What to do with land if the cattle industry collapsed?

[shaz]

Or eat lots and lots of freezer beef.

Actually, freezer beef is the answer to most of these problems. It's just really hard to do large volume.

 

[HDRider]

Or eat lots and lots of freezer beef.

Actually, freezer beef is the answer to most of these problems. It's just really hard to do large volume.

Don't you think the shortage of USDA processors creates a barrier to direct marketing?

Further, the government's heavy hand has made operating a small meat processing facility very tough. The big packers enjoy almost a monopoly today.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I think it would be more useful to start a new thread on *** What to do with crop land if grain prices collapsed. ***

The cattle boosters still think it is just a matter to time before grain prices go down and beef prices go up due to African swine flu. So we will be seeding some bean fields into sod :cboy: and selling more freezer beef.

 

[shaz]

Or eat lots and lots of freezer beef.

Actually, freezer beef is the answer to most of these problems. It's just really hard to do large volume.

Don't you think the shortage of USDA processors creates a barrier to direct marketing?

Further, the government's heavy hand has made operating a small meat processing facility very tough. The big packers enjoy almost a monopoly today.

Where I've had the most trouble is producing consistent results. Some of this is my fault. Finding processor that you can count on is really hard too. I understand the headwinds the butcher has because of the government but they don't always do their job as well as they should either. Tight labor market has hurt and no one is interested in Ag anymore.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Where I've had the most trouble is producing consistent results. Some of this is my fault.

customer wants the same steer next year but the cow has a heifer the next two years

 

[Stocker Steve]

You can eat heifers too.

 

[shaz]

Where I've had the most trouble is producing consistent results. Some of this is my fault.

customer wants the same steer next year but the cow has a heifer the next two years

That's one example. I can't come up with a breeding program and stick with it. Feed is a small variable but it's one more thing I don't do consistently. I've about decided that I don't want anymore Gelbvieh influence due to meat quality problems. Sure do like the growth though.

 

[backhoeboogie]

You can eat heifers too.

Oh I have offered them up.

 

[HDRider]

Actually, freezer beef is the answer to most of these problems. It's just really hard to do large volume.

Don't you think the shortage of USDA processors creates a barrier to direct marketing?

Further, the government's heavy hand has made operating a small meat processing facility very tough. The big packers enjoy almost a monopoly today.

Where I've had the most trouble is producing consistent results. Some of this is my fault. Finding processor that you can count on is really hard too. I understand the headwinds the butcher has because of the government but they don't always do their job as well as they should either. Tight labor market has hurt and no one is interested in Ag anymore.

It is very hard to find people that know how to process animals.

 

[HDRider]

Actually, freezer beef is the answer to most of these problems. It's just really hard to do large volume.

Don't you think the shortage of USDA processors creates a barrier to direct marketing?

Further, the government's heavy hand has made operating a small meat processing facility very tough. The big packers enjoy almost a monopoly today.

Where I've had the most trouble is producing consistent results. Some of this is my fault. Finding processor that you can count on is really hard too. I understand the headwinds the butcher has because of the government but they don't always do their job as well as they should either. Tight labor market has hurt and no one is interested in Ag anymore.

Have you tried doing DNA for carcass characteristics? Red Bull told me about it. $35 per test

I had two tested. One came back a 4, and one a 7. 10 being most tender.

Look at https://genomics.neogen.com/en/igenity-beef

 

[shaz]

Don't you think the shortage of USDA processors creates a barrier to direct marketing?

Further, the government's heavy hand has made operating a small meat processing facility very tough. The big packers enjoy almost a monopoly today.

Where I've had the most trouble is producing consistent results. Some of this is my fault. Finding processor that you can count on is really hard too. I understand the headwinds the butcher has because of the government but they don't always do their job as well as they should either. Tight labor market has hurt and no one is interested in Ag anymore.

Have you tried doing DNA for carcass characteristics? Red Bull told me about it. $35 per test

I had two tested. One came back a 4, and one a 7. 10 being most tender.

Look at https://genomics.neogen.com/en/igenity-beef

Thanks for the info - I'm going to read up on this.

 

[1982vett]

Or eat lots and lots of freezer beef.

Actually, freezer beef is the answer to most of these problems. It's just really hard to do large volume.

Don't you think the shortage of USDA processors creates a barrier to direct marketing?

