News Update
June 20, 2016
Supply Chain Mentality
Raising the best cattle possible requires a big-picture perspective — the ability to contribute to the beef production chain with the end-product in mind, according to Angus breeder Cody Jorgensen. He says cow-calf producers are demanding high-quality genetics for an affordable price in order to meet growing consumer demand for high-quality beef — something Angus seedstock producers can provide.
“The calves sired by these Angus bulls meet the industry’s needs in terms of carcass characteristics, growth in the feedyard and then, once again, the females that get put back into these herds are just trouble free,” Jorgensen said. “It’s kind of a complete package that people are looking for. They really want a high-quality product for an affordable price that’s simple for them and convenient.”
He advises producers to keep the end product in mind.
“It’s not about how our cattle perform against each other, it’s about how our cattle’s calves perform in the chain down the road,” Jorgensen said.
To watch more, tune into this week’s The Angus Report online. You can also catch the show at 1:30 p.m. CST Saturday and 7:30 a.m. CST each Monday morning on RFD-TV.
Relationships Key to Young Producer Success
Debbie Lyons-Blythe addressed young producers about the challenges of balancing farm life with family life. With her oldest son recently returning to the ranch, the mom and blogger has a lifetime of experience coordinating kids, cattle and marriage into one cohesive life.
She shared her observations with those gathered for the Young Producer Symposium June 14 at the 2016 Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Annual Meeting and Symposium hosted in Manhattan, Kan.
Lyons-Blythe focused on three relationships central to the family farming operation: ranchers with young families, young children cooperating with parents, or adult children who have returned to the ranch and are trying to connect with their grandparents and parents. With five children of her own, Lyons-Blythe referenced experiences of raising her children on the family farm to their current adult lives.
Continue reading in the Angus Media news article online.
Basin Angus Ranch to Donate
Angus Foundation Heifer Package
The Angus Foundation is pleased to announce Doug and Sharon Stevenson, Basin Angus Ranch of Joliet, Mont., are donating the heifer that will anchor the Angus Foundation Heifer Package.
“It is an honor for our family at Basin Angus Ranch to donate the Angus Foundation heifer,” Doug Stevenson said. “To represent our program, we are selecting an elite heifer calf from the very top of our herd with the combination of data and phenotype we are striving to produce.”
The Angus Foundation Heifer Package will be auctioned Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017, during the National Western Stock Show (NWSS) in Denver, Colo.
For more information, access the Angus Foundation news release online.
The Importance of a Plan
“Build a legacy,” said Paige Pratt at this year’s annual Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) symposium June 14 in Manhattan, Kan. The Flint Hills Angus breeder urged listeners to have a plan.
Four years into their marriage, Pratt and her husband, Jason, reached a crossroads. Pratt’s father asked the pair if they had any interest in moving from Jason’s home state of Virginia, where they had a fairly established bull sale and development program, to Kansas. He was offering a family farm transition. After much debate, Pratt and her husband shipped eight potloads of cattle, three semiloads of equipment, themselves and their young daughter west to take over her father’s operation.
To continue reading, access the Angus Media news article online.
Grass-fed Greatness
In the 1990s, grass-fed beef was not yet a buzzword. However, Jon Taggart; his wife, Wendy; and their young family saw a future in wholesome, flavorful food. In 1999, Taggart established a meat business at Grandview, Texas, offering 100% grass-fed beef — along with grass-fed lamb, pasture pork, free-range chicken, eggs and raw-milk cheese.
Located just 35 minutes south of downtown Fort Worth and 50 minutes southwest of downtown Dallas, Burgundy Pasture Beef had the opportunity to serve a metropolitan area.
“We started as a pioneer with grass-fed beef; we offered it before Whole Foods and Kroger,” says Taggart.
Today — 17 years later — their business is going strong. It still includes their Burgundy Bucherie (French for butcher market) at Grandview, along with a retail store that includes a meat market and grill in Fort Worth. Home delivery and online sales are also major components of the business.
Looking back on the business they’ve built, Taggart is frank, saying, “It’s not an insurmountable business to get into, but it’s pretty close.”
So how did they do it? Find out in the Angus Journal article online.
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