Cattlemen's News July 2016 by Joann Pipkin

JULY 2016

VOLUME 19 | ISSUE 12

Finding Balance on the Farm Regs Get Tough for Livestock Haulers Exploring Large Animal Vet Medicine

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VIEW FROM THE BLOCK

t’s just a roller coaster ride. You go up, you go down when the least little thing comes along. Prices are vulnerable to any type of news that comes out, regardless of whether it has to do with the cattle industry or not. We’ve seen corn go up about a dollar a bushel over the last 45 to 60 days, and that’s put some pressure on the market in addition to the fat cattle market losing 10 dollars a hundred the third week of June. The market is in a downward trend, not straight down but sideways. I don’t see the market losing a lot more ground, but it likely won’t gain a lot either. June’s Cattle on Feed Report showed placements 10 percent higher than the previous year, and as we go forward we will probably continue to place more cattle. An ample amount of all protein is on hand, which also adds pressure to the market.

Stock cow trade has remained pretty good through mid-summer. Replacement cows are always the last to gain ground in an uptrending market and the last to go down in a down trending market. Stock cows are going to sell in that $1,000 to $1,500 range. Slaughter cows have stayed really strong through it all. You can still sell a lot of slaughter cows for $70 to $85. If you have a lot of calves you’re going to sell this fall or a load of yearlings, it’s good to be able to sell them out in front of the market. Our video sales are a great tool to use, especially in a down trending market. Video marketing is something I encourage everyone to look at and consider as a way to help manage risk and save some equity. Enjoy your summer. Good luck and God bless.

Jackie

Bailey Moore: Granby, MO M(417)540-4343

Skyler Moore: Mount Vernon, MO M(417)737-2615

ARKANSAS Dolf Marrs: Hindsville, AR H(479)789-2798, M(479)790-2697

MISSOURI Dan Haase: Pierce City, MO M(417)476-2132

Billy Ray Mainer: Branch, AR M(479)518-6931

Jim Hacker: Bolivar, MO H(417)326-2905, M(417)328-8905

Jr. Smith: Melbourne, AR M(870-373-1150

Bruce Hall: Mount Vernon, MO M(417)466-5170

Kent Swinney: Gentry, AR H(479)736-4621, M(479)524-7024

Mark Harmon: Mount Vernon, MO M(417)316-0101

KANSAS Chris Martin (Video Rep): Alma, KS M(785)499-3011

Bryon Haskins: Lamar, MO M(417)850-4382

Alice Myrick: Mapleton, KS H(620)743-3681, M(620)363-0740 Bob Shanks: Columbus, KS H(620)674-3259, M(620)674-1675 LOUISIANA James Kennedy: DeRidder, LA M(337)274-7406 CATTLE RECEIVING STATION OKLAHOMA Russell Boles: Watson, OK M(903)276-1544 Chester Palmer: Miami, OK H(918)542-6801, M(918)540-4929 Dennis Raucher M(417)316-0023 John Simmons: Westville, OK M(918)519-9129, M(417)310-6348 Shane Stierwalt: Shidler, OK M(918)688-5774 Troy Yoder: Chouteau, OK M(918)640-8219 MISSOURI Rick Aspegren: Mountain Grove, MO M(417)547-2098 Clay Barnhouse: Bolivar, MO M(417)777-1855 Sherman Brown: Marionville, MO H(417)723-0245, M(417)693-1701 Joel Chaffin: Ozark, MO M(417)299-4727 Rick Chaffin: Ozark, MO H(417)485-7055, M(417)849-1230 Jack Chastain: Bois D’Arc, MO H(417)751-9580, M(417)849-5748 Ted Dahlstrom, DVM: Staff Vet Stockyards (417)548-3074 Office (417)235-4088 Tim Durman: Seneca, MO H(417) 776-2906, M(417)438-3541 Jerome Falls: Sarcoxie, MO H(417)548-2233, M(417)793-5752 Skyler Fisher: Collins, MO M(417) 298-9051 CATTLE RECEIVING STATION Nick Flannigan: Fair Grove, MO M(417)316-0048 Kenneth & Mary Ann Friese: Friedheim, MO H(573)788-2143, M(573)225-7932 CATTLE RECEIVING STATION Fred Gates: Seneca, MO H(417)776-3412, M(417)437-5055 Brent Gundy: Walker, MO H(417)465-2246, M(417)321-0958

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Doc Haskins: Diamond, MO H(417)325-4136, M(417)437-2191 Mark Henry: Hurley, MO H(417)369-6171, M(417)464-3806 J.W. Henson: Conway, MO H(417)589-2586, M(417)343-9488 CATTLE RECEIVING STATION Joe David Hudson: Jenkins, MO H(417)574-6944, M(417)-342-4916 Steve Hunter: Jasper, MO H(417)525-4405, M(417)439-1168 Larry Jackson: Carthage, MO H(417)358-7931, M(417)850-3492 Jim Jones: Crane, MO H(417)723-8856, M(417)844-9225 Chris Keeling: Purdy, MO M(417)860-8941 Kelly Kissire: Anderson, MO H(417)845-3777, M(417)437-7622 Larry Mallory: Miller, MO H(417)452-2660, M(417)461-2275 Kenny Ogden: Lockwood, MO H(417)537-4777, M(417)466-8176 Jason Pendleton: Stotts City, MO M(417)437-4552 Charlie Prough: El Dorado Springs, MO H(417)876-4189, M(417)876-7765 Russ Ritchart: Jasper, MO H(417)394-2020, M(417)237-0988 Lonnie Robertson: Galena, MO M(417)844-1138 Justin Ruddick: Anderson, MO M(417)737-2270 Alvie Sartin: Seymour, MO M(417)840-3272 CATTLE RECEIVING STATION Jim Schiltz: Lamar, MO H(417)884-5229, M(417)850-7850 David Stump: Jasper, MO H(417)537-4358, M(417)434-5420 Matt Sukovaty: Bolivar, MO H(417)326-4618, M(417)399-3600 Brandon Tichenor: Fairview, MO M(417)540-4717 Mike Theurer: Lockwood, MO H(417)232-4358, M(417)827-3117 Tim Varner: Washburn, MO H(417)826-5645, M(417)847-7831 OFFICE: (417)548-2333 Sara Engler VIDEO CATTLE PRODUCTION Matt Oschlaeger: Mount Vernon, MO M(417)466-8438 JULY 2016

inside this issue About the Cover

Livestock haulers face tighter regulations. Details on page 7. — Cover photo by Joann Pipkin.

Features 7 9 12 14 18 20 22

Tighter Regs for Livestock Haulers Creating Opportunity for Young Producers Bridging the Gap Always on Call Summertime Planning Finding Balance Backed by Ambition

In Every Issue 3 5 6 8 10 24 25

View from the Block Beef in Brief On Target with Justin Sexten Health Watch with K-State’s Dr. David Rethorst Next Generation with Darren Frye Market Watch Event Roundup

Publisher/Advertising: Mark Harmon | Email: markh@joplinstockyards.com Phone: 417-548-2333 | Mobile: 417-316-0101 Fax: 417-548-2370 Editor/Design/Layout: Joann Pipkin | Email: editor@joplinstockyards.com Ad Deadline: 2nd Monday of Each Month for Next Month’s Issue Cattlemen’s News, PO Box 634, Carthage, MO 64836 www.joplinstockyards.com Subcription questions can be answered by calling 417-548-2333. Although we strive to maintain the highest journalistic ethics, Joplin Regional Stockyards limits its responsibilities for any errors, inaccuracies or misprints in advertisements or editorial copy. Advertisers and advertising agencies assume liability for all content of advertisements printed, and also assume responsibility for any claims arising from such advertisement made against the Stockyards and/or its publication.

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Cattlemen’s News, published by Joplin Regional Stockyards, is a nuts and bolts news magazine dedicated to helping cattle producers add value to their operations. From “how-to” articles to economics and industry trends, our mission is to put today’s producers in touch with the information and products that will make them profitable for tomorrow. Published monthly. Circulation 10,000.

