New Forum Members

Actually, I have just returned. I have a letter that kinda explains who I am below. I post it because I think too many people may interpret my psts as "Advertizing". We actually have pets and I have a passion for good food. I originally came here to learn as I had customers asking for things I didn't understand. I found myself enjoying the site. I thot it was gone as I kept searching and couldn't find it while it was down. I found it today and have made some posts. Glad it is here,

Evolution of a Beef Producer

A lot of conversations with a lot of people the last few weeks have led me to these ponderings.

It seems I was Born to be a Cattle Producer. Every since I remember, it is what I wanted to do. My parents had meager resources and to be around Cattle I had to work for those who had them or scrape together all I had to raise a Steer in High School FFA.

I absolutely Loved it and it has always been my consistent passion….

I have changed a lot. I have changed what I do and how I do it. I was “Programmed” to look at Cattle Production in a very commercial sense.

I went to College and took Animal Science and Ag Business management. I learned all I could. I bypassed decent jobs. I decided that I needed to be around as many cattle as I could to get the experience. I went to work at a feedlot and Doctored Cattle, rode Pens, sorted cattle. It is where I learned to evaluate a calf for being ready for Butcher.

Let me Preface this by saying I am not knocking traditional Cattle production. It has developed as a way to get Beef to the Masses. However, I have changed. I have basically likened this change to a couple of things. I always compare Beef Production to the Brewery Business. The Microbreweries can’t outdo Bud, Miller and Coors at what they do. However, the Large Beer guys can’t replicate the Microbrewery. And, each Microbrewery has it’s own methods and resulting Flavor and Tenderness.

I started raising calves for Butcher in 1992. My Beef has always had great Flavor and Tenderness. I was huge into Grain Corn Feeding. I didn’t realize there was any way to get good flavor other than that. I had a great customer base and was only selling ½’s. I was not doing Hormones to the cattle, but everything was very much in the traditional commercial sense of Beef Production.

About 2005, a man called me wanting to buy Beef for his Local Mexican Grocery Store. It was the first major change for me. I had to find a USDA Inspected Plant to get the Cattle Butchered at. In doing so, I realized I could now sell Beef in Individual Packages. Long Story short, it led me to the Farmers Markets.

In looking back, I was like many other Cattleman. As people asked questions, I would defend many old Practices. I was still Grain Feeding to get the Flavor I thought I needed Grain for. And Defending it. I was also learning tons about definitions of terms versus perception.

Somewhere in the mix, I had gotten a contract for Vegetable Screenings at a Local Frozen Vegetable Plant I worked for. It was out of the Repack facility and they didn’t produce enough for the bigger Feedlots to take. It was going to a Landfill. I found my Cattle loved this and gained well. I found the flavor was great, but they grew slower than straight Grain. I learned that straight Grain was quickly putting a lot of Backfat on my cattle before the Marbling and Maturity seemed to set in.

And, I was listening to my customers more than defending. I hear guys all the time quote studies. Studies that say things like the Hormone levels in cattle who have been Implanted are not appreciably different than Non Implanted. Or that say the Hormone levels in Grassfat are actually higher than Grainfed cattle that have been implanted. Actually, it is not my fight nor battle. I think I originally stopped implanting because it was easier not to and I could get the same gain with better genetics through buying better Bulls. But right now, I would not implant because my customers don’t want it. That is the best reason of all.

I went away from Grain Feeding because I felt I didn’t need it and my customers didn’t want it. I went away from Feedlot Feeding for the same reason and found I have many fewer health problems in my cattle. I simply mix the vegetabes in feeders out in the pastures and they gain well. I also don’t hve to fertilize and it is a more natural nutrient recycling metod. I feel I have really really learned to listen rather than defend my programming and Paradigms.

In Listening, I have developed Pet Products that fit a need I had no idea existed. In Listening I have found seasoned products that fit needs such as Beef Bacon.

I still have not made the Jump to Certified Organic. I have a lot of reasons. The two basic is it is nearly impossible to get Certified when you lease as much land as I. Also, in working with Organic in my Jo Food Processing, I became a bit disillusioned. I learned the more corporate Organic is the more they are simply meeting minimums rather than striving to make the best they can. I felt large Corporate Farming has succeeded in watering down the standards so they can make the profits while not farming with the same integrity a the smaller guy. It is making it hard for the smaller guy…

I also have become disillusioned with the terminology that is spun to make people feel they are getting something different than what they are actually buying.

I have lots more I wish I could do. You may not realize the assets it takes to raise cattle this way. The Primary one being land. It takes a lot of land to do this and make a living. Renting puts you in the position of being a Nomad and having to change where you raise your cattle and often how.

I guess the second one would be to replace my current job with this passion. I like my job, but this is my passion. The job pays for insurance, the passion doesn’t.

We are looking at a lot of things in the future. We are exploring lot of different products and ways to market. I look forward to your ideas and am grateful for the support to this point.

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