The hosts welcome Rob Spencer from Blackrose Angus Ranch in Culbertson, NE to discuss the often-intimidating concept of vertical integration. They explore its impact and what it means for industries, specifically in the context of the cattle industry with contract and ownership integration. Rob shares his personal experience with vertical integration in the pork industry and how it affected his operation. Listen in to gain a better understanding of what vertical integration looks like in various industries and what the future of the cattle industry may hold.

Mentioned in this Episode:

ShadyBrookAngusFarm.com

InsureMyBull.com

MontanaRanchAngus.com

Legacy Farms

Facebook @AngusUnderground

Instagram @AngusUnderground

Blackrose Angus Ranch

Contact [email protected] or call (406) 210-1366 if you are interested in becoming a sponsor for Angus Underground.

Quotes:

• “We’ve come a long way in this breed because I don’t think I could tolerate the frustration that he (dad) dealt with at that time.” — Rob
• “I judge a lot of people that I want to deal with by their breeding philosophy. I think that’s very important.” — Rob
• “I think part of my philosophy is that I set my bar very high for my cows. The cows are the most important thing that I do.” — Rob
• “We’ve had these multi-generational relationships with ranchers who are in our local to regional area. That plays very much into where I think this is going and how one should set themselves up to succeed.” — David
• “There’s nothing like the independent producer to keep us resilient through our diversity of thought or diversity of production.” — Joe

Learn more about our sponsor, Montana Ranch, by visiting MontanaRanchAngus.com.

In this episode, the hosts outline the gene editing debate lying before the Angus Board of Directors. After explaining the issue at hand and the nuances of the relationship of gene editing to genetically modified organisms, they explore the benefits and the myriad of potential unintended consequences. From advancing herd health to the fear of alienating consumers, David, Joe, Korbin, and Vince leave no stone unturned in this discussion.

Mentioned in this Episode:

ShadyBrookAngusFarm.com

InsureMyBull.com

MontanaRanchAngus.com

Legacy Farms

Facebook @AngusUnderground

Instagram @AngusUnderground

Contact [email protected] or call (406) 210-1366 if you are interested in becoming a sponsor for Angus Underground.

Quotes:

• “This is a very, very difficult issue. And it’s one that really requires a lot of insight and thought from the membership.” 
• “If we let these gene edits in, this will be a game changer. Game changer.”
• “Gene editing in its simplest form is basically the addition, subtraction or replacement of genes.”
• “If the genetic material is an alphabet, we’re still eating the same alphabet, we just rearranged the letters.”

Learn more about our sponsor, Montana Ranch, by visiting MontanaRanchAngus.com.

David, Joe, and Korbin visit with good friend, rock star, and master breeder, Bud Koupal, owner of Koupal's B&B Angus, Dante, SD. During their conversation, Bud shared his personal background and his journey in the industry, from naming a show heifer after a crush to running a successful family operation. Bud also delved into the secrets behind Koupal's long-term success as a family-owned business, as well as his breeding philosophies and the noteworthy cow families he has developed. The group also discussed the importance of maintaining a customer list, managing in-house expenses, and creating an event-like experience for customers.

Mentioned in this Episode:

ShadyBrookAngusFarm.com

GeneBrokers.com

UpchurchBrothers.com

MontanaRanchAngus.com

Koupal’s B&B Angus

Facebook @AngusUnderground

Instagram @AngusUnderground

Contact [email protected] or call (406) 210-1366 if you are interested in becoming a sponsor for Angus Underground.

Quotes:

• “My dad always had a love for Angus cattle and I guess I fell into it with him.” — Bud
• “I don't care if it’s from raising corn or any product you raise, if you always swing for the fence, you strike out a lot. But if you stay in the middle it always seems to come full term.” — Bud
• “I always say there are three or four basic things you need: feet, fertility and good udders, and something with a decent disposition.” — Bud
• “Take that picture like your farm depends on it.” — Bud
• “We have to just stay focused on raising good cattle.” — Bud

Learn more about our sponsor, Montana Ranch, by visiting MontanaRanchAngus.com.

David starts the episode recapping his trip to the Dakotas and shares a few highlights from the ranches and sales he visited. Korbin also jumps in with his own travel stories, including falling in love with a whale of a cow. The crew shares some tractor talk and then gives some listener shout-outs from new and old friends all over the globe. Then, they talk about the importance of having a good relationship with your vet and not believing everything you see on Facebook. The episode ends with some good news for a pup named Strawberry.

