← Ranch It Up Radio Show & Podcast
Loading summary
Transcript36 lines
- [00:00]
A
We're gonna meet the other boss lady today. Plus Beef Business Updates Crew. Let's Ranch it Up. Good day everyone and thanks for riding with us on this all new episode of the Ranch it up radio show. I'm Jeff Tigger Earhart.
- [00:20]
B
And I'm Rebecca Wanner, AKA Beck.
- [00:22]
A
A big thank you goes out to our partners for today's episode. The American Galvie Association Farm a Tan by Imogene Ingredients Keller broken heart ranch livestockmarket.com and ranchchannel.com the all new sales series found on ranchchannel.com, sirebuyer, Trans Ova Genetics, Westway Feed Products and this fine radio station, Cow Country News. You know the cow stuff.
- [00:47]
B
Beef prices are climbing faster than almost anything else in the Consumer price index. The broad beef and veal category is up 15% over the past year as of January. Uncooked ground beef has hit a new record record high after posting its biggest jump since June of 2020, according to the new government data released last Friday. That stands out against the rest of the grocery aisle, where price pressures have eased. Chicken prices rose just over 1% in the past year, while milk prices have stayed mostly flat at the wholesale level. The average value of Choice beef in 2025 was up 16% from the previous year, according to the US Department of Agriculture. Even major meat packers like Tyson Foods are feeling the strain, with the company's BE division reporting quarterly losses since early 2024. The surge in beef prices has pushed the White House to respond. President Donald Trump has pledged to increase competition in beef processing and has expanded Argentine beef import quotas in attempt to boost supply. But the situation is more complicated. The US Cattle herd has fallen to its smallest level since the early 1950s. Drought, higher production costs and elevated interest rates have all made raising cattle more expensive. Don Close, a senior animal protein analyst at Terrain Ag, says the cattle industry is cyclical, but this downturn has lasted longer than expected. Right now, ranchers can make more money selling animals young for slaughter than keeping them to rebuild herds. And even if herd expansion started today, it wouldn't reach grocery store shelves until at least 2028, meaning beef prices could stay high for years. And that is a quick snapshot of the current beef business. A quick update on AgriDigm, which many of you have probably seen on social media. Five individuals were federally indicted last week for their roles in an alleged $220 million nationwide fraud scheme involving the online and direct to consumer meat business AgriDigm. The indictment alleges that from January 2021 through December 2023 the five defendants acting through AgriDigm perpetrated a fraud scheme in which they falsely represented to individual cattle purchasers, cattle ranchers and feedlots that agrad funds to purchase specific individual cattle from each victim, raise the cattle, and eventually sell the meat from the same specific individual cattle for a profit. In reality, as the indictment charges, the defendants did not use victim funds as promised and instead used newer cattle purchaser funds to pay AGRA dime operating expenses, pay funds owed by AGRA dime to earlier cattle purchasers, pay personal expenses, and purchase real property. For a complete list of the defendants and their specific charges, head to the Show Notes for this episode@ranchituphow.com the Ranch
- [03:37]
A
Channel Sales Calendar tomorrow, Sunday, February 22nd Chestnut Angus selling 82 yearling Angus bulls including the Denver Pen of three 29 registered bred heifers and three donor cows. That sale will be at the ranch in Pipestone, Minnesota, bidden by online at DV auction. Also starting tomorrow, EF1 Cattle Company's online only sale starts selling 42 year old Line 1 Hereford bulls. Did y' all hear that? Two year old Line 1 Hereford bulls jump online and register at DV auction. That's EF1 Cattle Company. Wednesday, February 25th Grund Beef Genetics presents their Cattleman's Choice Bull Sale at the Ranch in Sharon Springs, Kansas. They're selling 100 Galvie Balancer Red Angus and Sim Angus bulls. That sale will be broadcast live on DV Auction ISA Beefmasters Private Treaty Bull and Heifer Sale is open right now. For bids. Get a hold of Lorenzo Lassiter to view the bulls and a choice group of heifers at the Ranch San Angelo, Texas. The Alabama Select Horse Sale is taking consignments as we speak. This is one of the hottest Ranch arena performance and pleasure sales going on in the South. Check out the consignment forms and the info you need to consign@ranch channel.com plus no pass out fees. That sale is coming up in the middle of March Montgomery, Alabama and I want to make mention on registering to bid online. Do so well in advance of the sale. Many of these online bidding platforms require setting up your account at least 24 hours in advance, but once you are approved for bidding