California cattleman and working cattle dog breeder and trainer, Bill Dale shares how he grew up using dogs on the ranch. Learn how he got started training dogs and how man’s best friend can also be man’s best ranch hand.

The holidays are here, so Lane sat down with Don Rea and Greg Kimmel of The Meat Board, a specialty butcher shop in Fort Worth, Texas, to ask them what the holiday rush is like for a butcher shop. The Meat Board has a store front near the historic stockyards where they sell cuts of beef and lunch specials, and they have ties to their product with Don being a beef producer himself.

Oklahoma sisters and veterans, Erica Boyer and Roxane Mock, give us a glimpse into their lives of being active in the Armed Forces and the beef industry. Erica and Roxane talk about how they balance Beacon Hill Ranch, their military and civilian careers. They open up about the hard things they have seen in service and how this has transferred into their lives as cattle producers.

Animal husbandry can make or break your profitability. Pre-conditioning is a key step in ensuring calves maintain their health during weaning. Joining our conversation today to share their tips on how you can get one step ahead with your calves this fall are Dr. Brett Terhaar, Dr. T. Robin Falkner and Dr. M. Wayne Ayers with Elanco Animal Health.

To learn more about how to maximize calf profitability this fall, talk to your Elanco representative or visit https://farmanimal.elanco.com/us/OneStepAhead

Lane Nordlund talks with Sierra Jepsen, founder of Butcher Solutions, LLC, who is revolutionizing the meat processing industry through accessible meat science education. Discover cutting-edge techniques, industry trends, and best practices to empower processors of all sizes to excel in their craft. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, tune in to stay ahead of the curve and shape the future of meat processing.

Grimmius Cattle Co., a family-run calf-feeding and seedstock operation in Central California, employs nearly 800 people. Austin Flores, Chief Operating Officer, shares how the company grew from 100 to 800 employees and what they prioritize for training opportunities, benefits, and overall company culture. Tune in to hear the challenges he’s faced along the way and how the company acquired skilled, hardworking employees without outsourcing recruitment.

Raising cattle is a business, and nobody knows that better than Pete Bonds and his three daughters. Pete shares what it was like to take over the ranch at 18 and create a prosperous business strategy. Two of his daughters, Missy and April, join to talk about their Non-Hormone Treated Cattle program and raising American Quarter Horses. The family-run Bonds Ranch has evolved and adapted over the years but has always put family first.

Consumers’ trust in the handling and food safety of our products is crucial to furthering the profitability of the U.S. cattle industry. The National Beef Quality Audit, completed every 5 years, is a way to monitor the quality of beef going into grocery stores. When it began in 1991, issues like injection site lesions, foreign objects in the muscle, and animal mobility were prevalent. Today, through producer efforts, these issues have improved. But other challenges have arisen. Consumers want traceability with their food and to know the livestock were handled well. Hear from Dr. Keith Belk and Michaela Clowser on the most recent audit.

NCBA officers Todd Wilkinson, Mark Eisele, and Buck Wehrbein visit with Lane at the annual Summer Business Meeting about the grassroots policy. Whether it’s the Farm Bill, cell-cultured protein products, or grazing regulations, cattlemen and women gathered in San Diego to voice their opinions and help determine how NCBA will address these challenges in the coming year. Like Wilkinson said, “I have never been involved in an organization that has as big of an impact as NCBA does.”

Joined again by Meteorologist Matt Makens, he explains how El Niño is affecting different regions of the country. Extreme weather patterns aren't going away, they're just shifting gears. From flooding this spring to extreme heat waves across the country, what’s next for 2023? This podcast is sponsored by AgRisk Advisors and WSR Insurance.