“Let’s try it and see what happens” is the motto at Mark Diederich Family Farms in Greenleaf, Kansas. Mark Diederich is a fifth-generation rancher with an operation located an hour north of Manhattan.

The weather across North America was extremely variable throughout the summer and fall of 2018, with some areas seeing extremely hot temperatures and drought and others experiencing excess rainfall or flooding.

For many years, ranchers have held to the conventional wisdom that time of calving could be influenced by the time of feeding.

Whether we’re talking human or cattle nutrition, it’s easy to get caught up in buzzwords and fads. But the reality is: A renewed focus on one simple philosophy can help address many of our nutritional woes.

With the drought of 2012, beef cow numbers in the U.S. dipped to their lowest since the 1980s. Fewer mama cows meant fewer calves produced.

Recently, renewed interest has been expressed regarding finding efficient beef cattle to fit a rangeland environment.

Cow nutrition during pre-calving and the 100 days post-calving is the single-most important factor in producing a healthy calf.

At its core, the beef cattle industry is tasked with one thing: producing pounds of beef. And while this sounds overly simplistic, we have to remember: The growth, improvement and profitability of the cattle industry depends on producing a quality food product as efficiently as possible.

We’ve heard it repeatedly: The average age of the rancher is 68. Certainly, there is a necessary focus on encouraging younger generations in agriculture. However, did you ever stop to think about what else this statement means?