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beef in brief

Commingling Resumes in Sept. The commingling program at Joplin Regional Stockyards groups together cattle from producers into larger lots to offer buyers a greater selection. 2,303 producers served and 10,115 head marketed through our commingling program since Sept. 1, 2015. Commingling Resumes in Sept. 2016. Missourians Urged to Report Drought Conditions University of Missouri Extension climatologist Pat Guinan urges Missourians to report the impact of drought in their areas to the Drought Impact Reporter (DIR) at droughtreporter.unl.edu. The need to report conditions has grown in recent weeks due to continued high temperatures and lack of precipitation, Guinan says. The National Drought Mitigation Center, drought.unl.edu, works to inform the public about drought planning, mitigation and response, he says. It also helps decision-makers identify and reduce vulnerability to drought. Input from citizens statewide helps decision-makers gain a more complete and accurate portrayal of the location and severity of drought in each state and region. “Nobody knows a drought better than the person living in it,” Guinan says. Examples of drought impact include crop and forage damage; livestock stress; low water in streams, ponds, lakes or public water supplies; and burn bans or water restrictions set by public officials. To submit a DIR report, go to droughtreporter.unl.edu and click on the “Submit a Report” tab at the top of the page. —Source: University of Missouri Extension Cooperative Media Group.

Moore to Compete at National High School Finals Rodeo Riley Moore, daughter of Bailey and Tia Moore, will compete July 17-23 at the 68th annual National High School Finals Rodeo (NHSFR) in Gillette, Wyoming. Moore won first place in Girls Cutting and Reserve Champion in Pole Bending in Missouri to qualify for the event. The NHSFR will feature more than 1,650 contestants from 43 states, five Canadian Provinces and Australia, making it the world’s largest rodeo. In addtion to competing for more than $200,000 in prizes, NHSFR contestants will also be competing for more than $350,000 in college scholarships and the chance to be named an NHSFR World Champion. —Source: National High School Finals Rodeo.

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On Target

Convenience Trait? A look at animal docility and performance Story By Justin Sexten

uring this time of year parents and youth across the country really understand the importance of disposition. Some realize a problem with poor disposition the first day the halter is put on, while others spend many an early morning or late evening trying to get the stubborn steer to lead or antsy heifer to stand in line with her feet just right. At youth livestock shows, cattle have daily encounters with family and friends, so the tolerance for marginal or poor disposition is low. Yet, many farmers and ranchers have a story or three about a “great cow” with a miserable disposition that remained in the herd despite the consistent risk she posed to everyone at gathering time. A recent paper published in the Journal of Animal Science by Kari White and co-work-

JULY 2016

ers at Kansas State University looked at the relationship between docility and reproduction. Disposition relative to 30day pregnancy rate is especially interesting in light of the extra handling associated with estrus synchronization programs. The researchers evaluated yearling Angus heifers at three ranches in eastern and central Kanas where heifers were synchronized using either an MGA or Co-Synch + CIDR protocols. Methods were uniform across each ranch, yet the differences are worth mentioning since we are discussing disposition. Synchronization using MGA means feeding the cattle for two weeks and a reduction in trips through the chute (Ranch One), whereas Co-Synch + CIDR adds two more trips through the chute and less daily interaction associated with feeding (Ranch Two and Three). Regardless of the method, all heifers were

evaluated for disposition the first time through the chute. Some might suggest heifers in a Co-Synch + CIDR protocol become acclimated to chute handling in the synchronization process, while others would say disposition gets worse as handling increases. Individual producer experiences will vary, but unfortunately this experiment could not compare effects of protocols on disposition between ranches. When data from all three ranches were combined, there was no difference in 30-day pregnancy rate due to disposition. Taking a closer look at the individual locations, cattle at Ranch One exhibited more restless behavior while in the chute and left the chute faster after processing compared to Ranches Two and Three. The restless and faster heifers at Ranch One were less likely to be pregnant 30 days after breeding. The average docility chute score for all heifers from Ranch One was greater than 2, where 1 and 2 are considered acceptable disposition, 3 is average and 4 and greater is unacceptable.

Average chute scores were 2 or less at Ranches Two and Three. With no difference in 30-day reproductive performance observed at these ranches, perhaps the threshold of acceptable behavior also supports reproductive behavior. Further evaluation is needed. In the two calmer herds, it’s possible there were not enough cattle or variation in disposition to evaluate reproductive performance. Consider carcass performance. Selection for docile cattle continues to pay dividends beyond the ranch gate. Looking at the Tri-County Steer Carcass Futurity data from 2002 to date, those calves that were calm or simply swished their tail while in the chute (scores 1 and 2) consistently returned more dollars to the feeding enterprise through improved quality grade while maintaining better health, thus lowering treatment costs and reducing death loss. Regardless of whether your target endpoint is the county fair, the breeding season or the feedyard, selecting for docile cattle generally pays. —Justin Sexten is director of supply development for Certified Angus Beef.

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TRENDING NOW

Livestock Haulers to Face Tighter Regulations New rules take effect in December 2017 Story By Joann Pipkin, Editor

ivestock haulers will face stricter rules established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) effective December 2017, and those regulations have some in the industry throwing red flags. “There was no voice for livestock haulers,” says Steve Hilker, Hilker Trucking, Cimarron, Kansas. “There’s no thought given to having a live commodity in transport. It’s a big, one size fits all for freight boxes, flatbeds. There’s no consideration for the living and breathing commodity.”

direction. That is the MAP-21 exemption and it will be included in the electronic logging mandate as well. O’Byrne says one of the most stressful times in an animal’s life is during the relocation or transfer process. Relocation encompasses three stages, he says — staging, transportation and resettling. “We’ve got it down to a science,” O’Byrne says. “We’re using airride suspension. A lot of the trailers are really well built with animal comfort in mind.” Biosecurity and the sprad of disease at an offload facility is another concern. “It’s already challenging enough health-wise to commingle at the sale barn and the feedyard,” he adds. Hilker is cautiously optimistic ACTAG will get an exemption passed for livestock haulers. “I encourage everyone to get in touch with their local representatives, senators, congressmen and explain to them how this will impact them in a negative way — especially the health of the animals. We can’t unload (cattle) just anywhere. It creates a real challenge.”

The challenge is with the electronic onboard recorders, according to Hilker. Under the new regulations, a driver is on-duty when the key hits the recorder. Down time at sale barns, packing plants and other locations are considered on the clock. “You wait at the sale barn, wait at the packing plant, wait at the brand inspector to sort cattle,” Hilker says. “It just chews up your available hours of service.” Hilker says once a driver is out of service, he or she must take a 10-hour unbroken break. “So, you’ve got to be able to offload your livestock somewhere and those places are not readily available,” he says. “You would have commingling of livestock (in that case). There are a lot of animal welfare issues that no thought was given to.” Hilker is a member of the American Cattle Transporters Advisory Group (ACTAG), a consortium of producers, transporters and livestock auction operators. The group is hoping to get an exemption of the new trucking regulations for livestock haulers and consideration of the welfare of animals. “Because of the nature of livestock, we have to keep them moving and keep airflow in that trailer,” explains Tim O’Byrne, an industry consultant and lead contact for ACTAG. Unlike produce, which can be hauled in a climate-controlled environment, livestock is a perishable, live product. “You can’t stop and take 10 hours off and leave the animals in the trailer without any airflow, and currently we don’t have the infrastructure in place for common feed, water and rest facilities across the country,” O’Byrne says. Animal welfare is the greatest concern for ACTAG, according to O’Byrne. The new regulations primarily affect the long distance hauls, those greater than 500 miles. The mileage rule is currently 150 in any www.joplinstockyards.com

