Beef must differentiate

Keeping up with the times includes marketing

by Miranda Reiman

A lot can change in half a century. A lot can stay the same.

U.S. feeder cattle illustrate that well, said Mark McCully, vice president of supply for the Certified Angus Beef^® (CAB^®) brand, at the Indiana Beef Cattlemen’s Association annual meeting last month.

“Think of how we are selecting genetics today—the tools and amount of information we have available—versus 50 years ago,” he said. “In many cases, herd bulls are selected with far more precision, and yet we still tend to lump their offspring together with others. We use ‘the eyeball test’ and sell them as a commodity.”

Programs that detail health history have been around for a while, but those are just part of what’s possible in classifying differences, McCully said. One relatively new opportunity is genetic documentation.

“We’ve probably suppressed some value discovery in the feeder calf market over the last few years just because the cow-calf producer has had the leverage,” he said, “but now that’s changing.”

The comments were part of a talk on “value-added cattle,” which McCully noted everyone in the beef chain defines differently. To some, it means trying to “upgrade” inferior cattle. Others might interpret it as a special feeder-calf program or coordinating genetics and management to aim for a premium target. Consumers tend to rely on brands, he said.

Using a live, text-to-respond tool, he asked the audience, “What’s the most important trait for a value-added feeder calf?”

Nearly half, 47%, said “source verification,” while another 37% said “health documentation, and the remaining 16% selected “genetic verification.” No one chose “humane care” or “age verification.”

As fed cattle are marketed, however, the real value drivers are in performance and carcass merit, McCully said. Marketing has shifted from a 50-50 split on formula versus cash in 2005, to nearly four out of five fed cattle sold on grid or formula pricing today.

During that same time, the number of USDA-certified branded programs grew from 53 to 197.

“The mix has really changed over the last 10 years,” he said.

Reviewing the USDA-reported average load counts by grade, the number of branded boxes versus Select boxes flip-flopped.

“This was the first time the beef industry sold, on average every week, more boxes of branded beef than Select—almost three times more than Select,” McCully said, noting that in 2005 that ratio was 3:1 Select to branded.

That indicates the market signals are working, he said.

February wholesale cutout prices for a 900-pound (lb.) carcass showed nearly $200 difference between a Select carcass and one that had qualified for CAB, for example.

McCully asked, “What is the No. 1 reason consumers purchase beef?”

Almost three-quarters of the respondents replied, “unique and desirable flavor.” Their answer lined up with decades of end-user studies, many of which show that eating experience improves linearly with quality grade.

The group collectively looked into the future to predict which trait would increase the most in value.

Marbling/quality-grade premiums came in first at 40%, followed by naturally-raised/organic (23%), genetic documentation (20%) and humane handling documentation at 17%.

“There is no ‘right’ answer,” McCully said, but the informal poll should make producers think about what creates value now, and what will in the feature.

A lot can change. A lot can stay the same.

Correlated traits

These are quite possibly the nicest people I’ve ever met.

Myron and Kay Beatty, 2006 Commercial Commitment to Excellence award winners

I distinctly remember thinking that as I left one of my first story stops for CAB. I was covering Nebraska ranchers Myron and Kay Beatty, who were to receive our Commitment to Excellence Award later that year. I rode around in their pickup and learned about their herd and their family, their struggles and victories. I often think of how naïve I was, and how gracious they were.

2007_5_mr_Skavdahl-3 — Jim and Maureen Skavdahl, 2007 Commercial Commitment to Excellence winners

But then, each year after, I find myself with similar thoughts during my summer travels.

These might be the nicest people I’ve ever met.

When the Black Ink crew picks award winners, “nice” isn’t the set of criteria, but it seems it’s a highly correlated trait.

Ranchers who care about their cattle, the buyers of those cattle and the final beef consumers, also tend to be just some of the most genuine, welcoming and humble people you’ll ever meet.

Dee and Gaye Johnson, 2015 Commercial Commitment to Excellence winners

I can no longer pick a “favorite ranch I’ve ever been to.” The competition is just too stiff when I’ve met people like Jim and Maureen Skavdahl, Dee and Gaye Johnson and the Minnie Lou Bradley and Goggins families.

The list could go on and on, and that’s not to mention the dozens and dozens of cattle feeders I’ve gotten to profile.

