AUGUST 2015 contributing articles by Wes Ishmael
Dear Cattle Producer:
A branded bull is one that is the product of industry-leading genetic evaluation and selection, accompanied by unsurpassed customer service, marketed and delivered by a nationally-recognized program with a long-standing reputation for standing behind their products and services. Commodity bulls, on the other hand, are a product of the unknown. There’s little or no data to describe what the bulls’ genetics are capable of providing. They’re offered by bull sellers rather than seedstock providers. Most times, you buy them, you own them without much help if there is a problem, no matter what the fine print may say in the catalog, if there is a catalog. I believe distinction between branded and commodity bulls is increasingly important as the cost of both varieties increase with the value of calves. Moreover, I believe it’s critical to consider bull value—which includes cost—rather than cost alone. You’ll see on our Leverage Points header - the tag line: Adding and Retrieving Value with Genetics and Service. This was the founding mission of Seedstock Plus. It’s what continues to drive us. First, we strive to provide unmatched bull VALUE. In other words, we work to provide you more in the way of product and service for the dollars you spend to buy our branded bulls. This includes the balance, predictability and reliability of the bulls and females themselves, as well as the new and ongoing customer services you can see summarized on page 2. Next, we consider it a privilege to work with our customers to retrieve the value they add to their herds with Seedstock Plus genetics. You can read about a couple of examples on page 6. Likewise, we’re always excited to think creatively with our customers about developing solutions to their unique needs, see page 4 for examples. In other words, the primary driver of Seedstock Plus is providing our customers with the genetics and services that enhance their ability to add and retrieve VALUE. The cost of Seedstock Plus bulls, the raw price, is being driven by the added VALUE. We continue to draw new customers and benefit from an extraordinarily high level of repeat business. We appreciate and never take for granted the loyalty of our repeat customers. We understand they are the folks who helped build our program and continue to help it grow. As for new customers, one of the things we find most exciting is that many of them are also new to Gelbvieh and continued on page 8