Korea lifts ban on Canadian beef

[gaucho]

To elaborate on Randys comments.... requirements for Heritage Angus

50% angus genetics, no hormone, no antibiotics, intake weights minimum 850 lbs and minimum truck load lots can be mixed heifers and steers but weights must be within 50 lbs of. Must be EU eligible... We feed at 2 lots and will have our own feeder association for financing cattle and feed through the finishing period. there is no capital investment required, however there is a one time membership fee of $2000... Our goal is to get the most out of the cattle possible, with all profits paid back to the members after expenses. Prices are based upon pooled sales for the year, placement bonuses and coming thsi fall grid pricing for carcasses... and not to poke at Randy again, you don't need to own the packing plant in order to achieve these goals. Check out www.heritageangus.ca for more info or how to contact...

[gaucho]

To elaborate on Randys comments.... requirements for Heritage Angus

50% angus genetics, no hormone, no antibiotics, intake weights minimum 850 lbs and minimum truck load lots can be mixed heifers and steers but weights must be within 50 lbs of. Must be EU eligible... We feed at 2 lots and will have our own feeder association for financing cattle and feed through the finishing period. there is no capital investment required, however there is a one time membership fee of $2000... Our goal is to get the most out of the cattle possible, with all profits paid back to the members after expenses. Prices are based upon pooled sales for the year, placement bonuses and coming thsi fall grid pricing for carcasses... and not to poke at Randy again, but you don't need to own the packing plant in order to achieve these goals. Check out www.heritageangus.ca for more info or how to contact...

[rkaiser]

Poke all you like gaucho - my skin is becoming more like the feathers on ducks back every year. Everything simply runs where it is supposed to run.

How much capacity do you think the boys at CPM are going to handle. We were having a hard enough time getting a load or two killed last fall let alone a contract for 500 head a week.

You know darn well what the potential market for implant free barley fed truly CANADIAN beef is.

[BTOfarmallll]

I think Randy is trying to say everything is water off a ducks back to him. He a big money, heavy weight, walk around the Club, like F*ck everybody, Wall Street buying his Bulls now........

[rkaiser]

Hugs and kisses to you's and yer's BTO.

[gaucho]

Randy you are so right that there are all sorts of markets that will buy 500 head a week and even 5000 for that matter.... but finding guys that will actually pay you enough to make money on those numbers is another thing.... If it were that easy why is Celtic cattle still at the level it is? I have no problem getting kills done at CPM every week... its because I am also there every week with steady business.... As they say walk before you run... selling the whole animal from the cheeks to the tails and everything in between is easier said than done if you want to make the numbers work.... I am glad I just have to look after marketing and not trying to run a plant, look after HR and having to deal with CFIA and regulatory... maybe you should be an apprentice for Werner and Yvo for a week and you might start thinking and talking a bit straighter

[rkaiser]

Ahhh yes gauchopper --- thinking straighter ---- that's the solution ...

Or as I am starting to believe - the problem. Especially if you get stuck thinking with the five metastasizing cancerous C's. Criticizing, comparing, contending, competing,and complaining. Replace them all with creative thinking and whalla --- goodness. Those you leave behind can whallo in the other five while you move forward.

I am pretty sure we can find another Yvo or Werner in the world and even another marketer that comes close to your expertise. I sure the hell don't plan on doing everything myself fer cryin out loud.

Don't worry too much about Canadian Celtic and Second to None Meats. This is not about our little niche market trying to survive in the shark invested waters of natural beef marketing in Calgary Alberta.

Oh yes, BTO farmall - my five fendered friend - have a look at those five C's as well. I have watched many of the same films as you have and even watched another one that you posted on the commodity thread tonight. Lot's of good stuff there. Could simply work on your approach and / or sales technique. You come across like a bit of a loonie tune, and so do many of the other folks trying to sell something other than the conventional theories. Try not to think too much and especailly not dualistic-ally. There is never only right and wrong. There is always an alternative and it is most quickly and easily reached somewhere down the middle of the road. HUGZ

[gaucho]

Randy your 5 c's....all come down to one word.... be realistic... It gets a little tiring after a while constantly hearing its all about owning the plants. I get calls every week about opportunities here and opportunities there.... so many containers of this and that and when you tell them the price they go quite and their comment is but the American and Australians sell for this, to which I reply I don't care and these are our prices.... The world is just learning that producing beef costs money and to get it they must pay for it. The big contention of our costs in Canada to the US is CFIA regulatory costs and labor.... Canadian Packing plant labor is $15-$20 / hour with benefits.... US is Mexican Slave labor.... those are some of the differences that make it an extra challenge on this side of the borders. I certainly don't know it all and I am still learning every day.. that said it does get a little tiring hearing the answers from the arm chair quarterback about ridiculous demand numbers for natural beef (show me the money!) and its all about the packers and anybody that wants to give some real experience is just a nay Sayer. I am not trying to belittle anyone's marketing efforts for beef but be real, selling in the volumes and keeping prices up is easier said than done.

[rkaiser]

One thing about a realist gaucho - you can count on him / her to show you all the problems that you need to overcome. Same with watching all those, who I do give credit for trying, from my armchair...LOL

Keep trying and showing us the challenges bud, it will be much easier for us that way.

Cheers

[grassfarmer]

Interesting discussion on demand, volume, price and profitability. I'm maybe missing the point but from my perspective why would you want to recreate the commodity system for a premium beef product? Why do you need 500 head a day supply chain? Isn't it smarter to keep numbers smaller but retain a bigger margin?
In my limited(numbers wise)experience I have found demand is increasing for our product anywhere from 50-100% a year with an advertising and promotion budget of considerably less than $200 a year on average. We are setting the price we require to ensure a healthy margin and have absolutely no desire to be involved in a "producer initiative" to either own or operate a packing plant or be involved in a large scale joint venture with other producers. My observation in recent years has been that 90% of producers interested in these producer initiatives really have no interest in the end product or doing the work to achieve the enhanced returns. Most want to unload weaned calves or yearlings as they have always done and hope someone else will do all the work and present them with a premium at the end of the day.
It's ironic that I'm often mis-portrayed as a socialist because of my association with the NFU. I reckon I'm the free market entreupreneur and the dreamer cowboys waiting for someone else to do the work to set up a producer initiative supply chain are the ones with the more socialist tendencies.