In disguise

It’s easy to write about good news. Even for an optimist like me, it’s not that hard to write about bad news.

In good or bad, there’s often a dramatic story to tell.

What’s hard to write about? So-so news that’s neither good nor bad. It just is.

It’s been a month since the Feeding Quality Forum meetings we co-sponsor and maybe that’s part of the reason that I’m just now blogging about it.

Some years, like 2008 and 2009, I’ve left the meetings warning cattle people things were going to get tough(er). Corn was getting expensive (compared to historical trends) and would stay that way, but cattle prices were not. Then we had some optimism in 2012 and 2013 where Dan Basse, president of AgResource said, “The story of being a livestock producer is still relatively bullish longer term.”

FeedingQualityForum17 (11)_small — The cattle feeders and allied industry folks who came took notes. Perhaps they said, “lock in feed” and “look at deviations from normal performance.”

This year? I heard a lot of comments like, “The markets are an ocean freighter, slow to move. We’re starting to steer them in the right direction,” and, “There are cattle you want to own, and probably some you want to buy at a discount.”

Basically, opportunity is there, but you may have to look a little harder for it.

“I think the worst is over,” Basse said of the overall ag economy, but the analyst talked of tight capital and input prices that haven’t decreased at the same rate as profit. He predicted a low of $100 to $104/cwt. in the cattle market, but suggested improvement in 2018.

U.S. beef making its way into China got a nod from nearly every speaker.

Again, with the opportunity you have to look for: “If you want to get involved in China, you better be talking with the packer you’ll be marketing to and see what their requirements will be,” said Doug Stanton, of IMI Global, a subsidiary of Where Food Comes From.

Market access isn’t guaranteed unless you know those cattle will meet import restrictions.

FeedingQualityForum17 (10)_small — Ed Greiman feeds cattle in Iowa and has a lot of experience working on the cattle marketing committee for NCBA.

Today 70% to 80% of fed cattle are sold on grids and special agreements, said Iowa cattleman Ed Greiman. That causes challenges in setting base price, but also allows high-quality cattle to bring what they’re worth.

“CAB (the Certified Angus Beef^® brand) has done all this work to make sure the consumer wants the product, so we’ve got to produce more of them,” he said. (Opportunity!)

Both our own Justin Sexten, and University of California-Davis animal scientist Richard Zinn, noted the value of knowing more about the cattle you feed. That can help you manage better and price them accordingly.

FeedingQualityForum17 (21)_small — Producing high-quality beef (like the kind that was served at the meetings) is one way feeders can capture more dollars.

There are opportunities, you just have to look. Maybe that’s not “so-so” news, but rather good news disguised as hard work.

May your bottom line be filled with black ink,

Miranda

P.S.Watch our newsroom for more articles and videos recapping the content from this year’s forum.

Think about it

“Where will you put another one?”

It was a genuine question we got from family and friends—after rounds of congratulations and surprise—when they learned we were adding to our family of seven.

Those closest to us know we bought somewhat of a “fixer-upper” when we moved to Nebraska. It’s a traditional old farmhouse that we fell in love with for the “good bones” and good location.

When we walked out of the kitchen with false ceilings, fake brick backsplash and 1980s carpet, I think the realtor was surprised to hear, “We want to make an offer.”

kitchen before and after — The kitchen has been the most expensive remodel to date.

Can any of you relate? Many you’ve bought or otherwise taken ownership of a “fixer-upper.” Maybe it wasn’t love at first sight, but you saw the potential and had a few ideas going in.

Progress seems slow, as everything takes cash. As we look to add on more space, it emphasizes what I already knew: When it comes to home improvements, you can’t make quick progress without a large investment.

In the cattle business, there are lots of things that would fall into that category (adding feed bunks, expanding acreage, etc.), but not everything that increases profit takes a bank loan or dipping into reserves.

Think about genetic selection and bull power. You’re going to invest in something to keep the calves coming each year, but the same money can fall short or supercharge progress in traits like carcass quality and feed efficiency. The difference mostly comes down to an outlay of a free resource: brain power.

2014_06_12_mr_Johnson-169_small — I’ve been to a lot of places that raise high-quality cattle without special equipment or expenditures.

I suppose I’ve always known this. Pulling up to a ranch visit, I make no correlation between condition of outbuildings and expectations for the herd I’m about to see. A brand new pickup does not mean anything in terms of cattle genetics.

But it became crystal clear this spring as I visited with a cattleman who had two and half times more premium Choice qualifying cattle in just three years’ time after taking over the family herd. Primes went from zero to 35% of the steer crop.

“We did this all with $13 straws of semen,” he told me. Later the rancher remarked on his bargain-priced, used squeeze chute and how the heifer development pens also double for growing steers.

