May/June 2022 - American Beef Producer Magazine by American Beef Producer

2022 BULLS FOR SALE by private treaty - VIEW BULLS ONLINE OR AT THE RANCH IN MUSSELLSHELL, MONTANA -

Bar Star

DOB: 3/15/2021 CED

-0.5 2.7

MILK M+G FAT

HOMO POLLED REA MARB CHB

50 0.017 0.36 0.35 150

ERNST POWER BROKER 115E

DOB: 2/14/2021 CED

REG: 44290115 YW

12.9 0.4

REG: 44292543 YW

MILK M+G FAT

HOMO POLLED REA MARB CHB

62 0.017 0.31 0.33 140

Bar Star

BAR STAR BIG CITY 1152 CATTLE

BAR STAR TRUSTED 1122 CATTLE

BAR STAR BELIEF 1143 ET CATTLE

DOB: 3/8/2021 CED

5.8

1.1

MILK M+G FAT

HETERO REA MARB CHB

60 0.097 0.52 0.28 125

ERNST PROMINENT 105E

DOB: 2/19/2021 CED

REG: 44292543 YW

-2.1 4.5

REG: 44292747 YW

104

MILK M+G FAT

HOMO POLLED REA MARB CHB

65 -0.003 0.57 0.02 126

DOB: 2/23/2021 CED

9.5

1.2

7.6

DEHORNED

MILK M+G FAT

REA MARB CHB

52 -0.053 0.49 0.36 152

ERNST POWER BROKER 117E

DOB: 2/13/2021 CED

REG: 44277538 YW

0.6

REG: 44292546 YW

104

HOMO POLLED

MILK M+G FAT

REA MARB CHB

60 0.047 0.51 0.24 142

CATALOG AND VIDEOS AVAILABLE AT: WWW.BARSTARCATTLE.COM WWW.ERNSTHEREFORDS.COM

Bar Star

Chad and Stephanie Murnin Family Marshall and Barbara Ernst Family Musselshell, Montana Windsor, Colorado Chad: 406-399-7811 | Stephanie: 406-399-7815 | Marshall: 970-381-6316 | Kevin: 970-218-7140

CATTLE 2

American Beef Producer

May/June 2022

Immunologically superior animals are proven to return higher significant gains across all traits: overall wellness, fertility, and feed efficiency. Profits on overall wellness are realized through an increased response to vaccines and antiparasitic treatments, drastically reducing the incidence of morbidity and antibiotic use. Fertility is reflected in higher conception rates, reduced risk in early embryonic death, weaning calves at higher weight ratios, and overall retention and longevity in replacement females. Feed efficiency is directly affected by the body’s ability to ward off inflammation due to environmental stress factors. Cattle on feed who possess this natural ability have higher conversion rates than their counterparts who are immunologically inferior – all without commanding additional medicine costs and higher overall expenses. Immunologically superior animals who possess specific Defensen predictive biomarkers are proven to be more profitable, and aid in economic gains through these highly heritable traits for generations to follow.

Choose immunologically superior animals through Promogen Genetic Evaluation. Choose genetic gold.

Dr. Jeff Gower - 417.839.1200 • Dr. Bill Julien - 402.677.2083 Kourtney Judge - 480.322.1583 • Joel Judge - 805.234.7191 email: info@promo-gen.com

www.promo-gen.com 4

American Beef Producer

May/June 2022

“The quickest way to double your money is to fold it over and put it back into your pocket”

ABP

Volume XXIX Number 9

May/June 2022 PO Box 280, Cottage Grove. MN 55016

Subscribe Here

AMERICAN BEEF PRODUCER

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GUIDING BEEF PRODUCERS FOR OVER 25 YEARS

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I n de p e n de n t l y O w ne d a n d Op e rate d !

↙ Take a Look Inside ↙

w w w. A B P m a g . c o m / S u b s c r i b e

12 Ranch Tech: Starlink by Space X: Internet at its best - by Derek Sample @ ABP 18 Bull Sales: Sales : C a l e n d a r L i st ! 22 Summer Road Trip! W h e re we ' re go i n ' 26 22 4 22: 22: Chad Murnin, Owner @ Bar Star Cattle. Cattle. Musselshell, MT View this issue online: www.ABPmag.com/Latest-Issue

Derek Sample

Publisher, Editor, Photographer Derek@ABPmag.com

307-213-9975

Tim McCray

Doug Ward

Walter Taylor

Bruce

Ad Sales and Traffic Manager

Ad Sales & Ring Service Doug@ABPmag.com

Ad Sales Walter@ABPmag.com

Complaints, HR, Circulation, Pencil sharpener, Covid Enforcer Bruce@ABPmag.com

Tim@ABPmag.com

651-917-4093

507-273-7465

509-549-3083

ON THE COVER :

Ta r y l S m i t h w i t h o n e o f h i s c a l v e s Ror vig Ranch, McVille, North Dakota. April 15, 2022 one of the worst snowstorms ever to hit ND.

