Double Diamond Genetics nears 30 years
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Left to right: Kyle, Beckham, Kayla, Cindy, Scott, Reese, Shane & Chase Anderson
In rural Chrisman Double Diamond Genetics, a business owned by Scott and Cindy Anderson, is dedicated to supplying embryo transfer services and herd health to the cattle industry. They also offer embryo transfer donor cow management in a grazing/pasture environment and on the farm embryo transfer services. “We have services and clients from across the nation and provide a majority of our work in Illinois and Indiana,” Cindy said.
In addition to the embryo transfer services, Double Diamond has been actively involved in developing reputable Angus herd in the state under the name Double Diamond Angus. “We have strived to produce an elite herd of cows that perform in the pasture as well as in the show ring,” Cindy told us.
Both Scott and Cindy are not strangers to the cattle business. Cindy grew up on a dairy and commercial beef herd operation in Brighton, Colorado. Scott, who is from Eaton, Colorado, showed steers in 4-H from his family’s feedlot/commercial herd operation. Scott and Cindy met while attending Colorado State University and married in 1987 while Scott completed his final year of veterinary school. In 1988, he graduated with a degree in veterinary medicine.
In 1989, the couple moved to Texas while Scott trained under the supervision of Kirk Gray, a veterinarian at Granada Genetics. Scott then moved to Granada’s satellite office in Oxford, Indiana on Brost Angus Farms to run that part of the operation.
In October of 1991, Granada Genetics went bankrupt. “We managed to purchase the business and keep the embryo transfer clientele while leasing the facility from Brost Angus Farms,” Scott said.
In April of 1992, the Anderson’s, along with their two children, moved the operation to eighty acres in Chrisman. The business name was changed to Double Diamond Genetics.
“We started from scratch and worked hard,” Cindy said. “Nothing was passed down to us from previous generations. Scott and I both have backgrounds in the cattle world, but we are a first generation Angus Breeder. To make the business grow, we had to work not only as a family, but as a team as well.”
To grow the business, the Anderson’s purchased Angus cattle from their clients. Other initial heifers were purchased from Anderson Circle Farm, Costin Angus and Wilson Cattle Company.
“Investing in females was a way to have animals to breed and sell to customers,” Scott said. “We chose Angus to create income from a strong breed, not only in the show ring, but on the rack as well. Black hides are the best in the feed yard.”
The first big purchase was from Wilson Cattle Company, Barbara M84. “She went on to be our lead foundation female, topping sales and winning shows,” Cindy said. The heifer has progency sales surpassing $200,000.
Another purchase came from Dameron Angus. Dameron Northern Miss 0109. This heifer won the 2011 National Junior Angus Show Grand Champion Owned Female and 2012 National Western Stock Show Grand Champion Female. “She is the one who put us on the Angus map,” Cindy said. This year, they purchased SCC SFC Phyllis 034. “We are very excited about her as an addition to our program.”
To date, Double Diamond currently holds the record high selling female at the Illinois Angus Futurity with DDA (Double Diamond Angus) Barbara 0829, sold to Weaver Angus Farms. Their all-time top selling female was Double Diamond Angus Northern Miss 1344, which sold for $83,500 to Nowatzke Cattle. The company has also sold top selling bulls including DDA Dameron Northern Light, DDA Gemstone & DDA Yellowstone.
Showing and selling has created a long list of major awards received. In 2011, DDG won the NJAS (National Junior Angus Show) Owned Grand Champion Heifer, Illinois State Fair ROV Grand Champion, Western Regional Futurity Junior Show, MAJAC (Mid-Atlantic Junior Angus Classic), Central Illinois Preview Show & Illinois Junior Angus Field Day.
In 2012, NWSS (National Western Stock Show) Grand Champion ROV Female. In 2013, NAILE (North American International Livestock Exposition) Reserve Grand Champion Bull. In 2014, DDS won the NJAS Reserve Grand Champion Owned Heifer (Eric Schafer), Grand Champion at the Illinois State Fair & NWSS Grand Champion Bull.
In 2015, they won the NJAS Bred and Owned Grand Champion Heifer, Grand Champion at the Illinois State Fair, NAILE Grand Champion Bull and Atlantic National Super Point ROV Grand Champion Bull. In 2016, NWSS Reserve Grand Champion Bull.
2020 brought a Grand Champion Angus Heifer at the Illinois Beef Expo, Illinois Beef Association Seedstock Producer of the Year and the Illinois Junior Angus Association Family of the year.
After thirty years in business, Double Diamond has a total of more than 100,000 collections and 40,000 transfers. They have the ability to house up to forty-five donors in-clinic with access to various recipient pools. In addition to collection and transfers, they freeze, store and ship for clients.
“We were conventional flushing, and now IVF (in vitro fertilization) is heavily used in this area. We started in Illinois and have spread across the Midwest for all cattle breeds,” Scott said.
Currently, Cindy works as the office manager at Double Diamond and has served as a trustee for Prairie Township, has been a member of the American Angus Auxiliary and 100 Women of Edgar County. Scott has served as the President for the Illinois Angus Association and the Chrisman School Board of Directors.
The couple have four children, Kyle, Shane, Chase and Reese. Kyle currently works for Double Diamond as Herd Manager. He also helps with the breaking and preparation of the sale cattle, which takes place online twice a year. Once in the fall and the other in the spring. Kyle married Kayla Stephens and together they have two children, Beckham and Ava.
Shane graduated from the University of Illinois with his MD and is currently in his third year of residency in Buffalo, New York as an orthopedic surgeon. Chase graduated from Oklahoma State University and is currently living in Springfield and works for Central Illinois Transportation as a Sales Representative. Reese is a junior in high school and continues to show Angus & Red Angus, and is involve in cheer, volleyball, FFA, Mathletes, and National Honor Society.
“I am thrilled to have our kids as the next generation of Angus breeders,” Cindy said. “We need to advocate for this lifestyle, more than ever, and I look forward to the day when as a grandparent we can simply support the kids from the sidelines.”
