GROW! the Movie

THIS is why I write...because there is a "Growing" movement, slowly, surely, spreading across this great land. The Renaissance of our heritage.  A heritage, though bruised and battered, is healing...there is real hope that the family farm and ranch will rise again!








GROW!
is a documentary profiling a group of young farmers in Georgia


A new 50 minute documentary that captures the energy and independence of a fresh crop of young farmers.

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It's not just 'Old MacDonald' on the farm anymore. All across the U.S. there is a growing movement of educated young people who are leaving the cities to take up an agrarian life. Armed with college degrees, some are unable to find jobs in the current economic slump. Fed up with corporate America and its influence on a broken food system, they aim to solve some of the current system's inequities by growing clean, fair food. Mostly landless, they borrow, rent or manage farmland in order to fulfill their dreams of doing something meaningful with their lives.

GROW! takes a look at this new generation of sustainable farmers through the eyes, hearts and minds of 20 passionate, idealistic and fiercely independent young growers. In the film they speak of both the joys and the challenges involved in tending the land.

Filmed on 12 farms throughout the state of Georgia during an entire growing season, GROW! provides an honest and inspiring look at this next generation of farmers.

Anybody who appreciates the value of good, wholesome food grown close to home, who cares about our food supply and the future of farming will want to see GROW!

CATTLE BARONS - TODAY

PART 2.2 of The Series: A LIVING WAGE FROM COMMERCIAL CATTLE

AUTHOR'S NOTE - All of the premises presented in this series of posts are solely based on personal experience as a livestock producer and strictly as a cattleman (I have a basic understanding of farm commodities markets, but no real experience with such, and cannot speak with much authority from the farm side of things; Though I would think there are going to be some similarities). The information represents my opinion and is based on personal experiences. Any factual information may or may not be referenced, but be aware, the majority of the content is personal conjecture. Dialogue and comment are welcome.

A cattle baron is a man who possesses great power or influence in the activity of herding/caring/selling of cattle. - Unknown

 The Civil War devastated economies in the South and in particular Texas. However, Texas had a distinctly singular and bountiful resource. Millions of longhorn cattle roamed wild across the state. Due to the ravages of the war and the steady stream of immigrants, beef was in heavy but short supply across the nation. To complicate matters further, Texas had plentiful supplies of beef but, no distribution system (railroads)...Kansas (three states and hundreds of miles away) had the rail heads to get the beef to market. 

In the late 1800's, some daring and intrepid cattlemen rounded up longhorns by the millions and herded them north across Texas, Oklahoma, and into Kansas. In doing so they gave rise to two, distinctly American, icons: the Cowboy and the Cattle Drive.

"Driving Cattle circa 1887
(John Grabill)

In less than two decades, following the Civil War, great herds of these longhorn cattle were rounded up and driven north to the rail heads in Kansas. These wild and unpredictable bovines were only worth about a dollar a head in Texas, but upon arrival to the shipping points in Abilene, Dodge City and Wichita, a single longhorn could fetch as much as forty dollars. More than six million longhorns made the three-month trek north. Often referred to as the greatest migration of livestock in the history of the world, cattle drives and the cowboy became living legend. 

Ranch Brands on Marker
 Doan's Crossing, Texas
Learn More

The moving of several thousand wild head of cattle, at one time, over five hundred miles of rugged prairies, encounters with murderous outlaws, and hostile indians brought fame and fortune to a select few. Men such as Charles Goodnight, Oliver Loving, John T. Lytle, the Blocker brothers, and a host of others took enormous financial as well as personal risk (Loving was killed in an Indian attack while leading a cattle drive) to reap the considerable rewards. 


Legendary ranches were born as well. 

The Y.O., XIT, JA, King Ranch, 6666, Waggoner, and Matador Land and Cattle were among the largest providers of cattle at that time (Side Note: With the exception of the Matador, all of the above named are still active cattle ranches today). These men were literally "Barons of the U.S. Cattle Market" and wielded considerable influence in the pricing of beef.

That was then...This is now.  

The open range became fenced pasture land. Cattle are now "driven" to market in eighteen wheelers via a modern highway system. Charles Goodnight, Oliver Loving, the XIT, and 6666 no longer influence the pricing of beef. In fact they are now merely characters and entities of a romantic and colorful past...just "history"as they say.

"Driving Cattle" - Modern Day

Today there are only four "cattle barons". Their decidedly unromantic names are Swift, Cargill, National Beef, and Tyson. These conglomerates are well financed, ruthless buyers of beef "on-the-hoof". Together they control and process 69% of the beef produced in the United States. In doing so, these "Big Four" heavily influence the price of live cattle.