you are good to go to go ahead and bid and buy. Just a little FYI if you haven't used platforms like DV Auction or LiveAG or CCI Live or Superior any of those and there's lots more sales jumping on as we speak literally from across the country. So get all the details the catalogs, the videos, bidding and buying information. It's all available at your fingertips@ranch channel.com Time for a quick break and when we come back, the real boss of the outfit. We head to the Dry Creek Ranch. The Ranch it up radio show returns right after this. The Keller Broken Heart Ranch invites cattle producers to come see high performing profit and carcass Focus Simmental and Sim Angus Genetics Thursday, March 5, 1pm at the ranch. The offering includes the industry's highest performing and profitable Simmental and Sim Angus bulls. Go to kbhrsimital.com to view the catalog and the sale will be live cast by DV Auction for Profit Driven Genetics. We'll see you Thursday, March 5th, 1 o' clock Central Time at the Keller Broken Heart Ranch. The best Way to Raise beef Westway feed products increase your forage utilization. They're efficient. They're convenient. For more information, contact a dealer near you by going to westwayfeed.com or calling 800-875-17 the best way to raise beef Westway Feed Products Calf prices are good but want to add another hundred bucks per calf? Here's the solution. Galvian Balancer females at an average maternal weaning weight advantage of 22.7 pounds per calf at a market price of 4.5 dollars a pound on five weight steers with a 22.7 pound weaning weight advantage, that's an additional $102.15 per calf. Galvie and Balancer females they make it work. Hi, I'm Chase Keller. A little about farmer tan products on my operation here I feed farmer tan products year round have for two or three years now and I have not had to treat a single cap for scours.
- [07:26]
C
Haven't lost a cap of scours.
- [07:28]
A
I believe fully in farmer tan products and helping my profitability on my operations. For more information go to pharma10usa.com
- [07:39]
D
crew
- [07:40]
A
this is Jeff Tigger Earhart. Check this out. Coming in 2026 Ranch Channel.com proudly launches the Sale Series. Your inside track to the world of livestock and ranching excellence. From elite bulls, heifers and horses to the land and equipment, products and programs shaping the future of agriculture. We bring you the stories behind the operations, the vision behind the genetics and the focus that can elevate your herd. Whether you're building, expanding or fine tuning your ranch, dive deeper into the innovations and livestock programs changing the game. The Sales series only on ranchchannel.com where smart ranching starts. Cattle Battle welcome back to the Ranch it Up Radio. The Most information packed into a 30 minute program that you can find at your All Things Ranching newscast. And so glad to be hanging out with you. Questions, comments, concerns, criticisms, rants, it doesn't matter. Give us a call or text 707-RANCH20. That's 707-726-2420. Our email is ranchitupshowmail.com and prowling around social media. Ranch it Up Show. Today's breeder feature introduces us to the real boss of the outfit. Now more and more ranches I tour and visit it' the ladies ramroding the outfits making the breeding decisions. For example, Dry Creek Ranch in Amadon, North Dakota. Max and Haley Robison. A perfect partnership focusing around passion for the cattle business with a commitment to raising the best Red Angus bulls and seed stock they can. Haley, thanks for coming on the program. I had the opportunity to spend here a couple weeks ago. I came down to your place, went through the bulls and, and this is what impressed me is you knew every bloodline of every bull. You didn't have to look at your catalog. You knew the notes, you knew the weights. It wasn't just bloodlines, but you knew multiple generations back. You knew information, you knew birth weights. You knew all of this off the top of your head. So here's what I'm curious about, Haley. Is this just the way that you are, or have you kind of developed into this role of you've just kind of taken possession, if you will, of these bulls, of knowing all the information you possibly can?
- [10:09]
E
You know, it's kind of how I've always been. My dad raised cattle and so I grew up doing it and I've always loved doing it. I really got into the registered side of things. I think I was a freshman in college when I bought my first registered cows. And, you know, we've just been growing from there. These are the kind of things I look at almost every day. You know, matings and what we should mate different cows too, and all of that. So it's something I just, I don't know, it sticks in my mind and I can go out to the pasture and probably spot any cow from a long ways away and I could tell you who she is and probably who she's out of. And so it's just something that I enjoy doing. And yeah, so I've just over the years, just gotten to know all the cows and all the genetics really well.
