Maine-Anjou Voice: American Maine-Anjou Association History, Content and Staff
Profile updated November 2026
Maine-Anjou Voice, usually called simply The Voice, is the magazine of the American Maine-Anjou Association (AMAA), the U.S. registry for a red-and-white French breed whose American herdbook dates to 1969. Published in combined multi-month issues from the association's base near Platte City, Missouri, it covers registered breeders, junior exhibitors and the show ring, where Maine-Anjou and MaineTainer cattle are a familiar sight.
| Publisher | American Maine-Anjou Association |
|---|---|
| Home base | Platte City, Missouri area |
| U.S. registrations began | 1969 |
| Frequency | Combined issues, such as January/February and March/April |
| Recent issue | March/April 2026, posted online March 2, 2026 |
| Related titles | Annual Sire Directory and Power in the Pens |
| Official website | Maine-Anjou Voice on Issuu |
History of Maine-Anjou Voice
The Maine-Anjou breed was created in the 19th century in the old French province of Maine by crossing local Mancelle dairy cattle with British Durham cattle, the forerunner of the Shorthorn. First called Durham-Mancelle, it took the name Maine-Anjou when a herdbook opened in 1908. In France the breed was renamed Rouge des Pres in 2004, though the older name is still used elsewhere. Originally dual-purpose, it has been selected mainly for beef since about 1970.
Registrations in the United States began in 1969, and the country now holds about a third of the world's Maine-Anjou cattle. The American Maine-Anjou Association grew into a registry serving both adult and junior members, and its executive vice president traditionally oversees The Voice along with press releases, advertising and breed literature.
John Boddicker led the association for 25 years before retiring at the end of 2015. His successor, Blake Nelson of Warner, Oklahoma, came from Connors State College, where he had coached livestock judging and directed farm operations, and he has judged many national, state and county shows. Earlier issues of The Voice were produced with the design firm EDJE before the association began posting issues under its own account.
Maine-Anjou Voice Today
The Voice continues in combined issues, with recent editions including January/February 2025 and March/April 2026. The association also posts an annual Sire Directory and a publication called Power in the Pens alongside the magazine.
Youth programs are central to the AMAA. Its junior national shows move between states, and the association has run family events there such as a Littles program for young children. The Voice reports on those events, on open national shows and on the breed's growing registrations.
What Maine-Anjou Voice Is Publishing Now
Show ring
Results and photos from junior nationals, national shows and major stock shows where Maine-Anjou and MaineTainer cattle compete.
Breeders and genetics
Sire features, the annual Sire Directory, herd profiles and sale advertising from registered breeders.
Association news
Board and staff updates, junior association activities and registration program changes.
Maine-Anjou Voice Editors and Staff
AMAA announcements and interviews name:
- Blake Nelson - Executive Vice President, American Maine-Anjou Association (per 2019 interview)
- Lindsey Broek - Youth Director (per 2019 interview)
- John Boddicker - Former Executive Vice President, retired 2015
Readers and advertisers can reach the magazine through the American Maine-Anjou Association office near Platte City, Missouri.
Who Reads Maine-Anjou Voice
Readers are registered Maine-Anjou and MaineTainer breeders, junior exhibitors and their families, and commercial producers looking at the breed for crossbreeding. Cattle and calves are the largest single part of U.S. animal receipts, about 37 percent in 2021 according to USDA's Economic Research Service, and the AMAA's youth programs keep many show families involved in the breed.
Maine-Anjou families spend summers at junior nationals, where hair care for cattle can take longer than hair care for people. For laughs between the wash rack and the show ring, farm.FM offers farm satire and farm humor in a deadpan rural voice, plus ranch humor for anyone who has clipped a heifer at midnight. Its farm jokes need no blower or adhesive.
If the name is new to you, farm.FM is the nation's first satirical farm site, with Tractor Tunes country music for farmers on the side. One of its regular writers keeps a whole archive of stories like that.
Maine-Anjou Voice Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Maine-Anjou Voice, March/April 2026 - a recent issue posted by the AMAA.
- Wikipedia: Maine-Anjou - breed origins in France and U.S. registrations.
- The Showtimes: Blake Nelson - an interview with the AMAA executive vice president.
- Oklahoma State University: Maine-Anjou cattle - land-grant breed reference.
- USDA ERS: Animal product receipts - the economic weight of cattle.
Maine-Anjou Voice FAQ
Who publishes the Maine-Anjou Voice?
The American Maine-Anjou Association, based near Platte City, Missouri.
How often does The Voice come out?
In combined multi-month issues, such as January/February and March/April.
Where does the Maine-Anjou breed come from?
The old province of Maine in north-western France, from Mancelle and Durham crosses.
When did U.S. Maine-Anjou registrations begin?
In 1969.
For the families who raise and show the breed, Maine-Anjou Voice is the association's printed record of a French breed's American success.