A Paradigm Shift for Young Cattle
Producers
By
Sam Custer
OSU
Extension Educator Darke County
A
paradigm shift is a change in your way of thinking that doesn't
just happen but is driven by agents of change. Dr. Roy Burris, Beef
Extension
Specialist, University of Kentucky, recently shared that young cattle
producers
will have to deal with these "agents of change" in ways that we could
not have imagined a generation ago. Some of these changes are in the
areas of:
Decreased
use of grain. This is a "game changer". In the
future cattle enterprises will not be able to compete for grain. We
will have
more dependence on forages and by-product feeds. Cattle cannot compete
with
land-lease prices which are being paid by grain farmers and there will
be more
pressure to use grain for the rapidly increasing world population.
Young
producers might want to background cattle on forages and by-products so
that
they can spend less time in feedlots. We will need to select and manage
cattle
so that they can produce acceptable carcasses with less grain.
Public
perception of cattle producers. Animal welfare has become
the "battle cry" for people who oppose animal agriculture. We must
not only continue to produce animals humanely but now we have to show
and
insure the consuming public that we do that. The "anti's" are not the
consuming public. The "anti's" don't eat meat and they are not likely
to change but we can't sit back and watch them destroy animal
agriculture. What
they seem to believe is that all sentient (anything that can sense
pain) beings
are equal to humans. How will you respond when you see yourself as
"animal
caregivers" but your way of life is attacked and vilified? You will
need
to work on this. Those attacks will probably continue.
Dealing
with science. Dr. Roy Burris knows how some folks think
that young farmers are "good ole boys" who like to be outdoors.
Forget that. Good cattle producers will, in the future, have to have an
understanding of science that will go well beyond what you get in high
school.
You will need to have a working knowledge of, not just genetics, but
genomics,
nutrigenomics, etc. These things sound difficult but will help you take
the
guesswork, and some risk, out of cattle production. For example, we can
determine
the genetic make-up of cattle and select/breed for cattle that carry
genes for
desired traits. Or, we might be able to feed and manage cattle to
regulate the
genes that they have. For example, we might be able to "turn on"
genes that control immunity prior to vaccinating and shipping feeder
cattle by
feeding particular forms of nutrients. This would have obvious health
benefits.
But . . . technology is only good if you know how to use it properly.
Take
every opportunity to learn new things.
Financial
management. He would caution young cattle producers not
to plan on mortgaging your parents' farm to get your start. Lending
institutions do not want to have to foreclose on land and homes that
have been
in families for generations. That happened in the 1980's and was a
public
relations nightmare for them. You should be able to present a business
plan and
show that you can cash flow your operation. You have to have a viable
business
plan.
Finally,
you will need to be savvy with new and emerging
technology. Opportunities exist for those who adapt to change but doing
things
the same way as grandpa may signal an early exit from the cattle
business.
There will continue to be good opportunities for young cattlemen in the
future.
You will need to be up for the task.
Want
to start making a difference now? Ohio Beef Ambassador
Applications due December 14. Ohio youth, male and female, ages 16-19
as of
September 1, 2012, are encouraged to participate in the first Ohio Beef
Ambassador contest. Beef Ambassadors advocate for the beef industry by
educating consumers about beef nutrition, food safety and stewardship
practices
of beef farmers. Participants, or their families, do not need to be
actively
involved in the beef industry or belong to the Ohio Cattlemen’s or
Cattlewomen’s
Association to compete in the contest. Applications are due December
14, 2012,
with the contest being held in conjunction with the Ohio Cattlemen’s
Association Annual Meeting, January 26, 2013, in Columbus. During the
contest a
team of Ambassadors will be selected to represent Ohio’s beef industry.
Once
they are trained through the Masters of Beef Advocacy program, the
Ambassadors
will attend beef promotion events such as the Ohio Dietetics
Conference, Ohio
State Fair and related events. They
will
also be involved in social media applications for the beef industry. For more information and
the application
visit www.ohiocattlewomen.com/youth.html or contact Kathy Sautter, OBAP
Coordinator at 419-492-2576 or email ksautter2@frontier.com.
For
more detailed information, visit the Darke County OSU
Extension web site at http://darke.osu.edu, the OSU Extension Darke
County
Facebook page or contact Sam Custer at 937.548.5215.
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