Yesterday, Miranda told us about some Angus seedstock producers as representatives of the Certified Angus Beef brand’s stockholders. Now here are a few words from my perspective as a commercial producer who learned some lessons from the school of hard knocks.

There used to be twice as many of us, what USDA calls “farms with beef cows.” That was back when I was growing up in the 1960s and ’70s on a diversified farm that backgrounded 350 calves each winter, holding a small end over for summer grazing. Three decades of that led to an ultimate breakeven.

: Diversified farms often include commercial cowherds

Sometimes we had a few cows—commercial, not registered—mainly to diversify the cattle enterprises. I’m sure profit was the main goal, but with so many enterprises, we never knew for sure where we stood. To this day, and my herd included, net profit is often hard to figure.

I got the first part of my own place in 1980 and ran grass stockers a couple of years before starting a commercial cowherd. It was based mainly on the cheapest cow-calf units I could buy, bred to unknown, leased bulls probably acquired with the same plan.

That evolved as I acquired the means to buy better and learned more about the big picture, consumer demand, not just commodity demand. Junk cattle got me nowhere and certainly did nothing to build consumer demand, so I got serious about genetics and herd improvement. My last purchases in the 1990s were commercial Angus heifers from AI-based herds.

: More and more commercial herds have become oriented toward consumer demand for high-quality beef, like the Certified Angus Beef brand.

Today, there are perhaps 700,000 of us across the U.S. who control the factory, the commercial cowherd that makes baby calves that are finished on feed and move into the food chain a year or more later. What we do can be influenced by a bank that holds the cow note, or opinions of other family members, or the ranch company owner. And ultimately, the consumer.

Control is more important than ownership, and most herds are controlled by one person with the final say on breeding, health and marketing programs. That person exercises great freedom within the constraints of the market, guiding herd genetics; these are never static, so it makes sense to move those genetics toward a goal.

Lured0241 — High-percentage Angus cows moving in a pasture rotation.

I can ignore some traits and focus only on least cost, or on cows that simply wean and rebreed, or add only a secondary aim for optimum growth. But both research and experience have shown me I give up nothing by including high-value beef in selection goals. That’s why I rely on the accuracy and power of Angus genetics.

Whoever’s calling the shots, if we think about the long term, we have to take our cue from consumer demand. If we ignore the traits they want in beef, our near-sighted road to annual profits will look like dead-end rabbit trails.

Tomorrow we’ll continue on this trip as Miranda looks at a couple of notable commercial Angus producers and the decisions they’ve made to make your beef better.

Till then, let’s keep building tomorrow together,

Steve

Beef’s a Trip Archives:

Day 1: Starting at day one

Day 2: Who are these people?

Day 3: Stockholders

Day 4: The cowherd’s purpose

Day 5: Deciding to care

Day 6: Quality focus doesn’t have to skip the middleman

Day 7: Stocking for quality

Day 8: SOLD!

Day 9: What have you done today?

Day 10: Working together to make ‘em better

Day 11: Keep on truckin’

Day 12: Packers want quality

Day 13: The target

Day 14: Packers up close & personal

Day 15: It’s not all about the beef

Day 16: Further processors

Day 17: From here to there–and a lot more

Day 18: He’s on your team

Day 19: Beyond prices, grocery stores uncovered

Day 20: Getting quality in the carts

And remember (even though I am doubtless from an older generation…), to get the lowdown on this 30-day blogging challenge, or all the others writing along with us, check out the full list at Holly Spangler’s My Generation blog.

Feeder educates commercial producers, consumers alike

Gregory feedlots wins CAB Progressive Partner award

by Miranda Reiman

It’s luck of the draw. Your calves get sick in the feedyard. That sets them back, costs you all kinds of money and ruins your hopes for what could’ve been.

The guy next to you catches a break. His cattle gained and graded like crazy.

The kicker is, it’s not all luck.