PH OTO c o u r te s y o f : Amy Smith (Rorvig) @Amy Rorvig Smith

@amyrorvig

American Beef Producer (ISSN 1551-2339) is owned, produced and published monthly, except for a combined May-June issue and no July issue, by Marcomm Publishing, PO Box 280, Cottage Grove, MN 55016. Printed in the U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at St. Louis, MO and other entry points. Subscription Memberships are $30 yearly, payable at www.ABPmag.com/Subscribe POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Marcomm Publishing, PO Box 280, Cottage Grove, MN 55016-0280

124 Years of Producing Registered Angus Cattle

45th Annual Production Sale

YSL NN OP

Monday • 1 pm

June 6, 2022

Lanesboro Sales Commission • Lanesboro, MN Previewing Sunday, June 5 at the farm

SINCE 1898

Selling bulls and heifers by sires with high EPDs and $Values!!

S S Enforcer E812 19274932

The 2019 top-selling bull at ORIgen!

$M +86 4% $W +95 2% $F +129 2% $G +77 3% $B +206 1% $C +353 1%

AJC Angus

Baxter, IA (641) 227-3537

North Platte, NE (308) 530-2339

Larkspur, CO (719) 644-0067

S S Enterprise E84 19274918

Cameron, TX (254) 697-4401

$M +77 10% $W +88 4% +148 1% $F $G +78 3% $B +226 1% $C +370 1%

The 2019 2nd high-selling bull at ORIgen!

Sale cattle sired by S S Enforcer E812, S S Enterprise E84, GB Fireball 672, G A R Home Town, S S Odyssey H71, S S Command E88, Sydgen Enhance & Byergo Black Magic 3348.

SINC

E 1898

Request a sale book:

Lanesboro, MN 55949 Philip Abrahamson (507) 467-3701 Keith Ekstrom (507) 676-7763 ssangus@acegroup.cc

Visit: www.ssangus.com and see our strongest lineup yet!

EPDs as of 3/08/22

NYSLO UN

All animals in this sale have had genomic and ultrasound tests with all bulls having a breeding soundness exam.

Past Sale Highlight SEO

ROCK STAR

1982

REG# 19421713

$C 353

Selling a Clarity daughter out of this past sale feature!

SOARING EAGLE 3rd Annual Spring Female Sale 7 FEATURE HEIFERS • 17 DONORS • 10 FALL BRED HEIFERS 15 SPRING YEARLING HEIFERS • 15 COW/CALF PAIRS

Donor Highlight

1A WELYTOK/WALL

ERICA

REG# 19427985

9026

Selling a feature heifer sired by SEO Ultra Provider!

Plus, She Sells AI Bred to Williams Jonesboro!

$C 389 American Beef Producer

May/June 2022

Donor Highlight 2 BAR

WEST POINT

9653

REG# 19723312 Selling one Heifer Pregnancy by Williams Hollywood x 9653 Due: 9/12/22

$C 329

She Sells AI bred to Williams Hollywood!

OF THE OZARKS Springfield, Missouri ~ Saturday, May 28, 2022 FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2022 • CATTLE VIEWING 5:00 PM CST STEAK DINNER FRIDAY EVENING AT 7:00 PM SALE MANAGED BY COTTON & ASSOCIATES HOSTED ONLINE VIA CCi.LIVE

ALL CATTLE WILL BE PROMOGEN TESTED PRIOR TO SALE DAY! Marketing powered by The Judge Source LLC Joel & Kourtney Judge 805.234.7191 • 480.322.1583 thejudgesource@gmail.com May/June 2022

American Beef Producer

Soaring Eagle of the Ozarks Dr. Jeff Gower, Owner 417.839.1200 drjeffgower@gmail.com 9

GENERATION BALING.

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Vermeer Corporation reserves the right to make changes in engineering, design and specifications; add improvements; or discontinue manufacturing or distribution at any time without notice or obligation. Equipment shown is for illustrative purposes only and may display optional accessories or components specific to their global region. Please contact your local Vermeer dealer for more information on machine specifications. Vermeer and the Vermeer logo are trademarks of Vermeer Manufacturing Company in the U.S. and/or other countries. ©2019 Vermeer Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Hammell Equipment Eitzen, Inc

300 Iowa Avenue Eitzen, MN 55931 10

More locations:

Chatfield - 507-867-4910 Rushford - 507-867-2845 Harmony - 507-886-2255

507-495-3326 American Beef Producer

May/June 2022

ARTEX SB SPREADER

This is quite simply the most advanced, best built manure spreader you’re ever going to see. Now, do you want one this tough? Well, that all depends on how often you like to buy them.

VERMEER TMR MIXER

420 Cu. Ft., 4’ RH Tip Up Conveyor Discharge, Electronic Scale System, 445/50R22.5 Tires, IN STOCK.

Optional Silage Extensions

DAIRYLAND SUPPLY

Off I-94 on the corner of Hwy. 28 & 71 So. Sauk Centre, MN

800-338-6455 or 320-352-3987 www.dairylandsupply.com Financing Available.

FAIR MFG 7830TD BALE PROCESSOR

Tub grinder/hay processor. Can handle (2) 6’x6’ round bales, in cab electric controls, 1000 RPM, bale ejection door for when unwanted mold or debris is in the bale.

RITCHIE WATERERS Most models on hand. Parts on hand.