Minnie Lou Bradley, 2009 Seedstock Commitment to Excellence winner

In two weeks, our team will sit down with a virtual folder of nominations. It’s always a tall task that takes several different rounds to whittle down to our eventual winners. At the risk of sounding like I want to make that job harder, I ask: Is there anyone else we should be considering?

Are you a seedstock producer who knows of quality-focused customers who pay attention to all the details from genetics to management to marketing? Are you a commercial rancher who has found a true partner in helping you produce high-quality beef with either your genetic supplier or a feedlot buyer?

Maybe you’re in allied industry, but work with some of the best of the best, the people you know embody the “CAB spirit.”

2013_06_04_mr_Vermilion Ranch-46 — The Goggins family, 2013 Seedstock Commitment to Excellence winners

We have a very short nomination form, available here, and we’d love to hear about them. (But hurry! The deadline is March 31^st.)

We’re looking for producers who have a proven track record, who see the market rewards for supplying the CAB brand and have their sights set on creating even more.

Of course, it wouldn’t hurt if they’re nice, too.

May your bottom line be filled with black ink,

Miranda

Following the Calves: Decisions, decisions

“We’re going to sell them all.”

I could hear it in Virginia Evert’s voice. She hated to say that. After all, she and cousin-in-law Rachael spent nearly a year with those heifers, from calving to weaning and developing.

Much longer if you consider the genetic decisions and investments in herd improvement.

“All the old-timers say, ‘Save when they’re low and sell when they’re high,’” Virginia says. Even after last fall’s price drop, the market is still relatively strong.

Anne Burkholder had room in the yard and interest in buying the other half of the calf crop.

So Virginia and Brandon and Kirk and Rachael all sat around the kitchen table and weighed the variables.

“If they’re not saving any we’re not saving any,” Brandon says. Management is simplified by decisions made in tandem. An outsider might never know ownership is held separately.

Following the 2002 wild fire, their herd rebuilding was so aggressive the criteria for saving a female was that it was female. (Ok, there was a little more to it than that, but basically they were saving everything they could to increase numbers.)

The first-calf heifers are housed at the same farm place as the newly weaned females.

“The first few years, we’d go out the morning of sale day and pick the heifers we liked best that day,” Virginia says.

Now they wean the heifers at Rachael’s parents’ place. Keeping them into January gives them more confidence.

“Then we are able to relook at who we like at that point in time,” Virginia says. Daughters that are the product of AI have a better chance, the odds are less favorable for those born to unfriendly mamas.

Evert_HondoRachael — Hondo was a new addition to the family the week I visited, and I swear he was even cuter in person!

But they all get the benefit of better nutrition in front of them. Pat Laird of Laird Feed in Gothenburg, Neb., provides advice on weaning rations and cow mineral programs.

“We analyze everything to determine, ‘Is it the best money spent?’” he says. Pat takes a look at the available resources, calculates the quality and quantity of home-grown forage and then develops a plan.

The fact that he’s a fellow producer who also sends calves to Will Feed just sweetens the deal. He has firsthand knowledge.

“The transition from mama to the feedlot needs to be as smooth as possible,” Pat says, noting that they all use Avail-4 mineral and have paid more attention to whole-herd nutrition in the last several years.

“They’re smart producers. They realized it benefited everything from conception to cow health and calf health,” Pat says. “It makes sense. That cow is not only nursing, but developing a fetus, too.”

She could also be developing the next generation of Evert cows.

But not this year.

Anne reports the Evert heifers have come up on feed and have adjusted nicely to the feedyard. Calving season is “on” and the cycle continues. Next time we’ll check in on the new beginnings at the ranch, while the feeder animals near the finish line.

May your bottom line be filled with black ink,

Miranda

Catch up on the rest of the Evert family’s story with these posts:

Our “Following the calves” series will also take you to Arizona and Florida in these posts:

Following the calves: The herd-changer

On a 10-degree morning in central Nebraska, Virginia Evert may ask herself why her fitness routine involves bucket feeding heifers rather than working out in a gym.

FTC_8817 — Rachael (pictured) and Virginia prefer to hand feed the heifers so the animals get used to people.