David Trowbridge, manager of Gregory Feedlots at Tabor, Iowa, uses a hypothetical scenario like that to educate feedyard visitors on how everything from genetics and ranch care to implants and markets can impact beef quality later on.

Everyone gets a workbook and a virtual calf when they begin, and the story is revealed as they make stops at the processing barn, the feed mill and the pens.

At the end, some make a profit. Some lose money. But all leave with a greater understanding of the many variables involved with feeding cattle and producing beef.

“Cattle producers care about what they’re doing; they care for the animals humanely and they provide nutrition and great health care,” Trowbridge says. “If we can convince the whole world that that’s what we’re doing, we’ll sell a lot more beef.”

This philosophy, along with a commitment to driving interaction at every point in the production chain, earned Gregory Feedlots the Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) Progressive Partner of the Year Award. Trowbridge accepted at the CAB annual conference in Sunriver, Ore., Sept. 20-22.

He and feedyard owner Jim Gregory “understand the importance of educating end users on their segment of the beef industry,” says Nikkie Allen, corporate meeting planner for CAB. “They take time and put thought into what things they want attendees to walk away with when they leave their property.”

CAB’s National Roundup seminar, which brings folks from across the globe to U.S. cattle country, has visited the feedyard twice. They also host diverse groups, from the American Angus Association’s Beef Leader’s Institute to local cattlemen’s events.

Of course, tours or not, cattle must be looked after and Trowbridge gives a lot of credit to his small crew.

“All I do is talk on the phone and get customers here,” he says with a quick smile. “They do the work.”

The hint of truth is probably rooted in the sheer amount of effort it takes to build and maintain relationships. Trowbridge estimates 85% of the cattle in the 7,000-head feedyard are retained ownership.

Everything they learn about cattle coming in—from recent history, like vaccines and implants, to cowherd history—helps them do their jobs better, he says.

“Working with the producers we do, we are able to save money, time and stress on the cattle by customizing what’s done,” Trowbridge says. “Those calves should never have had a bad day. When you wean them, you want them gaining just as good as they do in the feedlot.”

They aggressively sort because most of the cattle are grid marketed even when the Choice/Select spread is low.

“I’ve been able to show customers that even if we get $1 over the base meat price, and if your cattle will grade 85% Choice or better and yield decent, we can beat that price,” he says. “Even if we’re looking at a $2 Choice-Select spread, we’re still selling a majority of our cattle on a grid, and making money doing it.”

But the ultimate payout is seeing repeat customers make progress.

“It makes you feel good when they come back and the cattle are better than they were,” Trowbridge says.

$100,000 Up for Grabs with 2024 Colvin Scholarships

by Courtney Weekley | Mar 20, 2024

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by Lindsay Runft | Dec 20, 2023

Raised with Respect™ was developed as part of a strategic cattle care partnership between Sysco and CAB. The collaboration focuses on supporting farmers and ranchers, equipping them with continuing education to stay current on best management practices and helping to increase consumer confidence in beef production.

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by Courtney Weekley | Nov 8, 2023

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« Older Entries

Down on the farm

Foodservice distributor celebrates milestone at Virginia Angus ranch

The people of Performance Food Service (PFS) journeyed to farm country to learn more about ranchers who raise high-quality beef for the Certified Angus Beef^® (CAB^®) brand. The event marked the company’s 25^th year as a licensed CAB distributor.

“My team understands Certified Angus Beef’s quality, but when you can tie that locally to a farmer in Virginia with a stake in what we do, that’s very powerful,” says Eric Shoemaker, president at PFS Virginia. “We need to be able to talk with confidence about that connection with our customers.”

The group gathered at Edgewood Angus, east of Richmond, where the Pete Henderson family shared their passion for raising Angus cattle and how their focus on cattle care at the ranch helps to ensure high-quality steaks. Attendees enjoyed a hay-ride tour of the farm and lunch served by Extra Billy’s, a local CAB partner restaurant.

