Iowa Beef Collective

The Muscatine Ag Learning Center is the blueprint for what FFA Programs can do for ALL youth, not just those that grew up on a farm. ~80% of the members take careers in agriculture; almost 0% grew up in the industry. Learn how they built it, what they did, what they do now, and most importantly, why it matters. ---------------------------------------------------   Thank you to our sponsor, Stockgu...

Confident, well-spoken, driven young people that can carry the message for agriculture don't grow on trees! Rylee Short is a great example of what FFA programs and contests do to shape high schoolers into productive adults She lobbied to help pass recent legislation allowing FFA events to be counted as excused absences. ---------------------------------------------------   Thank you to our spo...

Without a doubt, the most important episode we've ever posted. Mental health in agriculture, we know it's an issue. We don't talk about it enough. Andy shares his mental health journey, and it's one we all should hear.  ---------------------------------------------------   Thank you to our sponsor, Stockguard. Visit them at https://stockguard.io ------------------------------------...

This episode, brought to you by our friends at 701X, details where genomics has been, but more importantly, where it’s going and where it can go in the very near future. The University of Tennessee is leading the way in collecting novel, useful information from commercial herds, then building tools that feed back into genetic evaluations at the seedstock level. Exciting stuff. --------------------...

The packing industry has actually known for a long time that the USDA Yield Grade equation isn’t very good. Dr. Dale Woerner, Texas Tech University, and I discuss the history of yield grade, and how recent advancements in machine learning or Artificial Intelligence have allowed meat scientists to take a new look at red meat yield. This could change the way we select, market, and ultimately get pai...

I sat down with Jason Ross, ISU Animal Science Department Chair, to talk about the newest major in the College of Ag: Animal Enterprise & Innovation. Learn about how and why it was created, the versatility it offers prospective students, and the industries craving the first graduates! ---------------------------------------------------   Thank you to our sponsor, Stockguard. Visit them at http...

Find out how an engineer with no livestock background learned what was important information for ranchers, then figured out how to get that information to your smart phone, using only a solar-powered ear tag. ---------------------------------------------------   Thank you to our sponsor, Stockguard. Visit them at https://stockguard.io ---------------------------------------------------   Connect w...

Rubia Gallega are certainly not a new breed, but they are the newest breed to enter the US. Rob Wonderlich is one of the first to implement these genetics in Iowa; we talk about how he did it and what's next for his operation and the breed itself. If you question the demand for this product, there was a group of folks from California that flew to Ottumwa, Iowa in January just to meet Rob, view...

The large animal vet shortage is no secret. This episode goes straight to the source, a young vet venturing out on his own. Austin Ashbacher talks about his career, the challenges he faces, and the leap of faith he took to live out his dream. Ashbacher Veterinary Services - https://www.facebook.com/p/Ashbacher-Veterinary-Services-61568281470162/ ---------------------------------------------------...

For over 50 years, the beef industry has been in chase mode, and we're 'largely' pretty good at pursuing a goal. Dr. Spangler and host Patrick Wall discuss how to dial it back a bit, change focus to profit rather than revenue, and the columns on paper most effective at getting you there. Dr Matt Spangler - https://animalscience.unl.edu/person/matt-spangler/ ----------------------------...

The road map of Montie Soules' career is a graduate-level seedstock marketing course summarized in about 40 minutes. He not only talks about how he found success, but even how he would do it differently if he was starting today. Apologies for the technical glitches in this episode; technology is great...when it works. American Shorthorn Association - https://shorthorn.org ---------------------...

Cows are on grass in much of Iowa; it's time to implement both fly and tick control measures. Dr. Matt Brewer , veterinary pathologist at Iowa State University, explains the history, discovery, and science behind both Asian Longhorned Tick (ALHT) and New World Screwworm. More importantly, we discuss prevention and treatment methods to ensure neither ever enters your fences. -------------------...

Mike Drury leads the charge as president of Greater Omaha Packing Co., a regional mid-sized packer that processes a lot of Iowa cattle. We parse out the challenges packers currently face in the marketplace (supply, labor, tariffs, demand, and fabrication of large carcasses). Considerable time is spent on branded programs, and believe it or not, we end with where the product starts: genetic selecti...