Trading a career in personal training for ranching was not the original plan, but the stepping stone between the two turned out to be a herd-changer for the Evert family near Brady, Neb.

Last fall, I introduced you to Brandon and Virginia, Kirk and Rachael. The cousins and business partners, whose story seems to illustrate one of my grandma’s favorite phrases: “Things will work out the way they’re supposed to.”

When Virginia married Brandon in 2002 she soon found herself covering for a gal on maternity leave at the local vet clinic. Nearly a decade later she left Eastside Animal Clinic with practical, on-the-job training that would rival any vet tech program.

“I learned from other people’s mistakes, or I’d get ideas from other people’s herds,” Virginia says, noting she’d make mental notes of everything from working facilities and record keeping.

Has the family been able to apply those lessons to their own herd?

From their feeder to their veterinarian (not coincidentally, Virginia’s former employer) the resounding, enthusiastic answer is, “YES!”

Although the vaccination program has changed, Dr. Randy Burge suggests animal disposition, handling and nutrition play an even bigger role.

“They gentled the cattle down and that’s benefited the cattle and the health,” he says, noting that stress (and thus increased cortisol levels) does not mix well with shots. “The way they’re handled has a lot to do with how they respond to vaccines.”

Rachael also diverted career plans by way of marriage, and brings a second “outsider” perspective to the whole herd routine.

“I’m still pretty new at this. I’m learning every day,” she says.

FTC_8289 — Anne Burkholder, Will Feed Inc.

Mixing innovation with history, the tale just keeps getting better.

I stopped into Will Feed a few weeks ago to check on the steer calves, 57 days into the feeding period, inching up to a full finishing ration, and projected to go to harvest in mid-May.

Feeder Anne Burkholder talked about the cattle like a coach bragging on her team.

“They’re doing really, really well,” she says, sharing stats to prove it: When it comes to sickness, the average for “bawling calves” weaned into the yard this fall is just above 10% pulls. Anne has only had to treat five of Everts steers calves, or 3.92%.

Four years ago, the mid-feeding report included death loss and a higher-than-average pull rate. The quick turnaround has been a true partnership between the calf supplier and buyer.

“They have faith that we’re trying our best,” Anne says. “That’s not to say we never have problems, but they’ll say, ‘Maybe it’s not just you.’”They also notched up cow nutrition.

“They are selling me a lot more pounds in the same timeframe,” the cattle feeder says. “It costs them more, but I believe it pays dividends, too.”

There’s a lot connected to a cow’s condition score.

“That’s huge,” Randy says. “Paying more attention to nutrition improves the quality of the colostrum.”

Even if the market isn’t up, the expectations are. The cattle made 44% Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB) brand last year.

“They’re very open to working with us,” Randy says.

And to that I say, “Amen.”

The next installment of the Evert story will take you to heifer selection and share more on the nutrition front. When I visited the ranchers this week to grab more pictures, the wind chill was just above zero and yet I could tell they meant it when they said, “Happy to help!”

May your bottom line be filled with black ink,

Miranda

PS–To catch up on this story, read “Everything Evert” and “A success story in the making” and “Decisions, decisions.”

Learn more about our entire “Following the Calves series” here, and read about the herds we’re tracking in Florida and Arizona, too.

Every story has a number: 1,650

That’s the most you’d want a steer to weigh in pounds, a ballpark upper limit that could still qualify for CAB, getting under the 1,050-pound (lb.) carcass weight limit. Providing it had a dressed carcass yield of no more than 63.63% (yes, that’s a repeating decimal but still a rational number). Dressing percentage is simply carcass weight divided by live weight.

I’ve never had a steer finish that heavy, nor much above 1,400 lb., and in fact no rational cattle feeder would use 1,650 lb. as the target, because there are overweight discounts on the grid beyond that point. A fairly even finished pen of cattle will vary in weight by 300 lb., so it’s not rational to set an upper target average above 1,450 lb.

Carcass weights have trended higher for 40 years and in the 1970s, when the Certified Angus Beef brand was getting started, that extreme upper limit would have been 300 pounds lighter at about 1,350 lb. The average carcass weight from all fed cattle was often less than 700 lb.

It seemed rational to discuss finished weights as highly correlated with mature cow size. Those discussions are still going on, but it’s less and less clear which is the driver, steer weight or cow size.