May/June 2022

American Beef Producer

2.0

2.0 REAL Internet Broadband and its Soooooo Good... by Derek Sample

Derek@ABPmag.com

echnology. It's everywhere and nowhere. It's not perfect but necessary. New and innovative products are revealed just about every day to the point where we're all numb. Self driving cars are no longer the exception since we now take them for granted. Life-like robots are more…life-like. Maybe that part's not so good though. What IS good is that Elon Musk's SpaceX launched thousands of small satellites to get the internet up and roarin' to millions of people that either never had it or barely have it now with ancient technology such as HughesNet, DSL and others. This is a popular moan & groan bellowed our way when visiting with ranchers across our country. Why, one wonders, are rural areas still suffering with average speeds slower than an 80’s fax machine? Easily 75 percent of our readers fall in this group. They've been given false promises of fiber runnin' to their gate which just falls on deaf ears anymore. With that said, living with the eternal ache of brutally slow internet just sucks the life out of you every single day. If you were ‘lucky’ to get "the most advanced tech DSL" in its prime, great but will it ever be fast enough to stream HBO or Netflix? Although it has potential, they don't 12

maintain the lines anymore so dropouts are common if not forever. Rebooting your modem twice before watching PBR is the norm. When it works, better tweet t'em and let 'em know: “Hallelujah, do that again will ya? Like tonight? I wanna watch NFR with my buddies”. Oh, but Twitter only works with internet...oops. Netflix and chill is just a rumor to rural folks If you have internet faster than 10 mbps, it’s a genuine miracle. HughesNet and Viasat have promised vertical advancements in rural communities for years, but move backwards instead. DSL was that future beyond expectations, but turns out to be more problematic as the former. Sure they have their moments, but why pay all that money for slow slow slow while waiting for Cole Elshere’s buckin' bronco ridin' score? With each click, that 44,000 mile round trip to and from a HughesNet satellite is rather unhurried. Let's talk about your upcoming Bull Sale. That time and expense for planning, branding, photos, cataloging, EPDs, indexing, design, sales catalog, advertising, printing and don't forget our good friends at the post office! The list keeps going with auctioneers, ring service, food, hired help...Selling bulls ain’t

American Beef Producer

May/June 2022

cheap. What’s the weakest link? Your internet. Live auctions suffer, office work suffers, streaming suffers, social media suffers. At least a typical cloudy day will give you more time for chores since the internet's down again. You had important things to do online like shopping discounts at Boot Barn or catching the sale results at Dixie Valley Angus? Let's not forget data caps! That 'sit down time' you promised to watch a new movie with your wife? Data caps took that away as well as your next 3 weeks of surfing. Yeah, you think that slow speed’s all ya got. Here's where Starlink comes to play: Low cost. Fast speeds. Works everywhere. No data cap. Works in weather. Easy to use. Enter Elon Musk, one of the smartest people on the planet. He wants to fix what needs fixin’. Yeah, you probably got an opinion on this guy and OK, he’s quirky and more ‘fun’ than most billionaires. But he wants the world to go round for everybody. Literally. Enter Space X. In the last couple years, SpaceX has launched more than 2,000 Starlink craft. As I’m proofing this article I see that they just launched 53 more satellites this morning, April 21. Plus Musk has permission to launch an additional 12,000 satellites and also applied for approval for 30,000 more. Why so many? Well, data travels so incredibly fast in the vacuum of space and the SpaceX team figured out how to take advantage of that in a much more efficient way than everybody else. Instead of launching a few geostationary satellites that are orbiting at

22,000 miles up like Hughesnet and Viasat did, Musk and company chose to launch an array of satellites flyin’ at 340 miles LEO (Low Earth Orbit) and soaring 17,000mph fast. Their aim is to bring high speed internet to everybody. Currently it’s available in 29 different countries. This includes the continental US, most of Mexico and southern parts of Canada. Check out their 'active service map' here: bit.ly/StarlinkMap Green is available, dark green is wait list for service. So, I ordered one About a month ago on a Friday, I ordered my own Starlink. With a bit of wild anticipation, I followed the tracking # daily. Honestly I had a hard time waiting. 5 days later, my Arlo cameras bleeped that stranger danger tune and the Fedex guy appeared on my iPhone screen dropping off my Starlink. Rushing home to open this box felt a little like Christmas. Cue the box opening music. Santa brought me a rather handsome Router and below that was the Dishy (nickname for the antenna). It also came with a sturdy stand for Dishy that can be mounted just about anywhere. Dishy was definitely smaller than I expected at 23”x19” and 9 pounds total. For an antenna, it’s kinda pretty. The kind of pretty that the wife doesn’t make you hide it. Plug and Play Yep, just as advertised. After clickin’ the stand to the Dishy, I found a temp spot on top of my garage, plugged the Dishy cable and the power cord to the router, downloaded the Starlink App, signed onto router’s Wifi and bang, you’re up and surfin’! It literally took 5 minutes and done. Now let's see how fast it flows. Starlink advertises 20-30 up/80-150 down. Here goes, hit TEST and I see 30 for a second or two,

