Before we know it, another breeding season will be upon us. As cattle producers, I think we’re all aware of how uniformity contributes to profitability, regardless of your marketing strategy.

As the calving season wraps up, breeding season is just around the corner. While the focus is on getting cows bred, it’s also an important time to review the causes of pregnancy loss.

Selecting cattle that match the forage resources and environment of an operation is essential for long-term success. But how can producers identify and select animals that will maintain body condition throughout the grazing season?

At no time in the history of livestock agriculture have producers been more efficient at producing beef than they are now. Just in the last half-century, global beef production has nearly doubled, despite a historically small herd size.

Over the past decade, bovine congestive heart failure (BCHF) has emerged as one of the biggest threats to the health and productivity of cattle on feed.

Through the first half of 2024, it looked like the U.S. might be climbing out of the drought that has plagued big chunks of the country for the last half-decade. The El Nino the ag world had been waiting for was finally here. And then, it wasn’t.

In the final NCBA 2025 episode, Carrie Veselka visits with Jared Knock of AgSpire about beef supply chain sustainability and helping operations make improvements from the ground up. David Cooper and Dan Halstrom, president and CEO of the U.S. Meat Export Federation, discuss the current state of beef exports and what lies ahead for global market conditions.

As we prepare to build back the U.S. beef herd and reduce the diseases threatening U.S. beef production, farmers and ranchers should consider how to protect their animals and operations before it is too late.

“Be prepared” is a motto to live by, especially during calving season. With that in mind, here are a few items that are essential to have on hand, plus some best-practice tips to consider.