Data Genie offers genomic insights to cattle producers

By MORGAN KUNTZ-GARRISON
Dec 24, 2025

Read the original article published by Farm & Ranch Guide here

With a deep background in cattle DNA testing and genomics, Leoma Donsbach started Data Genie in 2015 with the goal of building a company that could help seedstock producers navigate the often-confusing maze to get their cattle registered.

“I had a dream there could be a business that could serve cattlemen in addition to helping breed associations get the data they need in the form they need to drive their evaluations forward,” Donsbach said while explaining her reason for starting the company.

In the early days of the company, Donsbach said she truly acted as a mediator between producers and the breed association they affiliated with, more often than not receiving handwritten barn notes from a too-busy rancher. She would shift through the data in the notes, organize it in the way the breed association requested, and offer insight and education to the producer when helpful.

What started as a side gig, morphed into a full-time business in 2022, and since then, Data Genie has grown and evolved into a company that now serves 90 clients across 25 different states that are affiliated with seven different breed associations. Presently, Data Genie offers services for both seedstock and commercial producers. The company’s mission is straight-forward and cutting edge – they wish to empower cattle producers to make confident, data-driven breeding decisions by transforming raw records into clear insights.

Data Genie’s seedstock services look much the same as they did 10 years ago when the company started. Registered clients employ Data Genie to help with all aspects of breed reporting, evaluation, and data collection.

“Our job is to make sure all of the T’s are crossed and the I’s are dotted so that the animals being put out into the marketplace are fully representative on paper, as well as in person,” Donsbach explained.

For commercial producers, data – especially genomic data – has not traditionally been a part of the industry, but Data Genie has found a way to offer individual and herd genomic insights on non-registered cattle.

For commercial producers, genomic data can be attained via an ear punch tissue sample. Data Genie partners with Allied Genetics and industry-leading bovine geneticists to access tissue samples and provide raw data on the individual animal. With the data, producers come to learn about their cows at their core genomic level and from there are better able to build intentional breeding matches that will mitigate risk and capitalize on their herd’s full genetic potential.

Donsbach tries to drive home with her customers that the cattle industry is evolving, and she is sincere and respectful when she says, “This isn’t your grandfather’s ranch anymore.” Modern day producers have access to much more data and breed performance metrics, and the key to being successful in cattle ranching, Donsbach argues, is mindfully balancing the traditional physical evaluation of cattle with cutting edge genomic testing.

“It’s the art of combining what we see with what’s going on underneath the hide,” she articulated.

There is no “short term” in the cattle business, so any breeding decisions that are made right now have the potential to impact your herd decades into the future. By offering cow herd genomic evaluations and with the possibility of running that genomic information comparatively against potential bull prospect, Data Genie provides cattle producers with the information they need to purchase bulls with confidence knowing they can achieve targeted breeding objectives.

“What we are doing is helping producers make desirable matings that lead to desirable calves,” Donsbach added.

The genetic information available to producers through Data Genie and their geneticist partners is really a “treasure trove.” Commercial producers can learn what cows have stronger maternal traits and therefore are more likely to raise ideal replacement heifers versus what cattle have stronger genetic potential for terminal traits. Understanding your herd at a deeper level, Donsbach says, can help producers raise a more uniform calf crop and tap into unrealized profitability within their herd.

“If we can help elevate the bottom 25 percent of your herd, what is that worth to you as a producer?” she asked.

Continuing, Donsbach said if a producer starts to home in on genomic evaluations within their herd, they can start to see real, measurable results in as little as three years. In a long-range business like cattle ranching, it is as close to an “overnight” change as you can realistically get.

It all boils down to efficiency. You can’t change what you can’t measure, and ultimately, data is power. Data Genie works to put power in the hands of the producer so they can confidently buy bulls and retain heifers knowing they will produce a calf crop that will excel in their environment and not leave genetic potential on the table.

“It’s important to keep our eye on the horizon and ensure that the investments we’re making in our bull battery are the best we can possibly make, especially since the bulls we turned out in 2025 will still be directly impacting our herd in 2042 if those daughters stay in production for 10 years,” Donsbach stated.

Data Genie offers a portfolio of different genomic testing options and reporting services for both commercial and seedstock producers. Donsbach encourages interested producers to reach out to her personally to discuss Data Genie’s services and to see what services will best fit their operation. Leoma Donsbach can be reached via e-mail at cattledatagenie@gmail.com or by calling (559)-696-4941. Data Genie is present across all social media platforms or by visiting datageniellc.com.