44 Farms partners with Walmart??

[bball]

Maybe they'll do it through the feed supply chain. Hog and chicken operations are supplied feed from those who have them under contract to raise their products. I'm always a few steps behind, but the EID and DNA programs will be a driving force behind getting the US cattlemen in line and doing what we're told is best for US. IMO

That's just it Vince! Thats the one advantage(so far) a cow calf operator has over the corporate-type program. The fact that we grow and produce our own forages/hay. They haven't figured a cost effective way to truck in feed to a cow/calf operation and whether they like it or not, they need our calfs.
I worry less about EID but have real concerns about cloning or test tube beef production. Mainstream that technology and goodbye cow calf operations.

 

[True Grit Farms]

Maybe they'll do it through the feed supply chain. Hog and chicken operations are supplied feed from those who have them under contract to raise their products. I'm always a few steps behind, but the EID and DNA programs will be a driving force behind getting the US cattlemen in line and doing what we're told is best for US. IMO

That's just it Vince! Thats the one advantage(so far) a cow calf operator has over the corporate-type program. The fact that we grow and produce our own forages/hay. They haven't figured a cost effective way to truck in feed to a cow/calf operation and whether they like it or not, they need our calfs.
I worry less about EID but have real concerns about cloning or test tube beef production. Mainstream that technology and goodbye cow calf operations.

There's sure a lot of gullible people in this world, fake meat could also become a player in the beef business. Most beef producers claim they work for little or nothing now, so it shouldn't be a hard sell to entice them to change their MO? There's a lot of ways to attack our independence which most of us in the cattle business cherish.

 

[ddd75]

i like how the fake meat is developed from a cows fetus.. then grown in hormones and antibiotics 24x7...


yum yum.!@!!!!

 

[mwj]

Raise 1000 nice broilers or 500 nice butcher hogs. Tell me where you will market them. That is the control that will happen. Look at what happened in the last year in the dairy beef market.

 

[bball]

Raise 1000 nice broilers or 500 nice butcher hogs. Tell me where you will market them. That is the control that will happen. Look at what happened in the last year in the dairy beef market.

Great answer! This is what i was searching for. It feels like this is already happening to beef production with more sale barns closing, as well as small town butchers/processors closing/retiring.

 

[callmefence]

I agree well played Branded.. welcome to CT. Couple things. You were asked to show the numbers on how a 14000 bull benefits a commercial rancher. You dodged with the f450 comment. So your thick skinned but full of shyt. Until you show the numbers anyway. Maybe some undoctered photos of your cattle and your place to. Put your money where your mouth is,so to say. I'll wager at commercial sale my margins will beat yours. I've got 3 bulls right now.
1750 was the highest priced one. I post some pictures if you wish. Although I already have. Calves to we can compare. Only thing you gotta go outside and take em with your phone. I'll do the same. I just left one herd took some.fixing to go check another. I'll check back in.

As beef becomes labeled to certain bloodlines let me tell you what is gonna well just look at the chicken. Beef will be bought on contract directly from the producer. Who must by their genetics from the same people buying their beef.
The micro producer with 40 cows WILL BE GONE... there's always Craigslist I guess.

Only one way to offend me. And that's to think that you did. Lol...we're gonna blame Ron for that one...I Know him and I know he pmd you back and forth. Cause that's what he does. I've got something coming for him. lol................

Intriguing statement Fence. A major factor that has prevented the mass corporatization of beef production is the large quantity of land needed to produce cattle; essentially insulating or protecting the STO from being overwhelmed by corporatization. How and how soon do you see the STO becoming extinct and how will corporations go about implementing this.

Side note: I am using corporatization as a broad spectrum, inclusive term to describe what has already occurred in pork and poultry industries, and what I presume you are describing in the statement in bold highlights.

First I don't have a crystal ball. I was responding to a pitch from a bull salesman who imo is here to sell bulls

I think most likely they will raised more like dairy cattle but on a much bigger scale. The trend has already started in many facet's.
The shift of beef from the ranch to the farm. Row croppers here fence off every little untillable patch. Corners , seeps, buffers between fields. And they dump crop residue over the fence. Year round.
It works. I build a lot fence due to this trend.
So maybe "they"buy a large acreage right in the middle of row crop country where they can have good access to the cheap feed. Remember they gotta be big enough to have leverage.

