Anyone making a living raising cattle?

[PureCountry]

Well, in response to Rookie's questions, "The Good Life" still requires cash to pay the bills, and I'll tell you the only way we do it is with diversity. Selling multiple products off-farm, beef, pork, soon-to-add chicken and eggs, and all the possible specialty cuts and sausages from each. We will be custom grazing a large group of yearlings next year, our store in town will be open by then, and I'm currently working part time as a Brand/Livestock Inspector for LIS. That's how we do it, and there are certainly days that we wonder why, or how. And when those days come, we sit down early in the morning, review our Holistic Management Goals and Plans that we laid out for ourselves, and it keeps us focused and on track of where we're going and how we'll get there.

Then of course it helps that we get rain to make it all work.

Have a good one.

[coppertop]

good luck PureCountry, sounds like you are
n for the long haul, and that takes
determination and willingness to diversify
!

[rookie]

As I sit with a cup of coffee, waiting for my little guy to wake up this morning, I often browse various web sites for news, market conditions etc, keeping an eye on the world so to speak ...

and here I am with 2 more cents...

On my table with the mail is a flyer for the local ag research group doing a field day with something new for producers to learn something new perhaps. Something to make there business more profitable and help them out with cost of production . On my screen are more comments of what we will do ( everything under the sun off a farm ) to keep our farm alive, and even comments along the lines of you just can't beat the life....

What I want to know, is what else can the industry do ? And I am being serious . Thats why I serf the various sites over coffee ( looking for business solutions instead of another job or reason to justify the extra work or lack of profitability ).

Now before anyone goes off... I am looking for the answer to make life better for you aswell as me.

I've done my time working 10 months on the road per year, and have seen more than my share of wonders of this world ,
and as interesting , profitable and a great education in life that is was, I did it for the creation of my grain farm and cattle ranch.

On the grain side of the yard its all business and dollars dictate what goes on, and on the pasture it is the same aswell.

I worked those jobs with the intentions of giving the farm a helping boost in its infancy ( subsidized it) but as a business person had no intentions of having to do it for who know how long or at any cost...

My Dad raised a family on his farm and had a successful farm at that without going out to work. For me the trend is different, and for many of you out there it will be different too. Will the trend continue indefinitely now?

All I do know ( I think ) is that the trend seems to be continuing and not for the better. Just look and listen to what it takes to grow food...

And can you make a living raising cattle? Obviously yes, but what is your cost of production (and I don't just mean $ )

Personally I weigh my cost of production with my little guy that will soon come wandering out of his room asking what we can do today... and thats priceless and... my benchmark .

But my questions of how this industry can change to make it better , easier( and why can't it ) will go unanswered. I am looking for those answers for my son. So maybe he will get to see what we see.
I've had my share of fun and I want him to aswell .

I suppose what we do will all depend on our definition of cost of production.

My benchmark just came into the kitchen ... gotta go , good luck to all and I hope its working for you................

[Sawbones]

Rookie thanks for sharing that
Here's my 2 cents worth
Success can be measured in 3 ways
Productive, Profitable or Sustainable
We've gone through the productive phase where biggest was best. We're now in the profitable phase where the most profit is obtained by taking advantage or someone's mistake or position and the cow/calf guy is bearing the brunt and is now leaving the industry in droves. The key is to find sustainable and that is where we understand the various sectors in the industry and agree on a formula that is mutually beneficial..easily said but I haven't found that magic formula

[kato]

This whole agricultural industry, (not just cattle), is approaching a point where something has got to give. Primary producers of all products have absorbed the inflationary costs of food for far too long. It's all been passed down to us, whether we grow grain, hogs or cattle, and there will come a day where no one will be able to grow any type of food at anything but a loss. That is not sustainable.

What is it going to take to reach that magic sustainability? It will have to involve a willingness from consumers to appreciate the food that they have taken for granted for a lot of years. What the trigger for that is, is anyone's guess. I bet it would have to be something pretty serious.

[MUSTANG]

I agree with the sustainability idea but wonder if the industry structure is against us...

Beef is a commodity - lots of production most of the time...

Concentration at the packer.....lots of power at purchasing time.

Concentration at the retailer....we can advertise a chicken special if beef gets too expensive...they like to sell cheap food...farmer be damned.

How do we get some control back to the producer in this screwy market?