Shelby Gruss, Iowa State University Extension Forage Specialist, gives a complete checklist for better managing grass and hay given the current price environment. Listen in as we talk turn-out, fertilizer, weed control, rotation, and hay making decisions. Shelby also discuss her research on grazeable alfalfa and new forage mixes. Shelby Gruss - https://crops.extension.iastate.edu/people/shelby-gru...

Cassie Fish started her career trading on the floor of the CME, then risk management for Tyson Fresh Meats, and now a consultant for multiple players in the industry. We talk markets, but more importantly, the outside influences – politics, Mexican border, packer closures, etc. – that could bolster or bottom them out. Cassie Fish - http://www.cassandrafish.com The Beef - https://www.thebeefread.co...

A masterclass in how to ensure your check from the auction barn is everything you hoped it would be. We talk sale barn history, hide color, head count, heifer retention, heterosis, Herefords and more. Keosauqua Sales Co - http://www.keosauquasaleco.com ---------------------------------------------------   Connect with us: @iowabeefcenter https://facebook.com/IowaBeefCenter https://instagram.com/io...

If the acronyms LRP and LGM scare you just enough to sit on the sidelines, this episode is for you. Tony Latcham and host Patrick Wall dig in to the details of both programs, what they do, what they don’t do, and how to implement them regardless of the scope of your operation. Stockguard - https://stockguard.io ---------------------------------------------------   Connect with us: @iowabeefcenter...

Two episodes in one. The cooperation of commodity groups to help the ag community often gets overlooked and undersold. Learn how the Iowa Corn Growers Association supports beef production from a number of different angles. Wildlife management, CRP, meat exports, fence law, the list goes on; listen in as a committee member and an ICGA staff member explain their roles in supporting beef production....

Mark Anderson is the CEO of the North American Limousin Foundation, but his path to breed association leadership is a revers path to many. His young career in meat packing, feedlot management, brokering feeders, and risk management offers a unique perspective to how the industry makes genetics “work” in other segments of the beef supply chain. North American Limousin Foundation - https://nalf.org...

The beef industry has done a tremendous job of advancing the science of genomics and DNA testing in the last decade. Maybe we’ve fallen a bit short on explaining to everyone in the industry what they should do if they encounter an odd phenotype on their own farm. Dr. Jessica Peterson, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, offers a detailed tutorial on exactly what producers should do, and what happens i...

Beef prices are good. Expansion should be happening. Unfortunately, many producers are simply maxed out on what they can get done in a day. The 701X platform is a fence checker, heat checker, health checker, calving notifier, and an office secretary all at the same time. Chip Kemp describes the breadth of services offered by an ear tag…and we’re just getting started! Resources: 701X - https://www....

The industry has geeked out on genetics and genomics for seedstock operations for some time now…particularly on bulls. Lane Geiss joins us to talk about the ‘forgotten many’ in the selection process: commercial females. Zoetis addressed this void through a product called “Inherit.” Resources: Zoetis Inherit - https://beefgenetics.com/products/inherit-select/ ---------------------------------------...

Entrepreneurship in the livestock sector is alive and well! Listen in as Marty Ropp describes how he used production experience, forethought, industry connections, and group effort to start and build Allied Genetics Resources. An entrepreneur is never truly satisfied; Marty’s horizon is tackling the labor shortage in agriculture. Resources: Allied Genetic Resources - https://alliedgeneticresources...

Young producers should pull up the Notes app in their phone before they press play! Brian lays a roadmap for success in the seedstock business. He's an absolute sponge for technology and innovation, yet kept a very practical approach to genetic selection and animal breeding. Resources: Woodhill Farms - https://www.facebook.com/woodhillfarms/ ---------------------------------------------------...

Mike Anderson leads the Iowa Beef Industry Council, the segment that promotes beef consumption to consumers across the globe. We discuss the recent news cycles mentioning beef, as well as the current price of beef relative to other calorie sources. Tune in to learn about a unique cut of beef you might have never tried before…and should. Resources: Iowa Beef Industry Countil - https://www.iabeef.or...