“We knew there were Angus farms around, but getting there, being there, seeing the cattle and talking to Pete Henderson and his family really rounds out the whole picture and what we try to do for our customer base,” Shoemaker says. “This is a farm that produces good seedstock for beef we have in our warehouse, and it’s just an hour away.”

There are nearly 400 members of the Virginia Angus Association raising purebred cattle in the state. “The consistency, the high quality that the brand provides is exactly what our customers need, especially in this economic environment.”

PFS became a licensed CAB distributor in 1985, making it one of the earliest to offer the brand. Since then, it has sold more than 27 million pounds of CAB product to local restaurants.

“PFS Virginia is the engine that could, always driving forward even through the most challenging economic times with customers,” says John Stika, president of Certified Angus Beef LLC. “This team is leading the charge with more than 36% sales growth during the past 12 months, an amazing accomplishment considering how their market place has been impacted by the recession.”

CAB brand products are featured by more than 12,300 restaurants and retailers around the world.

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CAB: local connections far reaching

May 5, 2011

Education is part of beef promotion and sales. That’s as true within the beef industry as it is in selling beef to consumers.

Any of the 37 meat technical and sales professionals from Buckhead Beef Atlanta who came to Kensington Cattle Company, near Woodbury, Ga., for a ranch field day this spring would surely agree.

Kara Wilson, marketing specialist with the Certified Angus Beef^® (CAB^®) brand, who helped organize the visit, summarizes: “The Buckhead team had an eye-opening experience, seeing the time, resources and financial commitment it takes to put out high-quality cattle.”

There were several demonstrations, but conversations took information exchange to a new level. The Angus farm’s managing partner, Roland Starnes, and customer service specialist, James Stice, talked openly about how the production world works.

To learn about the science and experienced judgment that goes into selecting high-quality animals for a registered purebred operation, the group had the opportunity to evaluate a pen of Angus cattle.

“We discussed genetic selection—how we balance carcass traits with ideal maternal traits, and how a good disposition relates back to high-quality beef and efficiency in the industry,” Starnes explains. Other topics came up in turn, from stewardship and natural resource management to such issues as hormones, Midwestern finishing on corn rations, antibiotics and locally grown.”

The group from Buckhead Beef, a top-ranked CAB distributor for more than 15 years, learned about the role grain finishing plays in developing the flavor in beef, but also came to understand how proper nutrition at each stage of life is essential to keeping up the potential for highest quality.

Amanda Wydner, CAB executive account manager for the Atlantic region, notes some chefs and restaurateurs are asking for “local products.”

“We must equip our distributors with an understanding of how it supports local farmers and ranchers when they offer the Certified Angus Beef brand,” she says. “Across the U.S., our brand has a positive impact on agriculture and sustaining family farms. We must take a proactive role in educating customers about how we connect with the grassroots of the beef industry.”

To close the day, the Buckhead Beef professionals learned ways to apply the knowledge they gained as selling points on the street.

Starnes appreciates all they do, too. “We are all in this together,” he observes. “This is a little something that we can give back to our industry as we help them help us sell more Certified Angus Beef.”

Kensington Cattle Co., a relatively new operation set up in 2008, works on building relationships from every angle.

“As we get our feet wet in this industry, we try to line up prospective buyers for our customers’ calves,” Starnes explains. To that end, he and Stice aim to help customers target the CAB brand and keep up with all American Angus Association programs.

“Basically it is a 365-day-a-year promotion and education process,” he says with a grin. “From our customers to these folks selling our beef, we want to help them play the game or to be cheerleaders for our industry.”

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Enhancing connections

CAB board chairman finds new ways to reach out

April 14, 2011

There’s no rigid job description for Chairman, Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) Board of Directors. But the elected, voluntary position entails a lot of responsibility, and those who excel at the job tend to redefine it with passion and energy.

Steve Olson, Hereford, Texas, excels as chairman, says John Stika, CAB president. “He is a staunch spokesman for the brand, and not just to fellow cattlemen. Steve’s been a very visible example of what this brand stands for.”