Consider how irrational the average steer weight is getting, leaving projections like the graph shown here far behind. A record of 930 lb. was set in October, and at the same dressing percentage as our opening example, that meant the AVERAGE steer for the week weighed more than 1,460 lb.

That’s not the kind of irrational number you get when trying to find the square root of 2 or pi, but it surely means we are seeing more discounts for carcasses that violate the 1,050-lb. limit.

When CAB started, there was no weight limit, but the first of those was set at 999 lb. in 2006. And as grid heavyweight discount limits moved up from 950 to 1,000, to 1,050 and even 1,100 lb. in some markets, the CAB limit readjusted to the 1,050 limit a year ago. During those eight years, average carcass weights increased by two or three times that margin.

These words have been written by rational observers every few years for decades, but I will join in: Finished cattle weights will likely not increase significantly more in the years to come.

If there is any more logic now than in the years before, it is that we have finally entered a robust rebuilding phase that will begin to add more cattle to the harvest supplies, thus reducing the market pressure to make them bigger, and perhaps, finally leaving the upper weight limit capped where it stands today.

I agree with Paul in setting the ideal carcass weight in today’s market at 900 lb., which means a finished live weight barely over 1,400 lb. for steers. A great many other factors such as feed and cattle prices and genetics say 1,350 lb. is a more practical average target for my steers.

Do some math and figure out your target. And let’s keep building tomorrow together.

–Steve

If you want to catch up on our month-long blogging adventure, “Every number has a story,” check out these links:

Day one: $6.93

Day two: 2.5 million

Day three: $204.10

Day four: 12.1 million

Day five: 11/13

Day six: 8 million

Day seven: 139

Day eight: $39

Day nine: 30.1%

Day 10: 120 million

Day 11: -2.26

Day 12: 12 to 15 minutes

Day 13: 30%

Day 14: 32 million

Day 15: $154,000

Day 16: 118

Day 17: .51

Day 18: 105

Following the Calves: 86% CAB and Prime: “still OK”

Next week, trucks will rumble down U.S. 60 to start bringing nearly 300 Quarter Circle U Ranch calves home from Show Low, Ariz., to backgrounding pens – and cows and bred heifers to winter pastures in that cactus canyon – east of Phoenix, Ariz. Owner-manager Chuck Backus will get a closer look at this year’s heifers, but he’s already ranking them on data.

And woe to the mom of that one Select calf. It had been a couple of years since there were any of those, and the ones that produced four Selects in 2012 are no longer with the herd…

In October, the last of last year’s 150 calves finished at Cattleman’s Choice Feedyard, near Gage, Okla., went to harvest at National Beef. The “tail-ender” load of 38 went 100% Choice or better but only 24% Prime. Chuck knew the last load would bring down his average of 34% Prime and 52% others qualifying for the Certified Angus Beef brand, or 86% for that combination.

Let’s note that these are fed for a Natural program, and that generally boosts quality grade. But the fall-outs that required treatments of some kind still made 74% CAB and Prime. And look at their native environment!

Chuck had faint praise for his record 86% high mark for a combination overall. Last year’s data on the 2013 calves showed no Select graders with 44% Prime and 36% other CAB for 80% combined. By comparison, noting fewer Prime and that one Select on the Class of 2014, he said, “I guess that is still OK.”

I know he said it with a smile, even if it was an email remark and he left out the emoticon. That’s because I know he’s about to wean those calves and half of them are progeny of one leading Angus sire. Chuck will pick eligible replacements on size and looks, pretty much guaranteeing they are all from AI stock. Then he will rule out any related to Select producers or showing disposition problems before DNA testing again.

Last fall the GeneMax Focus genomics test left him with 79 keepers, so he could get 20 AI-sired heifers from those girls next year. This fall, Chuck will either move up to GeneMax Advantage or a competitive GeneSeek test that fits his aims for tracking feed efficiency.

We’ll check in again this winter as a couple of loads go to the feedyard, and we’ll learn more about the heifers, including those about to calve. Don’t miss out on what happens next — be sure to Follow the Calves!

Let’s keep building tomorrow together,

Steve

—

Our “Following the Calves” series also takes you from Arizona to Nebraska and Florida, too.