May/June 2022

firm and stable. The next day it dumped 22 inches. It was a wet snow with high winds and low visibility for long hours. Starlink averaged 110mbps throughout the whole adventure. Plus it activated its heat functon to melt snow falling on the dish. I read I should expect all of this, still impressed nonetheless. Good things to know

then 100, then 150, 200, 222 and mini musk scores the goooooal at 222mbps. OMG. Hallelujah, let the angels sing, “Two Twenty Twooooo!” Wow. Let’s try again. 14, 103, 220, 280, 297! Uploads are 2530. Holy Dishy. Time to have a Starlink party and write a song about it. $110 monthly fee Fast speeds. No data cap. Easy to use. They just raised it 3 weeks ago with the release of 2.0. That’s still cheap. Read on. Remember, HughesNet and their buddies rip you $150+ monthly and for what? We're about to get a foot of snow here. I live at 8,000 feet near the east gate of Yosemite Nat’l Park so we have 9k-14k foot mountains everywhere. We average 25 feet of snow per year...over 50ft in 2017. Let's test the Starlink in some weather! I mounted Dishy on a high point outside our home and made sure it was

In the past year or so, Starlink has grown out of the ‘first adopter’ or ‘hobbyist’ stage and is now a real product with real results. They’re even rolling out ‘Starlink Business’ in May which offers an advanced tier of service, a sort of premium version, with ultra speeds and a larger dish, but at a much higher price. If they can offer that kind of high end service, then this regular service is definitely legit. You can test for obstructions/interference points before you even order Starlink. Just download the Starlink app and it will show you how to map the visibility for obstructions. Dishy will move the antenna on its own to align with satellites as it needs to. Once it finds a good spot the first few days, it should stay put. If a storm comes along, you’ll find it starts moving more to stay connected. If it can’t find a strong signal, the app will notify you and display a background shadow map of interference points in front of the dish. It will even predict how often dropouts will occur and how long. Examples of interference would be a roofline, some trees, varied terrain, hail, RV’s, Godzilla. Most obstructions won’t stop you from regular streaming.

American Beef Producer

May/June 2022

The First Hydraulic Corral and still the Largest!

Rawhide Processor by John McDonald

3 Size

Availables!

• Pull on highway at speed limit. • Fits through any gate your pickup will. • Stable on uneven terrain. • Permanent sheeted adjustable alley. • Transport wheels are permanent, no sliding off the axles and rolling out of the way. • Wheels on each panel and electric over hydraulic jack eliminates lifting— saves time. • Frame gates for sorting.

Rawhide Portable Corral 900 NORTH WASHINGTON ST., ABILENE, KS 67410

785.263.3436

www.rawhideportablecorral.com

*April 18th Starlink released a beta that maps WIFI strength in your home. You might want to order their Ethernet Adapter so you can run a stronger Wifi mesh system Dishy has a snow melt option that will turn on automatically if it detects snow build up. It really works. Though I’m sure that common sense will persuade us to all to check on it during a blizzard. There are a few Facebook groups dedicated to Starlink. I've learned lots of tips, tricks, alt setups and mods. Some regularly post about traveling with their Starlink and operate it while camping, etc. One guy even tested it at 80mph and his speeds were over 250mbps. If you aren’t at your dedicated service address, then you’re not given connection priority. If you get slower speeds while traveling, that’s why. Though it seems speed isn't ever the problem as I haven't read any complaints about that yet.

😉

Here's the not so good... There's not much on this list... Customer service is slow. They do respond, but it’s a few days to a week. Plus it’s the old ‘submit ticket/ 16

wait for response’ method thru their website. I'm not too worried about it with the ease of use designed into this system. But still... Outages do occur. During a solar storm last month, all services were out for a few hours, everybody else's service was too. But, for the most part there are few outages with Starlink and they are short and not noticeable. Even my fiber internet cable has outages most days. As more satellites and ground stations come online, any outages will eventually disappear. I did test Dishy by placing it on the ground in front of a huge tree. Yes, the Starlink app balked at me and told me to move it, but it still tested at 80mbps with a couple short dropouts. If you want any options like ethernet adapters (recommended since their Wifi router isn't that strong), roof mounts or adapters…you can’t order them until after you install your system. Not sure why, but again, I’m sure that will change soon too. If you find that Starlink shows your address on a wait list, it's not the end of the world. Some users have successfully entered an address they see on the service map that is covered, and still get it shipped to their home. It works but your service wouldn't be considered priority. I doubt that will be a problem for most of you, but know that’s an option that others have found to be successful. You can always change your registered service address at a later date in order to receive connection priority. A few Quotes from Starlink users - "Absolute game changer! Shockingly good. So cool it’s ridiculous! So fast & easy…bizarre it’s this good. I’ve been living with sat internet for years and you can keep it. The range of the Wifi is huge. I can even move it around my ranch and then take it to the desert!" - "Starlink is hands down the best internet experience you’ll ever have. Your neighbors will be jealous and you’ll have trouble keeping ‘em out" - "Upgrading from HughesNet or DSL to Starlink is like moving up from a sinking hot air balloon to 1st class seats on the Concord" - "Snowstorms, rainstorms, windstorms…nothing deters my Starlink. It even knows when it's snowing and melts that snow right off!" - "I’ve personally experienced very few outages if at all. I would never consider going back to Hughesnet"

