The mandated cash price debate is not new to anyone who follows policy making in the beef industry.

The newswires are all abuzz with forecasts of persisiting drought throughout the West, and another year of La Nina-neutral growing conditions in North America. A popular managment strategy suggested by extension educators and industry experts to help alliviate the pressure on drought-depleted grazing resources is weaning early. We wanted to know if ranchers are listening to what the experts are saying.

Methods of marketing and selling cattle are one of the key facets of the debate surrounding price discovery and market transparency. 

Beef genetics have come a long way in recent years. In the commercial cow/calf sector, one of the biggest decisions producers make is whether or not to include a new breed in their crossbreeding program. Angus? Brahman? Charolais? The options are practically endless. 

The beef industry is slowly embracing reproduction technologies like embryo transfer, estrus syncing and A.I., and the brave souls who use A.I. have two choices: Do it yourself or hire a professional. 

Despite dealing with snow, ice and freezing temperatures, winter defintely has some benefits for the cattle producer. In our latest poll asking producers what the best thing about winter is, here is what you told Progressive Cattle.

Wintertime is typically a time when cattle and forage production slows down, providing ranchers a much-needed respite from the daily grind and leaving room in the schedule for different tasks.  Progressive Cattle asked producers which tasks top their winter priority lists.

Which issues surrounding the beef industry are you most concerned about?

Whether your chute is less than 5 years old, or more than 30, it is a critical piece of equipment on any operation. 

It's no secret that much of the U.S., especially the western states, is experiencing severe drought conditions. Weather experts and many other professionals in the agricultural industry have seen this dry spell coming for some time, and have consequently urged producers to have a drought managment plan in place before it becomes necessary to enact one.