Elected first to the American Angus Association Board in 2006, Olson ran for and was elected to the CAB board the next year, currently serving his second year as chairman. He’s more than capable of acting as a liaison between the board and CAB executives, reviewing financial activities and everything else one might expect. But there’s more than the expected.

“CAB helped change the whole beef industry, and it is an honor to be a part of that continuing process,” Olson says. He works to evolve and enhance board roles to benefit the world’s leading beef brand and all the segments of the beef industry that it connects.

“We’ve learned how to utilize the board members beyond formal ‘budgetarians,’ ” Stika says. “Steve’s been a great asset in helping us promote our story.”

It’s no passive role. “We’re trying to change the whole atmosphere with the board,” Olson says. “We want to make it more of an open discussion between the board and staff so we can be more aware of all the activities and discuss possibilities to promote the brand.”

He hopes to see positive change not only within the board, but within the entire beef industry.

“One neat revelation I’ve had from my time on the board has been seeing how all the segments of the beef industry are intertwined,” Olson says. Because of that connection he encourages everybody from cow-calf producers to retailers to embrace their partnership and work together: “We are not each other’s enemy.”

He’s also working to connect producers to consumers.

Last year he represented CAB and ranchers in general at the South Beach Food and Wine festival in Miami. There, surrounded by urban consumers and chefs, he helped put a face on beef production.

More recently, Olson and wife Ginger hosted a ranch tour for Johnson and Wales Culinary School chefs at Olson Cattle Company. The guests saw the entire operation and all of its processes.

“They had lots of questions and lots of misconceptions, brought on by animal activists,” Olson says. “We tried to resolve these by showing them the handling, care and treatment practices we use to create a wholesome product.”

One of the highlights for Olson was knowing that the information provided would be passed on to students.

“The people we had here are educators. What better place to start than with those who are teaching other people?” he asks.

While Olson may teach, he is also eager to learn.

“Steve is truly a student of the industry,” Stika says. “He doesn’t bring a lot of preconceived notions, but instead asks where the brand needs to go and works to find the best way to get there.”

With the ability to teach and the willingness to learn, Stika says Olson is a great resource to help reduce the disconnect between producers and consumers. Events like the Johnson and Wales chefs’ tour demonstrate how much work needs to be done.

It is up to ranchers to be aware of the gap and to make an effort to inform consumers, Olson says.

“I live on a ranch—I don’t live in a big city—and I don’t always think about their lack of any concept of what we do and where we come from,” he says.

In the past, consumers trusted farmers and ranchers. “Now that’s not always the case,” Olson says. “We need to educate people and tell them about ourselves and to promote not just our products, but our livelihood.”

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by Lindsay Runft | Dec 20, 2023

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« Older Entries

Beef cattle tales connect with consumers

by Laura Nelson

Cattlemen tell stories in a lot of ways – across a fence gate, over coffee at the feed store, through the pickup window or atop a good horse in the back of the ropin’ pen. Now, producers focused on quality can also tell their stories at www.certifiedangusbeef.com.

Ranchers from nearly every state are now featured on the Certified Angus Beef^® (CAB^®) brand’s consumer Web site at http://certifiedangusbeef.com/producers/index.php right next to the product they work to create.

“It comes down to consumers making that connection with the producer,” says Christy Johnson, CAB special projects manager. “We have always loved the story behind the brand, and this is one way we can share it with our consumers.”

The site features a diverse set of ranches, from sprawling hundred-thousand-acre Southwestern spreads to quaint New England farmsteads. Despite differences, each producer shares a desire to grow something consumers enjoy and understand.

“People in our country don’t always associate Certified Angus Beef products with producers, or even the company itself,” says rancher Brian McCulloh. “They associate it with the grocery store or the restaurant where they buy it.” McCulloh is a partner in Viroqua, Wis., Woodhill Farms, one of those featured on the site. Consumers are increasingly interested in where their food comes from and how it’s produced, and McCulloh says this feature meets their demands. When consumers are happy, producers feel the benefits.

