The Link
Time is precious.
“Can you run down and bring me some bolts? They are 9/16. I need grade 6, and 4 inches long. How long will it take you?”
“Well, it will only take me 20 minutes to get there, but how long will I have to look for that size bolt?”
“Well, I’m not sure if I have any that size, but check and get something close. You know where it goes on the cultivator. Can you hurry? I really need to get this done!”
Time is precious.
As I write this on Mother’s Day, it makes me think about how lucky I am that Mom is still here with us, while my son’s other grandmother is in heaven watching down. I think how I miss her and the many wonderful qualities she brought to my life. No matter which mother/wife I think of, I see them out chasing parts and bringing food to the field or shuttling people and equipment from field to field and home. They were on call from sunup to way past sundown. A farm wife’s work changes at a moment’s notice.
Farm wives are more valuable than a CEO and can manage time like a magician. They know the value of every second, and they wrote the book on multitasking. They understand the value in value-added programs.
Is it worth the time to enroll in AngusLinkSM?
Let’s look at some return on investment on Montana cattle that sold on the January video sales. Table 1 outlines the approximate cost per head to enroll in AngusLink in the various claims to use as reference.
I used cattle selling on January video sales from one region compared to prices against CattleFax data to determine the “added value” on the sex and weight class. In the first column will be the return on investment (ROI) on 9-weight steers that had a premium of $13.87 per steer. The sweet spot for enrollment for those cattle would have been to have around 400 head to be profitable, but you broke even on the enrollment at 249 head.
The AngusLink Non-Hormone-Treated Cattle (NHTC)/ NeverEver 3 (NE3) calves that sold in January were limited, but there were some 5-weight steers. They really rang the bell. Their added value was $47.25 per steer. That group had a great ROI no matter how many were enrolled. The same goes for steers enrolled in the Global Animal Partnership (GAP) bundle. Several loads of 6-weights sold with an average of $196.87 per steer! Again, looking at the ROI for the GAP bundle showed it paid to enroll no matter how many were enrolled or sold.
Time is precious. Look at the time it takes to do an enrollment and for the management required by different program options. Think about how many calves you market each year. Divide those up into load lots to sell. Is it worth your time to enroll? Only you can answer that question.
Everyone you work with when you enroll in AngusLink knows how precious time is on the farm or the ranch. It is easy to put it off till next year, or to think that you don’t really have the time. Really? For an extra $40 or $150 more per calf, can you really afford not to take the time?
Pick up the phone and give Sarah, Emily, Rachel, Troy or me a call at 816-383-5100 to find out more about AngusLink today. It just may be worth your time!
Editor’s note: Ginette Gottswiller is the director of verification services for the American Angus Association.
