Our History

The Mettler family’s history in South Dakota agriculture stretches back more than a century, with each generation leaving its mark on the operation. Over time, that legacy developed into Mettler Polled Herefords and, today, Mettler Cattle—a program built around the belief that good cattle should combine quality, performance and maternal strength with the functionality to remain productive for years.

Much of the modern Mettler program was shaped by Ron and Brian Mettler, who spent decades building the herd together. Their approach paired a cattleman’s eye with an emphasis on proven genetics, developing cow families and herd sires that could make an impact well beyond our own pastures. Perhaps no bull represents that era better than JR P183 Rival T205. Bred and owned within the Mettler program, Rival went on to earn the American Hereford Association designations of Gold Trophy Sire and Sire of Distinction, leaving a lasting influence through his progeny and establishing an important chapter in the Mettler breeding program.

That tradition of producing cattle capable of competing at a high level continued with MPH 2103 Eastwood G3 ET. In 2021, Eastwood was named Grand Champion Hereford Bull and Supreme Champion Bull Over All Breeds at the South Dakota State Fair. He also earned Grand Champion Hereford Bull at the Sioux Empire Fair and Reserve Division Champion honors at the American Royal that year. From Rival to Eastwood, those accomplishments represent different eras of the program, but the philosophy behind them has remained remarkably consistent: cattle should have the quality to stand out without sacrificing their ability to work.

At home, that means placing just as much value on the females behind those bulls. Productive cow families, soundness, udder quality, performance, longevity and maternal ability continue to drive our breeding decisions. The banners and recognition are pieces of our history, but the cows that raise a good calf year after year are what allow that history to continue.

Behind the cattle was also a remarkable amount of determination. Brian was diagnosed with adrenal cortical carcinoma in 2009 and continued raising cattle alongside Ron throughout more than 16 years of experimental treatments, surgeries and his battle with cancer. Through it all, the cattle operation and the opportunity to work alongside his father and share that knowledge with his family remained an important part of his life.

When Brian passed away in March 2026, the Mettler family lost an important part of both the family and the cattle operation, but not the vision he spent his life building. Ron remains an active part of the program, and the next generation continues the work he and Brian spent so many years building together. The cattle, pedigrees, cow families and lessons they developed provide the foundation, while the next generation continues to move the program forward.

Today, Mettler Cattle remains a family operation with deep roots and an eye toward what comes next. We are proud of the cattle and people that built our name, but preserving that legacy means more than simply looking backward. It means continuing to make thoughtful breeding decisions, raising cattle we are proud to put the Mettler name behind, and leaving the next generation something even stronger to carry forward.