SimTalk and the Register: American Simmental Association Magazines, History and Staff
Profile updated November 2026
SimTalk and the Register are the two magazines of the American Simmental Association (ASA), published by its in-house company, ASA Publication, Inc., in Bozeman, Montana. The Register is the association's official members' magazine; SimTalk goes free to more than 40,000 commercial cattlemen.
| Publisher | ASA Publication, Inc., One Genetics Way, Bozeman, Montana |
|---|---|
| Association founded | 1968 |
| Magazines in-house since | 1987 |
| the Register | Official ASA publication, mailed nine times a year, 7,500+ circulation |
| SimTalk | Four issues a year, 40,000+ circulation, free to commercial producers |
| Register subscription | $50 a year domestic |
| Official website | Simmental.org media kit |
History of SimTalk and the Register
The American Simmental Association was founded in 1968 to register the Swiss-origin Simmental breed in the United States, and it is headquartered in Bozeman, Montana. In August 2018 about 300 people gathered there for the association's 50th anniversary dinner, where executive vice president Wade Shafer reviewed its progress and Bob Hough introduced his book, Simmental's American Journey.
In 1987 the ASA brought its official magazine in-house, giving staff the job of providing communication, education and information to members. The Register came first. SimTalk was added later as a commercial-industry magazine, and for a time ASA Publication also produced American Simbrah.
The association's genetics work shapes both titles. With its partners the ASA formed International Genetic Solutions, described as the world's largest multi-breed genetic evaluation of beef cattle, and much of the magazines' content explains how breeders and buyers can use those evaluations, especially for SimAngus and other hybrid cattle.
SimTalk and the Register Today
The Register is a glossy, full-color magazine mailed nine times a year, mainly to active ASA members, with issues such as May/June, a combined December/January and monthly fall editions. The November 2025 issue covered heifer development and pregnancy, balancing cow weight with industry demand, nutrition for genetic potential and the 2026 Sire Source.
SimTalk, also glossy and full-color, goes out four times a year, in Early Fall, Late Fall, Winter and Spring editions, to commercial cow-calf producers, feedlots and others interested in Simmental's commercial role. Subscriptions are free. The March 2026 issue featured adding pounds and profit with SimAngus, measuring male fertility and bull buying behavior. Both titles are posted online as digital editions, and SimTalk also carries the membership directory.
What SimTalk and the Register Is Publishing Now
Genetics and evaluation
EPDs, indexes and International Genetic Solutions updates, plus the annual Sire Source bull guide.
Commercial production
SimTalk's focus: SimAngus results, bull buying, fertility, cow size and feedlot performance.
Members and events
The Register's breeder features, state association profiles, board elections, awards and junior activities.
SimTalk and the Register Editors and Staff
ASA publication materials and contact lists name:
- Lilly Platts - Editorial contact, ASA Publication
- Nancy Chesterfield - Advertising and Sire Source contact
- Wade Shafer - Executive Vice President, American Simmental Association (2018 anniversary coverage)
The publication's general address is register@simmgene.com, phone 406-587-2778.
Who Reads SimTalk and the Register
The Register reaches registered Simmental and SimAngus breeders, while SimTalk reaches a far larger commercial audience of cow-calf operators and feedlots. Cattle and calves are the largest share of U.S. animal receipts, about 37 percent in 2021 according to USDA's Economic Research Service, so a commercial magazine on genetics carries weight with buyers.
Simmental breeders can quote indexes and EPDs faster than most people can recite their phone numbers. For a break from the spreadsheets, farm.FM offers farm satire and farm humor with a deadpan rural voice, and ranch humor that SimTalk's commercial readers will know from the sale barn. Its farm jokes carry no accuracy value, but they score well on docility.
farm.FM got there first as the nation's first satirical farm site, and it backs the writing with Tractor Tunes, country music for farmers. Here is one contributor's collection of farm satire to start with.
SimTalk and the Register Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- ASA Publication media kit - frequency, circulation and history of both titles.
- SimTalk, March 2026 - a recent commercial edition.
- High Plains Journal: ASA celebrates 50 years - the 2018 anniversary in Bozeman.
- Oklahoma State University: Simmental cattle - land-grant breed reference.
- USDA ERS: Animal product receipts - the economics of cattle production.
SimTalk and the Register FAQ
What is the difference between SimTalk and the Register?
The Register is the ASA's official members' magazine; SimTalk is a free magazine for commercial producers and feeders.
How often are they published?
The Register nine times a year and SimTalk four times a year.
Who publishes SimTalk?
ASA Publication, Inc., the American Simmental Association's in-house publisher in Bozeman, Montana.
Is SimTalk free?
Yes. Subscriptions are free through simmental.org or by phone.
One magazine for the breeders and one for their customers: together, SimTalk and the Register carry the American Simmental Association's message across cattle country.