Maybe they go to the huge outfits that graze cattle. I don't think so. The breeds that are looking to be preferred won't suit that."

Or maybe the sto is allowed to stay in the game. Now they can't control you or your land. So what can they control. WHO "THEY" BUY FROM. This is the danger of AI and named cattle.
Say I own" brookhills outhouse" and I'm not going to buy any calves that ain't his.
And I ain't gonna sell him to anyone who don't sign a contract to sell me back his calves.
You ain't no cowboy,. Your a slave... with big ol chickens.

https://youtu.be/rT4UmxqoFt4

 

[CattleMan1920]

I sometimes regret serving on the county cattle board. Robertson is one of the smallest counties in the state. There is ZERO industrial employment. The county seat has a population of 299. The county has one gas station.

The members of our Cattle board were raised here, are very dedicated and very loyal to the future of cattle in Robertson County. I am not from here. I was asked to serve on the board mainly because no one has time to. Every producer in this county except about 5 work off the farm. They drive 60 to 70 miles one way to find off the farm employment. Just yesterday, I stopped on the road to find out if a guy needed help. His old SUV broke down on his way to Lexington where he is a diesel mechanic for Coke. Turns out he is a small producer in our county.

I find it very troubling to encourage young folks to go into cattle production when my conscience says to tell them to leave the county, get a good education and find more gainful employment.

Fleming County is in about the same shape as Robertson county. The place has a lot of nice land at the edge of the Bluegrass region, it was all about dairy and tobacco, nearly everyone was a full time farming operation at one time, now it's merely a distant memory, beef cattle are kept for the most part as mowers for their land. Most have sold their frontage as lots and live further back. If you don't have a job in the school system, hospital, or State Highway Department you commute. Usually to Lexington or Cincinnati, etc.

At one time, the dairy operators AI'd some if not most of their cattle, and ran excellent operations, they clearly understood genetics, but now that it's mostly beef, genetics is an afterthought from what I see. I had a guy tell me recently, "if it walks and moos, that all the genetics I need" I assure you he is not topping the market with fancy black steers at a premium, yet he opines on the poor state of cattle prices. He doesn't seem to understand that he will not be paid top dollar to produce a low quality product. That's not everyone, but it is a prevailing attitude.

The comment earlier about land usage is spot on. The corporations NEED your land and most are very happy to provide it. Some people here are allowing their herd to become recips for out of state beef operations, essentially renting out your cows, and getting thrown a few scraps in the process.

Like I have said earlier, how one runs their business IS their business, but going for "scraps" or "just average or below" is a recipe for losing control of your operation.

A guy in Ron's county raises very rare Red Wattle hogs and sells pork that is high end, expensive, and tastes out of this world. How is he doing it when the pork industry is in the sh...ter? He went for a high end niche product that isn't ordinary.

http://www.savoringkentucky.com/hwcpodc ... lydia-hood

For our operation, it's all about trying to breed in the best genetics we can use, that's our strategy for thriving versus surviving.

 

[Bright Raven]

First I don't have a crystal ball. I was responding to a pitch from a bull salesman who imo is here to sell bulls

I think most likely they will raised more like dairy cattle but on a much bigger scale. The trend has already started in many facet's.
The shift of beef from the ranch to the farm. Row croppers here fence off every little untillable patch. Corners , seeps, buffers between fields. And they dump crop residue over the fence. Year round.
It works. I build a lot fence due to this trend.
So maybe "they"buy a large acreage right in the middle of row crop country where they can have good access to the cheap feed. Remember they gotta be big enough to have leverage.

Maybe they go to the huge outfits that graze cattle. I don't think so. The breeds that are looking to be preferred won't suit that."

Or maybe the sto is allowed to stay in the game. Now they can't control you or your land. So what can they control. WHO "THEY" BUY FROM. This is the danger of AI and named cattle.
Say I own" brookhills outhouse" and I'm not going to buy any calves that ain't his.
And I ain't gonna sell him to anyone who don't sign a contract to sell me back his calves.
You ain't no cowboy,. Your a slave... with big ol chickens.

https://youtu.be/rT4UmxqoFt4

First, of course Branded is here to sell his bulls. Luke is here to sell his fence. That is Capitalism. Congratulations to both. Don't worry about them. It's the ones here that are just using up their time allotment that might be missing the boat.

