Confirm sales and visit details with the ranch.
Circle A Ranch Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Circle A Ranch official site - Ranch information and sales
- National Angus Conference: Circle A tour - Tour page with history, herd numbers and awards
- Missouri Farmer Today: ranch uses data - Feature on acreage and data-driven decisions
- USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture: Missouri - Missouri farm counts, acreage, sales and operator data
- USDA FSA Missouri State Office - Farm loans, conservation and disaster programs in Missouri
Circle A Ranch FAQ
Where is Circle A Ranch?
Headquartered in Iberia, Missouri, with another location near Huntsville.
When did it start?
In 1991, with about 140 females on 640 acres, per a 2005 conference page.
What awards has it won?
The 2002 BIF Seedstock Producer of the Year and the 2005 Regional Vision Award.
How large is it?
Missouri Farmer Today reports about 10,000 acres at Iberia and 8,000 at Huntsville.
Circle A Ranch shows how a Missouri family can grow from a small herd to a data-driven Angus operation. For the broader state picture, see the Missouri farms guide on this site.