About Us

Ellingson Angus was founded in 1995, when Julie Schaff and Chad Ellingson married and merged their registered Angus herds.

Julie grew up on the registered Angus ranch near St. Anthony, N.D., where Ellingsons today call home. Her paternal grandparents, Paul and Magdeline Schaff, began the family's registered Angus program. The tradition was passed to Julie's parents, Martin and Angie.

Chad, the son of Lester, Jr., and Cheryll Ellingson, came from Maddock, N.D., where he raised mostly commercial cattle and other livestock. His maternal grandparents, Miles and Dot Maddock, were also registered Angus breeders for a time.

Over the years, the Ellingsons have expanded their herd utilizing artificial insemination and embryo transplant to take advantage of the best genetics available. They strive to raise balanced-trait cattle that will perform well for their customers.

The Ellingsons host a production sale the first Saturday in February at the sale facility on the ranch. There, they market powerful yearling and age-advantaged Angus bulls and top-notch open and bred females. They are looking forward to including more than 800 high-quality commercial females from their customers in the 2025 sale offering.

Ellingsons are committed to their customers' success and help them market thousands of feeder calves each year. The Ellingson-Angus-sired feeders are sought after around the country for their performance and carcass merit.

In addition to cattle, Ellingsons raise some crops and hay for their cattle.

Julie and Chad are the proud parents of five children: Stetson, Jameson, Sierra, Medora, and Sheridan. Each are an integral part of the operation. Stetson and Jameson joined the team full-time after graduating college. The Ellingson family expanded in 2022, when Stetson married Brynn Rogelstad and Sierra married Keenan Pierce. Keenan is also part of the full-time Ellingson Angus team.
The family expanded again in 2024 with the addition of Elias Ridge Pierce, the son of Sierra and Keenan, and Benson Timothy Ellingson, the son of Stetson and Brynn Ellingson.

Before ranching full-time, Chad worked nearly two decades in the artificial insemination industry, procuring sires, marketing semen, advising customers and overseeing research projects.

Julie works as the executive vice president of the North Dakota Stockmen's Association, a 95-year-old beef cattle trade organization, and the North Dakota Stockmen's Foundation, a 501(c)3, which are headquartered in Bismarck, N.D.

Sebastian "Seb" Jacobs and Jacob Ellingson round out the Ellingson Angus work crew and are valued employees.