American Beef Producer

May/June 2022

Let's sum it up - Screaming fast internet - $599 initial cost/ $110 per month - No data caps - No contract - 30 days to return it if you're not impressed - Easy to set up and use - Small footprint helpful advice - Mesh router coming soon (better Wifi) - Great phone App bit.ly/jcristina I’d suggest watching this youtube - Currently 2,000+ satellites about 340 miles up. video by JCristina. He has a bunch of 'em on Star- Low Earth Orbit means low latency link but this one is his 5-month user review. He loves it but he’s real about it. He also has great advice - Each satellite weighs 570 lbs - Starlink averages 25mbps up/185mbps down on how to set it up individually per home or prop- Dishy is generally not affected by most weather erty. - Newest satellites will employ laser to laser contact bit.ly/StarlinkFarmerHunt There's Farmer Hunt’s which will multiply coverage a thousand fold Starlink installation video. It's worth the watch. - Traveling with Dishy seems to work just fine Hunt's very happy with Starlink now compared to what he suffered through for years. Also some great Do I recommend Starlink? ideas about how he installed it at his farm - "I’ve had Starlink for 2 months averaging 150mbps and higher. My alternative is 1mbps from Viasat & Hughes. Read that…!" - "Now we can participate in Zoom meetings and stream Netflix without the constant chatter and jump in every show. Good job SpaceX!"

bit.ly/StarlinkMIRC If you are keen on keeping Starlink for on the go, this nomadic couple is smarter than most on the subject.

Darn right I do.

😎

Order one and you'll understand. You should probably put a hurry on that... www.Starlink.com

AmericanFoodsGroup.com

American Foods Group

Long Prairie Packing

Tim Schiefelbein 320-398-2700

Tyrel Lembke 877-300-9298

KIMBALL, MN

Holstein Contracting

May/June 2022

LONG PRAIRIE, MN

Bulls • Lean Cows

Cimpl’s

Green Bay Dressed Beef

Gibbon Packing

Chad McQuade 605-668-4275

Dean Derricks 920-436-6529

Mike Baczwaski 800-445-0042

YANKTON, SD

Bulls • Lean Cows

American Beef Producer

GREEN BAY, WI

Holstein Steers • Fed Cows Lean Cows

GIBBON, NE

Bulls • Fed Cows Lean Cows

Sale Calendar email Tim@ABPmag.com for updates

2-May 3-May 3-May 4-May 4-May 4-May 4-May 4-May 5-May 5-May 5-May 5-May 5-May 5-May 5-May 5-May 6-May 6-May 6-May 6-May 6-May 7-May 7-May 7-May 7-May 7-May 7-May 7-May 7-May 7-May 7-May 7-May 7-May 7-May 9-May 9-May 10-May 11-May 12-May 13-May 13-May 14-May 14-May 14-May 14-May 14-May 14-May 14-May 14-May 14-May

Spickler Ranch South Angus Glenville, ND Philip Livestock Philip, SD Premier Angus Female (Johnson City, TN) online DH Red Angus PT John Day, OR Elk Angus Buffalo, WY Hoyt Angus McHenry, ND McDonnell Angus Bowman, ND Reppe Ranch Bradley, SD Christensen Genetics Weston, ID 44 Farms (Cameron, TX) online Flesch Family Benefit Auction online Kopriva Angus Raymond, SD Paint Rock Angus Hyattville, WY Powerline Genetics/ Seward CC Lonetree, WY Spruce Hill Angus Ludlow, SD XL Angus Casper, WY Duppong Angus Glen Ullin, ND Flesch Family Benefit Auction online Greene County Angus Association Greeneville, TN Nold Family Angus Aberdeen, SD Waddle Farm Kirksville, MO Flying W Ranch Pequot Lakes, MN Genomic Gems Female Giddings, TX Lawson Family Farms Angus Ewing, VA Mead Farms Versailles, MO Mississippi Angus Assoc. Raymond, MS Neighbors Cattle Co. PT Fordland, MO SC Hereford Assoc & Red Angus Pendleton, SC Stars & Stripes Hershey, PA Tennessee River Music Fort Payne, AL The Sale of Excellence (through May 23) College Station, TX Totton Angus Chamberlain, SD Trowbridge Farms Ghent, NY Whitestone Farm PT Aldie, VA Chatel Farms (Reidsville, GA)online Wendel Livestock Angus LaMoure, ND Shoco Ranch PT Augusta, MT DH Red Angus PT John Day, OR Koenig Ranch Reds Glasgow, MT Hillhouse Angus Schulenburg, TX LA Angus Assoc. Shreveport, LA A Bar Ranch Commercial Female Claremore, OK AL & MS State Assoc Simmental Cullman, AL Burns Farms Female Sale Pikeville, TN Louisiana Angus Assoc Female Shrevport, LA Maternal Gems Union Springs, AL 85th Annual NY Angus Seneca Falls, NY Springfield Farms Louisburg, NC Texas Angus Assoc. Spectacular Female Salado, TX V-Bar Cattle Co. Complete Dispersion Beloit, KS

Protected Processing! -

14-May 18-May 18-May 21-May 21-May 21-May 21-May 21-May 21-May 21-May 22-May 23-May

Wheeler Angus Paris, MO Bar 7 Genetics (Scottsboro, AL) online DH Red Angus PT John Day, OR Britt Family Farm dispersal Calypso, NC Byergo Angus Savannah, MO JM Cattle Co/ Blazer Farms Lawrenceburg, TN NY Angus Breeders/ New England Angus Bath, NY Optum Angus Seaman, OH Pleasant Valley Angus & Friends Shelbyville, TN Spur Ranch Female Vinita, OK Perez Cattle Co. Female Nara Visa, NM TK Angus mat fall female dispersion Valentine, NE BULLS FOR RENT

We believe in raising Reliable, Dependable, Performance-Driven Bulls to support your operation.

