The Link
How many hats do you wear?
I was very surprised to get a wonderful batch of cookies in the mail the other day. Everyone who knows me is keenly aware I like food and especially cookies. I was helping a friend understand verification programs better. Verification programs and promoting Angus genetics is what I do every day. She needed a little guidance on what each program did and the benefits the different claims could offer. I was more than happy to help her navigate this unique landscape.
Ag people stick together. Every one of us will wear many hats — from nutritionist to mechanic, from financial wizard to marketing manager. We need to tap into each other’s expertise and lean on each other to better reach the finish line.
I don’t know a rancher who doesn’t know what he wants in a bull or what tractor works the best for him. Still, when it comes to selling calves, many rely on “what we always have done.”
Marketing is usually the most neglected part of the farming operation, or at least at our house that is the way it has worked.
I don’t know a rancher who doesn’t know what he wants in a bull or what tractor works the best for him. Still, when it comes to selling calves, many rely on “what we always have done.” Times continue to change. Planting a crop is different. The information to choose a bull that can produce great replacement females and hang a carcass that can meet branded-beef program specs has become more sophisticated. Sometimes it is time to expand our horizons. Sometimes those small changes can yield increased returns.
Many times it isn’t something new, but someone has broken down the steps to make the process easier or less intimidating. Several years ago, a friend of mine began working at a farmer cooperative that markets grain. While I had made contracts and traded our grain prior, I just never felt like I got the most out of it. While I check the board for any moves on a regular basis, she has access to the latest moves and trends. She texts when she feels there are marketing advantages to our operation. I have learned from her, and I feel like she has my back. We have leaned on one another to both succeed.
I hope everyone who enrolls in AngusLinkSM feels that same way. We truly want to be more than a place to call to get a tag and a certificate. Each of us knows that the day you market your feeder calves may be your only payday. We want you to be successful. If that means we recommend you add another claim to your enrollment or try to give you a management tip so you can enroll in another program the next year, it’s not to put another mark on the chalkboard. It’s to get you more bids and, hopefully, more money on sale day.
Give the AngusLink department a call. We want you to lean on us to learn more about these verification programs and the Genetic Merit Scorecard®. Any of us would be glad to help you navigate these verifications programs for some cookies. Visit www.anguslink.com or give Sarah, Emily or Rachel a call at 816-383-5100 today to learn more.
Editor’s note: Ginette Gottswiller is the director of verification services for the American Angus Association.
