A new year brings with it new opportunities and challenges for cattle producers. Here are four trends to watch in the first half of 2026, and what they might mean for cattle producers navigating a complex market. 1. Interest rates to drop. The Federal Reserve Banks of Dallas, Kansas City, and Chicago all survey lenders in their regions about feeder cattle loan rates. These rates peaked in the second half of 2023. Livestock loan rates averaged 7.75% in the latest Kansas City data, more than a percentage point less than the high mark of 8.96% in 2023.  Rates should...

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A locally sourced, producer-owned, certified and locally processed beef system seems like a dream for most cattle producers, but there are 17 family farms in the Upper Midwest that have cracked the code. BetterFed Beef partners with multi-generational, family-owned lockers across the Midwest to process and distribute its certified ONYA® beef. A Longtime Dream BetterFed Beef was founded by longtime friends Dr. Tom Peters, a long-time cattle nutritionist in the region, and Max Winders, a businessman in the international agriculture and nutrition space. The pair had always talked about building a business and private label beef line, which Dr. Peters...

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Biosecurity plans. Emergency or disaster plans. Succession plans. It seems like ranches today need a plan for everything—and that’s the prudent thing to do. Add one more plan to that list: how to keep the ranch running in case of a cybersecurity attack. While this may seem far-fetched, it’s really not as far out there as it may seem. A cyber-attack on a rural water supply, local electric cooperative, or food distribution system—even in another country—could impact beef operations here in the U.S.  For example, today’s logistics and agri-food distribution networks are owned by large international companies, so their interests...

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Ionophores are feed additives that improve ruminal efficiency by shifting fermentation toward greater propionate production and reducing energy lost as methane in the rumen. The ionophores monensin (marketed as Rumensin® by Elanco Animal Health and as the FDA-approved generic Monovet® by Huvepharma) and lasalocid (marketed as Bovatec® by Zoetis) are approved for growing cattle on pasture or in confinement and are commonly used in heifer development programs. Multiple studies show that both monensin and lasalocid increase weight gain of growing heifers; however, lasalocid has not been widely studied for reproductive performance. In contrast, there is a large body of research...

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    Cattle and beef markets are poised to continue the path of the past few years in 2026.  Despite turbulence in the fourth quarter of 2025, cattle markets ended the year strong.   Tight cattle supplies, decreased beef production, and strong demand continue to support and elevate cattle and beef prices.  Multi-decade lows in cattle inventories are the driving supply force that underpins cattle markets and the market is focused on the cow-calf sector, which holds the key to cattle supplies going forward.  The rest of the cattle industry above the cow-calf sector will take their cues from cow-calf...

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Charles Parks of Ekalaka, Mont., was announced as the 2025 American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) Commercial Producer of the Year at the 55th Annual National Convention on December 4, 2025, at the Margaritaville Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. Parks runs a ranch in eastern Montana that is home to more than 400 Gelbvieh-influenced mother cows. He exclusively runs Gelbvieh and Balancer® bulls in the operation and raises his own replacement heifers. The cows are expected to work for a living in the rough country southwest of Ekalaka. Feet and leg structure are critical in his bull selection, as well as a combination...

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  Between late-November and mid-December, the USDA was releasing a flurry of data after the government shutdown this fall. Many important reports received most of the headlines (e.g., Cattle on Feed). However, the USDA also updated its Commodity Cost of Production and Return information. The USDA estimates that cow-calf operations brought in [post_excerpt],130 per cow in revenue and incurred 1 in operating expenses in 2024. This revenue figure includes sales of calves, stockers, and cull cattle. Operating costs include expenses for feed, purchased cattle for backgrounding, veterinary services, fuel, equipment repairs, and interest on borrowed funds. The difference between these...

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(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is Part 1 of a two-part series on cybersecurity and agriculture.) There’s a danger lurking that many may not even realize. Cybersecurity threats are a constant pall hanging over the agriculture industry—and our technology-driven lives. These threats become even more of a possibility as hackers become more tech savvy and begin using AI for their nefarious purposes. It’s a topic that the agriculture industry has to take seriously and has to think through how to handle in case the “what if” scenario happens. It may be easy to dismiss cybersecurity threats to the agriculture industry, but the...

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The estimated annual statewide economic impact of the Tyson plant closure in Lexington, Neb. is 3.283 billion dollars, according to a report from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Tyson announced on Nov. 21 that it would be closing its Lexington plant which employs roughly 3,200 people and can slaughter almost 5,000 cattle per day – approximately 4.8% of total daily U.S. beef slaughter. The new report released on Dec. 22 cites both direct and multiplier effects on the Nebraska economy once the beef processing facility closes on Jan. 20, 2026.  Total labor income losses are projected to be 530.431 million dollars...

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Here’s a question that’ll make you think twice: When you picture a leader, who comes to mind? If you’re like most folks, you probably see someone with gray hair, decades of experience, and maybe a weathered face that’s seen it all. But what if I told you that some of the strongest leaders I know are those who are not that far out of college. Leadership isn’t about your birth certificate date, it’s about your willingness to step up when it matters. We’ve got this backwards idea that leadership is like fine wine, it only gets better with age. Sure,...

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