The biggest expenditure came in the form of study. Researching the traits of value, consulting sire catalogs, visiting with those who had made the kind of progress he wanted to achieve.

DSC_0441_blog — The best way to make improvements? Study!

Improvement does not necessitate across-the-board increases in spending; you may just have to schedule some time to study.

Brain power could be your most valuable resource.

May your bottom line be filled with black ink,

Miranda

Angus way out there

“You better just let us come to you,” Anjie McConnell told me over the phone.

Honestly, I was surprised I even had cell reception on my way to their Wyoming ranch, so I pulled alongside the road and waited.

Her husband Mike’s cowboy hat gave them away.

“Little Siberia.” That’s what the truck drivers call the desolate route that runs along the family’s land 45 miles outside of their home base in Lander. The Oregon Trail runs through it.

Cattle production–no matter the spot–comes with a handbook of hardships, but west-central Wyoming is its own beast.

A rodeo family and cattle people to boot, Anjie’s parents, Gary and Diane Frank, had to make a choice.

“There weren’t enough days in the week to make either successful,” Diane says, “so we had to decide: we’re either going to be rodeo stock contractors or we’re going to be cattle people, but we can’t be both.”

With a push from Gary’s father, Bill, who laid down money for additional ground, the family brought cows up here to summer grass that first year and decided they were done with the bucking horses after that.

That was 1969 and plenty has changed since then.

“We wean off the mountain here,” Anjie says, to avoid potential dust storms at home. They keep the heifers back for replacements, while their steer mates go straight to Miller Cattle & Feedyards, a 20-year tradition.

For starters, the Frank children grew up, got married and made lives of their own. The cattle went from “a rainbow herd” to Angus, and Gary passed away.

“He wasn’t old enough,” Angie says. Her husband died six months short of their 50^th wedding anniversary.

Gary and Diane’s second child and oldest daughter, Anjie, had always been her father’s helper. After graduating college and marrying Mike, the local agriculture teacher, the couple committed to joining Frank Ranches Inc. – Anjie, full time.

“Sometimes I wish I had Mike’s job, when the weather’s crappy,” Anjie says with a smirk.

“She wants mine and I want hers someday,” Mike quips.

It’s a wonderful thing to see generations working together. From L to R: Mike, Anjie and Kiley McConnell and Diane Frank.

Together and through the years they’ve brought ideas and research, pushed her parents to try new things and experienced successes along the way – which can be hard to come by way out here.

“There was one snowstorm where we got 54 inches,” Mike tells me. It was time to AI and Gary and him were worried whether they’d show. It ended up being the easiest heat detection they’ve ever had because the ones that weren’t covered in snow were in heat.

“I remember standing out there in cowboy hats, just drooped down to our chins, laughing and having fun breeding cows.”

Bumping along the property in the back of their old Jeep, three generations have just as much fun, share just as many laughs as they ever have.

In addition to performance and avoiding elevation impacts, the Franks want cattle that satisfy the consumer. They look at the dollar beef ($B) and marbling EPD (expected progeny difference), as well as other traits.

“We don’t go on vacation much, but our family’s together,” Anjie says.

“Every day’s a vacation here,” Mike adds.

I’d tend to agree.

Thanks for allowing me to tell your story,

Laura

PS – To learn what brought New Jersey native Diane to Wyoming in the first place and why the family’s invested in raising quality Angus cattle, look for their upcoming story in the Angus Journal.

It takes two, part II

…So the two traded places.

No matter how big the order, the last detail is as important as the first, making ranchers’ work worthwhile.

Charlie cooked and served over requests like:

“She wants the Pappardelle Boscaiola, but without the bacon.”

“Veal meatball walkin’ in.”

and “I need to see Erin on the fly.”

The orders spilled in and the chefs remained calm. They enjoy the thrill of the job.

And Josh tagged a newborn calf.

Josh, Charlie and Charlie’s oldest son, Blake.

“That’s all just good, preventative stuff,” the chef suggests as Charlie follows up with medicine. “Exactly,” Charlie answers. “We don’t want an infection setting in.”

After reuniting cow and calf, the two step back into the barn.

It wasn’t AI time on the production timeline but Charlie still had semen tanks available to walk Josh through the process.

“Ever AI (artificially inseminate) a cow?” Charlie asks. Knowing full well the answer, “You ready? Let’s do it.”

“I feel like Mike Rowe on Dirty Jobs,” Josh says while pulling a glove over the steer tattoo on his forearm. It wasn’t actually time to AI but the chef got the idea.

“We want to keep semen at 98 degrees, just like your body temperature, so stick that down your shirt,” Charlie says, showing what ranchers will do in cold weather.