"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways." - President John F. Kennedy

LITTLE KNOWN FACT:

Many of the cattle drives were "staffed" by cowboys between the ages of 15 to 20. There was such a shortage of labor that many of the "cowboys" were actually...cowGIRLS. Many of whom cut their hair and made themselves appear as boys to get a job that was dirty, physically exhausting, and paid about a $1.00 per day. 

To learn more about the considerable influence and heroism of women in the American West visit the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth.  Learn More Here

PART 3: A Living Wage From Commercial Cattle: What Goes Up...

LIFE AT THE "CRAPS TABLE"

PART 2.1 - of The Series: A LIVING WAGE FROM COMMERCIAL CATTLE

AUTHOR'S NOTE - All of the premises presented in this series of posts are solely based on personal experience as a livestock producer and strictly as a cattleman (I have a basic understanding of farm commodities markets, but no real experience with such, and cannot speak with much authority from the farm side of things; Though I would think there are going to be some similarities). The information represents my opinion and is based on personal experiences. Any factual information may or may not be referenced, but be aware, the majority of the content is personal conjecture. Dialogue and comment are welcome.

"When you are ranching and farming, you have to take what the buyer offers." (John Hodges)

Few people are formally trained in the study of economics, but everyone makes economic decisions.
Any attempt by an individual to earn or spend money involves economic decision making. Earning and
spending or buying and selling influence the way our economy functions. It is this economic influence that also makes the cattle market move each day by establishing prices for cattle and putting beef on the consumers’ table.

Economics is also thought to be a mathematical science by many people since economists are
constantly working with numbers trying to predict the outcome of some economic event. Actually, economics is the study of human behavior. Economists try to relate how people will react to changes in supply and demand, to higher or lower interest rates or to increases in the cost of production.

Beef cattle marketing is also a study of human behavior. Cattle prices are determined by how much beef people choose to buy and sell in the market place. If people want to buy more beef than is available in the marketing channel, then the price of beef is bid up rationing the beef among buyers. If producers need to sell more beef than people are willing to buy, then the price of beef will be forced downward to move the excess supply.

Cattle producers often say that to make money in this industry you must buy low and sell high, but that only works when the individual who is selling has some way of influencing the price. Since the overwhelming majority of beef is sold via auction, the price the individual producer receives is thus dictated by commission agents (Buyers) representing the interests of large feedlots and/or beef processors. Which means they will try to buy at the lowest price possible....

We learned (above) that economics is based on human behavior and the supply/demand function of pricing. So, a producer could just hold his/her cattle until demand is high and thus improve the price...simple, right? Uh...no. The cattle being sold today will not be available to the consumer for 6-12 months. The price received today is based on a "best guess" of what consumer demand will be at a future date...which means the "buyer" will hedge the price against unknown factors...thus, no matter what the individual producer does, the selling of cattle in the auction process is nothing more than a "roll of the dice".

PART 2.2: A Living Wage From Commercial Cattle: Cattle Barons - Today

Sometimes, life just seems to make sure you are doing the things that you should be doing...

These past few months have been spent tending to "family"


New postings 
coming SOON!

UNDERSTANDING CATTLE MARKETING

PART 1 of The Series: A LIVING WAGE FROM COMMERCIAL CATTLE

AUTHOR'S NOTE - All of the premises presented in this series of posts are solely based on personal experience as a livestock producer and strictly as a cattleman (I have a basic understanding of farm commodities markets, but no real experience with such, and cannot speak with much authority from the farm side of things; Though I would think there are going to be some similarities). The information represents my opinion and is based on personal experiences. Any factual information may or may not be referenced, but be aware, the majority of the content is personal conjecture. Dialogue and comment are welcome.

 "A cattle auction is a place where honorable men try to swindle each other out of their herd." (an observation from my late Grandfather, who was an agricultural commodities buyer)


 An Introduction to the Various Methods for Selling Cattle

The marketing of livestock in the United States is conducted by a variety of businesses and individuals. The participants range from the order buyer who operates out of the seat of a pickup truck, cattle "buying stations" or "auction barns", and now video auctions that sell cattle via satellite television. The livestock marketing business has changed dramatically from the days when stock producers would send their livestock to a terminal market and totally blind of the price they might receive for their stock. Terminal markets and commission agents are still major players, but they now compete with modern day merchants who use computers, video broadcasts, fax machines, and cellular phones to market livestock. The current participants involved in the wholesale marketing of cattle include such diverse operations as feedlots, auction barns, order buyers, dealers, brokers, and video auction companies.

