Thirty-five thousand cattle may fill these pens, but it’s the Gabel family who set the tone for each day. Steve and Audrey persistently create a people-first culture, echoed by their son Case and daughter Christie, who work alongside them in the yard office. The Gabel’s drive to effectively hit the high-quality beef target earned Magnum Feedyard the CAB 2023 Feedyard Commitment to Excellence award.
Most sane folks don’t choose to go into business with Mother Nature. She’s a fickle and unpredictable partner. So, how did two people with zero agricultural background, no generational land, wealth or genetics carve a profitable partnership with her in Southwest Kansas? By focusing on progress and a desire to leave things better than they found them – which also earned them the CAB Sustainability Award.
The northern quality grade is only materially slipping as compared to the quality-rich years of 2020 and 2021. Exceptional quality premiums are not a theme in this record-high fed cattle market but above average cattle have never been a liability.
If there was a lesson in 2022, it was that the beef market is very sensitive to declines in quality grade, as evidenced through price signals. It’s the first time in recent history where we’ve gone backwards — albeit ever so slightly — and customers are telling us they have unfulfilled demand. That’s reflected in the premiums paid, and that’s saying something after two years of extremely high premiums.
Diving into 2023, the much-discussed beef cow herd culling comes home to roost, bringing on a supply challenge for the beef industry. Everyone downstream from the packer needs to be prepared to see more frequent, potentially wider price spreads for quality within the shrinking supply setting.
While the competition is growing, the brand’s team of 150 diligently works to differentiate CAB from the rest of the pack. Consumers can feel confident purchasing the Certified Angus Beef ® brand, a high-quality product that is the result of Angus farmers’ and ranchers’ commitment to quality.
Quality starts long before feedyard rations reach the bunk, and it weighs heavily on the bottom line. Brian Bertelsen, vice president of field operations for U.S. Premium Beef, discussed marbling’s impact on grid marketing at CAB’s annual Feeding Quality Forum.
For Hands, there’s no short answer to anything. Problems are approached with thoughtful consideration to every possible outcome. Solutions are executed with care. It’s more than a suggestion on how to treat everything from people to cattle to equipment, it’s simply the Triangle H way. They work to be the best in everything they do – a mindset that he’s passing on to his daughter.
The Bootheel 7 brand that marks the hips of the Wasserburger’s cow herd could stand for the seven state wrestling titles held between three boys in the fourth generation, but that mark far predates their competitive drive. It’s been the brand carried by Wassserburgers looking for the ‘W’ since the homesteading era.
The Larson’s determined journey toward elusive perfection helped Larson Angus Ranch earn the Certified Angus Beef 2022 Seedstock Commitment to Excellence award presented at the brand’s Annual Conference Sept. 22 in Phoenix.
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