“This is taking the branding efforts of CAB one step further and putting a face to the brand. Ultimately, that should create more pull-through for our product,” he says.

That’s especially important, Johnson says, in areas that have high consumer and low producer concentrations. “I hope this helps consumers gain a deeper appreciation for the brand and the producers who are a part of it,” she says. “When they buy our product, now they can feel like they’re not just feeding their family, but also supporting the farmers and ranchers in their states.”

While increasing consumer understanding of their food’s origin, McCulloh says featuring production stories also creates a transparency within the industry, and that drives quality. Retailers and foodservice establishments that serve the CAB brand are monitored for quality, but producers are only driven by their own goals, he points out.

“I hope that as Angus producers, we can each look at this and ask if I’m doing all I can to ensure the quality and wholesomeness of my product.” The bottom-line significance of having your face linked to the brand? McCulloh says, “It means we as producers must uphold our end of the deal.”

Those who target the CAB brand quality standards and would like to join in sharing their story may contact Christy Johnson at cjohnson@certifiedangusbeef.com or call (800) 225-2333.

Out of the comfort zone

From big city lights to sights and sounds of cattle country

by Jennifer Kiko

A group of reporters walks into a barn …

The punch line is not what you would expect.

A gathering of mainstream media professionals from Midtown Manhattan did walk into a barn – and cattle pasture – at Trowbridge Farm near Ghent, N.Y. The experience was no laughing matter, though participants left with smiling faces and appreciation for cattle production.

Trowbridge Angus Farm has been producing Angus cattle for more than half a century. It is the only New York Angus farm to host an annual bull sale. Phil Trowbridge, wife Annie, and their children P.J. and Amy, hosted the field trip with the Certified Angus Beef^® brand.

“It was an opportunity to show people not familiar with agriculture and our line of work how we do business,” Trowbridge said.

The tour group was composed of food editors and columnists from publications like the New York Times, New York Post, Time Magazine, Hemispheres, Food Arts, and Everyday with Rachael Ray.

Participants walked the pasture as the Trowbridges described environmental practices and management. They explained why all beef is not created equal – offering an overview of beef and brand categories, including organic, natural and prime. CAB Supply Development Director Mark McCully offered a brief description of bull selection and the importance of genetics. The Trowbridges provided visual aids – four bulls with printouts of their expected progeny differences (EPDs) and traits.

It was important that media encounter cattle in their natural setting to highlight the Trowbridges’ concern for environmental issues and green areas. “They were able to see a serene farm – so common in this industry – and honestly, I think they expected to find more of an industrial operation,” Trowbridge said.

Certified Angus Beef^® brand corporate chef Scott Popovic discussed cuts, grades of beef and the role marbling plays in high-quality meat. The group was joined by Marc John Sarrazin, of the brand’s long-time foodservice licensee Debragga and Spitler, and Chef John Doherty, formerly of The Waldorf=Astoria.

“The weather was glorious, the grass green and the reporters amazed at the visual health and disposition of the cattle,” said Tracey Erickson, vice president, Certified Angus Beef LLC. “As you might imagine, this group is far removed from agriculture, so the opportunity to see the farm, family and live animals up close was an eye opener.”

The Trowbridges were impressed with their guests. “They were hungry for information and eager to learn more about our farm,” he said. “They gobbled up the next-generation thing and were excited to talk with my son. Genetics, embryo transfer and forages were all topics of interest.”

It has never been more important for producers to tell their story and showcase production practices. For the Trowbridges – and the Certified Angus Beef^® brand – results have been positive. Features stories are in the works and information has already shown up on several attendees’ food blogs.

One participant commented, “I adored the farm. The entire place was clean, the air so exquisite. They clearly take pride in and enjoy what they do.”

To learn more about the Trowbridge family and farm, visit trowbridgeangusfarms.com, and to learn more about the brand, visit certifiedangusbeef.com.

Tag: consumer connection

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Gregory feedlots wins CAB Progressive Partner award

by Miranda Reiman

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