Cattle producers fall into many categories. Here in our county I get the sense that most producers do it because they like to. Many like tractors more than they do cows. Cows are just the excuse to own a tractor and play with "Big Boys Toys".

Then there are the very, very few that operate with over 300 head of cows, like Bud Gifford who plows every penny back into his operation. The appreciation of his operation is his reward.

This is not going to go on for ever. It is in many ways obsolete. It is a far too expensive way to produce protein.

You have said this before and you said it again - it's about COWBOYS.

Take it to the bank. In the next 20 years protein will be manufactured. In 40 years it will taste better than beef.

 

[bball]

This is not going to go on for ever. It is in many ways obsolete. It is a far too expensive way to produce protein.


Take it to the bank. In the next 20 years protein will be manufactured. In 40 years it will taste better than beef.

Ron,
In my minds eye, I know this is the future and truth.
Seeing it printed in black and white makes my heart heavy for some reason. I usually process change well. This is an instance that will be hard for me to accept. Nostalgia- a fruitless tree...

 

[True Grit Farms]

I sometimes regret serving on the county cattle board. Robertson is one of the smallest counties in the state. There is ZERO industrial employment. The county seat has a population of 299. The county has one gas station.

The members of our Cattle board were raised here, are very dedicated and very loyal to the future of cattle in Robertson County. I am not from here. I was asked to serve on the board mainly because no one has time to. Every producer in this county except about 5 work off the farm. They drive 60 to 70 miles one way to find off the farm employment. Just yesterday, I stopped on the road to find out if a guy needed help. His old SUV broke down on his way to Lexington where he is a diesel mechanic for Coke. Turns out he is a small producer in our county.

I find it very troubling to encourage young folks to go into cattle production when my conscience says to tell them to leave the county, get a good education and find more gainful employment.

Fleming County is in about the same shape as Robertson county. The place has a lot of nice land at the edge of the Bluegrass region, it was all about dairy and tobacco, nearly everyone was a full time farming operation at one time, now it's merely a distant memory, beef cattle are kept for the most part as mowers for their land. Most have sold their frontage as lots and live further back. If you don't have a job in the school system, hospital, or State Highway Department you commute. Usually to Lexington or Cincinnati, etc.

At one time, the dairy operators AI'd some if not most of their cattle, and ran excellent operations, they clearly understood genetics, but now that it's mostly beef, genetics is an afterthought from what I see. I had a guy tell me recently, "if it walks and moos, that all the genetics I need" I assure you he is not topping the market with fancy black steers at a premium, yet he opines on the poor state of cattle prices. He doesn't seem to understand that he will not be paid top dollar to produce a low quality product. That's not everyone, but it is a prevailing attitude.

The comment earlier about land usage is spot on. The corporations NEED your land and most are very happy to provide it. Some people here are allowing their herd to become recips for out of state beef operations, essentially renting out your cows, and getting thrown a few scraps in the process.

Like I have said earlier, how one runs their business IS their business, but going for "scraps" or "just average or below" is a recipe for losing control of your operation.

A guy in Ron's county raises very rare Red Wattle hogs and sells pork that is high end, expensive, and tastes out of this world. How is he doing it when the pork industry is in the sh...ter? He went for a high end niche product that isn't ordinary.

http://www.savoringkentucky.com/hwcpodc ... lydia-hood

For our operation, it's all about trying to breed in the best genetics we can use, that's our strategy for thriving versus surviving.

For us it's all about developing a plan to make our property produce the most dollars per acre. I don't worry about gross income, it's what goes into our pocket as a family that matters. From what I can see price and quality wise, anyone that uses AI bred bulls in their operation and doesn't come to Georgia or north Florida to buy them is missing an opportunity to make some easy money.

 

[Hunter]

What happens if everyone spends their hard earned dollars chasing the next best thing to produce fancy cattle?
I could try to keep up with the Jones's but in the end I doubt I would be left standing.
I run cattle b/c I enjoy the perks and when that stops I will sell the cattle and keep the land. Might even rent it out to someone else that wants to run cattle.

 

[CattleMan1920]

What happens if everyone spends their hard earned dollars chasing the next best thing to produce fancy cattle?
I could try to keep up with the Jones's but in the end I doubt I would be left standing.
I run cattle b/c I enjoy the perks and when that stops I will sell the cattle and keep the land. Might even rent it out to someone else that wants to run cattle.

