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Ginette Gottswiller

The Source

Cell phone service may not be top notch, but AngusSource customer service won’t make you yell at your phone.

“Hello? Hello? What? I can’t understand you.”


Every time I get in a tractor my brother calls with another “chore” that needs done, but cell service in our area is hit and miss most days, and he refuses to text. He reminds me of a few producers.


“I can’t see it made me any money the time I enrolled, so why waste my time?” is a common complaint I hear.


Do you vaccinate and pour your cows? I do, because I don’t want to take the risk of disease, parasites or decreased weight gain. However, some find the investment not worth it.


I attend a few calf sales every year and talk to a variety of producers. Some are every bit as progressive as any registered Angus breeder, and there are others who throw out some hay in a corral once a year and catch what calves they can get in the trailer.


All producers have one thing in common. They want to purchase something they can see and feel will make them money every time. I’m just as guilty.


During the summer video-sale season, calf prices have been much better than expected. Some producers think they received extra value from enrolling in AngusSource®. Another one thinks it’s the bulls he bought from a big-name breeder, or maybe it was the vaccination program. The truth is, you may never know why a buyer paid more for your calves compared to the next lot.


It’s easy to enroll in AngusSource, and it is one of the lowest-cost value-added programs in the market. The enrollment fee is $50, and visual program tags are just $1.25 each.


Investing in a health program and good genetics, and using value-added programs like AngusSource can give you peace of mind. Setting your calves apart from every other black-hided group running through the salering can give you a competitive marketing advantage.


There’s a Marketing Document generated for each group of AngusSource-enrolled calves that is emailed to more than 800 potential buyers. It will list when and where the calves sell, along with weight, sex, vaccinations, management practices and as much additional information as a producer feels necessary to market his calves. The Marketing Document is a vehicle to getting your calves noticed before sale day. In addition, it shows every Angus sire for the enrollment group and their current expected progeny differences (EPDs). This tells buyers about the genetic investment you have made on your operation.


AngusSource is a USDA Processed Verified Program (PVP) that verifies source, group age and, at minimum, 50% Angus genetics. Advertising your calves to potential buyers can reap profitable rewards for you on sale day, but first you need to take the time to enroll.


Even if cell phone service isn’t top notch, AngusSource customer service won’t make you yell at your phone. Give us a call today to find out how your calves can stand out from the other black-hided calves in the ring on your next sale day.


Comment on the storyEditor's Note: Ginette Gottswiller is the director of commercial programs for the American Angus Association.











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