Posted this on the do you remember thread, then I read this one. It belongs here.
As for the feedlots..
I agree about the feedlot thing, with a few modifications. Looking at those big huge multi-thousand head lots has always made me think of them as glorified outdoor hog barns. Basically it's the same principle, only exposed to the weather. Pack 'em in, stuff their faces, and get them out. In the meantime they're mixed with strangers and dealing with sicknesses, and stress.
However there will always have to be somewhere to finish cattle. The best cow calf land is not always near or suited to a good supply of grain, assuming one wants grain fed beef. Not everyone wants to finish cattle either. Maybe a better way to get that grain fed beef would be to bring in some way of risk management that would make it more appealing for smaller farm feedlots to feed cattle again, like they used to. We background calves, but have no access to any kind of risk management other than Agstability, and we all know how good that is. We can't lock anything in, since we don't have the numbers to be able to do it. We just have to jump in with two feet and risk the farm with every batch, so to speak. It takes the fun out of it, that's for sure.
As well, smaller groups of cattle over larger areas are much more sustainable, IMHO. Better to have fifty locations feeding the cattle than one. That's fifty more operations buying local grain over a larger area. Fifty operations supporting ten or fifteen veterinarians, instead of one on staff at one location. Fifty operations buying supplies in ten or fifteen towns are better than one.
I just don't buy into the bigger is better mentality. Economics of scale is one thing, but there's a point where the benefit starts to be solidified in one set of hands to the detriment of the industry as a whole. I don't think it's sustainable. Sooner or later, something will give, and what happens then?
The more players involved in food production, the safer the food supply is in general.
As for the extended grazing..
We graze corn. We don't have a lot of grain land, but we do have enough to give the cows almost four months of grazing. And still calve early. We don't lose any sleep about how much we could have made on canola either, since the amount of land involved wouldn't make or break anything anyway. We don't even enjoy growing crops, so why would we want to do it? We like growing cattle, so that's what we'll do.
As for the feedlots..
I agree about the feedlot thing, with a few modifications. Looking at those big huge multi-thousand head lots has always made me think of them as glorified outdoor hog barns. Basically it's the same principle, only exposed to the weather. Pack 'em in, stuff their faces, and get them out. In the meantime they're mixed with strangers and dealing with sicknesses, and stress.
However there will always have to be somewhere to finish cattle. The best cow calf land is not always near or suited to a good supply of grain, assuming one wants grain fed beef. Not everyone wants to finish cattle either. Maybe a better way to get that grain fed beef would be to bring in some way of risk management that would make it more appealing for smaller farm feedlots to feed cattle again, like they used to. We background calves, but have no access to any kind of risk management other than Agstability, and we all know how good that is. We can't lock anything in, since we don't have the numbers to be able to do it. We just have to jump in with two feet and risk the farm with every batch, so to speak. It takes the fun out of it, that's for sure.
As well, smaller groups of cattle over larger areas are much more sustainable, IMHO. Better to have fifty locations feeding the cattle than one. That's fifty more operations buying local grain over a larger area. Fifty operations supporting ten or fifteen veterinarians, instead of one on staff at one location. Fifty operations buying supplies in ten or fifteen towns are better than one.
I just don't buy into the bigger is better mentality. Economics of scale is one thing, but there's a point where the benefit starts to be solidified in one set of hands to the detriment of the industry as a whole. I don't think it's sustainable. Sooner or later, something will give, and what happens then?
The more players involved in food production, the safer the food supply is in general.
As for the extended grazing..
We graze corn. We don't have a lot of grain land, but we do have enough to give the cows almost four months of grazing. And still calve early. We don't lose any sleep about how much we could have made on canola either, since the amount of land involved wouldn't make or break anything anyway. We don't even enjoy growing crops, so why would we want to do it? We like growing cattle, so that's what we'll do.
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