World Agriculture Directory: the home of the world's largest agriculture database. Fastest way to find events, farms and agribusiness that suit your needs. Agriculture Event Directory

Cattlemen Hall of FameBeef cattle barons, cowboys, breeders and builders from around the world

Feeders, Packers and Industry Leaders

Joel Jarnagin: The Kansas Feeder Who Led Cobalt Cattle to 410,000 Head

A Jetmore, Kansas, farm kid rose from feed mill manager to CEO of the fourth-largest cattle feeding company in the country.

Who Is Joel Jarnagin?

Joel Jarnagin is the president and chief executive of Cobalt Cattle Company, a feeder headquartered in Garden City, Kansas. The Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame has named him to its 2027 class, and his Hall of Fame nominee page traces a career that moves from his family's farm to feed mills to the corner office of one of the largest feeding companies in the United States.

Because he is a living public figure, this profile sticks to his professional record as published by the Hall of Fame and industry press.

Growing Up in Jetmore and Early Career

Jarnagin grew up in Jetmore, Kansas, on his family's farming and cattle feeding operation. He graduated from Washburn University in 1987 with a business degree in accounting, a background that shows up later in his focus on risk management and the commercial side of feeding.

His early jobs took him well away from Kansas. He worked at Fred Waldron Feeds in Hawaii and then became a partner at Emery Commodities in Texas, where he gained experience in feed manufacturing, risk management and commercial operations.

Grant County Feeders and the Move to Management

In 1995 Jarnagin joined Grant County Feeders in Ulysses, Kansas, as feed mill manager, and in 1998 he became its general manager. He held that role for about 15 years, through ownership by Continental Grain and later by JBS Five Rivers.

Running a large yard under corporate owners is a different job from running a family operation. It means meeting capital, safety and performance targets while keeping thousands of cattle healthy and it occupied roughly the middle of his career, between his feed mill start and his move to Cobalt.

Building Cobalt Cattle Company

Jarnagin became CEO in 2015, when the company was still called Green Plains Cattle Company. According to the Hall of Fame, it then operated one 73,000-head yard. Under his leadership it grew to seven locations with a capacity of 410,000 head, making it the fourth-largest cattle feeder in the United States.

The company was founded in 2014 as a subsidiary of Green Plains Inc., an Omaha biorefining firm. In November 2021 it was renamed, as a Drovers announcement of the Cobalt name explains, to complete its move to a stand-alone company focused solely on feeding and growing cattle. Its locations then included Eckley, Colorado; Kismet, Leoti and Sublette, Kansas; and Hereford and Tulia, Texas, plus Cimarron Grain at Kismet.

The Key to Jarnagin's Success

The record shows an executive whose edge came from understanding both ends of the business: the feed that goes into cattle and the commercial deals that surround them. The sources describe results and structure rather than internal strategy, so the lessons below are limited to what is documented.

One fair note is that a company this size is a team effort, and the Hall of Fame credits partnerships as much as individual decisions.

  • He started in feed manufacturing and commodities, learning risk management before running yards.
  • He spent about 15 years as general manager at one large yard, Grant County Feeders, under two different corporate owners.
  • He grew the company from one 73,000-head yard to seven locations through acquisitions in Colorado, Kansas and Texas.
  • He helped form a partnership with King Ranch in April 2024, a Drovers report of King Ranch's investment confirms.
  • He helped form what the Hall of Fame calls a first-of-its-kind strategic relationship with AgReserves-Deseret Ranches later in 2024.

Community and Recognition

Cobalt's 2021 announcement noted that the company donated more than 23 tons of beef to local families across its seven locations during the pandemic. Jarnagin's induction in the 2027 class recognizes a career that stretches across feed manufacturing, yard management and executive leadership.

To learn how ranchers and feeders connect across the country, see farm.FM's ranching coverage, or read a farm.FM story about Kansas and Texas cattle feeding.

Timeline

  1. 1987Graduates from Washburn University with a BBA in accounting
  2. 1995Joins Grant County Feeders in Ulysses, Kansas, as feed mill manager
  3. 1998Becomes general manager of Grant County Feeders
  4. 2014Green Plains Cattle Company is founded
  5. 2015Jarnagin becomes CEO of the company
  6. 2021Company is renamed Cobalt Cattle Company
  7. 2024Partnerships formed with King Ranch and AgReserves-Deseret Ranches
  8. 2027Named to the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame class

Frequently asked questions

Who is Joel Jarnagin?

Joel Jarnagin is the CEO of Cobalt Cattle Company in Garden City, Kansas. A Jetmore native and Washburn graduate, he previously managed Grant County Feeders and is a 2027 Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame inductee.

How big is Cobalt Cattle Company?

According to the Hall of Fame, Cobalt has seven locations and 410,000 head of capacity, making it the fourth-largest cattle feeder in the United States. When Jarnagin became CEO in 2015 it ran one 73,000-head yard.

What is Cobalt Cattle Company's history?

It was founded in 2014 as Green Plains Cattle Company, a subsidiary of Green Plains Inc. It was renamed Cobalt Cattle Company in November 2021 and now operates feedyards in Colorado, Kansas and Texas.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

More from the hall