Husband and wife team Tom Huls and Dr. Diane Balich, DVM, don't ever stay still for long, but that's just the way they like it. The couple owns the 350-acre Sugar Springs Angus Ranch in Lincoln, Ark. In 1983, the pair moved to Arkansas from Yankton, S.D. They decided on Lincoln when Diane saw an advertisement for a job opening with a new vet clinic in Lincoln. “They were looking for a veterinarian with an interest in dairy, and I have my master's degree in dairy science, so I came down and he offered me the job. I wasn't really sure I wanted to leave yet, but he kept calling me and calling me and talked me into it," shared Diane.
After years in the practice, Diane purchased the clinic when the vet she worked with decided to decamp and return home.
Tom and Diane met back in South Dakota when Diane became the vet for Tom's team roping horses.
When Tom and Diane were flying down to Arkansas the first time, Tom remembered saying, "what are all those long skinny buildings that people have here?" He later found out that they were for poultry production, and then Tom learned first-hand all about raising poultry. His career has been steeped in the poultry industry.
“I started selling for Big Dutchman, then went to work for Cumberland. I started out as a district sales manager and became president of the company. As with all big businesses, the owner sold the company to an investment group, and they wanted us to move to central Illinois." For a period of time Tom split his time working during the week in Illinois, and then flying home for the weekends. “That's when we decided to hire a full-time hired hand. We AI or embryo transfer all our cattle. There was no way Diane could run the vet clinic and take care of all the cattle. We also bought our first HeatWatch heat tracking system then,” Tom explained.
Currently Tom serves as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Cat Squared, a technology company based in Arkansas that provides software solutions for food processors all the way from the hoof to the plate.
Staying on the cutting edge of technology is important at Sugar Springs. “Right now we've got two bulls we're taking to Denver for the National Western Stock Show. Both bulls have had samples submitted through the Angus Association to be evaluated through their Ingenity program,” Tom explained. Being a delegate for Arkansas to the American Angus Association, Tom stays current on what is happening in the industry.
“We've been ultra-sounding our bulls. All our yearlings we ultrasound to see what kind of rib-eye and marbling they have. We want to provide the highest quality product possible, and know how our genetic selection is going,” said Tom.
Animals that don't make the stringent cut to remain in the over 100-head breeding stock program at Sugar Springs, go into the Sugar Springs' All-Natural Beef Program. Currently the program provides beef for local restaurants such as Bordino's, and for individuals around the country looking for quality beef.
Diane and Tom are looking forward to improving the ranch, servicing the large and small animal needs of Washington county and heading to the next show.
