At a recent workshop, I told the audience that if they looked in any farming or ranching publication, they would find articles about cutting feed costs and improving production efficiency, but they wouldn’t find anything about reducing land, labor and other overhead costs.

The goal of a biosecurity plan on both beef and dairy farms is to protect animals from disease and maintain herd health to proudly produce a safe, wholesome and healthy beef product for our consumer’s plate.

Every feedyard needs a good hospital system to accommodate cattle requiring medical care.

Have you ever noticed how people tend to be captivated by the latest guru in their field – only to leave that guru behind for the next “big thing” that comes the following year? Or how some become so fiercely loyal to a mentor they feel everyone else’s thoughts or ideas must be bad simply because their mentor didn’t think of it?

The American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) has released genomic-enhanced EPDs (GE EPDs) with the fall 2014 international cattle evaluation. GE EPDs combine pedigree, individual performance and genomic information to save time and money, reduce risk and accelerate the rate of genetic progress.

Most ranchers and land managers are familiar with downy brome or cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) and the substantial effects it has on ecosystems – most notably, its influence on fire frequency and intensity.

When thinking about the beef industry, Iowa is generally not the first state that comes to mind. However, Iowa has a booming beef industry thanks to readily available resources, and in fact, there are more cattle living in Iowa than there are people.

Successful cow-calf producers usually have excellent animal nutrition, health, breeding and stockmanship programs but often became complacent when the trucks arrive to haul calves to market.

We are in the fall run, the busiest time of the year for American and Canadian feedlots. Thousands of calves are entering the production system and will become, in just a few months, wholesome and healthy beef.