Thoughts from the Middle of Nowhere

The calves I kept munching hay in the corral. Mostly replacement heifers but there are also a few young odds and ends that I kept. I'll keep them in the corral until Monday morning and then let them out. Taken 9/30/2007.

Shipping is done. I have to work cows today but the calves are gone. I was disappointed in the weights of the steers. I thought they would weigh a little heavier. They averaged 517 pounds and the heifers that I sold averaged 440 pounds. Even the buyer said they looked like they would weigh heavier than that.

I knew they were a little uneven this year. Everybody is complaining about that around here. They must have been more uneven than I thought. I remember calving was slow this year. I just didn't get all kinds of calves to start with. they started real slow and then later I got a lot of calves. If the cows calved, on average, a little later that would explain the calves being a little lighter.

I'm not real happy with the situation but what do you do. The price was good so that made up for it. Hopefully with the better grass this year the cows bred up faster and I can turn this thing around. We'll see.

I don't get upset over things I can control, because if I can control them there's no sense in getting upset. And I don't get upset over things I can't control, because if I can't control them there's no sense in getting upset. Mickey Rivers

The Australian cattle industry appears to be in meltdown because of drought and grain prices down under.

Record high grain prices have thrown Australia's A$4 billion ($3.5 billion) beef cattle industry into disarray, emptying feedlots, cutting cattle saleyard prices and triggering price rises for domestic and exported beef.
The world's biggest beef exporter by value and the second-biggest exporter by volume, parts of Australia's beef industry have begun to shut down after feed grain prices doubled since June because of the decimation of crops by drought.

Reading the article it sounds like US beef's biggest competitor for the Asian markets is in a little trouble and American producers might benefit. Drought has really caused problems down there and they are not producing the grain to feed people let alone cattle.

Looming imports of grain -- only the second time Australia has been forced to import wheat since colonial times -- will not assist the cattle industry.

Drought is always the shits and really hurts producers. I feel for these guys but I have to see how I might be helped by this just like I can see how drought in this country can help me. Like always I don't wish problems on anybody but I can look on the bright side as how I might benefit. Maybe it's the wrong way to see things.

Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it. Confucius

Trailing these steer pairs in to their shipping pasture the other day sure shows the difference in grass between my pastures and my neighbors pastures. Can you say overgrazed? Taken 9/26/2007.

I remember when Sen. Conrad burns tried to fix the jurisdictional issues that plague American Indian reservations and was completely shut down by the Indians and the Democrats. Now the Democrats are talking about trying to fix the problem in the same way they fix all problems, throw money at it.

Committee members, including Democratic Sens. Jon Tester of Montana and Tim Johnson of South Dakota, agreed that there should be a legislative response.

Johnson said more money should be spent on tribal law enforcement.

Money isn't always the solution. The tangled web of jurisdiction that weaves across reservations needs to be addressed in a fair and constitutional manner for all people's involved. Maybe if people would have listened to Conrad Burns years ago this would have been fixed. The problems still exist and needs addressed. So, will Congress fix the problem or just throw money at it? I know which way I'm betting.

The time is always right to do what is right. Martin Luther King, Jr.

For all the trouble I hear about getting beef into the South Korean market, it appears US beef has increased 10 times in the last couple of months so progress is being made. Then check this out.

With the country set to discuss new standards for the beef imports with the United States as early as next month, the agony of local stockbreeders is expected to deepen further when the full-scale imports including bone-in beef such as ribs resume.

So it looks like we might increase our exports to South Korea with some bone in products. This is great news. Glad to see it. I know the drop in the dollars value has something to do with beef's strength overseas. That's the way it works and I'm not complaining. Keep that demand for beef up and ranchers should do okay for awile.

Eat Beef. It's good food that's good for you.

All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware. Martin Buber

I took this a while ago. If you look real close you can see the cattle streaming down the road while cleaning out the Williams place. Taken 9/7/2007.

I see that the USCA is starting a push to have part of the beef checkoff funds used to promote just domestic beef. This ties in really with the push USCA is making for Mandatory COOL. As long as the beef checkoff funds are used to promote beef, I'm not going to get my knickers in a knot over whether it is domestic beef or not.

Simple supply and demand. If demand is up for beef, whether it is us beef, organic beef, natural beef, or the usual corn fed beef, I will benefit. Real simple.