Lucas, Stephanie, John, and Owen Niebur N2315 140th Street, Plum City, WI 54761 Lucas cell: 715-307-2229

24-May 25-May 26-May 28-May 28-May 28-May 28-May 30-May 31-May 1-Jun 1-Jun 1-Jun 1-Jun 4-Jun 4-Jun 4-Jun 5-Jun 5-Jun 6-Jun 6-Jun 10-Jun 15-Jun 16-Jun 20-Jun 23-Jun 23-Jun 25-Jun 25-Jun

TPC Annual Online sale Jackson, MS Ludvigson Grass Time Turnout online Big Timber Cattle Co (Lithia, FL) online Innisfail/ Mead Madison, GA MO/ KS/ AR/ OK Angus Ozark, AR Soaring Eagle Farms Springfield, MO Westwind Angus & Guests Galt, CA White Hawk Ranch Cedartown, GA Ehlke Herefords PT Townsend, MT Calhoun HERD Calhoun, GA DH Red Angus PT John Day, OR Lowell Fisher Family Spencer, NE Innisfail Farm PT Madison, GA Appalachian Classic Knoxville, TN Shaw Cattle Co, Caldwell, ID West Winds Farm Complete Dispersion New Holland, PA Bruner’s Angus Rugby, ND Hawkeye Country Angus Bloomfield, IA Sunnyslope Angus Lanesboro, MN Western Friends Elite F (Yamhill, OR) online Joseph Angus Ranch Winner, SD Superior Video Corn Belt Classic, S. Sioux City, NE Coyote Creek Angus Dispersion Hayden, CO TJB Gelbvieh Bred Heifer online Northern Livestock Video Billings, MT Superior Video Tallgrass auction Emporia, KS Baldridge Performance Angus North Platte, NE KY Angus Field Day Harrodsburg, KY

A Cowman’s Best Friend at Calving Time!

Marvin Schultis, NE - "It works great! Safe and very easy to process calves. Would not be without it! Thanks for the great workmanship." Craig Oceanak, WY - "We calve range cows on rough ground. Catcher is very valuable for a one-person outfit!"

Safe Release!

Watch Action Video at

SafetyZoneCalfCatchers.com

For local dealers or to order, call 877-505-0914 today!

FACTORY DIRECT PRICING

North Dakota

Fall Angus Tour Save

te a D e th

September 17-19, 2022

Southwest North Dakota Headquarters: Dickinson, ND

Regis tration availa ble in July

Featuring South West North Dakota Angus Breeders, including... • 21 Angus, New England • Open A Angus, Medora • Best Angus, Watford City • Richard Angus Ranch, Belfield • Bowman Ranch, Rhame • Ridl Angus, Dickinson • Brooks Chalky Butte Ranch, Bowman • Talkington Angus Ranch, Belfield • Carlson Angus Ranch, Regent • Urlacher Angus, Regent • Classic Angus Ranch, Regent • Week Angus, Beach • Evenson Angus, Hettinger • and more!

Extra Fun on the Tour... • Cowboy Church • Junior Angus Poker Run • Auxiliary Wine Tasting Social Event

Visit

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American Beef Producer

May/June 2022

American Beef Producer

Summer Road Trip Plans for us here at ABP by Tim McCray, Tim@ABPmag.com

Even though our May/June issue is a bit of an end to a cycle, it’s just the beginning of the next chapter. I was asked recently if our travel was slowing down at all from my cousin Jenni while I was visiting during a trip to a sale nearby where she lives. I responded with, “not at all, in fact we’ll be leaving soon!” Our travels to stock shows in January and many stops in between were a busy time for us, and in the midst of it all we happened to piece together some of our largest issues yet. While sales are dwindling down by the time this issue is being put together, we’re looking forward to a little bit of down time, also known as “getting back to work”. Derek’s already been complaining of the heat in California, and me being a true Minnesotan haven’t stopped complaining about winter. A look at our cover for this issue can explain why, considering that picture was taken in the later part of April where us fortunate ones who live in the northern parts of the US got to deal with. April showers are supposed to bring May flowers.

April blizzards bring Tim to different locations. They even make me want to plan a 2nd trip to Florida. Though I doubt Derek and I will get that far. One thing's for sure, we are both itching to get back on the road, visit some new places in new territories and get to know more of you out there. We’re already planning an early summer road trip to the east as well as our usual trips to Montana, Nebraska and the Dakota’s for fall tours. But in the next month or two, we’re starting to plan on visiting clients in the I states (except Idaho, you’re out for this trip), as well as Ohio, and possibly as far as Kentucky & Tennessee. I’m even planning on visiting Wisconsin! For those of you reading this in those areas, do you have a story to tell? Want to show us around? Drop us an email or a phone call and make a suggestion. We’re always open to bribes of good food. Oh, and if you see us on the road, please stop and help. We’re probably lost and Derek's dogs could be out hunting for their own dinner.