Like father, like son

Last week, I sat you in my passenger’s seat as I traveled to Lost Nation, Iowa, for a producer interview with Wayne and Kathy Busch. After my stop in Lost Nation, I hit the road for Monona, Iowa, to catch up with Koal Deering.

Koal is a young, innovative farmer who operates an Angus cowherd and feedlot. He farms with his wife, Ann, and their two little cowboys – Kade, 4, and Kohen, 2. Ann is a teacher at an elementary school in town, and keeps busy with the boys when Koal is at the farm.

When I pulled up the Deering’s driveway and got out of my car, I slowly headed towards the shop office. On my way, I noticed two little boys cradling a cat in their arms. They were all smiles, playing and laughing with each other. As I got closer, I realized it was not a cute, cuddly kitten, but rather a baby raccoon that they had wrapped around their necks. As we were chatting, the boys confidently sat down beside me and set the raccoon down on the table where it proceeded to climb over my notepad and camera. I looked to Koal to gauge what he was thinking. But rather than giving his boys a stern look of disapproval, he exuded a smile that spread across his face and preceded a giggle. For how tame the little animal was, I assumed he had been adopted by the boys for quite some time now.

“How long has he been around?” I asked.

“Uh haha…a few days,” Koal shrugged.

Life on the Deering farm is a family affair. There were several boys and girls running around the farm, appearing to range from age two to seven.

“This is the farm that Ann grew up on, so it’s her family and myself that run the cattle here,” Koal said.

Ann joined us at the farm shortly after Koal and I finished chatting in the shop. Together, they rounded up their boys and invited them along for a coveted ride in the Ranger. It took us about 10 minutes to reach the cow-calf pairs that grazed in a big, open pasture about a mile away from the farm. There was something so simple and pastoral about this outing that made it the most memorable part of our visit. We drove from pavement to gravel, over rolling hills, through a field of dandelions and even over an old wooden bridge before arriving in the midst of the cattle. As Koal parked the Ranger and we hopped off, all I could do was take in the beauty of the countryside. Nestled in a nook of the field, we watched as the sun set behind the wooded pastureland. The silent serenity was both breathtaking and calming after a long, warm day.

Witnessing the Deering family interactions was heartening. Although it was well past the dinner hour by the time we finished, Koal, Ann, Kade and Kohen made the most of their night on the farm together. The boys never once complained that they were hungry or bored, but instead had a positively-curious attitude as they helped their dad finish up work. From filling the mineral feeder to jumping in the bunk at the feedlot, the adventurous little farmhands wanted to be wherever the action was.

I could not help but step aside and capture the memories that were being made. Some of my fondest childhood moments involve nights in the barn together with my dad and siblings. There is just something special about barn bonding and growing up on the farm that leaves behind invaluable lifelong lessons and stories that we’ll always cherish.

It was evident that Koal enjoys being with his boys, and just as clear that they look up to him and all that he does. As I hit the road for my last stop in Wisconsin, the lyrics of Rodney Adkins’ hit track, “I’ve Been Watching You,” played through my head:

He said I’ve been watching you dad, ain’t that cool
I’m your buckaroo, I wanna be like you
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are
We got cowboy boots and camo pants
Yeah we’re just alike, hey ain’t we dad
I wanna do everything you do
So I’ve been watching you

Happy Father’s Day to every man who serves his family and the beef industry! Your hard work, devotion and sacrifices each and every day make you a hero in more ways than one. A father that is a farmer, is a father that is a teacher.

Here are my three takeaways from Monona:

1) Dogs Raccoons are man’s (and boys’) best friend, depending on who you ask.

2) Cherish the little things in life. Take the time to appreciate God’s beauty in everything around you.

3) Honor your father every day. Look up to him, learn from him and have fun with him. Because some day, you will only be able to look back on as many memories as you made.

That’s all for now. Next stop — Livingston, Wisconsin!

-Becky

Good people, good cattle, good beef

Family, ranching and good quality cattle are all high on Travis Loehding’s priority list.

A few weeks ago, I visited the Loehding ranch near Ekalaka, Mont., where they do not lack family history.