Mentioned in this Episode:

VisionAngus.com

ShadyBrookAngusFarm.com

InsureMyBull.com

GeneBrokers.com

UpchurchBrothers.com

JRRanch.net

MontanaRanchAngus.com

Facebook @AngusUnderground

Instagram @AngusUnderground

Contact [email protected] or call (406) 210-1366 if you are interested in becoming a sponsor for Angus Underground.

Quotes:

• “Determine what your goal is, and reverse engineer it.”
• “If you’re a true Angus enthusiast, you have this passion for Angus cattle, there’s a handful of places you need to go and watch your sale, whether you like their cattle or not.”
• “That is what trips my trigger is just good people.”
• “You’re only as good as your network.”

Learn more about our sponsor, Montana Ranch, by visiting MontanaRanchAngus.com.

It’s a great show this week as the crew is joined by guest Tom Brooks from Vaughn, MT. Tom is a herd health expert, financial planner, and author. Tom talks about his background in the cattle industry and gives expert advice on vaccine plans and his thoughts on the new regulations coming out on antibiotics. He shares his perspective on the financial side with how interest rates have changed in the last few years and what’s happening with credit card debt. Tom also gives us a sneak peek into his new book, Paid in Full, out this spring.

Mentioned in this Episode:

GeneBrokers.com

VisionAngus.com

JRRanch.net

Facebook @AngusUnderground

Instagram @AngusUnderground

Contact [email protected] or call 406-210-1366 if you are interested in becoming a sponsor for Angus Underground.

Angus Association

Quotes:

• “Never underestimate the value of a ranch kid.”
• “You can have the best vaccines, the best vaccination schedule in the world. But if you’ve got cowboys giving the shots, doing the pour-ons, that don’t have the specific training, then it means nothing.”
• “If you lose a calf, do not go to the sale and buy a calf and bring it home and graft on the cow that lost the calf.”

Learn more about our sponsor, Montana Ranch, by visiting MontanaRanchAngus.com.

The crew starts by sprinkling some sunshine on all the rain and then touches down on the National Championship Football game before sharing a few highlights of the National Western Stock Show in Denver. Then, they bring on a special guest, master breeder Landi McFarland-Livingston, Owner-Manager of Hoover Angus in Ellston Iowa. Landi discusses Hoover’s selection criteria, her favorite cow family, and advice for women looking to enter the Angus industry. As Hoover approaches their 100th year in the Angus business, Landi gets us excited about Hoover’s big production sale in February.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Stockyardsfestival.com

American Angus Foundation

Foundation Angus Sale of Denver

Facebook @AngusUnderground

Instagram @AngusUnderground

Contact [email protected] or call 406-210-1366 if you are interested in becoming a sponsor for Angus Underground.

National Western Stock Show

Hoover Angus

Quotes:

• “The National Western Stock Show is back. And it’s back with a vengeance.”
• “2023 will be a good year in the cattle business.”
• “I want the bull that the breeder believes in.” — Landi
• “We hardly ever buy a bull without seeing the bull’s mother.” — Landi
• “Angus is second to none in raising and grooming our young people. Now if we can just keep them in the breeding. That's the next thing.” — Landi
• “I am very passionate about the accurate collection and submission of phenotypes.” — Landi

Learn more about our sponsor, Montana Ranch, by visiting MontanaRanchAngus.com.

The guys first start out talking about the National Championship, and the focus moves to calving protocol. Vince Santini weighs in on how he gets prepared, and the group shares their own methods for calving that make things as efficient as possible. They then discuss frame score, and how important it is when selecting sires. Toward the end of the episode, David kicks up a pet peeve on some deceptive and dishonest advertising practices that are leading good honest breeders down a not-so-great path.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Stockyardsfestival.com

American Angus Foundation

Foundation Angus Sale of Denver

Facebook @AngusUnderground

Instagram @AngusUnderground

Contact [email protected] or call 406-210-1366 if you are interested in becoming a sponsor for Angus Underground.

Angus Association

Quotes:

• “For the most part, you guys have to let these cows get out there and have their calf because they are gonna do it.”
• “What I found was that the most effective means to prevent scours was managing those cows and calves. Once a calf is born, keep those pairs moving. Don't leave them in one spot.”
• “I don't care what people breed. It's a big world. It's diverse, and we need that diversity. But it's just what's being said about these animals.”

Learn more about our sponsor, Montana Ranch, by visiting MontanaRanchAngus.com.