TERMINAL MARKETS and COMMISSION AGENTS

The term "Terminal Market" comes from the days when cattle were taken to the nearest train stop, or terminal, via trail drives and later by truck. Terminal markets usually provided a large area of livestock pens, also known as stockyards. The large meat packing firms would have buyers present to purchase the "meat on the hoof" and then arrange to ship the animals by train to the packing plants located in large metropolitan areas "back east."

 The use of commission agents dates back to the early days of trail drives when ranchers would send their livestock to an agent located at any of the larger stockyards, such as those located in  Chicago, Kansas City, and Fort Worth. These agents would then be responsible for the care and feeding of the livestock and the selling of them once they reached the yard. The agent was paid a commission, by the cattleman, based on how much the animals brought at market.

The Auction Barn
Livestock are consigned to auctions by ranchers, to be sold by an auctioneer. Because transprtation is a major expense, most often the producer will send their livestock to the nearest auction market. These auction markets are usually individually owned, though a few are owned by large food conglomerates. The owner of the auction receives a commission or a per head fee for selling the livestock in addition to charging for the feed consumed while the livestock are in the auction yard. 

In an auction livestock are typically sold by the pound except in the case of animals being sold strictly for breeding. Breed stock are usually sold by the individual head. For example, a breeding bull may bring as much as $2500 or more, whereas a steer destined for the feedlot is sold by weight "on the hoof". Simply put, a buyer  purchases the animal by the pound.

Sitting in the auction arena are the" buyers". They make their living attending  auction sales throughout the week. They may be order buyers working for  a single rancher or a buying syndicate, or they may be employees of a feedlot or a packing house. Order buyers are very knowledgeable and highly skilled at what they do. They are paid on a commission basis, and are responsible for purchasing hundreds (sometimes thousands) of head of cattle each week.


CUSTOM FEEDERS
A growing trend in the beef business in the last 30 years is the custom feeding of cattle. This means that a rancher contracts to have his cattle placed in a feedlot. He then pays for daily feed and yardage (cost of using the facilities) expenses. He then sells the cattle to a packer when they reach the weight required for processing. This method allows the rancher to retain ownership of the cattle all the way through the feeding phase. The cattle are then sold on the projected grade of the beef as well as on a weight basis. Simply put, the price per pound is determined by the expected quality of the meat.

PRIVATE TREATY SALES 
Some cattle producers like to sell their livestock through private treaty or "in the country," which simply means that buyers come to the ranch or farm to purchase the animals directly from the owner rather than from an auction market. 


SATELLITE VIDEO AUCTIONS
This relatively new tool allows cattlemen to offer their livestock for sale to buyers all over the country through the use satellite television technology. A video of a group of cattle pictures of  a particular

ranch's consignments of livestock are broadcast on the scheduled day, and buyers can view the livestock on their  television, via a broadcast subscription service. While they are viewing the livestock, they can make bids by telephone or internet to purchase cattle through this high tech version of an auction.  


PART 2: A Living Wage From Commercial Cattle
Life at the "Craps Table".

"I taut I taw a Puddy Tat" (Introduction to a New Series of Posts)

Smokey is going "Unplugged"

This blog is tweaking its focus to the food industry, food politics, and sustainable food marketing (though he will still include healthy eating and "buy local" articles as well). In essence, Smokey is going to give his opinions on both "what is right and wrong" with our current food production system. In addition, he will offer his thoughts and ideas for possible solutions.

"In the cattle auction market, it sometimes seems, you have about as much chance of making a living buying and selling cattle as you do surviving a gun fight while holding a knife." (overheard in a discussion between two old ranchers watching their cattle go through the auction ring)


Tweety Bird and Sylvester The Cat are famous cartoon adversaries. In our society they represent the predator (Sylvester) and the prey (Tweety Bird). In real life, the predator will use  cunning and brute force to conquer it's prey. In the Loony Tunes version Tweety represents the underdog. Despite this perceived disadvantage, he consistently reverses their traditional roles by being nimble, thinking ahead, and able to adjust quickly to the situation. Meanwhile the cat is tunnel visioned and slow to adjust. In a sense, this seemingly silly cartoon is a metaphor for the current agricultural commodity system and, perhaps, presents lessons the agricultural community can learn from.

We, as agricultural professionals, ply our trade in a nation founded on and based upon the free market system. But, in its present form the livestock market presents itself as a formidable conundrum within the free market. In the arena of livestock marketing there are two main players. The producer and the buyer. My particular interest lies with a producer with less than 200 head of "mama cows" and how he/she is to survive in the current system as it exists today. My premise is simple, the cattleman is viewed as prey and the buyer as predator. I know, this may seem a little outlandish, after all the current system provides an auction/bid system where every producer has an outlet and equal opportunity to sell their animals. The system though, is set so as to allow the producer no control over the price he/she will receive and really no reliable way of accurately projecting a true profit/loss scenario BEFORE selling the livestock.