Always a good sport, Chef Josh was a rancher for the day.

The two laughed about the “glamorous” life that’s not always shown in the films.

It would soon be Charlie’s turn at the restaurant and the chef had some tricks up his sleeve, too.

Josh would pet the Boyds’ favorite cow Abigail later in the morning before running the feed truck.

“It would be hard to even put a value on how much customers will appreciate this,” he says. “They love it and it brings them back.”

Boyd Beef cattle are fed a specific feed ration every day, on a schedule.

Hours later, back at the restaurant, a diner asks about the picture he saw of Josh on the farm. “The rancher’s actually here: that’s him,” Josh says as Charlie appears from the kitchen, orders in hand.

Charlie even got the chance to try his hand at sugar art as Chef Josh is an expert in the rare talent.

“The detail of the plating, it’s amazing,” Charlie says.

“Seeing the passion you and your family have for the cattle, that means the world to me,” Josh replies.

The evening’s come to an end and the duo ask for a picture with a thumbs-up to show the success of the day.

This morning both Charlie and Josh will share their experience of Trading Places at CAB’s Specialist Seminar.

It takes two, and they’re certainly a better team because of it.

Thanks for allowing me to tell your story,

Laura

PS – If you’re just checking in, be sure to catch up with yesterday’s part I. If you liked this Trading Places story, here’s another series on a North Dakota restaurateur, rancher and chefs.

CAB is committed to prioritizing consumers’ evolving expectations for high-quality beef, sustainability and connecting the next generation. Explore our Ranch to Table program and learn how we connect the next generation of ranchers and culinarians for a brighter, more sustainable future for the beef industry.

Michigan Angus Family Earns Ambassador Award

by Lindsay Runft | Sep 25, 2023

Seldom Rest Farms in Michigan, known for show-ring success, receives the CAB 2023 Ambassador Award for sharing their beef production story with Meijer grocery communications team and other CAB partners. The Foster family shares their passion for Angus cattle while fostering connections within the beef supply chain and promoting the Angus breed and CAB’s role in the industry.

North Dakota Partnership Earns CAB Progressive Partner Award

by Kylee Kohls Sellnow | Sep 25, 2023

The Bruner and Wendel families earned the 2023 CAB Progressive Partner award by selling high-quality beef through Dakota Angus, LLC, as part of the CAB Ranch To Table program. They focus on their commitment to quality, data-driven decisions, achieve impressive CAB and Prime percentages and offer high-quality beef directly to consumers in their communities.

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2019_feature-header_old-fashioned-excellence_10-19-Boliantz-Ohio-BG-(5)

Jeremy Umansky may have coined the term himself but he fits it to a tee.

A lover of mold and its biological properties, he’s educated as a chef but prefers to spend his days foraging for edible vegetation and exploring all things food.

In the calm between what was once a job at Cleveland’s Trentina restaurant and opening his own deli, the “gastronaut” stopped by the ECC in Wooster to talk science.

“We all nerded out,” our own Dr. Phil says. “We shared our focuses and what we know and understand in our respective disciplines. It was just a really interesting day of brainstorming.”

Jeremy does a lot of that, and it’s always with the consumer in mind.

“For years, home cooks and professional chefs alike have used specific cuts of beef that limit the uses and dining enjoyment of the product,” he told me. “By applying biological and anatomical sciences to these cuts, we can widen beef’s appeal and create new market and consumption opportunities.”

Did you have to read that twice? I know I did!

There’s no doubt the healthy bacteria Jeremy loves affect flavor and affordability, but there’s more.

“His big focus is in edible molds and fungus of all kinds,” Dr. Phil says, “but he’s fascinated with old-world preservation techniques and gastronomy.”

In layman’s terms, that means that by observing practices used by those who came before, Jeremy says there’s a chance beef can be made available in places where it’s difficult to keep today.

Add on the fact that the chef-turned-scientist said he wants to work with the brand to strengthen beef’s overall appeal, and we’re setting off all sorts of celebratory scientific explosions!

“There’s more to eating beef than simply eating a great steak,” Dr. Phil adds. “There are cuts that may really benefit from looking at these ideas. To align ourselves with people like him is a win for us.”

Bryan Schaaf, our media and communications manager, says Jeremy is and will continue to be a voice for the culinary community – someone who will push the edge and carry conversations.

“Chefs seek him out simply to pick his brain,” Bryan says. “We throw out the word ‘influencer’ a lot and Jeremy truly is. For him to have a solid understanding of the brand and the cattlemen behind it, I don’t know that you can put a price on that.”

If you need me, I’ll be skimming through my old biology textbooks.

Laura

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