Cassidy, Paul and David visit with University of Missouri assistant extension professor Jordan Thomas on the management variabilities that producers can prepare for in a given year. Whether it be for calving, forage or marketing, cattle producers can sometimes be their own worst enemies in managing for profit. Thomas applies system thinking that helps minimize risk. The Progressive Cattle podcast hosts also discuss the outlook for the new year.

While drought conditions have improved in some areas at the time of this writing, severe drought is still affecting most of the West where cow-calf production is centered in rangelands highly dependent on rainfall.

When it comes to dairy production measures like milk production per cow, age of first calving and pregnancy rates, these are biological measures we think about every day.

The dairy industry has changed, and we’re changing with it.