The latest headlines

LOWER HEIFER COSTS, NOT FERTILITY

It’s a great time to own cows, but only if you have a competitive cost structure with the right genetics and management to compete in today’s marketplace, Rick Funston said. The reproductive physiologist with the University of Nebraska-North Platte addressed 200 cattlemen at the Feeding Quality Forum this summer in Sioux City, Iowa.

CAB AT 40: THE BEEF COMMUNITY’S BRAND

The Certified Angus Beef^® (CAB^®) brand turned 40 this year, tapping into an increased well of available and qualified cattle, up 25% in two years. With annual global sales reaching beyond 1.2 billion pounds (lb.), it’s pulled far ahead of a very large pack, the hundreds of other brands combined falling short.

850,000 RECORDS SAY: MARBLING STILL MATTERS

Just missed it. Just missing a flight, a deadline for a major rebate, or watching your child’s winning shot at a ball game. The feeling is much the same. What if you knew you “just missed it” when it comes to cattle qualifying for the Certified Angus Beef ^® (CAB^®) brand?

News from the road

The Angus Taste of Quality

When more cattle mean better cattle, the beef industry’s better for it. That’s the story for today’s cattleman supplying premium-quality beef to consumers asking for more. The Certified Angus Beef^® (CAB®) brand is in the middle of it all.

Extending a 14-year streak of year-over-year growth and the third year for sales above 1 billion pounds, the first and largest branded beef company reported record sales of 1.21 billion pounds in Fiscal Year (FY) 2018, ending Sept. 30. That was an 8.1% increase, or 91 million pounds.

CAB Grids Pays $75 Million Per Year

Angus producers can increase supply for the world’s leading premium beef brand in just two years—and still earn 44% more premium dollars for the greater supply. It seems to go against the laws of market economics, but that’s what happened from the start of 2016 through last December.

After a long string of sales records that reached 1.14 billion pounds last calendar year, many wondered if Certified Angus Beef^® (CAB®) brand premiums would keep fostering profitability for producers.

Packer Talks Transparency, Trust and Demand Drivers

Beef packers bridge the gap between producers and consumers, but even “the largest packer in the world” is nothing without its suppliers, John Gerber said.

Stating the obvious to 200 cattlemen at the Certified Angus Beef^® (CAB® ) brand’s Feeding Quality Forum this summer in Sioux City, Iowa, the longtime procurement head for Tyson Fresh Meats set the tone. Every link in the supply chain from ranch to consumer has a role to play.

On Target

On Target: Balance vs. the trade-off

Balance vs. the trade-off by Justin Sexten, Ph.D. One of the big challenges of livestock judging is explaining “balance” to a new evaluator. As we attend county fairs, state previews and junior nationals, we’ll hear the term used to describe cattle in nearly every...

On Target: Weaning diet options

Weaning diet options by Justin Sexten, Ph.D. Spring calving herds, depending on rainfall and temperatures, may be weeks or months away from weaning. For many operations, that will bring the challenge of feeding weaned calves for a short transition period. That’s when...

On Target: Better than average

Better than average by Justin Sexten, Ph.D. Few producers strive for average—from cow productivity to cost reduction, we all want to be better than that. Yet half of every herd is below its own average, so the bar we compare against is important for context. As the...

On Target: Too much, too early

Too much, too early by Justin Sexten, Ph.D. Sounds of thunder interrupted the radio blaring on our front porch. With binoculars we watched lightning strikes in the distance, waiting for a dispatcher’s voice to say the call number 9210. When those numerals rang out...

Black Ink: Unconventional risk management

Unconventional risk management by Nicole Lane Erceg Sounds of thunder interrupted the radio blaring on our front porch. With binoculars we watched lightning strikes in the distance, waiting for a dispatcher’s voice to say the call number 9210. When those numerals rang...

Black Ink: Perspective and Context

Perspective and Context by Miranda Reiman “You know, a dredge ditch…” I was explaining the Minnesota farm I grew up on and I was met with blank stares from some of my South Dakota State University classmates. “…where you drain water off the field,” I continued. They...

Black Ink: Changing with the environment

Changing with the environment by Nicole Lane Erceg I have a teal dinosaur that sits on my desk. It’s an unusual office ornament, but he serves a valuable purpose. When plans change, when the unexpected pops up, when I’m tempted to say “we’ve always done it this way,”...

Black Ink: Time Tested

Time Tested by Miranda Reiman We’ve dubbed it the “ the “smiling house.” On my family’s regular route through the Sandhills, there’s a lonely old place; rain and time have left the wood devoid of color. Yet, with its classic, square farmhouse design—and a little...

Miranda Reiman

Director of Producer Communications

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Steve Suther

Senior Editor

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Laura Conaway

Producer Communications Specialist

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Nicole Erceg