Progressive Cattleman

The Land Values 2022 Summary report, released Aug. 5 by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), shows agricultural land values increased by $420 an acre over 2021, the largest numerical increase since the survey first began in 1997 and the largest percent increase (12%) since 2006.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced plans for a $670 million state-of-the-art beef processing facility to be built in Amarillo – the only facility in the nation to be owned by cattle producers and operated by beef processing industry veterans.

Published on 01 August 2022 It’s no secret that the ranching lifestyle is hard, and when between volatile cattle prices, the rising cost of living, and other pressures like drought, staying in the black can be a serious challenge without the extra paycheck from a “town job." Progressive Cattle asked readers if they or their spouse have a job off the ranch. Almost 80% answered in the affirmative. Over half of the respondents (52%) said both they and their spouses work off the ranch.

You’ve been there, trying not to make your eyerolls too terribly obvious, as the guy who always, always has to make dang sure everyone knows just how much of a cowboy he is asserts control of the situation.

Drought and pasture conditions have improved from the previous month, but the situation is still very poor compared to last year and previous years. On May 12, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reported that national hay stocks were down 18% on May 1 from the previous year. However, stock levels of hay by state were mixed across the country. States reporting less hay available were down significantly from a year ago, which has fueled higher hay prices in those states.

Climate change is a hot topic around the globe and an area of focus during this year’s Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Symposium in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Ruaraidh Petre, executive director at the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, kicked off the discussion in June with a look at rhetoric versus reality. The rhetoric being the many false messages spread about animal agriculture and the reality, well, that these messages aren’t going away anytime soon.

Progressive Cattle Editor Carrie Veselka Published on 27 July 2022 The debate on cattle market transparency continues to take the spotlight on Capitol Hill, with legislation including the 2022 Cattle Price Transparency Act and the 2022 Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act taking center stage. The House of Representatives recently passed the much-debated Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act, with a vote of 221 to 204.

Rick Machen and Jason Sawyer for Progressive Cattle Published on 26 July 2022 In cow-calf operations, reproductive rate is the foundational productive function of the enterprise. Obviously, if cows do not become pregnant, then no calves are produced for revenue generation the following year. Revenue from culled cows is not a result of production; it is the liquidation of an asset that must be replaced (usually at a higher price), if production is to continue.

Fall calving continues to increase in the U.S. Approximately 30% of the herds in the U.S. are calving in the fall. Depending on where you are in the country, calving could start in late August, mid-October or anywhere in between. That means bulls will need to be turned out with the cows 60 to 80 days after the start of calving season (late fall to early winter). Bulls in fall-calving herds may need slightly different management than bulls for spring calvers.