JULY 2016

HEALTH WATCH

The Dog Days of Summer Heat up summertime herd health care Story By David Rethorst for Cattlemen’s News

ummer makes those of us associated with the beef industry think about pinkeye, footrot, summer‚ pneumonia, and flies, in addition to heat and humidity. Hopefully, you have implemented plans to control and prevent these issues from arising in your herds. Have you given thought to heat mitigation plans? Cattlemen and their cattle deal with heat events a few days each summer when Mother Nature provides the special combination of high heat, high humidity and very little air movement. This combination is usually disastrous in terms of death and performance

losses. In addition, heat stress has become an issue for the beef industry critics because of animal welfare concerns. Producers need to do what they can to reduce heat stress in their cattle. In feedlots, mitigation strategies that have been developed to deal with these events include shade structures constructed in pens, installation of sprinkler systems and adjustments in ration formulation, as well as timing of feed delivery. Roughage levels are increased in response to the variable feed intakes, and of-

ten managers provide the majority of the day’s ration in the evening to avoid the generation of heat due to digestion during the heat of the day. Adequate water supply is essential. Often cattle gather around waterers, and some cattle are not allowed access to water by the boss animals; additional waterers will reduce this problem. Typically, processing and other handling of cattle is started very early in the day in order to be done by late morning. Other management tools include reducing the stocking rate within pens, avoiding pens where air movement is impaired, and building mounds in order for cattle to catch air flow. Work done at Kansas State University describes cattle that become non-ambulatory at the

packing plant as Fatigued Cattle Syndrome (FCS). While the cause of this syndrome, which occurs in the summer months, is multi-factorial, the primary prevention strategy focuses on cattle handling techniques at the feedyard. Staging of market-ready cattle near the loadout facility several days prior to shipment and avoiding shipping in the heat of the day are two of the suggested strategies. Low-stress handling of these cattle is of paramount importance. Quietly removing cattle from the pen and controlling the speed at which the cattle move from the pen to the loadout facility and proper loading practices are the primary objectives of the low-stress handling. These heat-mitigation and FCSprevention strategies serve as a reminder to pasture operations, whether it be cow-calf or yearling, on dealing with the CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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MANAGEMENT MATTERS

Creating Opportunity for Young Producers Programs help young, beginning farmers get started Story By Lisa Henderson for Cattlemen’s News

ith cattle prices 35 percent to 40 percent lower than they were just a year ago, getting started in the business seems a daunting task. In fact, that’s true across agriculture as U.S. farmers are expected to make 56 percent less in 2016 than they did in 2013. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has forecast total farm income will be $54.8 billion this year, compared with $123.3 billion in 2013. If the forecast holds true, it would be the lowest for U.S. farmers since 2002 in both real and nominal terms.

DOG DAYS OF SUMMER FROM PREVIOUS PAGE heat and humidity this summer. Making sure that cattle have access to shade and plenty of water are essential. A rule of thumb for water intake is one gallon per 100 pounds of body weight. In hot weather this might increase by as much as 50 percent, so especially if you are hauling water, make sure plenty is provided. Water quality is also important; hot, dry weather can reduce water in ponds to unacceptable quality. Cattle should be handled early in the day and as quietly

as possible. Staging of cattle close to load-outs prior to shipping minimizes handling stress the day of shipment. Heat, humidity and lack of air movement creates problems for everyone involved in the beef business. A common sense approach to sound animal husbandry practices, including heat-stress mitigation will result in more efficient production and improved animal well-being. —Dr. David Rethorst is director of outreach, The Beef Cattle Institute, Kansas State University.

Farmers are also getting older. In 2012, the year of the USDA’s most recent ag census, only 16 percent of producers were younger than 45 while the biggest age group, a full third, was farmers 65 or older. That data suggests a large number of farmers are getting ready to retire and younger farmers and ranchers are needed. To help beginning farmers and ranchers, Farm Credit Services has launched Connect, a program specifically designed to help young farmers succeed in agriculture. “The program is different from other young, beginning, small (YBS) farmer programs in that it is a comprehensive program,” says Scott Gardiner, vice president of marketing and sales at FCS Financial. “Most YBS programs deal with the loan side only. Being a full-time ag lender, we understand that getting their first (or second) loan is only the start of their farm business.” With farming and ranching profit margins razor thin, young and beginning operators face serious financial pressure. Economist Nathan Kauffman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City says, “With the downturn, we and others have been saying that younger farmers are perhaps one of the groups that are at risk.” Newer farmers generally have had less time to build equity, and they’re more likely to rent land than own it and to have high debt, he said. FCS has sixtytwo member/owners with less than 10 years in production; and 11,016 member/owners with less than $250,000 of gross income. To help those young and beginning farmers, Gardiner says the FCS Connect program focuses on four key areas: credit standards; communication; knowledge sharing; and representation. • Credit Standards: The financial requirements for loan approval are reflective of a young, beginning farmer. “The ag inCONTINUED ON PAGE 11 www.joplinstockyards.com

JULY 2016

The brothers didn’t talk very much about the future of the business and had never set aside time to plan for the farm’s future. For years, the son tried to initiate conversations with his dad and uncles about ways or timelines for him to work in to the business full-time.

NEXT GENERATION

Are You Being Held Captive? How to deal with a hostage situation on the family farm Story By Darren Frye for Cattlemen’s News

arming is often a family business‚ and if you’ve ever worked in a family business, you know additional challenges come while working with family. Communication is a big deal in a family business. On your farm, do family members communicate well with each other? Or, do they only speak to each other when they have to, and feuds are brewing beneath the surface?

Is there a legacy plan for what’s going to happen to the farm when the older generation retires? Has the plan been discussed and communicated clearly with the farm’s next generation? Have they had the opportunity to voice their thoughts and opinions?

Held hostage Maybe there’s no legacy plan yet at all. When there’s no clear

path for the future of the farm, emotions can start to run high. On one family farm, the older generation included three brothers who farmed together. One of the brothers has a son who was working for the family operation, as well as for another operation in the area. The son hoped to eventually work on the family farm full-time.

The son began to feel like he was being held hostage by his family’s inaction. He continued to express his feelings to the older generation, but realized there was no clear path of action, nor any indication that one would be coming in the next few years. When offered a full-time job by the other farmer he had been working for, the son decided to take it. He felt that farmer had a clear vision for where he was taking his business. The son decided he wanted to be a part of that farm rather than continue to live in uncertainty for what could be many years.

Proactive planning These hostage situations in farm families can be prevented. Proactive farm families initiate and keep a line of communication open about the farm business’ future. That’s not to say plans can’t change as circumstances and other situations move. The plan isn’t set in stone. It’s a guide to the future the farm family wants for their operation. For one farm family, working on a forward-looking business plan helped open up a line of communication about the future. As our advisors worked with them on creating their plan, they began to see the future vision and got very excited about it. Getting a business plan in place developed a more open line of communication between the two generations on the farm. Through these talks, the older generation decided to start working on a legacy plan for how the farm would transition to the next generation. During the legacy planning process, they held family meetings, facilitated by their legacy advisor. At the meetings, each family member had opportunities to share what was on his or her heart and mind with regard to the family farm and the future.

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JULY 2016

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HELD CAPTIVE FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

might discuss your concerns with a legacy advisor. Make it a priority to talk with a legacy adCreating the vision visor this summer about your When the people on the farm hopes and plans for your farm’s can see where the business is future. You can contact an adviheaded and their part in it, they sor by calling 866-249-2528. get excited about the vision and Get more information about want to be part of it. There’s not farm business planning and as much chance of a hostageideas for today’s farm leader type situation happening. in our quarterly publication, What do your farm’s future Smart Series. Your free issue is plans look like? Is there a plan available at: www.waterstreet. for where the farm business org/smartseries. is headed that includes a vi—Source: Darren Frye is President sion, milestones and business and CEO of Water Street Solutions, goals? Is there a legacy plan a farm consulting firm that helps that details how you’ll prepare farmers with the challenges they the next generation to lead and face in growing and improving when and how responsibility their farms, including the challenge of transitioning the farming operawill be transferred to them? If this has generated some questions in your mind, you

YOUNG PRODUCERS FROM PAGE 9 dustry is a heavy capital investment industry,” Gardiner says. “It takes time for YB producers to build their equity position and income- generating assets. Our approval standards are based on this philosophy. The reduced standards include the capital position, repayment capacity margins and loan to value. This doesn’t mean every loan request is approved. We understand a financial setback at the beginning stages of an operation can last a lifetime. Having 100 years of experience in the ag lending profession provides us with great data to use in determining our standards.” • Communication: “With the large array of communication vehicles available in the market today, we understand that not every YB producer will want to communicate with their lending professional in the same manner. That is why we provide our member/owners with service from on farm to online.” • Knowledge Sharing: “One of the most important parts of our Connect program is our knowledge sharing component,” Gardiner says. “We can’t stress enough how important education is for the YB producers. We offer multiple programs for our Connect customers. For those who enjoy the technical venue as a learning vehicle, we offer paid tuition to Farm Credit University. This is a 10-module online training course develwww.joplinstockyards.com

tion to the next generation. Contact them at waterstreet@waterstreet. org or call (866) 249-2528.

