hirteen years ago, Gib Mouser
purchased four Hereford heifers
and brought them home as a sur
prise for his wife, Michelle, and
their children, Cale and Haley.
Little did he know his spur of the
moment purchase would evolve
into a family passion for the cattle
industry. Through the years, Gib,
Michelle, Cale (23), and Haley (21)
have made a positive impact on the
agriculture industry at national and
international levels.
FIRST-GENERATION FARMERS
The family runs their registered
Hereford cow/calf operation, Mous
er Herefords, in Tenstrike, Minne
sota. The Mousers are first-genera
tion farmers. From the onset, Gib, a
large animal veterinarian, was well
acquainted with managing live
stock. However, it was all new to
the rest of the Mouser family.
“It has been quite a ride, and
it has been awesome,” Michelle
Mouser shared. “But in all honesty,
I did not know that it was in me to
do this and love it. My husband al
ready enjoyed it just by being a vet
erinarian. He really enjoys the cat
tle ranchers and everything about
their livelihood, their mentality,
and the way they look at life – he
has always admired that.”
Gib wanted to give his family the
opportunity to experience life and
develop values similar to his cattle
producer clients, thus the purchase
First generation cattle ranchers build a purebred Hereford herd in northern Minnesota.
By Cheryl Kepes
photos courtesy Mouser family,
Joe Ahlquist, and the
American Hereford AssociationMaking
Their Mark
68
February 2026 | THE STOCKMAN AG-EXTRA