LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Don Schiefelbein, NCBA President

Cattle producers are the original conservationists, preserving natural resources and caring for livestock with a goal of leaving the land better for future generations. We’ve always committed to being good stewards but this, as you know all too well, has been thrust into the spotlight. We can’t let up. We must continue to push for a seat at the table and demonstrate that our science-based management practices lead to continuous improvement. We all have a part to play, and it starts with our daily decisions on the farm or ranch. As we put together this issue of Directions focused on innovative management practices, I couldn’t help but think of my own family’s story. It was my father’s foresight and focus on finding a better way to do things that has allowed me and my seven brothers to all have a role with our family’s operation today. We manage a seedstock operation, so we’re really in the genetics business. The way we see it, it doesn’t do much good to invest in genetics if they don’t work for producers down the line to raise quality cattle and aid in operational efficiency. We wanted to understand how the decisions we were making affected our customers, and that’s why we decided to start our buy-back program. We not only raise the genetics and sell them to commercial cattlemen, we also buy those calves back from our customers, feed them out and market them on a value-based grid that rewards us for the genetic decisions we made in the first place. This management decision was a good move for not only our financial viability but also our customers. As cattlemen and cattlewomen, we don’t always think of ourselves as part of the global food system, but I’ve been lucky enough to travel outside of our great country and realize just how impactful our commitment to genetics is. It takes other parts of the world three to four years to accomplish what we can in 13 months with U.S. beef production. Advancements in genetics and feed efficiency have helped create an efficient system for raising cattle and producing food for a growing global population, all while reducing our carbon footprint. My dad also understood how to make his environment work for him. We converted some of our farmland back into pasture because we knew it was better adapted for grass, clovers and grazing cattle. As a diversified farm, we feed the grain to cattle that convert it into highquality protein and then use the manure as a natural fertilizer. From our standpoint, this is the most efficient way to produce crops and cattle. I don’t think we can tell this part of our story enough — beef cattle operations are truly impressive, especially from a grazing and environmental standpoint; they actually use the ground the best way it was intended.

My family’s system isn’t going to work for every producer in every part of the country, but the concept can translate. We all find the best use of the land that fits our environment and meets the needs of our animals. What we really learned from committing to getting the most out of the genetics of our cow herd was that we actually improved our economic stability and environmental impact. We also learned that we couldn’t have done it solely on our own — relationships with other producers and expanding our knowledge base was key. The issues we face in our industry are almost always bigger than just one person and a focus on unifying and figuring out how we can help each other is critical. If we can start by thinking about our own management practices and learn how each other is taking a step toward innovation, we can work together to chart a more stable path forward for our industry.