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Cattlemen’s Classic Golf Tournament Silo Ridge Country Club Bolivar, Missouri

NEW LOCATION

4th Annual Fall Cattlemen’s Seminar Effective Management Strategies in a Challenging Market

oped and narrated by Dr. David Kohl in conjunction with Farm Credit. We also provide a video library on our website. The videos range in topic from leasing to ‘How to complete a balance sheet.’ And one of the biggest positives of the program is a 2-year course provided by FCS Financial that covers a host of topics that will provide YB producers enough information to complete their own business plan at the end of the course. If none of these options sound interesting, we also provide registration fees to approved conferences located in the state.”

Sept. 9, 2016 7:30 a.m. • Registration 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Meeting

White River Conference Center | Springfield, Missouri PRESENTED BY

• Representation: “Our cooperative has nearly 15,000 member/ owners and these producers are represented by 12 elected and 3 appointed board members. We believe it is extremely important the YB farmers/ ranchers have a voice in how their cooperative is managed. Each year a select group of YB producers attend a stockholder advisory meeting that includes the senior leadership team and the board of directors.” Those interested in the FCS Connect program for YBS farmers can visit a local office to log on to www.MyFCSFinancial.com and look at the YBS page. A number of YB farmers may also utilize a joint loan program through FSA. Under that situation, these new members might be eligible for a partial reimbursement (up to $5,000) of any FSA guarantee fee on their first loan. JULY 2016

TRENDING NOW

Bridging the Gap Communication is key in farm transition By Lisa Henderson for Cattlemen’s News

s a younger generation becomes eager to assume the reins of the farm or ranch, the older generation might have reservations. The question many families face is how the two generations meet in the middle to bridge the gap and continue the farming/ranching legacy. Shane Ruff, extension agricultural economist at Kansas State University, says communication is key to the success of any operation.

“Both sides need to find a way to talk to each other about how each of them see the business moving forward. If they can’t communicate directly, they should seek an intermediary,” says Ruff. Bridging the gap is not a new issue for farm families. Each generation is reluctant to give up their management of the operation to the next, but working together to understand the needs and desires of each side will help ease the transition process. “Getting the two generations to agree on a transition plan can be very hard,” Ruff says. “They need to have that conversation.” A mediator is often necessary to talk to each generation separately and help analyze the best strategy going forward. Ruff says the best way to ease the younger generation into the business is by letting them make their own choices. Ruff’s experience with farmers and rancher’s includes assistance with estate planning and farm succession planning, guidance for business entity and structure planning. The older generation should have faith in the younger generation. “Their father wouldn’t hand off the operation to them,” Ruff says, “so I encourage them to have faith, and don’t do what your parents did. Let them have a chance.” Relinquishing control of the operation is extremely difficult, especially when the two generations don’t agree on the use of specific management techniques or new technology. “By giving the younger generation their own cattle and allowing them to make their own choices, it prepares them for taking on more responsibility and it allows the older CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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BRIDGING THE GAP • FROM PREVIOUS PAGE generation to gain faith in the younger generation’s ability to run the operation.” Any transition from one generation to the next should be gradual. “You can’t expect the younger generation to come home from college and be able to take over the whole operation the next day, but you also need to have a time frame set for when the younger generation does take over,” Ruff says. The older generation must be allowed a time frame for when they wish to relinquish management to the younger generation. That should happen at the same time the younger generation is gaining experience in operation management. Such an arrangement gives each side confidence and allows for a seamless transition that is agreeable for both parties.

Michigan State University Extension Specialist Craig Thomas calls those risks the dreaded five D’s: death, disability, disaster, divorce and disagreements. “Any of the dreaded five D’s can create a situation that can seriously damage or even cause the farm business to fail,” Thomas says. “It is essential for all farms, and particularly those developing a farm transition plan, to develop plans that will reduce these important risks.” Discussing and planning for the five D’s is not a pleasant task, Thomas says, but it is a task every farm business should address as it establishes goals and makes plans for the future. “It is not possible to eliminate these risks, but using proper planning can reduce the likelihood these negative events can impede or even destroy the farm transfer or farm business, Thomas says.

Ruff also recognizes that some children will not want to return to the farm but still would like some involvement in operation. “Some producers with multiple children will put their land into an LLC, which allows the older generation to gift portions of the operation to all of the heirs but still allows the younger generation who does return to farm to use all of the assets of the LLC,” Ruff says. “The new producer would pay rent into the LLC allowing the others to see return on their portion of the land, but if they choose to sell it would allow the producer the first opportunity to buy out their portion of the LLC. This way the land stays in the family and each heir gets an equal portion of the farm.”

“You can’t expect the younger generation to come home from college and be able to take over the whole operation the next day, but you also need to have a time frame set for when the younger generation does take over.” —Shane Ruff K-State Extension Ag Economist The older generation on a farm or ranch should also recognize that handing off the operation becomes more difficult when more than one child is involved. “It’s simpler with one child,” Ruff says. He recommends that families facing transition should seek counseling from financial and tax advisors and even family counseling where needed. Advisors encourage farmers and ranchers to plan for their future, and prepare for the possibility of unexpected events. Specifically, experts say there are five major risks every farm transition plan should consider and develop contingencies to address them. www.joplinstockyards.com

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Always On Call Large animal vets share their vision of where the industry might be headed Story By Austin Black and Jillian Campbell for Cattlemen’s News

arge animal veterinary medicine is full of challenges and rewards. Veterinarians have the opportunity to help sick animals and keep producers profitable. But, they also must deal with public perception, managing personnel and industry changes. Cattlemen’s News recently caught up with four veterinarians — Dr. Voyd Brown, Cassville; Dr. Brad Copeland, Nevada, Missouri; Dr. Paul Gautz, Sarcoxie, Missouri; and Dr. Jason Wooderson, Bolivar, Missouri — to get their insight on the current state of large animal vet medicine and what’s in store for the future.

for 20 years, since 1996. I was raised in Southwest Missouri. My mother and father worked on a mixed poultry, beef and swine farm. My dad was a farm manager so I grew up around it. I was always interested in farm-related activities as I went through school and I was like, hey, being a large animal veterinarian or spending a lot of time working with large animals and living in a rural community is certainly important. That’s how I came to be where I’m at, so to speak. I completed my undergraduate at Missouri Southern in Joplin and for veterinary school, I went to the University of Missouri.

CN: Describe your background, how long you have been in practice, and how your Copeland: I grew up on a small farm in central Missouri near interest in large animal vet St. James. We raised cattle medicine began. and a few crops. I was in FFA Brown:

in high school and gravitated I’ve been in practice toward veterinary medicine. I

went to school for seven years at the University of Missouri and then moved to Nevada. I started my practice right after school and soon after acquired a local practice as well. I’ve been practicing for 32 years.

Gautz: I graduated from Michigan State University in 1976, and I moved to Missouri in 1978. I have been in a large animal ambulatory practice ever since. I grew up on a beef and dairy operation in Michigan. I can’t remember when I didn’t want to be a veterinarian. I was always the one who got to help the vet whenever he came. Wooderson: I grew up on a 40-acre farm outside Bolivar where we raised feeder cattle. Now it’s a cow/calf operation, and we have some registered Angus. I started working for a vet when I was 15 years old and worked there through high school and college. I applied to vet school but was missing some credit hours they wanted so I ended up teaching high school biology and chemistry for three years. After applying to vet school a second time, I was accepted. After graduation I worked for another large animal clinic in Bolivar for four years, then started my own practice two and a half years ago. So, I’ve been practicing for almost seven years now.

terpretation. ‘Hey doc, is this something I can use in my operation? Do you think this will help me? Will this make me more profitable?’ That is our job. To help advise our clients and to help them make good decisions. We have to be able to process that.

Copeland:

One of the biggest challenges is finding our best value (for) the producer. In contrast to small animal vets, as technology has grown we now have digital X-rays, inhouse blood work and can do a variety of higher tech things. But, we have to justify it for the clientele. In large animal practice, we have to balance what we can do with what makes economic sense, particularly with diagnostics. It always comes back to education. You have to educate yourself and then educate your clientele or producers of the economic validity. With our ultrasound machine, if we can educate producers that preg-checking early lets them make decisions earlier, that will affect the bottom line.

