Ranch It Up Radio Show & Podcast

Episode: Customer Service Is Top Priority At Wulf Cattle
Date: March 22, 2026
Hosts: Jeff “Tigger” Erhardt & Rebecca “BEC” Wanner ("Tigger & BEC")

Overview

This episode centers around two core themes:

1. The challenges and responses of rural America to recent wildfires, labor strikes, and shifting beef markets.
2. The customer-first philosophy and innovative sales practices at Wulf Cattle, with in-depth discussion with guest Casey Fanta, highlighting their unique approach to bull sales and long-term relationships with cattle producers.

Key Discussion Points

1. Nebraska Wildfires & Rural Disaster Relief

• Tigger and BEC open with heartfelt concern over the recent record-breaking wildfires in Nebraska, noting the devastation of over 750,000 acres.
• They share details about emergency response, including Governor Jim Pillen’s proclamation and the activation of the Nebraska Cattlemen Disaster Relief Fund.
• Quote:

  “Mother Nature can be brutal is all I can say.” – BEC (00:58)
  “It is such a scary situation when you get to that point where you just have to start cutting barbed wire fence... minutes turn into seconds.” – Tigger (01:38)

[00:39–02:32] Wildfire Segment

2. U.S. Beef Industry – Strikes, Prices, and Cultural Significance

• BEC reports on the two-week strike at the JBS plant in Colorado, the first such walkout in decades, highlighting the worker’s demands for fair wages and healthcare.
• Discussion of low cattle numbers (75-year low), ongoing high beef prices, and resilient consumer demand despite market pressures.
• The role of beef in American culture is emphasized, with 71% of Americans eating beef weekly, sustaining demand even amid high prices.
• Quote:

  “Beef staying power is not accidental. It is rooted in culture, nutrition, perception and consumer habits.” – BEC (05:33)

[02:32–06:48] Industry News

3. Wulf Cattle’s Customer Service Philosophy

Open House and Online Auction Innovation

• Guest Casey Fanta joins to discuss Wulf Cattle’s open house bull sale format—an innovation born out of COVID that now fosters greater and more meaningful interactions with customers.
• The switch to an exclusive open house + online sale model means buyers can tour cattle in person or purchase remotely, with a strong emphasis on matching genetics to each customer’s needs rather than simply making sales.
• Quote:

  “When guys take the time to come look through our bulls, we’d like to spend time with them and look through them with them and make suggestions. And it’s just worked out really well for us.” – Casey Fanta (10:27)

[07:15–12:45] Wulf Cattle Segment Part 1

Sales & Remote Buying Options

• The ranch offers robust support for site-unseen purchases and tailors service to both newcomers and repeat buyers.
• Proactive communication and customer satisfaction are mandatory—if customers are unhappy, Wulf Cattle seeks to remedy it.
• Quote:

  “We just make sure that you’re happy when you get them.” – Casey Fanta (11:44)

[11:28–12:45] Remote Purchasing

Long-Term Relationships & Mutual Success

• Wulf Cattle’s reputation is built on feedback loops—feeding customers’ calves and providing carcass data to help ensure long-term herd improvement for both parties.
• Quote:

  “Sometimes the reasons are just a little bit selfish because we feed those cattle. So we want, we want success all the way through the chain.” – Casey Fanta (12:45)

• No set buy-back arrangements, but long-standing partnerships are standard; competitive bidding on customer calves is a central business practice.

[12:45–14:12] Relationship Building

Online-Only Auction System

• The sale is entirely online with live auctioneers via Superior Livestock and DV Auction, giving buyers national access and convenience.
• Quote:

  “Once they found out could do all this from the comfort of their own home... they’ve kind of taken a liking to it.” – Casey Fanta (15:11)

[14:12–15:37] Auction Details

Cattle Genetics & Offerings

• Wulf Cattle offers ~300 bulls: Limousin, Lim Flex, and Angus—plus a selection of registered females.
• Focus on muscle, high-dressing percentages, improved marbling, and feed efficiency.
• Quote:

  “Feed efficiency is something that’s very important to us... nobody wants to feed extra feed that they don’t need to.” – Casey Fanta (16:22)

[15:37–16:49] Genetics & Quality

4. Beef Markets Update

• Market analyst Kirk Donsbach summarizes recent market movements: cattle prices declined following the JBS plant strike.
• Weekly slaughter and production figures are provided, along with the impact of beef imports from Brazil and Mexico.
• The plant’s closure is less about sheer capacity, more about shifting leverage to packers over feedlots.
• Quote:

  “It’s not a hooks question. There’s plenty of hooks. It’s a leverage question.” – Kirk Donsbach (22:24)

[19:57–22:48] Market Recap

5. Practical Insights for Producers

• Brief guest appearance from Shea Wanner on Electronic ID (EID) cattle tags, explaining common misconceptions and the reality of their use.
• Key point: EIDs don’t store complete bull histories—primarily premise ID numbers.

[22:48–24:17] Tech & Practical Tools

Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• “Mother Nature can be brutal is all I can say.” — BEC, (00:58)
• “Minutes turn into seconds.” — Tigger, on wildfire evacuations (01:38)
• “Beef staying power is not accidental. It is rooted in culture, nutrition, perception and consumer habits.” — BEC (05:33)
• “When guys take the time to come look through our bulls, we’d like to spend time with them…” — Casey Fanta (10:27)
• “We just make sure that you’re happy when you get them.” — Casey Fanta (11:44)
• “Sometimes the reasons are just a little bit selfish because we feed those cattle. So we want, we want success all the way through the chain.” — Casey Fanta (12:45)
• “It’s not a hooks question. There’s plenty of hooks. It’s a leverage question.” — Kirk Donsbach (22:24)

Important Segments & Timestamps

• [00:39–02:32]: Nebraska wildfire disaster relief
• [02:32–06:48]: JBS strike, beef prices, and cultural context
• [07:15–16:49]: Wulf Cattle open house, customer service philosophy, and bull offerings
• [19:57–22:48]: Market and production numbers (with Kirk Donsbach)
• [22:48–24:17]: EID tags and how they work in producer systems

Conclusion

This episode offers a timely blend of rural community updates, market analysis, and a detailed showcase of Wulf Cattle’s people-first business practices. Through conversations that balance both empathy and expertise, Tigger & BEC demonstrate the connections between weathering adversity, adapting to changing markets, and the importance of genuine, long-term customer relationships in the beef industry.

Listeners are encouraged to check out further in-depth bull genetics conversations at ranchchannel.com and are reminded to stay resilient and connected as part of the working ranch community.