May/June 2022

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Twenty Two for 2022 Chad Murnin Owner/Operator

Bar Star Cattle Musselshell, Montana (406) 399-7811

@barstarcattle BarStarCattle@hotmail.com 1. Where do you live? We live about an hour north of Billings, Montana in the Bull Mountains near Musselshell, MT. We are nestled in sandstone hills and canyons with grassy meadows and Ponderosa Pine treed hillsides throughout. It’s a diverse climate for wildlife with an abundance of elk, mule deer and the occasional whitetail deer, turkeys, lots of coyotes and mountain lions with the occasional black bear and wolf. We operate roughly 23,000 acres of ranch land and our nearest neighbors would be our employee and his family 5.5 miles from us. 2. Tell us about what you do for a living. We operate a multi-faceted cattle operation. Our true love and passion would be the registered Hereford side of our operation. We will sell about 60 polled Hereford bulls private treaty annually and a dozen registered females in our fall online sale the “Beauties of the Big Sky.” In 2022 we will continue to sell private treaty but will be switching to an annual live auction sale the third Thursday in March beginning March 16, 2023. We also market commercial commodity feeder cattle every fall as well as sell F1 black baldie females. We sell a fair amount of frozen genetics 26

as well via semen and embryo sales. We have sold semen on our bulls all over the world. 3. Where did you grow up? I grew up on a ranch northeast of Miles City, MT raising black cattle that turned into a side hustle raising club calves. Love changed my breed preferences when I married a mid-west Hereford girl. 4. What’s a day like at home on your ranch? Morning chores start the day off, which include feeding bulls, checking health, calving checks on cattle on pasture, and checking water. After chores it depends on the day. Its one or a combination of business and sales calls, calf tagging, pairing out, book work, equipment maintenance, etc. Usually, a quick lunch on the go then feeding cows and pairs starts about 2 p.m. on a normal day. We have 7 groups of cows to feed over a roughly 7-mile stretch so its time consuming. We finish with evening bull feeding chores just before dinner time most days.

American Beef Producer

May/June 2022

Twenty Two for 2022 5. What is your favorite or most used tool/item on the ranch? Kawasaki Mule side by sides. We put 6,000 miles on one annually. We still do most all cattle work horseback but UTV’s allow us to quickly check fence, water, feed bulls, weigh calves, and wrangle the horses. With the option to fold down the back seat we can haul 6 people on cattle tours when needed. It’s about a 45 minute drive from one border of the ranch to the other end of the other ranch nonstop on a side by side and that’s not dilly dallying at gates. 6. What’s your biggest daily challenge as a cattle rancher? Currently input costs are a big concern and a shortage of feed all across cow country. Sec-

ondly the constant uncertainty is a big challenge for us right now. I think between the weather/ drought and world events impacting the markets there is so much variability and it becomes extremely hard to stick to operational plans. We have tried to limit our risk exposure but at some point, one must think about the costs associated with doing that as well. Will it rain? Will the big 4 packers make our industry vertically integrated like the poultry and pork industries? 7. What was your first real job? My first real job was as an ag loan officer. I took the position to try to build my resumé but ended up liking it. I did that for 13 years until reality sank in January 2021 when we topped the national Hereford sale at OKC with Bar Star Fresh Prince 018 ET at $107,500. It made me continued on page 30 -->

American Beef Producer

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Twenty Two for 2022 >continued from page 27

realize that our dreams were coming to reality and that our business had outgrown my 8 to 5. 8. Introduce us to your family. I met my beautiful wife Stephanie in college at Colorado State University. It was through my love with her that my breed preferences changed as her family has been lifelong Hereford breeders. She’s the anchor of our operation. She does it all and is one hard working lady. We have two amazing twin children Hennessy and Harrison that are 7 years old. They continue to be active in the ranch and enjoy riding horseback more and more every day. 9. What do you think about today’s cattle industry? Our industry is an extremely challenging position. In reference to cattle type in our industry; as a study of the history of ranching and breeding cattle it certainly puzzles me how we have so many bad feet, bad attitudes, bad udders, and infertile cattle in our business. Did the big EPD push get us there? Maybe the huge marketing advantage of branded beef programs pushing the breeders to become multipliers rather than breeding for the fundamentals? So many have forgotten what drives profitability in our industry and that’s longevity and staying in the herd. I know one thing and that’s that we will remain dedicated to the fundamentals and profitability drivers in raising our breeding cattle.

mated to an Angus cow is something remarkable. We have three herds: Registered Hereford, a commercial Angus herd for black baldie production, and the baldie herd. The fallout rate for the baldies is exponentially lower than in the Angus herd. The Herefords will hold with the baldie females. The crossbred cattle are an amazing and, in our opinion, an underutilized option for some of the best cattle in the industry. During our drought conditions the past several years it became obvious the baldie cow herd’s ability to stay in the herd, maintain flesh in rough conditions and wean a big calf while breeding back was a shadow of their Hereford influence. Plus, they have maintained a half a body condition score advantage while consuming less feed than the straightbred cattle. The Hereford cattle thrive in our environment from -40 degrees during the winters and 100+ degrees of extended heat in drought conditions like we have experienced here. They just seem to be more durable.