We not only interpret the character of events... we may also interpret our interpretations. Kenneth Burke

One of these days I really need to consider getting rid of my old cows. I Let cows go to the hills if they are in good shape. I noted while cutting this cow is 17 years old. She is in pretty good shape for being in the hills all summer but her calf is a little below par. It will sell with the rest but it's just not great. No surprise there. Instead of getting rid of my old cows maybe I need to start a new breed of long lived cows that are capable of sustained production. What a plan. Taken 9/23/2007.

Organic claims often overstated

Anybody who has read here long know that I am a fan of good wholesome food. That does not mean I support organic food though. I don't see anything special about it. The article I linked states that organic food does decrease the chemical load we take in. Two other things it states follow my thinking.

Consumers also commonly think of organic food as more nutritious, but there's no evidence of that. "Not a single published study has shown any difference in the nutrient content of organic food versus conventional farm products," says David Klurfeld, a food scientist at Wayne State University in Detroit, USA.

So, organic is not more nutritious. Something I've said before.

The bottom line: read the labels, and choose foods wisely based their nutrition content – not their organic label.

So true. Even if you eat organic you still need to eat healthy. Quality ingredients cooked well is what is needed. Not some fancy organic label. The organic label is not some miraculous thing that means a product is better. it only means the product is grown differently. Organic does not always equal healthy.

Ignorance is the primary source of all misery and vice. Victor Cousin

I spent the weekend sorting steer pairs from heifer pairs in preparation for shipping. We will finish the job today. I've heard it rained quite a bit in Billings and other parts of the state. We weren't so fortunate. The dry parched ground could really use a good drink right now. Taken 9/22/2007.

I guess real world, practical education doesn't cut it any more.

College offers degree in master ranching

Once upon a time, in the Wild West, all it took to raise cattle was land, grass and cowboys who knew how to rope the critters. Now, it may take an MBA.

Texas A&M-Kingsville's Institute for Ranch Management is offering what university officials call the first ever masters degree program for ranchers - sort of a Harvard Business School for cowboys. In addition to graduate-level business courses, students are schooled in rangeland specialties, including animal nutrition and wildlife management.

I've always made the statement that if you are still in the buisness and making money, you are a good operator. You have to be.

One time I ended up hiring a guy that had been to a "cowboy" college. I found out after I hired him he had went to a special 6 month school to learn how to be a "cowboy." This guy was one of the most worthless sob's i have ever had around the place. He might have known a little something about horses, but he knew nothing about cows. I always tell guys, "cowboying has very little to do with the horse, and everything to do with the cows. Being smarter than the cow and knowing what she is going to do when confronted with a certain situation is everything when it comes to being a cowboy." Most guys can never figure this out though. Then this guy who had went to "cowboy" college had obviously never heard of the term "cowboy up." He got a little owie and ended up on workmens comp for 6 months until they threw him off for there being nothing wrong with him.

I guess what I am saying is that not everything can be learned in the classroom for ranching and anybody that thinks it can is crazy. Don't get me wrong, there are some things I wish I knew more about but you know something, the Internet is a great source of information and usually you can find it if you just look hard enough. That's called continuing education and as long as you are willing to continue to learn you will never get out of date.

Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself. John Dewey

Hi
This is Sam's Darling Wife. I wanted to let you all in on a little secret. Today is Sam's Birthday. I won't tell you how old he is but is is a little over 21.


Happy Birthday, Hon!
I Love You!

I had my youngest daughter out riding with me yesterday. I sent her down to get some bulls while I fixed the gates. She got behind them and was bringing them up the fence like a champ. I've had to bring her along a lot slower than the oldest with horseback riding and working cattle but it has been worth it. She likes it better and is doing as good if not a better job than the older now. Taken 9/21/2007.

The Montana Stockgrowers Association has a little beef with Gov. Schweitzer. How much of there problem with him is real and how much is sour grapes I'm not sure. It used to be members of the Montana Stockgrowers dominated the Livestock board but nowadays they don't so I think some sour grapes is involved.

For the record I don't like the Governor's idea for a "brucellosis buffer zone" around Yellowstone National Park. It's not a good answer for the Fed's problem. Also for the record I can believe that the Governor is putting pressure on the board. That is his style of leading.

I still think the Stockgrowers are showing some sour grapes here. Whining that the Governor is strong arming the livestock board just shows weakness. Show your strength and fight him head on.

It's human nature to gripe, but I'm going ahead and doing the best I can. Elvis Presley