Practically Ranching

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David Kleinschmidt is an Ag Economist by training. This background, coupled with a passion for soil health, holistic management and practical management make him a wealth of knowledge and perspective.
On this episode, we cover a host of topics: Cover Crops, Soil Health, Microbes, GMOs, Chemistry, Biology, Profit over Production, Organic Matter. David used so many terms that I finally got tired of writing them all down in my notes.
And little did I know that my recording software was basically self-destructing the podcast as we spoke. So you'll have to put up with a largely unedited version (see how many times you hear the land-line ring or our 3-year-old in the background) with TERRIBLE sound quality.
But for those willing to put up with the noise, you're in for an interesting conversation about farming, ranching and as David appropriately states, "The Business of Growing Things."

David Kleinschmidt
217-370-3799
 [email protected]  

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Diana Clark and her husband, Dr. Daniel Clark, are the resident meat scientists at the Certified Angus Beef Culinary Center in Wooster, OH. A native of suburban Chicago, Diana attended the University of Illinois where she, under the tutelage of Dr. Tom Carr and other top scientists, received her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Animal and Meat Science.

She works with meat purveyors, distributors and consumers as she advocates and educates about not only high-quality beef, but the high-quality folks who raise and produce it every day.

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Bruce Mershon and his wife, Tracey, own and operate Mershon Cattle, a 2000 cow operation in western Missouri. In addition, they purchase and background 4000 yearlings annually. Bruce spent 30 years in the commodity trading world as he grew his family's cattle business.

Bruce currently serves as President of the Missouri Cattlemen's Association. He and Tracey have both been active leaders in their community and with ag organizations on the state and national levels.

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Don Graham lives in northeast Oklahoma and works with Crossroads Cattle Co.
Don buys and sells tens of thousands of commercial cattle each year throughout the high plains.
His focus is on value-added "program cattle," and he works with feedyards, stocker operators and cow-calf producers.

Crossroads Cattle - Our Team
918-706-8875

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Dr. Ty Lawrence is a Professor of Animal Science and Director of the Beef Carcass Research Center at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, TX.  He was reared on a cow-calf operation north of Dalhart, Texas before pursuing formal education in the animal sciences at West Texas A&M University (B.S. '97, M.S. '99) and Kansas State University (Ph.D. '02).  Dr. Lawrence spent two years with Smithfield Foods in the position of research manager for pork harvest and processing facilities on the eastern seaboard.

Dr. Lawrence spends countless hours consulting with businesses throughout the industry, especially in the packing, feeding and dairy segments.

Dr. Ty Lawrence | WTAMU
[email protected]

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Ryan Arndt is a rancher and a cowboy from the Emporia, KS, area. He and his family own and operate Arndt Farms, a diversified farming and ranching entity that spans portions of several counties in the Flint Hills. They run cows, purchased yearlings for grazing, plus are partners on several feedyards in western Kansas. 
Their no-nonsense, no-frills approach to farming and ranching has served them well for generations, as they have continued to adapt to the times, while expanding their business to include more family members. 
Ryan and his family enjoy youth rodeo and ranch rodeos, plus he serves on several volunteer boards, including the Flint Hills Beef Fest committee.

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Kelli Retallick is President of Angus Genetics, Inc, a subsidiary of the American Angus Association. AGI was established in 2007 to provide services to the beef industry that assist in the genetic evaluation of economically important traits.

In this episode, we start with the basics of Expected Progeny Differences. We then discuss the continued need for phenotypes and measurements, even as genetic evaluations incorporate more genomic information into their calculations and algorithms. We talk about new EPDs coming down the pike for better reproductive efficiency selection tools. We touch on gene editing technology and even get philosophical on whether all this science diminishes the "art" that many still believe should exist in cattle breeding.

This episode may best resonate with those in the seedstock sector, but it's a conversation that should be good for other industry segments, as well, as we strive for the most practical, profitable genetics possible in the beef industry.

Angus Genetics Inc.

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Dr. Larry Corah has served the beef industry in various roles over the past 60 years. His diverse degrees within animal husbandry and science are only eclipsed by the diverse jobs that he has held within the industry. 
Larry has seen many wild swings within the beef industry but has always maintained a steady demeanor and strong desire for knowledge and solutions for producers.
In this episode, we talk about the effect of Beef x Dairy product on our industry, beef demand through the pandemic, increased carcass size challenges, new mid-sized packers and price discovery. 
Like always, Larry is well-versed in just about any beef topic he's thrown, so it's a great conversation.

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Gordon Hibbard owns the Kansas Heartland franchise of the Dale Carnegie Training Course. He formerly led both the Kansas 4H Foundation and the Kansas Farm Bureau, plus has held countless volunteer leadership positions throughout his life.
 
Gordon grew up in my home county, serving as an FFA District officer for SE Kansas in 1971, just 51 years prior to our son Lyle serving in this same capacity. He's always had a knack for communication, interpersonal communication and finding the best in people.
What's more, his lovely wife, Karen also leads the Manhattan (KS) Convention & Visitor's bureau as their longtime Director.

In the podcast, your host incorrectly associated Dale Carnegie with the Carnegie Library system. In fact, Andrew Carnegie, the  19th century steel mogul and philanthropist, was the man who funded thousands of libraries built across the U.S. (and countless other philanthropic endeavors). The two men are not related.
My apologies for the incorrect association.

www.dalecarnegie.com
Book: How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie

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Luke Westerman is a Supervisory District Conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Kansas. He provides consulting, technical assistance and leadership for farmers, ranchers and landowners wishing to best manage the natural resources on their land.
In our conversation, we touch on the formation of the Flint Hills, the woody invasion of the plains and the many functions of this unique ecosystem in Kansas.
We are fortunate to have folks like Luke who look at their government "job" as much more than just a paycheck. Luke is deeply invested in the Flint Hills region and all of its flora and fauna. 
He and his wife, Mindy, are our friends and fellow leaders in our community.  Mindy is our kids' 4H club leader and Luke now serves as our Eureka City Fire Chief (didn't even get time to talk about that on this episode), as well as various other volunteer positions.
So enjoy this discussion about the Flint Hills, how they have persisted through the centuries, and what lessons they can teach us as we go forth.

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