10 minute read
BUNKHOUSE
PLAYING THE INFINITE GAME
progress amid the cycle of uncertainty
by CCA Executive Vice President Billy Gatlin
What a wild ride the last 16 months have been. Since last March we have lived through a once in a lifetime pandemic, the largest wildfires in state history and currently Californians are living through what some are calling the worst drought since the 1500s. It has been crisis after crisis. We have seen cattle markets collapse and rise again only to collapse and then rise again. Uncertainty is all around.
Something that struck me during the pandemic was the constant chorus of, “there’s so much uncertainty in the world.” While our lives were majorly disrupted and we were thrown into a tailspin of reorganizing our daily routines, the world at large remained as uncertain as before the pandemic started.
As cattle ranchers, we know that every day is unpredictable and filled with uncertainty. There are the obvious unknowns like the weather and the general ups and downs of the cattle market. There are also the dayto-day trials, broken fence or irrigation pipes, flat tires, cows on the road, predators, etc. The everchanging uncertainty on a ranch makes each day new and exciting even if it is frustrating and exhausting. What makes 2020 and 2021 unique is that I have heard the term “black swan event” used more frequently amongst ranchers. While the perceived scope and magnitude of the uncertainty may currently appear to be greater, the fact is the world is and remains as unpredictable as ever.
If you know what the weather will be in nine months and where the cattle markets will be over that time, I invite you to write this column for the next California Cattleman and share that information. If you know when the next pandemic will occur or any other black swan events, please share that information too. The fact is the world is unpredictable. And day to day life is even more unpredictable.
Fortunately, ranchers are well trained not only to survive in an uncertain world, but to thrive.
I believe ranchers are uniquely adept at dealing with uncertainty because they are playing an infinite game while most of the world is playing a finite game. Ranchers, for the most part, have no end goal. They are not working towards a retirement date or a “magic number” that will indicate they have finally achieved the financial wealth necessary to finally live out their dreams in their golden years.
Ranchers do not retire. Ranchers are not building a business to sell so they can one day sail around the world. The “end goal” of a rancher is to honor the legacy of the generations before them by ensuring they have done enough over their lifetime to provide an opportunity for the next generation of ranchers—whether that is keeping the ranch in the family or passing it on to the next family. The goal of continually improving and leaving the land in a better condition than when they took over remains the same. That is the infinite game of the rancher.
Unfortunately, we have witnessed and lived through countless instances where government has failed both ranchers and nature with excessive interventions (even if well-intentioned) that destroy and threaten our ranches and our state’s ecosystems. There is no better example of this than the plague of wildfires that besiege our state every year. It is powerful and moving to experience the
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complete destruction of a wildfire that annihilates an entire ecosystem. It is even more powerful to see that ecosystem cling to what little life remains underground as it struggles to crawl back to life. The ecosystems on our ranches are as resilient as the ranchers that care for them. This is the infinite game of our ecosystems.
There is a connection between ranchers and the ecosystems (a.k.a. ranches) they manage. The two are in tune with each other. A relationship that is built and strengthened over decades and passed on through blood and handshakes.
As I gain a better understanding of this infinite game, I begin to better understand why a world that appears to mostly be working towards a finite goal of accumulating as much wealth as possible and sometimes through a “by any means necessary” approach finds it hard to believe that ranchers are not motivated by wealth and extracting as much as possible as quickly as possible from their ranches.
This is not to suggest that ranchers are not motivated by profit and do not enjoy the monetary benefits of a strong cattle market. Profitable ranches are sustainable ranches, and we need to ensure that cattlemen and women have a fair opportunity to turn a strong profit. And CCA will continue to fight for that. But ranchers will not sacrifice long term goals for short term gains. Our task is getting people to believe that, and because it is counterintuitive to how they live their lives, that task is particularly challenging.
I know together we can make a difference. This is the infinite game of CCA. It will never end but each day we will get a little better and make incremental progress.
The idea of continuous improvement has been something that has resonated with me for as long as I can remember. I am drawn to the simplicity of the idea that all I must do is get a little better each day. Over my last 10 years at CCA that has been the goal of the entire office— end the day a little better than you started and commit to doing the same the next day, the day after and each and every day you show up.
The political, legislative and regulatory world is constantly changing. Settling for small, finite victories ensures ultimate defeat. Winning at all costs or by an any means necessary mindset will provide immediate but shortlived victories. CCA leadership and staff, with the support of our strong membership, are committed to getting a little better each day and leaving our association and industry stronger for the next generation.
I appreciate all of you and the opportunity to play the infinite game with you. And with the pandemic behind us, I look forward to seeing you soon.
COMMON SENSE
Cattle breeding is really not that difficult if you just use some good, old common sense. It has been proven over time that the functional ability of livestock is tied very closely to how they are designed from a phenotypic stand point. In our herds, the cattle must have an adequate amount of body depth or volume, an adequate degree of muscle, and they must be structurally sound. If they don’t meet these basic criteria, they are culled regardless of how good they are in terms of their EPD or genomic profile.
We also place emphasis on the basic traits of eyes, udder, feet and disposition. These traits are described by many as “convenience traits” and again if our cattle are not problem free in these areas, we limit their genetic influence in our herds.
Our opinion is that the most profitable beef cattle in any production system are those that can function with very little need for additional labor or supplemental feeding. Our ultimate goal is to create a small framed, low maintenance cow that can wean a big stout calf and do it without any other inputs from us. That goal is the same in both our Charolais and Angus herds.
