Management

Fit the Environment

Beef cattle genetics, management critical in fine-tuning herds to fit environment.

Matching cattle to the land available to graze and the nutrition it offers is critical in optimizing production in an operation.

“More often than not, as a nutritionist, I’m called in to fix a situation where the cattle and environment are not matched,” says Jason Smith, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service beef cattle specialist in Amarillo.

He explains how cattle selection and the operation’s environment feed off one another. Without balance, one will take away from the other. It’s important to know what the cattle will need, as well as what the land can offer.

A relationship with your veterinarian can help your marketing goals.

Building a solid veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR) takes time. It starts with establishing clear goals and defining what kind of relationship is desired. Texas veterinarian Keelan Lewis shares ways you can get creative. Learn more in the Certified Angus Beef LLC video.

Managing Through a Black Swan

Markets are changing, but with thought, the best can be made of a bad situation.

Nobody can accuse agriculture of being a low-stress endeavor with its changing markets, changing weather and black-swan events. A black swan is an unpredictable event with rare, severe impact. Agriculture has had a few black-swan events in recent years — the Atlas blizzard, the Starbuck wildfire, last year’s intense flooding. Black swans can’t truly be predicted; they can only be prepared for by building robust systems, says LaVell Winsor, a farm analyst with Kansas State University Research & Extension.

Tips offered to keep your business going during tough times.

While the current global situation is not entirely normal, it is normal for a crisis to come up in the agriculture industry. So many outside factors influence the success of cattle operations — droughts, flooding, wildfires, market volatility, animal health, human health and more. Kansas Livestock Association CEO Matt Teagarden offers these management tips with the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute team.

As tax season is extended this year, some background is offered on stepped-up basis.

Tax basis is the amount of a taxpayer's investment in real property for tax purposes, typically used to calculate depreciation, amortization and other property dispositions. A “step-up” in basis is the readjustment of the value of an appreciated asset for tax purposes upon inheritance.

Products to put to use on farms and ranches.

This month’s edition includes products designed to prevent pneumonia, provide protection against pinkeye, ease synchronization and feed the gut’s microbiome, as well a tractor series, a rough-terrain vehicle and a partnership to provide GAP certification.