David, Joe and Korbin kick off the week discussing how they survived the coldest Christmas on record and remind listeners about the importance of reaching out to the board to effect real change, rather than just complaining on the internet. They then turn their attention to the great lineup of guests on today’s show, each with insights into the upcoming National Western Stock Show in Denver CO.

They first welcome Brenton Lonker of Lonker Cattle Company for a conversation about the history and the future of industry events, including details about the upcoming Stockyards Beef Festival. They then turn to Matt McFarlane and Dave Mullins from the sales management team for the Foundation Angus Sale of Denver, who share their history and all that Denver means to them. They also touch on the environment of Denver and how the experience has been enhanced for both exhibitors and visitors. Finally, they wrap up the conversation with Jaclyn Boester from the American Angus Foundation about their support of Angus endeavors in research and youth through Angus Foundation in both Denver and the Cattlemans Congress.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Stockyardsfestival.com

American Angus Foundation

Foundation Angus Sale of Denver

Facebook @AngusUnderground

Instagram @AngusUnderground

Contact [email protected] or call 406-210-1366 if you are interested in becoming a sponsor for Angus Underground.

Angus Association

Quotes:

• “Our industry is steeped in tradition, but we’re entering into a rapidly-changing environment and we need a fresh perspective.”
• I’ve seen entire programs built around what they did in the yards.”
• “This festival is a labor of love for us.”
• “The yards have always been a real special place for me because so much commercial business gets done there.”
• “There is something here for everybody, no matter what your program goals are.”

Learn more about our sponsor, Montana Ranch, by visiting MontanaRanchAngus.com.

The guys are back (minus Korbin), and are very concerned about his absence. Vince recalls last seeing Korbin attempting to tear down the goalpost after the TCU game. Vince discusses the nuances of good pasta and laments about eating too much Thanksgiving dinner. Then, the crew welcomes Chuck Grove, the President and Chairman of the Angus Association’s Board of Directors, to discuss his short list of emerging issues facing membership, the continuation of breed improvement, and the formation of a committee tasked with reviewing the rule governing excess white hide on Angus cattle.

To help get us in the holiday spirit, we also hear from Greg Dotson of Kentucky, who raised more than $70,000 for farmers affected by the tornadoes with his Christmas Charity Raffle.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Montana Ranch

Rafter 5M Land & Cattle

Bruin Ranch

Facebook @AngusUnderground

Instagram @AngusUnderground

Contact [email protected] or call 406-210-1366 if you are interested in becoming a sponsor for Angus Underground.

Angus Association

Greg Dotson Facebook

Greg Dotson — Local Farmer Helping Western Kentuckians

https://www.lex18.com/news/covering-kentucky/raising-cattle-money-local-farmer-helping-western-kentuckians

Quotes:

• “All livestock will eventually become deadstock. You do everything in your power to keep them alive and give them the best existence possible, and what do they do to repay you? They die.”
• “We just need to think about what it is we want to accomplish and who we want to help and roll up our sleeves to just do it.”
• “A breed standard for type is important. Otherwise, you don’t have a breed.”
• “If you’re not gonna do it right, don’t do it.” — Greg

Learn more about our sponsor, Montana Ranch, by visiting MontanaRanchAngus.com.

The crew first talks about the working dogs over at Ian’s Eaglehawk Angus in Australia, and then dream about what they would do if they won big on the lotto. Then, they discuss the reality of the cattle business, college football, and Joe's genetic hoarding. To wrap up the episode and get into the Thanksgiving spirit, everyone takes a moment to give gratitude for a few of the many things they are thankful for.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Montana Ranch

Rafter 5M Land & Cattle

Bruin Ranch

Facebook @AngusUnderground

Instagram @AngusUnderground

Contact [email protected] or call 406-210-1366 if you are interested in becoming a sponsor for Angus Underground.

ShadyBrookAngusFarm.com

Quotes:

• “Why are we trying to choke each other? We should all be rowing in the same direction.”
• “When we see these random acts of kindness, that’s what restores my faith in humanity.”
• “We do a good job of listening but we do a poor job of hearing our consumers.”
• “I think that’s hearing the consumer of beef, and hearing the consumer of Angus genetics.”
• “Get involved in your community groups. Get involved in your Farm Bureaus if you think you have something you can contribute or a different voice.”
• “I think we need to be optimistic. We’ve got a great industry; we’ve got a great product. But really, we need to get super hyper-focused on who we’re breeding cattle for.”

Learn more about our sponsor, Montana Ranch, by visiting MontanaRanchAngus.com.