Gautz: The cost of education is a challenge to vet medicine as a whole, and the shortage of large animal vets makes it hard for everybody to get around and take care of people when they really need someone. It’s difficult to have enough people to help during the busy season and make a living during the off season.

CN: What are some of the greatest challenges facing Wooderson: Challenges are government large animal vets and vet ever-changing regulations and public permedicine as a whole? ception of our large animal Brown:

The problem is finding new associates that want to practice on large animals plus live in a rural environment and rural communities. Both of those kind of make a double-edged sword. That’s got to be our No. 1 concern. No. 2 being able to keep up with the wealth of information out there (is a challenge). My clients come to us with all this information they see on the internet or read in a publication and they want our in-

medicine. There’s a misconception of what is involved as far as antibiotic residue and animal welfare. We have an ever-changing market that influences the way people treat animals. And, our clients are getting older. The age of the producer is a big thing. We have guys that used to be able to do simpler things, like their own vet medicine and treatment. Now, they have to call on us because of their lack

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Nevada, Missouri, veterinarian Dr. Brad Copeland says one of the biggest challenges for large animal vets is finding a balance between new technology and an economic value for clients. — Photo by Austin Black.

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ALWAYS ON CALL FROM PREVIOUS PAGE of physical ability to perform those duties. We also have a young crowd coming in that is inexperienced. We have to train them, and it takes years and years of farming to learn how to do stuff. It changes everyday, and you’re always learning.

CN: With the continued shortage of large animal vets nationwide, how can we attract more youth to pursue careers in large animal vet medicine? Brown: No. 1, if you have a practice placed in a rural community, I think it is incumbent on that practice to go out there. If you have a high school student thinking, ‘I may want to be a veterinarian,’ say ‘Come ride along with me for a day.’ We do that all the time. We need to encourage those sorts of relationships between the experienced practitioner and the community and people that are looking at that as a potential job in the future. I’ll tell you right now your best chance at recruiting somebody is if they’re from that area. We all want to go back home. I’m within an hour of where I grew up. I think if you have that opportunity, then by golly you should be trying to seek out those young people. Sure, we may have people move in, but if you can recruit young people from the area you’ll have a lot better chance of retaining those individuals. Copeland: We’re going to have

to work hard at getting better vet compensation. In rural America, it’s hard to pay on a scale that competes with other industries. We need to continue to work hard to make our business economical and fulfilling. I still see young people wanting to come work, but we used to see more kids coming from farms and wanting to go back to that lifestyle. Now, vet kids have little farm background. We’re not going to make more farm kids, so we have to find other ways to make it work. Part of the challenge is finding ways to make us as vets useful to the producer’s system. If we do that, then we can make more and pay more.

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Gautz:

I think again, going back to the cost of education versus the potential income (in the veterinary industry) is one of the big barriers, and if we could subsidize food animal veterinarians or education or allow specialized education so that you could shorten the time of education and the cost that could move more students into the field. Working conditions are probably a bigger barrier than the income, and I don’t know what you would do about that because you’d be fighting the livestock and the weather.

Wooderson: There’s not a shortage of vets, there’s a shortage of opportunities. There’s a shortage of people that want to own their own business and a shortage of senior vets that want to hire those young people. For each vet I hire, you’re probably talking about $150k to hire that vet because of benefits, additional help and equipment, plus salary. It’s a huge undertaking and for someone trying to start their own practice, it’s a huge risk. People need to have a farm background, and we don’t have that many farm kids anymore.

Dr. Paul Gautz, a veterinarian from Sarcoxie, Missouri, believes that shortening the time and cost of education could increase the interest of youth in persuing large animal vet medicine. —Photo by Jillian Campbell.

out here in the real world, particularly when you are dealing with progressive clients, yes, you are still dealing with medicine, but you are also working with nutrition, genetics, management, economic factors. None of those other things are veterinary medicine, but you need to be cognizant of all those other factors to help your client be profitable. I try to stay up on what’s current so I can bring that information to the table to help my client make better decisions. The motto of our clinic has been providing ideas, information and services for agriculture, and I think you have to have all of those. You have to have the ideas, information and then be able to do the services.

Copeland:

CN: How has your role as a vet changed since you first entered the field?

When I first started, I ran a pretty slim organization and had one employee. At this point, I have enough good quality staff that a lot of tasks can be assigned, and I’m much more efficient. There hasn’t been a huge amount of changes in what my practice offers. I’m still trying to find the most economical, easiest way to generate a quality product for the customer.

Brown: When you are studying to be a large animal veterinarian you are studying medicine, but when you get

Gautz: (Today) there are probably a lot more people that do their own work and are a lot better educated in the veteri-

nary aspect of their operation. They do more consulting you could say, but it’s still a lot of the same, too. The emergency-type work will always require experience. It’s been a mild shift, and the shift away from dairies has changed it a little bit. The dairies have consolidated. We used to have a lot of small dairies where you worked year-round and now there’s a lot more seasonal herd work with the beef cattle. There were a lot of small family dairies in the beginning that have now consolidated nationwide, and they tend to do a lot of the things we did for the small dairies themselves with trained herdsmen, and I think that’s a widespread thing. In our area, dairies have definitely decreased in numbers although there might still be the same number of cattle.

Wooderson:

My role started out just learning and trying to practice medicine. Now, I’m a business owner and a people manager. We have 14 employees that we have to manage, keep happy and keep them focusing on working and doing it as a team. The only way it works is as a team.

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ALWAYS ON CALL FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

CN: What does the future hold for large animal vets? Brown: I think we are always going to be called upon to do traditional veterinary services like we do now, but I really foresee enlarging the package of services to provide for the progressive client. Twenty years ago if you would have said to me, ‘Hey Voyd, we’re going to be doing these heifer development services for our clients,’ I would have said, ‘What? You’re crazy.’ But that’s a big part of our practice nowadays. Nutrition has become a bigger issue because when (our clients) come to us with nutrition questions, we don’t have our fingers in the pot of nutrition. I don’t market any nutrition products, so they come to us for an unbiased opinion. I really foresee us being called upon more and more to provide a broader package of services than what we have done in the past, and it’s going to be important for us veterinarians who are interested in large animal agriculture to

keep up to speed on what’s going on. I tell all the associates and interns that I’ve had, you can be the smartest person on the block, but you have to be able to relate with and interact with the client and provide information to them in such a fashion so they can understand it and they are willing to listen to you.

Dr. Voyd Brown says veterinarians should be knowledgeable of nutrition, genetics, management and economics in addition to animal medicine in order to help clients maintain profitability. Brown has a veterinary practice in Cassville, Missouri. — Photo by Jillian Campbell.

Copeland:

The number of smaller producers has dropped. We might see less chute-side service and more consulting. Vets will need to work on getting new help, producers and services. I’m looking at getting a portable ultrasound machine. I can offer the service to my clients. If they will check cows earlier and manage the reproduction cycle, there’s an economic benefit for them. Everybody is concerned about the veterinary feed directive. I don’t think it’s going to significantly affect cattle producers. It will be different, but I don’t think it’ll be a huge hurdle to get through.

Gautz:

I think there will always be a need for somebody who can go to the farm and take care of that cow that can’t be moved. There is probably going to be more regulatory work with the feed directive. They told me when I graduated that ambulatory practice would come to an end, and it’s still here today. So, I think

there will be a lot of the same, but technology definitely is more available. And, that changes some of the diagnostics, and that is more affordable so that also makes for a big change.

Wooderson: I’ve noticed in the short time I’ve been doing this that it’s changed from just treating animals to helping manage farms and being part of the management team. We have a lot of operations that when you become part of that management team, you now have a personal relationship as well as a business relationship. Now we’re trying to do more prevention than treatment. We’re more into nutrition and even how they rotate their cattle. We’re trying to take that step forward even with smaller producers. You can wait at the clinic for people to come in with problems or be proactive and figure out how to avoid it in the future. Our ultimate goal is to make the farmer money.

According to Bolivar, Missouri, veterinarian Dr. Jason Wooderson, his occupation requires him to be both a business owner and a people manager. He works to build client relationships to help make his operation successful. — Photo by Austin Black.

