Our heritage is raising Angus cattle. Abbie (Ryan) Nelson is a fourth-generation Angus breeder. Involved in the Angus business all of her life, Abbie's true love is the black doddies that graze the Nelson family's central California pastures.

Abbie's family members have been trendsetters in the Angus business since the early 1900s. Many of her family members have been inducted into the Angus Heritage Foundation because of their contributions to the breed. Thomas Ryan, Abbie's great-grandfather, was a cattle buyer who homesteaded near Harlan, Iowa, in 1881. He was one of the first cattle breeders to import Angus from Scotland.

Abbie's grandfather, Earl Ryan, and great-uncle Charles Escher made history in the Angus breed with their Escher & Ryan herd. From 1900 to 1915, the Escher & Ryan duo purchased cattle from area farmers and resold the cattle in Chicago via the North Western Railroad. In the early years their primary showing was of carloads, which enhanced their reputation as feeders of quality market cattle.

In 1916, after purchasing the W.A. McHenry herd, their emphasis changed from showing carloads to individuals. According to Garland Barratt, author of Angus Empire — The Story of Escher & Ryan, the herd's achievements in the showring during the next 10-12 years have never been equaled.

Abbie's father, Charles Ryan moved to California in the 1930s. Her parents owned Rancheria Angus in California. When Mark and Abbie married in 1984 they established Five Star Land and Livestock.

At the time they had three kids — Andra, Adam and Katie — thus the reason for Five Star.

Mark's interest are in the commercial side of the business. He is currently vice president of the California Cattlemen's Association. Mark also manages a real estate development company, Sacramento Land and Farming. His experience in marketing and public relations related to the real estate business has benefited their efforts with their cattle enterprise.

Today, Abbie's daughter, Andra, and Andra's husband, Mark Campbell, manage the Piper's Knoll Angus Ranch near Klamath Falls, Oregon. Mark and Abbie's son, Ryan, is active in junior Angus activities. Mark's children, Adam and Katie, have pursued other interests. Adam is following in Mark's foot steps in the real estate business and Katie is working on a master's degree at Boston College.