So what makes us so good...

[grassfarmer]

A lot of the guys who talked about getting involved
or investing in a packing plant proposal in recent
years. They wanted a higher price for their weaned
calves and someone else to do the value adding yet
give them the premium. I would say the majority of
producers attending any packing plant presentation
that I attended.

[smcgrath76]

I think there are a lot of barriers to
changing the C/C end of the industry.
The first is skill set. If you think
through grassfed beef and the
specialized skills it takes there are
not a lot of individual operations that
have all of them:
skill in genetic selection
grazing skill
marketing skill
etc.
Even in conventional beef production,
feeding cattle takes a special skill
set, as does the agronomy of barley
growing, etc.
Another big barrier to change is cash
flow. Lots of guys are set up to make
their payments with fall weaned calves.
That said there is no reason things
can't be changed, but we are an industry
that is infrastructure heavy and often
in the wrong places. This creates a big
burden.
All of these are just "attitudes" but
attitudes rarely change without either
encouragement (read $$$) or desperation
(read no $$$). Desperation is a lot
easier to get action out of.
At the start of the thread I mentioned
that I know what we are doing at our
place, but I don't think the majority of
people are even doing things like buying
ultrasounded bulls, or participating in
VBP, or eco-monitoring. This creates
opportunity for specific value chains
but makes it hard to claim as an
industry that we are leading the quality
parade.
It's too bad we can't figure out a way
to create desperation and prosperity all
at the same time...

[ASRG]

I guess I'm what would be called one of these "commodity types", who somehow managed to survive the ups and downs for most of my life. I did it by trying to always turn a profit....keeping costs as low as possible and trying to get as much as possible out of the "commodity market".
While I can admire all you guys who value added by getting into the niche markets, it wasn't for me. The extra work and skill set needed wasn't worth it.....for me.
Now as I near the end of my cow days I look back on it as being a pretty good life. I think overall I did allright...got the kids raised....got the bills paid.....had a few bucks in my pocket.....never worked myself to death! What more could you ask?

[kato]

The direct marketing involves something that not everyone has, and that's the desire to work directly with the public. I know one cattle producer right now who has absolutely no interest in it, and he's outside doing chores as I type this. Which is why farmer's markets are my specialty, not his. I for one, just love working with the public.

I can see the day coming when we get older and are looking for less physical work, when we would have less cattle and add value to them, but for now, Hubby is perfectly happy with what he does. Besides the cows, we've gotten quite specialized in backgrounding light calves, and they've been good to us. He is very good at what he does, and so far it has kept us in business through some pretty nasty times.

When we get to where the cows is all we want to deal with, then value added will be a more likely option for us. In the meantime, I'll keep on with my own little direct marketing project, and Hubby will happily carry on with what his talents work best for. When the day to add value and maybe direct market beef comes along, the marketing I'm doing now will be a good foundation for it.

[Klause]

We bought for $790/cult acre... just closed the deal this past week.


Cheapest in the area, rest of land that we know sold went for $980 - 1150/acre.

This is Muenster, SK.


Selling the place in MB for around $860/ cult acre.... and that's in the bush, kinda like farming north of La Ronge in SK.

The farmland bubble is alive and well, and will be till a) interest goes up, b) grain prices crash.


We mortgaged that quarter... 15 yrs... payment is $500/month. No wonder everyone is buying, buying, buying!

[parsley]

I have to jump in grassy and kato, you know how
brassy I am, so grit your teeth for this post, will
you. LOL.
I'm an eater and cooker. Canadian beef is often fed barley. And hay. USA Corn fed beef has a
different flavor,and texture and SMELL when
cooked.

I prefer Canadan hands down. And can
differentiate, as you do with your beer! Pars

[per]

Pars just so you know, train load after train load of corn gets fed to cattle in our feedlot sector. So if corn fed tastes inferior then some one should convince our feedlot sector to change their buying patterns.

[grassfarmer]

Another weakness of the commodity system Per and
another reason people are looking to buy direct
from the rancher. How much of the corn-fed,
Alberta raised beef is sold in the States as "AB barley
fed beef"? How much is sold to Japan with the same
tag? how much is eaten in Canada branded as
Alberta barley raised beef? How much US raised,
corn-fed beef is sold in Canada? How much offshore
beef is eaten in Canada and what did it eat?
Not saying there is anything wrong with corn or
barley fed beef - just kind of nice to know what you
are eating.
At least my customers know they are getting
animals raised by me, on my place, fed my grass
and for most that is a piece of mind they don't mind
paying for.

[burnt]

"...that is a piece of mind they don't mind paying for." - the Freudian slip appears here, lol!

[parsley]

Per, lots of eaters buy direct from the farm. We
do. Barley fed. You might want to try peppermint
supplement in your feed. You're a bit of spice at
times. Lol Pars