Further, the government's heavy hand has made operating a small meat processing facility very tough. The big packers enjoy almost a monopoly today.

The reason I don't have my own beef butchered is the only cuts I care to use is the ribeye and chuck. Maybe a little round and sirloin every now and then. Even if your selling through your own meat market your going to have to move a lot of undesirable cuts. Selling quarters and halves is a way around that, but it doesn't solve the freezer space problem in most homes. I remember a lot of soup and stew just before a new beef came home from the locker plant. To many folks don't eat like that anymore so that's one reason for fewer USDA processors not to mention the other gazillion rules and regs. :2cents:

 

[HDRider]

Actually, freezer beef is the answer to most of these problems. It's just really hard to do large volume.

Don't you think the shortage of USDA processors creates a barrier to direct marketing?

Further, the government's heavy hand has made operating a small meat processing facility very tough. The big packers enjoy almost a monopoly today.

The reason I don't have my own beef butchered is the only cuts I care to use is the ribeye and chuck. Maybe a little round and sirloin every now and then. Even if your selling through your own meat market your going to have to move a lot of undesirable cuts. Selling quarters and halves is a way around that, but it doesn't solve the freezer space problem in most homes. I remember a lot of soup and stew just before a new beef came home from the locker plant. To many folks don't eat like that anymore so that's one reason for fewer USDA processors not to mention the other gazillion rules and regs. :2cents:

I disagree completely why there are fewer USDA processors. The regulatory cost to comply is too high. Anything not steak can be hamburger, and I'd sell hamburger all day long for $3 a pound and make more than selling at the barn.

Things have got big, big, big. Big grocery chains, big wholesalers, big processors. Things have got too big.

Big processors cause big recalls too. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/current-recalls-and-alerts

USDA said there has been more than 12.1 million pounds of beef recalled arising from the Tolleson, Ariz.-based company. The newly recalled meat, which includes ground beef and other "non-intact beef items," was produced and packed from July 26, 2018, to Sept. 7, 2018

That is one recall

The Tyson fire shows that they are a choke point.

 

[Ky hills]

Don't you think the shortage of USDA processors creates a barrier to direct marketing?

Further, the government's heavy hand has made operating a small meat processing facility very tough. The big packers enjoy almost a monopoly today.

The reason I don't have my own beef butchered is the only cuts I care to use is the ribeye and chuck. Maybe a little round and sirloin every now and then. Even if your selling through your own meat market your going to have to move a lot of undesirable cuts. Selling quarters and halves is a way around that, but it doesn't solve the freezer space problem in most homes. I remember a lot of soup and stew just before a new beef came home from the locker plant. To many folks don't eat like that anymore so that's one reason for fewer USDA processors not to mention the other gazillion rules and regs. :2cents:

I disagree completely why there are fewer USDA processors. The regulatory cost to comply is too high. Anything not steak can be hamburger, and I'd sell hamburger all day long for $3 a pound and make more than selling at the barn.

Things have got big, big, big. Big grocery chains, big wholesalers, big processors. Things have got too big.

Big processors cause big recalls too. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/current-recalls-and-alerts

USDA said there has been more than 12.1 million pounds of beef recalled arising from the Tolleson, Ariz.-based company. The newly recalled meat, which includes ground beef and other "non-intact beef items," was produced and packed from July 26, 2018, to Sept. 7, 2018

That is one recall

The Tyson fire shows that they are a choke point.

I whole heartedly agree, every aspect of everything almost is too big. The way I see it small business can manage itself far better than a big one, and when there is an issue it isn't nearly as far reaching. Those massive recalls are a good example of that. It is becoming increasingly difficult to try to conduct any kind of business, with the large companies across the board. You can be on the phone for literally hours, being sent back and forth between departments for billing and customer service and told multiple conflicting things in the process. I seriously doubt those big packing companies are any more efficient than the others.
I agree also about the cuts of meat, anything not wanted can be hamburger. A lot of folks don't want roasts, but we like them. They can be put in a crockpot with some vegetables and makes meals for several days. We go through a lot of ground beef as well.

 

[1982vett]

I eat a lot of ground meat too, but when I buy it to cook myself it's ground chuck not ground beef....but that's my hang up.

 

[Ky hills]

I eat a lot of ground meat too, but when I buy it to cook myself it's ground chuck not ground beef....but that's my hang up.

If I am buying hamburger meat, I prefer the ground chuck as well,