Hereford World: History, American Hereford Association Profile, Content and Staff
Profile updated November 2026
Hereford World is the voice of the American Hereford Association, but its roots reach back to 1910 and two rival magazines that once served the horned and polled sides of the breed. Merged in 1995, the magazine now reaches Hereford breeders 11 times a year from Kansas City.
| Roots | 1910, The American Hereford Journal, founded by Hayes Walker Sr. |
|---|---|
| Merger | 1995, combining American Hereford Journal and Polled Hereford World |
| Publisher | Hereford Publications Inc. (HPI), American Hereford Association |
| Address | 11500 N. Ambassador Dr., Kansas City, Missouri |
| Frequency | 11 times a year, seven glossy issues mailed to about 5,600 subscribers |
| Executive Editor | Wes Ishmael, since 2021 |
| Official website | Hereford.org |
History of Hereford World
Hayes Walker Sr. founded The American Hereford Journal as a private venture in 1910. When the American Hereford Association bought it in 1961, it became the official Hereford breed publication. After World War II, Frank Farley, a former Journal employee, launched a separate title, Polled Hereford World, which the American Polled Hereford Association acquired in 1965.
When the two associations merged, so did their magazines, forming Hereford World in 1995 as the official magazine of the combined association. Its Kansas City base fits the breed's history: the first Hereford show in Kansas City's West Bottoms in 1899 led to the American Royal, which in turn gave the city's baseball team its name.
Editors have included Angie Stump Denton, who also directed AHA communications before joining Drovers, and Julie White, who came from the Ohio Cattlemen's Association. In May 2021 longtime cattle journalist Wes Ishmael, a BEEF contributing editor for more than 20 years, was named executive editor.
Hereford World Today
Hereford World publishes 11 times a year and pairs with Baldy Advantage for commercial cattlemen. Issues are archived online, and the Herd Bull and Reference Edition, now past its 100th edition, is a breed reference staple.
In 2025 the American Hereford Association hosted the 19th World Hereford Conference in Kansas City, drawing more than 800 Hereford producers from 20 countries, and Hereford World devoted its December issue to the event.
What Hereford World Is Publishing Now
Breed programs
Coverage of the National Reference Sire Program, Dams and Sires of Distinction lists and genetic progress reports.
Shows and youth
National Hereford Show results from Cattlemen's Congress and the American Royal, plus Junior National Hereford Expo coverage.
Ranch management
Features such as multispecies grazing benefits and profiles of long-running commercial and registered herds.
Hereford World Editors and Staff
Hereford World's masthead and AHA announcements name:
- Wes Ishmael - Executive Editor, Hereford World and Baldy Advantage
- Sydnee Shive - Managing Editor
- Katie Miller - Editorial staff
- Kaitlyn Baker - Editorial staff
- Jack Ward - Executive Vice President, American Hereford Association
Shive can be reached at sshive@hereford.org; the magazine's general address is hworld@hereford.org.
Who Reads Hereford World
Readers are registered Hereford breeders and commercial cattlemen using Hereford genetics in crossbreeding programs. Beef cattle are the largest segment of U.S. livestock receipts, according to USDA's Economic Research Service, and breed magazines like Hereford World shape the genetic decisions behind that output.
Hereford people are proud of their white faces and their history, and they have heard every joke about baldies. For a fresh batch, farm.FM serves ranch humor and farm satire with a straight face, along with general farm humor any cattle family will recognize. Its farm jokes are the kind you tell at the American Royal and swear you made up yourself.
For context, farm.FM is the nation's first satirical farm site and the home of Tractor Tunes, country music for farmers. Its contributors each keep an archive, and this one is a good sampler of ranch humor and farm jokes.
Hereford World Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- American Hereford Association: Hereford World - official history of the magazine and archive.
- Wikipedia: Hereford World - an overview of the 1995 merger.
- AHA: Ishmael named executive editor - the 2021 appointment.
- USDA ERS: Cattle and calf receipts - the economics of the beef sector.
- USDA NASS Quick Stats - federal cattle inventory statistics.
Hereford World FAQ
When did Hereford World start?
Hereford World formed in 1995, but its roots go back to The American Hereford Journal, founded in 1910.
Who publishes Hereford World?
Hereford Publications Inc., part of the American Hereford Association in Kansas City, Missouri.
Who edits Hereford World?
Wes Ishmael is executive editor and Sydnee Shive is managing editor.
How often is Hereford World published?
Eleven times a year.
Two rival breed papers became one, and more than a century of Hereford history now runs through Hereford World every month.