SHUT UP and EAT!

Time to Quit Complaining about Our Food and Do Some Healthy, Delicious Eating... Grab a Fork!


Grass Fed Burger Recipe
(From Cindy and Bob in Fort Worth)

Grass Fed burgers with red onions and mushrooms:
For two burgers:
 2 TBSP olive oil
 1/2 sweet red onion, sliced super thin
 1 portobello mushroom 1/4 inch slices
 1/2 cup good red wine ( pinot noir, merlot…you choose)
 ground pepper (lightly)
 Pinch of sea salt ( add after wine or mushrooms)
 
  Heat saute pan, add cool oil, when heated, saute
  onions 2-3 minutes. 

  Add mushrooms, cook additional 2 minutes. Add wine,
  pepper and salt to taste.
  Cook until wine is reduced.

  Ladle over Beef patty, on split grilled Kaiser roll.

 Cowboy Beef and Black Bean Chili. 
(Takes about 2 hours to prepare)

Ingredients:
2 pounds Grass-Fed ground beef
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1-1/2 cups chopped onions
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 medium yellow bell peppers, chopped
1 large jalapeño pepper, seeded, finely chopped
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes, undrained
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chili-seasoned or zesty-style diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (14 ounces) ready-to-serve beef broth
12 ounces dark beer
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 tablespoon honey
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed, drained
Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
Instructions:
1. Brown ground beef in stockpot over medium heat 8 to10 minutes or until beef is no longer pink, breaking up into 3/4-inch crumbles. Remove from stockpot with slotted spoon. Set aside. Pour off drippings.
2. Heat oil in same stockpot over medium heat until hot. Add onions and garlic; cook and stir 3 to 5 minutes or until onions are tender. Add bell peppers and jalapeño; cook and stir 4 to 5 minutes or until peppers are tender.
3. Return beef crumbles to stockpot. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, thyme and red pepper; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, broth, beer, tomato paste and honey; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 45 minutes. Uncover stockpot; continue simmering 30 minutes or until thickened to desired consistency, stirring occasionally. Stir in beans; cook 5 to 10 minutes or until beans are heated through. Season with salt and black pepper, as desired. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.
Makes 8 servings.

TEXAS SALSA MEATLOAF
Ingredients
2 lbs. Grass-fed ground beef
¾ c. Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 egg
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. ground cumin
¾ c. salsa (your preference)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Combine all ingredients by hand, mixing very thoroughly. If mixture seems too dry or crumbly, add more salsa to increase moisture.
Shape mixture into a loaf and place in glass baking pan. There should be no need for a loaf pan here, although you can use one if you’re a strict traditionalist.
Bake for approximately 90 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Allow to rest for 20 minutes before carving.
Glaze (optional)
½ c. catsup
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp. Tabasco (or other hot sauce)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 ½ tbsp. Honey
Mix all ingredients together and baste loaf every 15 minutes after the first 10 minutes of cooking. Serve with extra glaze on the side for dipping and drizzling.

HOPE Y'all Enjoy!
 

MORE RANTING-Coming Soon

Well, here it is, half through June...Will begin posting again within a few days.

These were taken on my phone, so quality is "iffy", but, I think they still get the message across that our world is still full of bright and beautiful moments.

Our newest Calf: "Dokey" ... His first day in this World ... He was a real bright spot for us!

SUNRISE on the Ranch ... Heart Lifting.

A Knuckleball is a Curveball that Doesn't Give A Damn - Bob Ueker

Knuckleballs and a few "hard bending" curves...Life has a way of throwing things at you that make you change your batting stance from time to time...And make you pay attention to what is really needing your attention.

I expect to get back to my writings by June or so.

ICE and HARD FREEZES in CENTRAL TEXAS...

We are still making repairs and catching up from the January and February ice and sub-freezing days. I hope to start posting very soon...

In the meantime, here is another post card from the ranch :)

HAPPY HOUR! 

This is "Blue" a pure bred Brahma Bull who is spending the winter with us. He does enjoy a beer now and then. Just to give you some perspective...I am 6ft 6in tall, Blue is 6ft 1in!

CHAOS in the NEW YEAR

2011 off to a hectic start...will continue posting within a few days...Happy New Year to ALL!!

In the meantime, here is a pic of a "Roses" and her calf "August McCray" (Augie)

"Please...Sir, May we have some more?"

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I'll be back the first week of January...2011!

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".