Page 13 - MWC 8-20-20s

The Midwest Cattleman · August 20, 2020 · P13
Adapt and Change By Dr. Les Anderson, Extension Beef Specialist, University of Kentucky

Well, the last few months
sure have been interesting!
COVID. Social distancing.
Life this spring reminded me
of the summers of my youth. I
grew up on a cattle and grain
farm in northeast Missouri
and social distancing was our
way of life. My grandparents
lived about a mile down the
road but everyone else was
quite a bit further. We didn’t
go out to eat, didn’t go to the
movies, we went to the store
maybe every couple of weeks,
and we stayed home and
worked. We raised our own
beef, bought pigs and chick-
ens from our neighbors, had a
huge garden, and canned. The
biggest difference between 13% increase in retail meats. yards and feedlots do a super large meat processors. Per-
then and our situation this This discrepancy could be ex- job of price discovery, but the haps more marketing options
spring was we had a “party plained because the packers entire industry is subject to could help producers gener-
line” so kids didn’t use phones had to shut down, the feedlots a few large beef processors ate more income.
hardly at all and our social couldn’t market their cattle, and retailers. Perhaps a little Adapt and change. It’s the
event was every Sunday. We and the backlog of fat cattle diversification would give us story of life and it’s how we
went to church and then my created reduced demand for more options and get us out evolve.
entire extended family (about feeders and a reduced supply from under the thumb of the
60-70 people) went to our of beef because they could not
local park for a carry-in din- get processed so a “meat short-
ner and to catch up. It was a age” resulted. Beef rushed off Genetically Yours
great way to grow up. the shelves and beef prices at
I have often thought of the retailer increased. This
Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020aturday, Oct. 3, 2020
how much I miss those days incredibly unusual situation S
but, after this spring I’m not created a platform for the in-
1
so sure! I enjoy my social in- dustry to reexamine the sup- 11 a.m. • Springfield, Mo.1 a.m. • Springfield, Mo.
Sale Location: William H Darr
Sale Location: William H Darr
25 Service Age Bulls5 Service Age Bulls
teractions; I missed my kids, ply chain. Four major packers Agriculture Center, Springfield, MO 2
Agriculture Center, Springfield, MO
12 Elite Herd Bull Prospects
mom, friends, working on control the harvest and distri- 12 Elite Herd Bull Prospects
18 Bred Heifers
18 Bred Heifers
farms, going to meetings. As bution of beef putting the rest 15 Fall Calving Cows
15 Fall Calving Cows
the restrictions are lifted, of the industry in a perilous 32 Spring Cow-Heifer Calf Pairs
32 Spring Cow-Heifer Calf Pairs
our methods of interactions situation. Congress is inves-
are changing; masks, six feet tigating so perhaps it’s possi-
separation, no big crowds, ble the industry will see real
no handshakes, no hugs, etc. change.
Whether we want to or not, I have seen already some LL BW 3.1 M&G 59
LJR MSU 23DJR MSU 23DJR MSU 23D
GNARLY 212G
some of these changes will change in beef production GNARLY 212G WW 67 FAT 0.053
GNARLY 212G
A complete outcross for most

be around for a while and we and marketing in Kentucky. that we believe has an exciting YW 104 REA 0.29
any bloodline. An exciting bull

will adapt, and the world will Responding to an increased future. Grandmother and great MM 25 MARB -0.03
grandmother are Dam of

change. demand from the market, Distinctions. Generations deep BW 1.7 M&G 47
of LJR breeding.

LJR MSUJR MSU
L
The COVID pandemic cre- customers have been request- WILLA 433C WW 58 FAT 0.023
WILLA 433C
86
ated quite an issue in the ing locally produced beef and YW 18 REA 0.28
MM
MARB -0.07
beef industry. This spring, we more producers are selling An incredible daughter of LJR MSU 10W Ambush 206A, with a
should have seen feeder cattle freezer beef than ever. But, heifer calf by LJR MSU X51 Bosch 371B. Bred to KR QR
Endure 18072.
prices rise and the return of again, we are having issues
some profitability to cow-calf with supply chain because we See this catalog online at www.reedent.com
operations. Our industry was just don’t have enough small, Sale Managed by:
35
at the bottom of the cattle local meat processors to han- LJR MSU BW 0.3 M&G 0.033
WW
FAT
54
cycle and feeder cattle prices dle the sharp increases in de- WILLOW 164B YW 76 REA 0.04 Jim and Linda Reed • P.O. Box 126
Green Ridge, MO 65332
660-527-3507 • Fax 660-527-3379
should have begun their cycli- mand. I can’t help but think MM 8 MARB -0.07 reedent@iland.net • www.reedent.com
An outstanding freckle faced daughter of C&L CT FEDERAL
cal climb. But, brother COVID how much stronger our indus- 485T 6Y out of the DOD dam by LJR 023R Whitmore 10W. She
created supply chain issues try would be if we had more has an outstanding heifer calf by NJW 113D 1010 Tough
126F. Bred to KR QR Endure 18072.
and the most unusual situa- marketing options that in- Midwest’s Top Maternal
Program 40 Years
tion we have observed in the cluded locally sourced, locally Continuously Breeding Auctioneer: Eddie Burks
beef industry. Feeder cattle produced, locally processed Quality Performance A G R I C U L T U R E
prices remained low despite a food including beef. Our stock- Polled Herefords