The Common Ground Summit… a meeting of 40 people across the country. These 40 represented various segments of the cattle industry. These 40 were comprised of what some might say would be small non-influential family operations to large influential registered operations, family feed yards, or sale barn owners. If these 40 where a herd of cows… the term Heinz 57 comes to mind. But their purpose was simple. Find common ground and unanimous consent on some industry issues in hopes of starting the ball rolling. The group came up with 6 issues that they all unanimously agreed on. So today, Renee Carrico and Joe Fischer… two of the participants join me as we discuss how the meeting went, how did they come to the list of six agreed upon issues, what about the big topics that have divided the industry, and was this just a onetime feel could kumbaya moment. Sure, there are some big topics that I hope will eventually be addressed, however in the meantime, and I don’t know about you, but I’ve become sick and tired of the continued divisiveness in the industry, the ego’s, the fear mongering, and attitudes of “my way or no way”. No matter your view on the outcome of this meeting… today’s show is for you. If you good with outcome of the meeting and what you perceive it doing for the industry… listen in. If you’re frustrated because you think the meeting was phony and didn’t address the issues you thought were important, then this show is for you as well.

#workingranchmagazine #ranchlife #ranching #dayweather #weather #agweather #beef #cows #livestock #cattle #k-line #foodsecurity #unify #advocacy #collaboration #pathforward

Bovine Congestive Heart Failure. For me I’ve always assumed it was the same as High Altitude Disease or Brisket Disease, but in our cattle industry today where we see a push for performance and high growth, we are seeing it manifest itself at a point in time that is extremely costly to the feeder... right before slaughter. Dr. Kirk Ramsey and Dr. Paige Pratte with Neogen join me today as we discuss the concern of Bovine Congestive Heart Failure in our cattle industry. What is it. Where are we seeing it? And what do cow/calf producers need to understand about its applicability to your operation as well as the heritability of that trait in your herd. So, it leads us down the road of utilizing our DNA testing ability to know where our herd is at, but it not just to add another input cost the buyers are wanting the information as well. Bovine Congestive Heart Failure. Are we overlooking its impact to our herd… to our industry… while a solution is this available right there in that DNA sample.

#workingranchmagazine #ranchlife #ranching #dayweather #weather #agweather #beef #cows #livestock #cattle #productivity #carcussweights #igenitybeef #DNA #BCHF #PAP #superiorlivestock #cattlefeeders #cow/calf

The story of the Maude Family in Western South Dakota took center stage this past week as criminal charges against Charles and Heather Maude were dropped over a land issue in what many are saying was a rogue US Forest Service agent bringing charges of land theft over 25 acres of ground that have been fenced into the deeded ground for over 70 years. Today, Rachel Gabel, spokesperson for the Maude Family, returns as our guest as we talk about what’s happened in the past 14 months. Why was it falling on deaf ears in the previous administration, what’s next for Charles and Heather Maude and how do we view this situation as an industry moving forward.

#workingranchmagazine #ranchlife #ranching #dayweather #weather #agweather #beef #cows #livestock #cattle #K-Line #purina #flycontrol #USDA