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JULY 2016

MANAGEMENT MATTERS

Summertime Planning Stockpiling for fall pasture begins now Story By Elizabeth Walker for Cattlemen’s News

id-summer can be a busy time on the farm. I am “off” work from Missouri State University, but it seems summer is great time to help the husband and mother-inlaw around the farm. After more than nine months of being in an office, I am ready to get out and get to work, before my summer class starts. I had a great visit with my husband and cattleman friend of ours the other day regarding mid-

summer tips for cattle producers. Both of them agreed the most important thing to plan at this time of year is for stockpiled forage. Now is also the time to reflect upon what has occurred in the past and what we should consider for the future. Perhaps instead of putting up your own hay, you should consider buying it from your neighbor. Harvesting it yourself not only

requires much equipment investment, but also can cause undue stress on the farm operators. Speaking of hay, the best hay for winter is never baled; it is left on the stem in the field, attached to the soil. Research shows that winter feeding is the most costly production expense. Extending the grazing season can be a smart way to increase or maintain livestock profitability. An extra few months of grazing, or even a few weeks, saves time and labor expense as well as wear and tear on your vehicles and relationships. Not to mention that stockpiled forages are a better nutritional source than hay from the same field. Tall fescue pastures should be clipped, and it is always good to have legumes in your planned stockpiled fields. Depending upon your location, planned fields should be allowed to rest and grow during the last 70 to 80 days of the growing season. Some will want to either graze through these fields or brushog prior to the resting or accumulation period. Applying a nitrogen fertilizer (according to soil test recommendations) in August can also increase yield by up to 50 percent. Now is the time to plan your fields and make arrangements for soil tests and fertilization. After the best of planning, the next most important factor in a successful stockpiling plan is to start praying for fall rains and a mild winter. Fall rains can have substantial effects on our cool season

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grasses. Cows can dig through snow to get to grass, but if that snow has a 1/4 inch or greater ice accumulation, then cows will need hay. Plan on planning, yet be flexible enough to adapt to anything life throws at you. No golden recipe for cattle management exists as there are simply too many variables including your work and social life, calving times and other farming enterprises. However, unless being with cattle is a hobby, then you need to spend time to determine expenses. Some of you might not have looked through the books since about April 15, but all businesses, especially those as volatile as agriculture, need to review their books to see where cash is being spent and where it is coming in. One last thing to remember as you go outside this summer is to take a few minutes to put on a hat and sunscreen. Folks who work outdoors are twice as likely to get skin cancer as those who spend their time indoors. Farmers and ranchers are less likely to use sunscreen than other population groups. Folks who live in rural areas are also more likely to be diagnosed with advanced stages of skin cancer. Over the past 20 years, melanoma cases have tripled. Times to perhaps come inside and take a siesta are between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. when the sun’s rays are the strongest. Also, drink a lot of fluids — not caffeinated or alcoholic CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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on the calendar

Four State Farm Show Celebrates 42 Years Event set for July 22-24 in Pittsburg, Kansas

armers and ranchers will explore more than 25 acres of agricultural technology and equipment at the 2016 Four State Farm Show near Pittsburg, Kansas.

and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.

The Four State Farm Show grounds are located south of Pittsburg, Kansas, to the junction of Highways 400, 69 and Set for Friday, Saturday and K-171, then 1/2 mile east. Sunday, July 22, 23 and 24, the Four State Farm Show has a The Four State Farm Show is 41-year legacy of providing sponsored by Farm Talk Newsthe agricultural community paper. For more information, with a hands-on look at the call 1-800-356-8255. finest in goods and services.

SUMMERTIME PLANNING FROM PREVIOUS PAGE beverages — throughout the day. Caffeine and alcohol are diuretics and can cause you to lose more fluid than you take in. We worry about heat stress in our livestock, but we need also to take even more precautions with ourselves and our families than we do for our livestock.

My personal medical doctor has her Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, and she has told me multiple times that farmers and ranchers are just tougher than the rest of the population. We are, but skin cancer and heat stress or stroke will hit us just as easily as the rest of the population. —Source: Elizabeth Walker is associate professor of animal science at Missouri State University.

Get More for Your Cattle! The commingling program at Joplin Regional Stockyards groups together cattle from producers into larger lots to offer buyers a greater selection.

2,303 producers served and 10,115 head marketed through our commingling program since Sept. 1, 2015. Commingling Resumes in Sept. 2016.

“We pride ourselves on delivering the kind of experience that benefits both farmers and agribusinesses,” said Ted Gum, Four State Farm Show coordinator and Farm Talk Newspaper co-publisher. “This is the place to learn more about what’s available to raise the efficiency bar in your operation.” But the Four State Farm Show is much more than just product displays. Extensive hay equipment demonstrations put a wide variety of implements to work under field conditions each day. Additionally, a lawn mower testdriving range will give qualified visitors the opportunity to operate the models of their choice. Visitors will also have the opportunity to win the Four State Farm Show Shopping Spree and shop the great deals at exhibitor booths. “We’ll give away $1,000 a day at the Farm Talk booth and $500 each day at the hay demonstrations,” Gum explained. Farm Show dollars must be used for purchases with Four State Farm Show exhibitors. In its rich history, the Four State Farm Show has become a “Mall of Agriculture,” growing to nearly 700 booths covering over 25 acres. As always, parking and admission are free. Show hours are 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday and Saturday www.joplinstockyards.com

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Finding Balance Lutz family juggles farm with off-farm jobs, family Story By Rebecca Mettler for Cattlemen’s News

ff-farm employment is par for the course for many farming families. More than a majority of households, 91 percent, have at least one family member working at an offfarm job, according to a 2013 USDA Economic Research Service study. Shawn Lutz, Everton, Missouri, not only owns and operates Lutz Farms with his wife, Misty, but he also works in the animal health department at Race Brothers Farm and Home Supply in Springfield, Missouri, as he has for 16 years. Shawn grew up on a small farm in central Nebraska. He moved to southwest Missouri shortly after graduating from high school. “I moved here because there is more opportunity down here, and my mom’s family lives in the area,” Shawn said.

from them on all their products,” Lutz said.

Balancing It All “The biggest thing is the spouse or significant other has to be committed and like life on the farm,” Shawn Lutz said. “Misty didn’t grow up on a farm, but she’s learned and is always here to help.” Lutz Farms operates as a family business in the truest of ways. Shawn and Misty have a blended family with four children and each of them has active involvement on the farm. “We work on it all together,Lutz said. “The kids help out with chores and do anything we tell them, it really helps.” Time management is also a major factor in the success of a farm where the operator also works off the farm. Once

Shawn and Misty Lutz operate a farm near Everton, Missouri, with their four children (l-r) Kevin Scheel, Kaylee Scheel, Mackenzie Lutz and Madison Lutz. Shawn works full-time off the farm. — Photo by Rebecca Mettler

This summer, time management is in overdrive. Each of their kids is involved in sporting events. Misty also works full-time at the Missouri Veteran’s Home as a lead certified nursing assistant and is enrolled full-time in cosmetology school. With all of that said, communication is key. Misty updates Shawn on everything that goes

He explained that rural living in Nebraska offered fewer options. If a person was interested in agriculture and didn’t farm big, he worked for someone who did. Moving to Missouri afforded him the opportunity to work full-time and start his own commercial cowcalf operation.

Being involved in the beef industry at both the producer and retailer level allows him to excel at customer relations because he’s likely been in the customers’ shoes at some point. Other perks of the job are being able to bring home valuable information to implement in his own cow-calf operation. The constant contact with fellow beef producers and product representatives also pays. “I deal with the reps all the time and get the latest info

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The family’s Bos indicus-influenced herd is expected to maintain themselves on grass and wean a calf every year. “We are grass farmers,” Lutz said. “I want the cow to make money. I don’t work for her, she works for me. “ Lutz markets the calves at or after weaning, once they weigh 500 pounds. And although the herd is predominately commercial cow-calf, the family has started to purchase a few registered females.

“It Just Works.”

Between farm life and work life, Shawn immerses himself in animal agriculture. “Race Brothers is the best place to work because I still get to deal with farmers, Lutz said “There are a lot of connections within the industry.”