Travis and his wife Corey are the fourth generation, and they ranch with the mindset that their kids will be the fifth. Raising quality Angus cattle started in 1917, when Travis’s great-grandma bought a piece of land in Carter County and brought her sons west. Throughout the years the size has quadrupled—twice—all the while, the family strives to raise good beef.

Travis & Corey Loehding returned to the family ranch in 2006.

Travis’s parents, Bill and Candy Loehding, are in the active process of passing the ranch to the younger couple, who lived in Denver for years.

“As a team, we decided we wanted to raise our family in a rural lifestyle,” Travis says. “People in small communities like this take care of each other. That’s one of the best features of this area.”

They moved home in 2006. “It’s been good for not only us but good for my parents as well. It takes a little of the work and stress off their shoulders,” Travis says.

Today, the family runs around 600 mother cows, retaining all heifer calves through the winter until they choose replacements. But it’s their goal with the steer calves that sets them apart.

“I follow in my father’s footsteps when it comes to the steers,” he says. They’re retained through feeding; most recently that means backgrounding on Nebraska corn stalks to help cut down feed costs. “We are simply trying to find the best way to be profitable,” Travis says. “Backgrounding cattle has worked well for us, especially over the past three to four years.”

Then Tom Williams, owner-manager of Chappell Feedlot, gets to employ his skills to finish the cattle.

“One of the reasons we went to Chappell with our calves is because Tom does an exceptional job of marketing them,” Travis says, noting they actively aim for the Certified Angus Beef ^®(CAB^®) brand, regularly achieving more than 50% acceptance.

“I think CAB is a target of most producers who raise black-hided calves, even people who don’t retain ownership. Producers simply want to raise good beef,” he says.

The Loehdings certainly know how to do that—and plan to continue for years to come.

~Karoline

Karoline Rose hails from Big Sky country where she is involved in the family ranch and is a student at Montana State University. She served as a CAB writing intern this fall.

Nice to Meat Ya: Kenny Montgomery

A journey from water tank washer to cattle manager

Kenny Montgomery is a cowboy.

The definition fits him well, too. He’s tough, unassuming, he’s resilient – the kind of guy you could ride around with in the pick up, the one you want on your side.

Maybe that’s why Pratt Feeders has made him a part of their team for so long. A chance occurrence (a mutual friend’s wedding) put part owner and general manager, Jerry Bohn, in the same room as the then about-to-graduate animal science senior. A short conversation and nearly 18 years later, the men work together to finish cattle at the prominent feedyard.

Comprised of three commercial yards with a one-time capacity of 85,000 head, the company has a long relationship with the Certified Angus Beef brand.

But there’s more to it than simply placing your bets on DNA and hoping for the best. As far as sorting cattle for the grid and collecting for CAB, “It’s trying to manage each animal to their full potential for their owners,” Kenny says. “How can we get them to generate the most, and be able to relay carcass data back? I just feel we can optimize each animal’s performance.

“It’s an ongoing deal. You continue to strive to want to learn more, want to do more, to help people in the beef industry.”

That industry is layered with passion; people wanting the very best for the cattle and product they place in the market. So Kenny’s role is crucial. Each day is spent working that much closer toward the goal cattlemen set out to reach well before they unloaded at Pratt.

154 A thought not lost on Kenny. Growing up playing basketball in small town Oklahoma he learned a thing or two about teamwork and how it can lead to success. He applies that sentiment at Pratt as he works alongside his staff as opposed to in front of them or from an office desk.

“I guess in my opinion you’ll get a lot more buy in if you’re willing to roll up your sleeves and jump in and help them instead of just saying, ‘You’re here until it’s done,’” he says.

It’s about having respect for the people you lead. For Kenny, that’s a crew of 12 who report to him directly. Pen riders, processors, part timers, they’re responsible for cattle coming in, going out and everything in between.

“It takes everybody to do it. Everyone’s role, from the water tank washer to the general manager, nothing works without one piece of that being accomplished along the way.”

Making it work can often mean arriving at the barn at 4 a.m. and not leaving until 6 p.m. during the busy season. But it’s the integrity of the place and the people who work there that make the 65-70 hour workweek doable.

“Trust is a lot of what Pratt Feeders is about,” he says. “We built ourselves on being trustworthy and having a lot of integrity.”

So he’ll take phone calls in the middle of the night, go back to the feedyard even if he just left it or answer questions if that’s what his customers need to rest easy.