- [10:56]
A
And it's interesting we don't have Max on the phone with us, so it's just you and me. So he doesn't get a chance to rebuttal any of this stuff. Let's just be, let's be honest. You are the boss lady. I mean, end of discussion. You are the boss lady. No, it is really impressive because you knew you had so much information and I was feverishly trying to take notes of the things that you were saying and you were going on of all these, this. It was really impressive of how you knew this information. So I'm just curious, when you say that you bought your first cow in when you were a freshman in college, and obviously you're in the Red Angus seed stock business, why did you pick Red Angus? Was that a breed that you're dad had, maybe commercial cows? Or were you just following the Red Angus? But you absolutely have a love and passion for the breed.
- [11:44]
E
Oh, yes, 100%. And that was what my dad raised growing up. So when I was in high school, my dad gifted me three heifers before he sold out. So I started out, you know, I had those three heifers. I had some good neighbors that I worked for in the summer and they let me run my cows with them over the summer. So I started with the three commercial heifers. And then my freshman year of college, I bought a small group of open replacement heifers and started from there. And then, you know, a couple years later, I bought another small group of some registered cows and so just started building from there and studying genetics a lot and trying to figure out where we wanted to go. And originally we were just thinking, maybe I'll have a few registered cows and raise our own bulls and, you know, we'll run commercial cows. That'll be the primary thing. But it kind of switched directions when I really realized how much I loved the registered side and the seed stock side and all the genetics and everything. And so we just kind of ran with it from there and started growing the registered side.
- [12:47]
A
So it kind of seems that way when a person really digs the numbers. I'm a numbers guy too. So when you dig the numbers and the genomics and, and the, the matings and it's, it's not macro management, it's micromanaging. It's every individual cow kind of has her own profile and you're trying the perfect combination that's just gonna click. It kind of seems natural, doesn't it, that people will just gravitate and move into that direction and say, you know, maybe based on what we're good at and what our interests are, maybe it's just natural. We Gravitate towards the. The registered business and raising bills.
- [13:25]
E
Yeah, it was just a natural fit for us. And you know, Max, it took him a little bit longer to get on board with it. He was.
- [13:33]
A
Oh, how come?
- [13:34]
E
Well, when we got married, you know, he came in and he had some black baldy cows that he was running. And I told him, I'm like, I think we should really push to do the registered side. You know, starting out small and kind of growing everything from scratch. I know it costs more, you know, initially buying the registered cows, but, you know, we could hopefully make more money selling bulls than we would selling steer calves. And, you know, we went through some low years there trying to sell steers for 8, 900 bucks. And so it just seemed like a better option for us with the resources we had and the amount of cows we were able to run right away that we could just be more profitable with our registered stuff than the commercial stuff at that time.
- [14:21]
A
And really you just put your fist down and said, this is what we're gonna do.
- [14:25]
E
Yeah, yeah, don't worry. He's fully into it now and he enjoys it just as much as I. But he will tell you, like when people ask him about, well, what's that cow? Or what's this calf? And he's like, I honestly don't remember. You have to ask my wife.
- [14:40]
A
So I understand where you are at in building your herd. It is kind of gritting your teeth and you're trying to add numbers and many times you're, you're reaching over here, you're trying this genetics, and of course you're building so you can't make a big investment into quantity. So how do you go about procuring those females that you're trying to have in your herd? Because I know you believe this. You and I were talking. You got to have your females, you got to have your foundation, you got to have your basis. And you're trying different things, you're trying different genetics, you're trying this cow, you're trying this combination. So what has to kind of hit all the boxes for you and Max? What are you trying to put together? And I know that's evolving and changing all the time too.
- [15:30]
E
Well, our goal is to produce moderate, easy fleshing type cows, you know, that can still raise solid calves and wean off big weights in the fall. But we don't want that 1500 pound cow, you know, that's just a little bit too big for us in our area. So we've been piecing together groups of cows over the last, you know, 10 years and just trying to build that way, which, you know, all the cows that we buy aren't always going to be the perfect ideal cow for us, but we feel that if we mate them correctly, we can make, you know, the ideal cow for us. So we've been slowly trying to build that way. And then now with this ET Stuff, I think, you know, we're going to be retaining a lot more females through that and using the genetics that, you know, work for us and that have made the females that we like. And so this ET Stuff is really going to help us grow a lot, I feel like, in the next few years.