“We can get more out of the land, and you can run a few more head that way,” Lutz said. “We are at 80 percent set up on rotation right now.”

a week you can find Shawn moving cows through their rotational grazing system before he goes to work. Also, Misty is in charge of feeding and checking cattle much of the time. Many farmers who work an 8-to-5 job can relate to this; it’s not uncommon to see the family out after dark in the winter feeding hay to their cowherd. The Lutz family recently purchased and now lives on a farm near Everton. The new purchase has allowed them to nearly double the number of cows to 50 pairs and has saved time for the busy family. Previously, they had a 6-mile oneway trip to their land, which was a lot of travel time.

on the farm while he’s away at work. She calls him if there’s an issue she can’t handle by herself. “This spring we had a couple of heifers that had problems calving” Lutz said. “Misty called me at work, and I was able to drop everything and go check on them, which makes it nice. My work is pretty lenient; it’s not a factory job that you have to give them a month’s notice before you can take a day off.” In addition, the Lutz’ constantly work to improve their operation for more efficient production processes. They are in the midst of converting their new farm into a more intensively-grazed system.

The driving force behind the Lutz’ determination to succeed is one for the future. Providing their children with a rural lifestyle has taught their kids responsibility, the meaning of a dollar, and a life full of valuable learning experiences. “Just like anyone else, we want our kids to have a better life than we did,” Lutz said. And when asked how it all works, Misty commented, “It just works.” The Lutz family is just like any other farm family, they are involved in agriculture because they enjoy what they do and strive for continual improvement in their operations and beyond.

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JULY 2016

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Backed by Ambition Mark and Maranda Moriondo build cattle operation from the ground up Story By Joann Pipkin, Editor

t all started when he was 5. A heifer given to Mark Moriondo by his father sparked a fire inside the youngster that would only continue to burn. At 21, Moriondo is well on his way to building a cowherd as he makes his own mark in the beef industry. “I took that cow, kept her calves and started keeping heifers,” Moriondo recalls. At 14, Moriondo took some money he had been saving and purchased four registered heifers from Ratcliff Ranch. After that came a show heifer, and from there he began building a herd of registered cattle. Today, along with wife Maranda, Moriondo owns 25 registered Angus and SimAngus cows as well as 60 commercial cows. In addition, he owns 100 registered Angus cows in partnership with his dad. The couple rents a 170-acre farm southwest of Mount Vernon, Missouri. Moriondo gives much credit to his grandfather, the late Joe Dahlman, for helping him get started in the cattle business. “He was the definition of a cow man,” Moriondo says. “He was a huge influence on me with what I wanted to do with the cattle. He was always who (my dad and I) listened to when we kept our heifers. He would come and help us pick all of our heifers when we kept replacements.” Moriondo is also quick to credit his dad, Larry Moriondo, for being a huge influence in his life and standing behind him in his cattle buying decisions. While Moriondo’s focus today centers around cows in the pasture, he’s had his share of success on the tan bark in the show ring. “Ernie and Tammy Wallace got me started, and Sam and I have been best friends since we were playing in the sandbox,” Moriondo says.

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He exhibited the reserve champion heifer at the Simmental Junior National Show in 2011 as well as the third overall heifer at the same show in 2014. He’s also had the supreme champion female at the Ozark Empire Fair. The experiences Moriondo had in the show ring environment have helped the young cattleman not only build a network of resources for his registered operation, but also taught him much about cattle selection. “I learned from the top to the bottom of structural soundness, genetics, what to look for in a cow,” Moriondo says. “That is where I got my knowledge and eye for looking for females and bulls. I credit that more than anything for picking out registered cattle to keep.” Backed by an aggressive embryo transfer program, Moriondo works hard to mate his registered Angus cows with bulls that will produce only the best for commercial cattlemen. “We want (our cattle) to have good carcass traits as well as maternal ability,” he said. “We don’t want them to be just unthrifty cattle with numbers. We AI our registered cows using primarily Genex sires and then we’ll buy a couple of nice registered bulls to clean up with. We try and match those bulls we buy with the kind of cattle we use in AI.” “(Embryo transfer) gives us an opportunity to get more out of our best to offer customers,” Moriondo said. “We’re trying to get a really uniform look with our cattle. We’re doing a little more (embryo transfer) this year than we have before, and we’re really excited about it.” Moriondo markets breedingage bulls by private treaty to commercial cattlemen. “We’re keeping as many replacement (heifers) back as we can right now on the registered side to build our numbers and get a good-sized herd so we can get bulls in people’s hands to see

Mark and Maranda Moriondo work to build their cattle operation while also working full-time jobs. The couple farms near Mount Vernon, Missouri. — Photo by Joann Pipkin.

how our genetics work,” Moriondo explained. “We’ll sell a few registered bred heifers and a few show heifers, but mostly we’re trying to keep everything that we can right now.” Commercial cows in the Moriondo operation calve spring and fall with groups of yearling cattle marketed at Joplin Regional Stockyards in June and November. Additionally, Moriondo will precondition some calves, marketing them through the JRS value-added program. “It’s really paid off the last year or two that we’ve done that,” he said. In addition to owning their own cattle operation, both Moriondos work other full-time jobs. Mark manages his dad’s cattle herd while Maranda works in the office at the family’s turf farm. Mark attended college at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M for a year before

coming home to develop his own cow herd; Maranda has a degree in agriculture business and animal science from College of the Ozarks. Both admit starting their cattle operation hasn’t been easy. “It took a lot of saving money, and we’re still saving money,” Moriondo said. “It’s pretty tough to go in and ask the banker to stand behind you. Registered cattle aren’t cheap to buy.” Still, a little confidence and ambition has served their operation well thus far. “You pretty much have to look (the banker) in the eye and tell him, ‘this is what I want to do,’” Moriondo said. “You have to have your 5to 7-year plan laid out for (the bank) and show them how you can make it work. They’ve got to believe in you. You’ve got to be confident.”

www.joplinstockyards.com

JULY 2016

MARKET WATCH

Joplin Regional Stockyards Market Recap | Feeder Cattle & Calf Auction June 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ Total Receipts 28,874 | Last Month 17,753 | Last Year 33,183

JRS Sale Day Market Phone: (417) 548-2012 Mondays (Rick Huffman) | Wednesdays (Don Kleiboeker) Market Information Provided By Tony Hancock Mo. Department of Agriculture Market News Service Market News Hotline (573) 522-9244 Sale Day Market Reporter (417) 548-2012

Feeder Cattle Weighted Average Report for 06/03/2016 Video Sale Receipts: 22,060 Week Ago: 0 Year Ago: 13,672 Demand moderate to good for the Joplin Regional Stockyards Video Auction held last Friday. Cattle offered from the south central and east. Cattle will be weighed with a 2-3 percent pencil shrink and a 6-10 cent slide on the first 50 pounds over base weight, 0-12 cent slide on 51 to 90 lbs over base weight, or 80 cents right slide. Supply included 67 percent steers, 33 percent heifers, with 97 percent over 600 lbs.

Special Value Added Feeder Cattle Report for 06/23/2016 Receipts: 5,169 Last Reported(6/20/2016): 3,493 Year ago: 6,267 ***Mid-session and Close*** No recent Value Added Sale for a price comparison. Compared to Monday's sale, steers and heifers under 600 lbs 7 to 15 higher, over 600 lbs 3 to 5 higher. Demand good, supply moderate. Live Cattle and Feeder Cattle futures finally had a couple days of trading on the positive side. Grain futures trading on the down side,providing some incentive for Cattle Buyers to get back into the market. All calves are on a Wean-Vac program and heifers are guaranteed open. Feeder supply included 60 percent Steers, and 40 percent Heifers. Feeder Supply over 600 lbs was 46 percent.

Feeder Cattle Auction Report for 6/27/2016 Receipts: 5,638 Week ago: 3,493 Year ago: 5,395 ***Close*** Compared to last Mondays sale, steer calves steady to 3.00 higher, yearling steers 3.00 to 7.00 higher, heifer calves and yearling heifers 2.00 to 4.00 higher. Demand good, supply moderate. Cooler weather in the forecast gave some Buyers incentive to purchase cattle. In spite of the turmoil in the financial markets, some stability came to the cattle trade as Cattle futures closed on the plus side. The USDA Cattle On Feed report showed 102 percent On Feed, Placements 110 percent, 105 percent Marketed. Feeder supply included 66 percent Steers, 31 percent Heifers, and 2 percent Bulls. Feeder Supply over 600 lbs was 66 percent.