In a free market system, a manufacturer offers their "widget" at a wholesale price that They Set. Any adjustments to the price are made by the manufacturer in order to entice the potential buyer and still make a profit (or at least break even). A cattle producer is also a manufacturer...calves, the essential. ingredient to making beef...except he/she does not set their own wholesale price. Instead, they produce the product, with all it's inherent "production costs", and enter into a buying system with no idea on whether they will get those costs back, much less make a profit.

In the coming posts, I will discuss:

•  Who and what a commercial cattle buyer is and how they set their price
•  The economics to the producer and how this affects the consumer
•  Discuss the "SOLE" movement and how it's principles may improve the quality of life for both producers and consumers
• Redirecting "Political dollars" to the community and the sustainable economic impact these dollars would create

In the end, I hope to show why we all must become "Tweety" in order to create a sustainable, healthy, and economically viable food system.

Author's Note: All of the premises presented in this series of posts are solely based on personal experience as a livestock producer and strictly as a cattleman (I have a basic understanding of farm commodities markets, but no real experience with such, and cannot speak with much authority from the farm side of things)(Though I would think there are going to be some similarities). The information represents my opinion and are based on personal experiences. Any factual information will be "backed up" with references when possible, but be aware, the majority of the content is personal conjecture.
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The DEVIL'S ANGELS

WARNING! A Smokey "self indulgent pontification!"
The USDA is a large, unwieldy, bureaucratic, political devil, but,"it's" local public servants can be down right Angels.

I frequently complain about and criticize the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). It is a politicized, bureaucratic, and often serpentine mess. Yes, the Washington based political wonks that manage this behemoth are often nothing short of idiots. But, I would like for us to take a step back, look out the window, far beyond the carpet lined office, and tell you about the oft forgotten men and women who work for the various agencies and departments of the USDA.

You see, once upon a time, the USDA was not only a proponent of the farm, but a valued source for methodology, economics, and stewardship. The "County Agent" was a member of the community, valued for his or her knowledge, ready to provide advice and education on planting, water resource

management, production, conservation or any manner of innumerable subjects. In recent times, they
have faded from the conscious of many. The bureaucratic "red tape", political wheeling, and, to some degree, the USDA's loss of mission has cast a pall that sometimes casts a shadow on these agents. AND too often, they themselves are ignored or forgotten by "the parent".

I recently attended a major national event by the Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI). The theme of the conference was "To heighten awareness of the economic and environmental effects of grazing lands". I went to this event with quite a bit of skepticism because the main sponsors were the various departments of the USDA and from the Department of the Interior (DOI). "Probably a grand propaganda event" I was thinking. Boy was I wrong!

The GLCI event was four action packed days of learning sessions, break out groups, and totally geared toward sustainable livestock management. Most of the speakers were the aforementioned "County Agents" and do they know "their stuff". I came away impressed with not only their scientific knowledge, but also with the depth of their "on the ground" experience. As the old saying goes: "they all had dirty fingernails". There was not a single policy or political wonk to be found. In fact, most of the attendees were equally divided between these government employees and individual ranchers like myself. Everyone, and I mean everyone, in attendance had one goal in mind, sustainability. (Ok, enough of the conference stuff...visit the GLCI site if you want to learn more.)

My real point is as follows. In getting our family ranch re-started I have pestered and cajoled my local USDA agents mercilessly. In every instance, they have responded professionally, timely, and courteously. In fact they have "bent over backwards" to help, provide assistance, or get the information I needed. Representatives of the NRCS, SRM, and ARS have not only provided information, but have personally visited the ranch to inspect and gather information...to help ME. These men and women have taken soil and water samples, surveyed and measured, and provided detailed recommendations. They then call regularly to see how things are going or if I have any new issues. Whenever we have had a success, they were right there celebrating with me and when things haven't gone as planned, they said "let me make some calls and I will get back to you with a possible solution"...and they did. For all of this I have paid...NOTHING!(if you don't count my income taxes):)

I thought I was just lucky that my county had some out of the ordinary USDA folks. The GLCI conference opened my eyes. I quickly learned that no matter where you are from, these "boots on the ground" professionals all have the same mission...to help and serve the individual

So, while I do not trust or respect the USDA as policy friendly toward the "little guy", I do trust my local County Agents. When it comes to actually caring about the success of the local farmer or rancher, these men and women are absolute ANGELS.

More Info:
"HOPE on the RANGE Video
By SRM (Society for Range Management)

Photos courtesy of NRCS
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