10. What’s your take on Herefords vs. other breeds? The Hereford breed is undoubtedly the efficiency and docility experts. Their ability to improve fertility, increase longevity, tone down some of the attitude problems other breeds have, and improve feed efficiency all while adding a substantial increase in pounds of weaned calved when 30

May/June 2022

Twenty Two for 2022 11. We followed your Facebook posts regarding your recent visit to Guadalajara where you had the opportunity to judge cattle. Tell us more. Steph and I have been blessed to have a strong export market for our business. This has allowed us some fantastic opportunities to visit different countries through the help of the Montana Department of Agriculture. We recently went on a trade mission to Mexico where we got to learn a lot about their growing and aggressive ag industry. The pinnacle of the trip for me was the honor of getting to judge the Hereford cattle at a new and goodsized regional cattle show, Congeso Ganadero (Cattlemen’s Congress of the Stars). We toured ranches throughout the area and saw some amazing stock. The hospitality and people we got to meet were top notch! The cattle industry down there has no quality grading system so very few if any males are steered. We got to tour a feedlot completely full of slaughter bulls, which was something you don’t see every day in the US. Most cattle operations are diversified, with businesses in laying hens, hogs, agave or tequila distilleries, or commercial business. They are very aggressive in trying to improve their genetics by the use of American cattle and implementing Herefords into other composite breeds (Braford). The wildest thing we learned about was the agave (tequila) industry. Their crop takes 7 years to grow to maturity and when harvested can yield about $300,000 in product per acre! They have huge competion for pasture ground being converted to agave fields, which in part is to blame on Americans drinking more tequila, notably an increase in demand during the pandemic.

12. So many ranches have closed in the last 20 years, what can we do to keep today’s cattlemen in business? In my opinion its going to have to take a fundamental shift. Beef and cattle are separate commodities and due to the blatant disregard to the Packers and Stockyards Act the cow calf industry has been brutalized. The money has been made on the beef and retail side. Some of which has been criminal with proven price fixing. Packers have been settling lawsuits when they are caught price fixing which is good business for them. They can pay a fee to settle and continue giving what they want for live cattle rather than paying a fair price. Most cattle operations are price takers and when the deck is stacked against them, they get what they get. Unless a ranch is vertically integrated and has the ability to feed their own cattle to finish, harvest them, store the beef, market the beef to a consumer direct or to a retailer, the money is going to the

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Twenty Two for 2022 >continued from page 31

packer and retailer and not back to the ranches that prop up rural communities. 13. What would you tell the politicians in Washington if you they could hear you? My message would be to enforce the Packers and Stockyards Act. The United States has been known for cheap food for its people. If we want this to continue, we need to make sure protein sources are part of an affordable diet. To do so we can’t let the big 4 packers have their way with the industry. I always thought that our country had that cheap food advantage until traveling to Mexico and buying a fancy dinner at ¼ of the cost we would have paid in the US. Farmers and ranchers are struggling with huge increases to input costs so getting inflation in check and reducing reliance on other countries for our essential needs is something that needs to be made a priority as well.

14. How can local governments do better regarding the cattle industry? Local governments in our area specifically do a pretty good job. They seem to understand the importance of agriculture better than those more detached from it. 15. Real Beef vs. Beyond Meat? I watched my brother do a blind taste test and that was enough to prevent me from sampling it (you can look it up on youtube through the Western Ag Reporter). My question on the comparison is that why can’t we afford to have a pro-beef super bowl advertisement with use of the check off dollars? Beyond meat was a start up and had one. 16. Favorite cut of beef and how do you like it cooked? Boneless ribeye served medium rare! 17. What industry organizations do you support? We are members of the Montana Stockgrowers and United States Cattleman. We were formerly a member of NCBA, but I haven’t felt like they do enough to benefit the commercial cow calf operators, are too slanted on the beef end of things, and forget they are two separate commodities (beef and cattle) to fix a lot of the problems in our industry. They are the strongest voice in the industry, I wish they would use it a bit differently. I tend to ride more in the middle grounds. 18. Tell us about any mentor(s) you’ve had along the way. The easiest answer here is my parents, Albert (Bert) and Anita Murnin and Stephanie’s parents, Marshall and Barbara Ernst. They have helped us bounce ideas back and forth over the years and helped wherever needed. My dad is at the ranch nearly every weekend helping out and we sell Stephanie’s families bulls (Ernst Herefords) jointly as well. There are too many

American Beef Producer Magazine

May/June 2022

Twenty Two for 2022 breeder mentors to list that I look up to. Those breeders that I consider mentors are program breeders, not genetic multipliers. 19. Ford, Chevy, Dodge? GMC. We tried the Ram for a while but I got tired of spending my extra time at the dealership. After driving my father-in-law’s Fords they sure have me thinking. 20. What’s left on your bucket list? I don’t really have a bucket list, but I’d like to visit Australia at some point soon. 21. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? This is maybe the most challenging one for me. Hopefully still ranching in Montana and continuing the legacy that we are trying to build for our kids. Hopefully raising cattle is still

May/June 2022

viable by then and we are making plans to transition to the next generation. As you can see by my other answers its certainly concerning and that we need some change to fix a broken system currently. 22. What advice do you have for young, up and coming ranchers? Build a strong support team. Know your finances well and work with a banker that gets agriculture. Find an accountant that can help you. Get a nutritionist that knows your operational goals. If there’s something you are good at, focus on that. Get help wherever you feel the need to improve. Invest in good genetics they will pay you back faster than a machine will. Listen to those that you respect (family, friend, mentor?) and soak in every ounce of knowledge from them that you can. Do it your way, but be flexible.

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