Tune in to the JRS Market Report

Monday & Wednesday 11:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m. Monday 12:40 p.m. Wednesday 12:40 p.m. Monday 12:15 p.m. Wednesday 12:15 p.m.

24 JULY 2016

M-F 9:55-10:05 a.m. (during break before AgriTalk) M/W/F Noon Hour (during Farming in the Four States) T/Th Noon Hour (after news block)

Monday 11:30 a.m. Wednesday 11:30 a.m. Monday 11:45 a.m. Wednesday 11:45 a.m.

Monday 11:38 a.m. Wednesday 11:38 a.m.

Monday 12:50 p.m. & 4:45 p.m. Wednesday 12:50 p.m. & 4:45 p.m.

www.joplinstockyards.com

EVENT ROUNDUP July

21-23 Gold Buckle Extravaganza Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, Springfield, Missouri FMI: 417-833-2660 22-24 Four State Farm Show Pittsburg, Kansas FMI: 800-356-8255 28-8/6 Ozark Empire Fair Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, Springfield, Missouri FMI: 417-833-2660

August 5

Special Video Sale Joplin Regional Stockyards, Carthage, Missouri FMI: 417-548-2333

12 p.m. Special Cow & Bull Sale Joplin Regional Stockyards, Carthage, Missouri FMI: 417-548-2333

11-21 Missouri State Fair Sedalia, Missouri FMI: 800-422-3247

September 1

17th Annual Cattlemen’s Classic Golf Tournament Silo Ridge Country Club, Bolivar, Missouri FMI: 417-316-0101

4th Annual Fall Cattlemen’s Seminar White River Conference Center, Springfield, Missouri FMI: 918-645-9365

Regional Grazing School Lamar, Missouri FMI: 417-682-3579

MISSOURI BEEF INDUSTRY COUNCIL DIRECTOR

ELECTION LEGAL NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the Director of Agriculture will be conducting an election to fill three positions on the Missouri Beef Industry Council Board of Directors. One regional council member is to be elected in each of Regions 1, 4, and one member is to be elected at-large. Terms of office are three years. Any cattle producer within the specified regions of the State of Missouri who is producing cattle for market and the legal owner of one or more head of cattle becomes eligible to vote in the election by registering at his/her respective Farm Service Agency (FSA), or electronically at http://agriculture.mo.gov/councils/ prior to July 15, 2016. Cattle producers who have voted in any of the previous five (5) elections are not required to register unless their address has changed. The Missouri Department of Agriculture will mail ballots to registered producers August 15, 2016. Ballots must be postmarked no later than August 31, 2016, to be valid. Any qualified producer may be nominated and have his/ her name placed on the ballot provided the independent nomination is accompanied by petition of not fewer than 100 producers in the nominee’s region and written permission of the candidate. Petitions must be delivered to the Director of Agriculture on or before July 15, 2016. Petition forms are available from the Missouri Department of Agriculture by calling 573-751-5633.

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www.joplinstockyards.com

JULY 2016

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PROVEN TECHNOLOGY ADDS POUNDS, SOLVES GRAZING CHALLENGES IN PASTURE CATTLE Though techniques for managing pasture cattle have evolved over time, cow/calf and stocker operators are still at the mercy of Mother Nature. Too much rain, not enough rain and extremes in temperature can impact the quality and quantity of forage for grazing cattle. In addition, extremely wet conditions can increase exposure to coccidia, which are detrimental to cattle health, especially in young calves.

Young calves are the most susceptible to coccidiosis, especially if they are exposed to cow manure during wet weather when herds are grouped in small feeding areas in late winter or early spring. Cattle spread out on dry pasture keeps the coccidia oocyst passed in manure diluted over a larger surface area to reduce the opportunity of exposure.

Rumensin® is a proven technology that solves multiple challenges as cow/calf and stocker operations try to maintain cattle health and improve performance, particularly when forage is lacking or limited.

“As producers wean calves, including Rumensin in the ration at the labeled rate will prevent clinical outbreaks of the disease during this stressful time in the calves’ lives and also help break the protozoan’s life cycle to reduce further incidence,” Walter concludes.

“For years, Rumensin has been used to enhance feed efficiency in feedlot cattle, but it also is a cost-effective and proven technology that improves weight gain in grazing cattle,” says Lee-Anne Walter, Ph.D. and Elanco technical consultant. “Ultimately beef producers are selling pounds. Whether that comes in the form of heavier stocker cattle or a heavier, more uniform calf crop, Rumensin is a tool that can be used to help improve average daily gain in stocker cattle, and feed efficiency in the cow herd. In fact, it is the only ionophore approved for use in all production phases in the beef industry — including mature, reproducing beef cows.”

Cows: Make the most of available forage and produce more pounds Achieving high pregnancy rates while maintaining low feed costs is critical to the profitability of cow/calf operations. It is well documented that adequate energy in the diet is needed so cows can reach and maintain a targeted body condition score (BCS) of 5 through the postpartum interval and into the breeding season. An ideal BCS leads to a shorter return to estrus and higher first-service conception rates.1 Feeding Rumensin increases the energy available from feedstuffs, making it an economical source of improved energy utilization. Rumensin can help cows better use energy from available forage — either grazed or harvested for later use — and ultimately helps producers reach the end goal: a heavier, more uniform calf crop delivering more pounds weaned per cow exposed. Applications for feeding Rumensin in the cow herd include: • Utilizing as a management tool to maintain BCS and assist along with adequate dietary supplementation in improving productivity of cows that have fallen below BCS 5 • Enhancing animal performance when feeding low-quality harvested forages • Reducing feed costs when hay prices are high

Replacement Heifers: Boost reproductive performance “Feeding Rumensin to replacement heifers is a great way to launch their lifetime productivity in the cow herd,” says Walter. “We’ve known for a long time that replacement heifers reach puberty earlier when fed higher energy diets compared to those fed lower energy, low-quality forage diets.” Studies have also demonstrated that heifers receiving Rumensin reached puberty and first estrus from 10 to 21 days sooner than those not fed Rumensin.2

Stocker Cattle: Improve ADG to optimize value per head Stocker cattle fed Rumensin can gain an additional 20 pounds or more per head during a 100-day grazing period,3 at a cost of just pennies per head per day. Rumensin consistently improves average daily gain (ADG), since it helps cattle get the most from their diet, even as forage quality and sources change due to environmental conditions throughout the grazing season. A variety of feeding options are available to fit each operator’s management practices including use in complete feeds, supplements and FDA-approved blocks or free-choice minerals.

For more information about the benefits of Rumensin in grazing cattle, talk with your local Elanco sales representative or read more at Elanco.us. Consumption by unapproved species or feeding undiluted may be toxic or fatal. Do not feed to veal calves. The label contains complete use information, including cautions and warnings. Always read, understand and follow the label and use directions. Thomas, E. 1978. “Critical Point” Feeding of Rumensin in the Beef-Cow Operation.” Elanco Animal Health. Rumensin Technical Manual for Pasture and Range Cattle. 2 Elanco Animal Health. Data on file. 3 Rathmacher, R. 1977. 24 trials. Elanco Animal Health. Data on file. 4 Dedrickson, Coccidiosis in Beef Calves http://www.cabnr.unr.edu/resources/cattlemens/2001/06.htm 1

Rumensin® is a trademark for Elanco’s brand of monensin sodium. Elanco®, Rumensin® and the diagonal bar are trademarks owned or licensed by Eli Lilly and Company, its subsidiaries or affiliates. © 2016 Eli Lilly and Company, its subsidiaries or affiliates. USBBURUM00240

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†Implant training does not guarantee zero defects. *Calculation assumes 700 lb. feeder weight, $141.00 cwt, 150 days on feed, $280/ton dm feed price. 1 Duckett et.al. 2013. Anabolic implants and meat quality. Journal of Animal Science. 92: 3-9.

Preventing and controlling coccidiosis Another benefit of Rumensin is its effectiveness in controlling and preventing coccidiosis. “Coccidia are endemic to the cattle population in the United States,” says Walter. “Calves, due to their reduced immunity, are likely to develop coccidiosis, even though five percent or less may show clinical signs.4 So, feeding Rumensin through the grazing season will prevent the subclinical aspects of coccidiosis from reducing gains.” www.joplinstockyards.com

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