TSCRA Talk

Aljoe says that the grazing principles are the most beneficial management tool in managing forages, lands and grazing landscape. He goes into detail about soil management, forage care, human involvement as well as profitability. Aljoe emphasizes the importance of a holistic approach, it all has to come together. Rest and recovery, while often lumped together, he explains there is a key difference when it comes to grazing. Additionally, Aljoe talks about how to implement regenerative grazing practices on ranches of all sizes.  

Cattlemen and corn grower Wesley Spurlock visits with TSCRA Talk host, Kristen Brown about the interdependence of cattle and corn on each other. Spurlock farms and runs cattle throughout the Texas Panhandle and is a past president of the National Corn Growers Association.    

Spurlock discusses how the growth of feedyards and cattle production increased the need for corn and how that relationship continues to grow, touching on dry distillers grain. He says the two industries are tied so closely together and emphasizes the importance of working together. “Every pound of beef exported out of the U.S. is an amount of corn that is being exported also,” Spurlock says.  

Spurlock discusses a recent study released by the U.S. Meat Export Federation that shared good news for both cattleman and corn growers.  

Compass Ag Solutions’ Bryan Vasseur, chief operating officer, and Garren Bellis, business and risk management consultant, join TSCRA Talk host, Kristen Brown, for a high-level discussion on the cattle market.  

Vasseur starts by explaining the fundamentals that impact and drive the market, going in-depth on seasonals and the cyclical pattern of the markets that create the highs and lows of the year. He discusses similarities and differences between the cash and futures markets.  

Bellis shares about market disrupters including slower changes through drought but also overnight shifts from black swan events. Additionally, they discuss the importance of a risk management plan saying there is a lot to protect but also a lot to gain.  

Scott Williamson, TSCRA Executive Director of law enforcement and theft prevention, joins TSCRA Talk host, Kristen Brown, to discuss a prevalent issue on the rise – fraud. Williamson discusses how utilizing the internet, while convenient, opens the door for misrepresentation of the items such as cattle, horses or hay. 

Williamson emphasizes the importance of utilize credible sources to locate commodities which could be a trusted website that specializes in selling the item or find a reference that you know and trust to inspect the item prior to purchase.  

Additionally, he mentions phishing schemes and says if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. He shares other tips to keep your animals and property secure as well as remembering the ‘neighborhood watch’ mentality. 

Tucker Brown, NCBA 2022 Beef Advocate of the Year, joins TSCRA Talk host, Kristen Brown, to share about his social media platforms. A sixth-generation rancher, Brown has more than 176,000 followers on Tik Toc and 52,000 plus on Instagram and received a combine 5-6 million views per month on average. 

Brown shares how the R.A. Brown Ranch in Throckmorton, Texas has historically hosted student tours throughout the year; however, during the 2020 COVID pandemic when the students were not traveling they decided to get creative and connect in a new way. He found that through creating entertaining videos and posts about the every-day life on the ranch he has been able to build trust with a large audience. “Edu-tainment” is a phrase that Brown said is his goal – to entertain while also providing factual information. 

Additionally, Brown talks about questions he receives and how he handles the critics. 

Attorney Jim Bradbury joins TSCRA Talk host, Kristen Brown, to discuss the importance of ranching operations being set up as a separate legal entity, diving specifically into limited liability companies. 
Bradbury comments on the advantages including liability protection and ease of use. He encourages the listeners to take their business seriously by taking the time to set up the LLC and being diligent in maintaining the paperwork, especially when there are partnerships. 
Additionally, Bradbury offers suggestions of points to consider and have written down prior to meeting with an attorney to save time, which in turn saves money, including the proposed owners/members and a list of assets.

Will Durrett, rancher and Superior Livestock rep, joins TSCRA Talk host, Kristen Brown, to discuss value-added opportunities for ranchers to maximize profits.

Durrett shares insight on value-added opportunities starting with a comprehensive vaccination program, backgrounding calves and being BQA certified. Additionally, heal so discusses producer-verified programs and, going a bit deeper, programs that require a third-party audit.

Miranda Skaggs of Bryan, Texas and Emmie Bertoni of Yoakum, Texas join TSCRA Talk host, Kristen Brown, to share about their experience this past summer at the inaugural Cattle Raisers Roundup. 

The group of – 15 youth from across the state of Texas spent five days touring all aspects of the cattle industry including TCU Ranch Management, R.A. Brown Ranch, Texas Tech University Red Raider Meats, H-E-B, Lubbock Impact, Caviness Packers, Bar G Feedyard, Wrangler Feedyard, Timber Creek Veterinarian Hospital, Snack Pak 4 Kids, WTAMU Caviness Meat Lab, T-Bar Ranch, and Tarleton State University. 

Skaggs and Bertoni share about their favorite parts and most memorable experiences from the week. Additionally, each participant drew a speech topic and gathered information throughout the week and gave a presentation to close out the Roundup. Skaggs and Bertoni were selected to each receive a $1,000 scholarship as the top two presentations. 

In episode 34 of TSCRA Talk, host Kristen Brown visits with 92 year-old Jimmie Powell of Fort McKavett. Powell shares stories of working cattle horseback from a young age out of necessity during the war. He tells of riding his pony and training horses as he got older. 

Additionally, Powell talks of how ranching has changed over the years and the importance of being involved with agriculture organizations and specifically the legislative aspect. 

Thank you to our sponsor, the Texas Department of Agriculture. 

Chad McNutt, co-founder of Livestock Wx, joins TSCRA Talk host, Kristen Brown, for a high-level discussion on drought.  A biologist by trade, McNutt has experience working for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and a livestock background to provide cattle raisers valuable insight on the situation. McNutt shares the duration of a drought is key as it impacts grass production, soil moisture and tank levels.  

He offers comments on the current situation in Texas, with a dry spring and summer, reinforcing the drought. According to McNutt, trend of summer temperatures across the country getting hotter, which causes a drought to intensify quickly when there is a deficit of precipitation. 

Additionally, he says livestock producers should keep in mind that dry conditions are always  operating somewhere, and regardless of duration, they all have different impacts to factor in when managing a ranch. 

A special thank you to our sponsor - the Texas Department of Agriculture.