A SPECIAL THANK YOU
We would like to extend a special thank you to all of the buyers and bidders in our annual Internet-based Private Treaty Bull Sale as well as the other ranches and individuals who have supported our program during the past year. FRESNO STATE
AGRICULTURAL FOUNDATION
2020-2021 STUDENT ASSISTANTS
Trevor Autrey Jon Buttrey Michaela Clark Kaitlyn DeMott Blake Gobeli
Mikaila Hall Brady Schmidt
RANDY PERRY (559) 278-4793 JON BUTTREY - STUDENT MANAGER - 209-761-1823 WWW.FRESNOSTATE.EDU/JCAST/BEEF
ANGUS RANCH
EZAR MONUMENTAL 0201
SIRE: EXAR Monumental 6056B MGS: V A R Generation 2100 Breed-leading carcass merit here with top 3% Marbling and top 1% Ribeye. Dam is a driect daughter of VAR Blackcap 9319.
CED BW WW YW Milk CW MA RE $M $B $C 3 2.3 81 146 22 64 1.24 1.19 69 193 319 CED BW WW YW Milk CW MA RE $M $B $C 1 3.7 86 148 25 80 0.65 1.08 87 191 335
SALE BOOK AND BULL VIDEO LINKS WWW.EZANGUSRANCH.COM
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR SALE DETAILS
SELLING 170 BULLS SAT., SEPTEMBER 4
EZ Angus’ Tejas Ranch • Farmington, CA Lunch: 11:30 a.m. • Sale: 12:30 p.m.
Join us at the Tejas Ranch located at 22950 Milton Road, 11 miles west of Farmington, CA. We will be selling 170 performance-tested bulls with complete DNA evaluation. Bulls are vaccinated for anaplas and tested PI-negative for BVD. We offer FREE DELIVERY to California and surrouding states. Every bull selling is backed by the EZ Angus Breeding Guarantee!
EZAR ADVANCE 0044
SIRE: Basin Advance 5016 MGS: TEX Playbook 5437 Powerful, stout-made son of 5016 with top 2% growth and big Ribeye that pushes him into the top 1% for $Combined.
LIVE INTERNET BROADCAST ON SUPERIOR PRODUCTIONS www.Superior Livestock.com
Tim & Marilyn Callison........................................................ Owners Chad Davis ............................................................559 333-0362 Travis Coy .............................................................559 392-8772 Justin Schmidt ......................................................209 585-6533 Website......................................................www.ezangusranch.com
SALE MANAGEMENT
EZAR ADVANCE 9507
SIRE: Basin Advance 5016 MGS: EXAR Stud 4658B
CED BW WW YW Milk CW MA RE $M $B $C 8 1.7 75 144 24 76 0.99 0.73 57 203 320
EZAR MONUMENTAL 0114
SIRE: EXAR Monumental 6056B MGS: Summitcrest Complete 1P55
CED BW WW YW Milk CW MA RE $M $B $C 4 2.8 90 162 27 83 1.11 0.96 51 202 313
EZAR ENHANCE 0026
SIRE: SydGen Enhance MGS: EXAR Monumental 6056B
CED CED BW BW WW WW YW YW Milk Milk CW CW MA MA RE RE $M $M $B $B $C $C 10 2 2.3 2.4 69 82 123 148 36 25 50 73 .84 1.34 .61 0.75 $74 70 $143 192 $259 319
EZAR GURU 0222
SIRE: EXAR Guru 8719B MGS: Basin Rainmaker 4404
CED BW WW YW Milk CW MA RE $M $B $C 3 3.0 89 159 33 84 1.16 0.54 73 200 332
EZAR GURU 0237
SIRE: EXAR Guru 8719B MGS: WR Journey-1X74
CED BW WW YW Milk CW MA RE $M $B $C 8 2.1 84 147 30 81 1.10 1.15 51 213 327
EZAR ENHANCE 0162
SIRE: SydGen Enhance MGS: EXAR Denver 2002B
CED BW WW YW Milk CW MA RE $M $B $C 11 -0.2 71 127 32 64 1.21 0.84 82 187 325
EZAR GOLD RUSH 0052
SIRE: EZAR Gold Rush 6001 MGS: EXAR Denver 2002B
CED BW WW YW Milk CW MA RE $M $B $C 4 1.6 69 129 25 70 1.00 1.16 28 206 295
EZAR GURU 0258
SIRE: EXAR Guru 8719B MGS: TEX Playbook 5437
CED BW WW YW Milk CW MA RE $M $B $C 7 1.9 80 145 27 70 0.76 0.89 69 184 308
EZAR INERTIA 0174
SIRE: G A R Inertia MGS: EXAR Denver 2002B
CED BW WW YW Milk CW MA RE $M $B $C 7 -0.2 68 120 32 67 1.21 0.97 66 196 320
THESE BULLS FEATURE BREED-LEADING GENETICS
THE PORTION OF THIS YEAR’S OFFERING RANKING IN THE TOP 35% OF THE ANGUS BREED INCLUDE:
• 49% for Calving-Ease Direct • 76% for Weaning Weight EPD • 77% for Yearling Weight EPD • 66% for Residual Avg. Daily Gain • 65% for Calving-Ease Maternal • 50% for Docility EPD • 70% for Carcass Wt EPD • 76% for Marbling EPD • 57% for Ribeye EPD • 74% for Wean Value ($W) • 85% for Beef Value ($B) • 82% for Combined Value ($C)
ANNUAL ANGUS FEMALE SALE