- [16:26]
A
And I do know from experience, being at your place, your cows are run like a commercial herd. They do not get any pampering. In fact, when we were driving around, Max was in the backseat, you and I, and you were in the front seat, Haley, the boss lady. And Max said, no, no, no, don't drive over there. You'll sink into the bog. And my point is this, is that your cows have to not just survive, but they have to thrive off of very little groceries. I mean, they have to go out there and get it done. They have to be efficient machines because, let's be honest, you just can't afford to have the feed bucket in front of these things all the time.
- [17:00]
E
So we run our cows, obviously they're out on summer grass. And then in the fall, we've got some fall grazing. We've got some corn stalks that we graze over the winter. And, you know, we start. Our heifers will start calving here end of February, and the cows start in March. We usually don't bring the cows home till the, you know, first week of February. Ish. So they're out grazing all winter long. We'll give them some protein, whether that be tubs or, you know, it's been different every year. We're still trying to figure out what the best solution for that is. But we've done some alfalfa hay every once in a while to supplementing that protein. But they've got to be able to maintain condition out on that corn, the corn stalks. And that's been the best way for us to weed through the cows that don't work in our environment. So we found the genetics that don't work. So. And we're finding the genetics that do. And that's what kind of how we've been selecting. So it's been a long process. It takes a while to figure out what works and what doesn't. But that's one thing that, you know, we really push our cows. They've got to be efficient.
- [18:05]
A
So it really is a great combination that works because, you know, Max is busy doing this, you're busy doing that, trying to raise a family. You've been really focused on the micro part of it, if you will. Max maybe focuses a little bit more on the macro operations of the of the outfit. So where do you want to grow? What do you aspire to be? I mean, I've watched you grow over the years. It's been very exciting. You've taken some big steps, chances and risks. Of course you have to do that. So where would you like to go? I mean, you've got to have some goals in mind of this is where we'd like to be. Maybe this is the number of of bulls we'd like to be offering every year. This is maybe the number of registered cows we'd like to be running every year.
- [18:48]
E
2025 was our second calf crop of some ET cows. So we just kind of started dabbling in the et cetera stuff and we realize, you know, how quickly we can grow our herd with the ET stuff. So, you know, we're able to get some more recent spot this last year and we're going to be putting a lot more embryos in this spring. So we're really going to be trying to push to grow. You know, we're selling like 21 bulls this year. We would like to push that. You know, hopefully next year we'll have over 30 plus and potentially someday be having a production sale. Right now, you know, we're just doing private treaty. We are doing things a little bit different this year with that cowboy style auction at our open house. But the goal is to push so we can be big enough to have that production sale.
- [19:36]
A
Haley Robinson from the Dry Creek Ranch in Amadon, North Dakota. Haley and her husband Max, they are some of the most passionate and committed young people to be in the bull game that I've come across. And you can follow their program, the bulls coming up for sale on March 7. The videos, the catalogs, all of that by heading to ranch channel.com and drycreek ranch. Nd.com Time for a quick break here on the Ranch it Up radio show. When we come back, we've got the numbers and market reports and a whole lot more of the cow stuff, so keep it hard. Ranchchannel.com I'll give you all just a few seconds to head there on your phone. Ranch channel.com go ahead. Ranch channel.com your farm and ranch network on demand bull sales, Western events, product information right at your fingertips on the ultimate cowboy friendly platform. Want to follow up to date markets? We got you all covered. Ranch channel.com no need to dig for information on all those different websites. It's all right there on ranch channel.com y' all are loving it now, aren't you? Welcome to sirebuyer, a place where we connect Cattlemen, the nation's number one destination for buying and selling breeding genetics in dep and upbeat news on your favorite sires. Sire Byer features the top Angus bulls across the country. Be sure to sign up to receive your directory by emailing infoirebuyer.com if you're looking for the best place in breeding genetics, you've just found it.
- [21:11]
B
If you're buying or selling cattle, make your first stop. Livestockmarket.com Livestock market features private treaty sales, online auctions and live production sale bidding. You'll also find horses, sheep, goats and hay. Check out the free Livestock Market magazine wherever you pick up Tractor House and download the Livestock Market mobile app today.