“I want people to be assured that if they do decide to feed cattle and they decide to feed cattle at Pratt Feeders that the best possible care is going to be given.”

It’s likely to be given by Kenny, personally.

“I know what it’s like to be out there when you’ve got to chip the ice away from the plug to get it to drain out. I would never send anybody to do something that I wouldn’t do myself.”

That’s what makes him a man worth introducing.

Thanks for allowing me to tell your story,

Laura

PS–We hope you enjoyed our 30-day blog series! Catch up on the whole thing with these links:

Day 1: Ashley Pado
Day 2: Scott Redden
Day 3: Jesse Stucky
Day 4: Bridget Wasser
Day 5: Amanda Barstow
Day 6: Josh Moore
Day 7: Ruth Ammon
Day 8: Bill Tackett
Day 9: Dan Chase
Day 10: Danielle Foster
Day 11: Eric Mihaly
Day 12: Jennifer Kiko
Day 13: Mark Morgan
Day 14: Meg and Matt Groves
Day 15: Rod Kamph
Day 16: Jonnie Schreffler
Day 17: Brent Eichar
Day 18: Alberto Diaz
Day 19: Larry Kuehn
Day 20: Bob Boliantz
Day 21: David Livingston
Day 22: Danny Harris
Day 23: Tony Biggs
Day 24: George Falb
Day 25: Liz Wunderlich
Day 26: Josh Comninellis
Day 27: Mike Martin
Day 28: Bruce Longo
Day 29: Tim Toussaint

Surprise!

“It made me mad!”

That’s what a Montana rancher told me when talking about the first carcass data he ever got back.

“I got tired of trying to sell them. I wasn’t willing to accept generic price when I thought I had something better,” Stan Pelton said. “I soon learned.”

Those first calves graded 20% Choice, and motivated him to continue feeding cattle for the next two decades. It also spurred the rancher to adopt an AI plan to infuse the best genetics more quickly. Today he sells loads above 90% Choice, with more than half of those reaching the upper two-thirds of that grade.

A visit to a Wyoming ranch earlier this summer illustrated the other end of the surprise spectrum. When the Dee Johnson decided to retain ownership 5 years ago, he knew it was a risk. He’d been buying “top dollar” bulls, but had no way of knowing how those genetics performed beyond weaning. And then he got the call from his cattle feeder.

“You can’t believe what you’ve got,” the yard manager told him. The inaugural retained ownership load went better than 90% Choice and earned branded premiums. “Don’t change a thing.”

The bulls were working, the cows were working, but that producer didn’t want them in a holding pattern. His first data just served as benchmark that he’s been building on ever since. And yes, they’re still getting better.

Not all surprises are apparent right away. When an Iowa cattleman got his first carcass report on cattle finished with a local farmer-feeder, it was interesting, but not all that informative.

“Under the marbling, we had all the different scores and, well, I didn’t understand them,” Lyle Gossling told me. Denotations like “AB10” and “AB20” could have just as well been a product code or carcass locator number.

So months down the road when the producer asked a custom feedyard manager to explain the packer data, he got quite a shock.

“He broke it down and said, ‘Those are exceptional cattle and that’s Prime on the carcasses.’”

His goal now? To move the whole herd into the “AB” (abundant marbling) category.

I’m lucky to chat with cow-calf producers all across the country, and many of them followed in the tradition of selling weaned calves before transitioning to retained ownership at some point. Rarely do I hear, “That’s exactly what I expected my data to look like.”

But they almost always tell me—regardless of how positive or negative the surprise—it was worth it.

Gossling said, “If I’m going to pay that kind of money for genetics, I wanted to make sure ‘it’ was in there. And it was in there in spades.”

There is power in knowing how your product performs. Why do you think companies beg for online reviews or restaurants incentivize you to complete post-visit surveys? The information they learn from feedback helps them make systems improvements, marketing tweaks and generally get better at giving their customers what they expect.

Most cattlemen I know want to do just that. Maybe it’s time to get a little vulnerable and try feeding some cattle. Just brace yourself for a few surprises along the way.

May your bottom line be filled with black ink,

Miranda

Beef must differentiate

Keeping up with the times includes marketing

by Miranda Reiman

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