It's not about fancy cattle at all, it about better genetics, feed efficiency, marbling, rib eye, weaning weights, feedlot efficiency etc. One can take two identical black steers and there could be a world of difference in how one performs on a feedlot or in your operation, versus the other. Most of our cattle rank in the top 20% for $EN and DMI, that means they are very efficient in hard conditions. If you are playing guesswork, it's very possible to have a cow you like and feel good about, but she is eating you out of house and home.

 

[NEFarmwife]

We run cattle because we love cattle. Our dates consist of pasture checks and a cold beer. While most are destined for slaughter, they're not numbers to me.

When they're on our home place, they're walked through, talked to, and treated occasionally.

I'd hate to think of the day, I'd look out my kitchen window and not see all the cows and calves.

 

[CattleMan1920]

We run cattle because we love cattle. Our dates consist of pasture checks and a cold beer. While most are destined for slaughter, they're not numbers to me.

When they're on our home place, they're walked through, talked to, and treated occasionally.

I'd hate to think of the day, I'd look out my kitchen window and not see all the cows and calves.

Amen to that!

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

We run cattle because we love cattle. Our dates consist of pasture checks and a cold beer. While most are destined for slaughter, they're not numbers to me.

When they're on our home place, they're walked through, talked to, and treated occasionally.

I'd hate to think of the day, I'd look out my kitchen window and not see all the cows and calves.

My mother in law felt the same way.

She's now in a nursing facility and her farm has been sold.

The day is coming....for all of us...

 

[True Grit Farms]

We run cattle because we love cattle. Our dates consist of pasture checks and a cold beer. While most are destined for slaughter, they're not numbers to me.

When they're on our home place, they're walked through, talked to, and treated occasionally.

I'd hate to think of the day, I'd look out my kitchen window and not see all the cows and calves.

Amen to that!

I'm looking forward to the day I don't have to screw with cattle, and just travel the country looking at everyone else's cattle.

 

[CattleMan1920]

We run cattle because we love cattle. Our dates consist of pasture checks and a cold beer. While most are destined for slaughter, they're not numbers to me.

When they're on our home place, they're walked through, talked to, and treated occasionally.

I'd hate to think of the day, I'd look out my kitchen window and not see all the cows and calves.

Amen to that!

I'm looking forward to the day I don't have to screw with cattle, and just travel the country looking at everyone else's cattle.

Now that's a REAL plan! Would love to do the RV thing...

 

[NEFarmwife]

We run cattle because we love cattle. Our dates consist of pasture checks and a cold beer. While most are destined for slaughter, they're not numbers to me.

When they're on our home place, they're walked through, talked to, and treated occasionally.

I'd hate to think of the day, I'd look out my kitchen window and not see all the cows and calves.

My mother in law felt the same way.

She's now in a nursing facility and her farm has been sold.

The day is coming....for all of us...

Nah, I'll die here. I just turned 40. I have some time!

 

[Bright Raven]

We run cattle because we love cattle. Our dates consist of pasture checks and a cold beer. While most are destined for slaughter, they're not numbers to me.

When they're on our home place, they're walked through, talked to, and treated occasionally.

I'd hate to think of the day, I'd look out my kitchen window and not see all the cows and calves.

I do it the very, very, same style. If I didn't enjoy my cattle, there are 101 better ways to make money.

 

[CattleMan1920]

Here are some photos of the herd and the calves, along with our bulls for sale



SAV Raindance daughter on left, Baldridge Colonel daughter on right, farthest cow to left turns 16 this year, she is from Blueblood Lady cow family, SAV Raindance calf is her daughter



Our bulls for sale, all are under two years old.



SAV Harvestor daughter out of 12 year old Elba cow, recently weaned



Baldridge Colonel daughter out of Miss Burgess cow, also recently weaned



SAV Harvestor son, recently weaned



This is a grandson of OCC Unmistakable 946U and a son of McCumber Unmistakable 573, he is from a 2040 pound Queen Mother cow. The photo doesn't do him justice, he's thicker than a snicker in person.

These cattle aren't powder puffs, they can all perform in poor conditions, I know because the winter here in Kentucky has been one of the worst ever in terms of mud and rain.