- [21:41]
A
Welcome back everyone to the Ranch it up radio show. It is that time in the program we check in with Kirk Donsbach, Stonex Financial Inc. Recap in the markets from the previous week. Maybe give us an idea of what's coming down the pike. So Kirk, what do you got for numbers for us, buddy?
- [21:56]
C
Good morning Tigger, and all your listeners out there. As of Friday, February 13th, March feeder futures closed the week at 365.67 and a half. That's down $2.15 on the week. The CME Peter index was down 75 cents at 373.91. So the cash prices really haven't moved anywhere over the last two weeks. That left the basis at a positive $8.23.5 cents versus March futures. We did have something very interesting. I'm not quite sure what it means just yet, but March led the market lower, so March futures led the market lower against positive cash and against the deferred contracts. That's the first time I've seen that happen in quite a while. April Live cattle closed the week at 240.40. That's up to 75 on the week with cash trading light volume. After the market closed in the north at 245 to 246, the south traded 246 to 249, with many over the tops that were not reported to the USDA. That left the basis versus February futures at a negative $1.92 $0.05. Again. Those cash trades after futures close will change that to a positive number by Tuesday. Choice boxes closed the week down 486 at 364.47. Very concerning development in boxes with those kind of cash prices. The estimated show list is also up 8%. Weekly slaughter was 541,000 head. That's 5,000 head above last week and 21,000 head below the same week last year. Breast weights were up 2 pounds at 895 pounds. That's 18 pounds above the same week last year. Combination left yearly production up 1.9% on the week at 8.6% less than this week last year. I normally don't talk about imports, but I think they're going to become critically important. Fresh beef imports, largely from Brazil, Australia, Mexico and to some degree Argentina were up 8% year over year so far. We definitely need to keep an eye on that with prices this high. Wrap this up. March corn closed week at 431¾. That's up $0.01 on the week. We do have an Outlook forum that will give us our first look at planted acres that's highly washed and rarely traded, so probably won't have a big effect in the market. Corn continues its slow grind higher towards the pre USDA report trading range.
- [24:16]
E
Running Stockers but concerned about a Market Crash hey hey. I'm Shea Warner and I host the casual Cattle Conversations podcast. Doug Ferguson, aka Mr. Cattle Master, was recently on my podcast and shared his advice for profitably managing stocker cattle during volatile markets. Here's a portion of our conversation.
- [24:35]
D
You know, one of the questions I'm getting a lot right now. These prices are high. We know what's coming. There's going to be a crash. What are you going to do then? Calculate return on the gains just like you do any other time. And you know when that market crashes, you just ratchet down. You just keep trading, keep trading. These stalker cattle do not all go up or down at the same rate. You know, flyweights could be up 20. Your eight and nine weights could only be up three. And when the market's crashing, it could be the exact opposite. So those relationships will widen or narrow and being able to interpret that, take advantage of them is a key thing. The other thing to keep in mind about market crashes is when it's crashing, everybody else is freaking out and they don't want to do anything, so they sit on their hands. Makes it a lot easier to buy cattle when I don't have to bid against some other guys.
- [25:26]
E
All right, ready to tune into the full conversation? Check out the casual Cattle Conversations podcast on your favorite podcast players as soon as you're done listening to the Ranch it up radio show.
- [25:37]
A
And now that's going to wrap it up for today. A big thanks goes out to our crew, Hayley Robison with the Dry Creek Ranch, Kirk Donsbach with Stonex Financial Incorporated, Shea Warner with Casual Cattle Conversations and the other boss lady, Rebecca Wanner, AKA Beck.
- [25:52]
B
A big thank you to our partners for today's episode, the American Galva Association Pharma 10 by Imogene Ingredients Keller Broken Heart Ranch, livestockmarket.com, ranch channel.com, the all new sales series found on ranchchannel.com Sirebuyer, Trans Ova Genetics, Westway Feed Products and this fine radio station and crew.
- [26:14]
A
So glad y' all came with us one more time as we ranch it up. Be sure to follow and like us on Facebook at Ranch it up show. Our email is ranchituphowmail.com youm can call and text 24. 7. That phone number is 707-Ranch 20. That's 707-726-2420. Spread the good word and join us again next week where it's always Tigger and Beck approved.
- [26:38]
B
Stay ranchy and Ranch it Up.
- [26:51]
C
Sam.