Outstanding county rancher chosen

    Hans Wittenburg was chosen by the Jackson County Water and Soil Conservation District as the Outstanding Rancher. Wittenburg was born and raised in Lockhart, and he graduated from Lockhart High School in 1946, and went on to attend Texas A&M University. In 1950 he obtained his Bachelor of Science in Animal Husbandry.  Wittenburg married his wife Mary Jo and together they have three sons, Frederick, Randy and Joe Mack.
    He began working for Green Valley Cattle Company in San Marcos after graduating from Texas A&M and he worked there until he went into the service. In 1955, him and his wife moved to Edna where Wittenburg worked at the local John Deere Dealership until he took it over from his father-in-law in 1998.
    Wittenburg began raising Beefmaster cattle in Jackson County in 1968. His operation, Wittenburg Beefmasters, consists of 1,000 acres he owns and 250 acres he leases, all in Jackson County. Him and Mary Jo purchased the home place in 1976.  
    He runs a commercial cow/calf operation which consists of Registered Beefmasters and keeps his own heifers for replacements. Wittenburg supplements the cattle year round with a Purina Acro Ration and provides hay and protein tubs during periods of stress to meet nutritional requirements. He primarily uses 20% breeder cubes for protein and carbohydrate needs and also as a way to keep them docile enough to work them easily. He also has a Wittenburg Bull Ration that he developed for his young bulls.