Association Perspective
Grant me the courage to change the things I can.
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
These words were cross-stitched by hand and remain framed in the home of a lifelong friend and mentor. I am weeks from having a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old, a full-time job and bad four-legged habit. I think about those words more with each passing day.
Rain, temperature, interest rates, input cost, inflation, labor shortage, government oversight and regulation, consumer preferences, economy, the stock market, futures, rain in other countries, exchange rates, supplies, a 3-year-old — the list of things we cannot control is endless. Help me accept that.
What about the things we can control? Our attitude and our lunch menu (sometimes), for sure. We have a great deal of control over what product we bring to the market. Much has been studied and documented regarding practices and key areas to add value to our calf crop. Things like genetics, weaning, backgrounding and health protocols are things we have control over. But what are we doing to capitalize on these efforts to capture that value?
By nature, we are people who prefer the outdoors. We prefer doing, making, building, growing. Paperwork is a dreaded formality — a necessary evil — and thus the finance and marketing challenge. While I am no finance expert, there’s no doubt a strong financial plan that is fiercely executed is the foundation of a strong business. Marketing, too, is an area we have control over. It is an area, I believe, in which most of us can make change.
Marketing is the all-encompassing term used to describe the collective efforts that get a product sold. The foundation of marketing is information (product features or benefits) and communication (getting the word out). We’ve already established that you are doing the work with the right genetics, the right health protocols, weaning, backgrounding, etc. These are your product features. So what are you doing to get the word out?
That’s where programs like AngusLinkSM can help. AngusLink is a program that helps you document what you’ve done, the genetics behind the cattle, maybe even GeneMax® scores of their brothers or sisters, the features and benefits of your calf crop, and provides a way to communicate that value to those who are in the market. It gives the right information to the right audience. Give me courage to make the changes I can.
Most of us are doing the right things from a production standpoint. That’s what gets us out of bed and what keeps us moving forward — the doing and building. It’s the rainy day, behind-the-desk work that makes us want to pull out our teeth, but it boils down to getting the right information to the right audience. When it comes to purchasing a bull, the registration paper communicates value. When it comes to feeder cattle, programs like AngusLink were created to help you document your product and help communicate that to the marketplace.
Today, it’s imperative to bring back as much as possible on sale day. Take the time to document the work you are already doing, take the time to help communicate what you have, and work to get that information in front of the right audience. Help me know the difference.
Editor’s note: Alex Tolbert is the regional manager for Region 3, including Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee. Click here to find the regional manager for your state.
Angus Proud
In this Angus Proud series, Editorial Intern Jessica Wesson provides insights into how producers across the country use Angus genetics in their respective environments.
Angus Proud: Scott Sproul
Oklahoma operation learned wisdom of moving calving season to better suit their marketing needs.
Angus Proud: Bubba Crosby
Fall-calving Georgia herd uses quality and co-ops to market calves.
Angus Proud: Jim Moore
Arkansas operation retains ownership through feeding and values carcass data.
Angus Proud: Stephen Shiner
Idaho operation rotates pastures in summer and raises crops for winter.
Angus Proud: Brian Nusbaum
Angus cattle fit cattleman’s marketing goals and helped him set out on his own.
Angus Proud: Les Shaw
South Dakota operation manages winter with preparation and bull selection.
Angus Proud: Jeremy Stevens
Nebraska operation is self-sufficient for feedstuffs despite sandy soil.
Angus Proud: Dave Rutan
Angus breeder gets the most out of his bull investment by partnering with opposite calving-season operation.
Angus Proud: Nickey Smith
AngusLink helps Louisiana cattleman gain more for his calves.
