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Tam

Ben, Sorry if I missed it, but do you have someone come to the farm and do your slaughtering? Where does it hang? Who cuts it and wraps it?


Have had several inquiries on freezer beef lately. The closest harvest facility is several miles away. State Laws here make it impossible to sell packaged beef.
Just curious.
 
Ben I think what your doing is a great way for a producer to capitalize on their advantages. Wether it is you and RobertMac with a freezer trade, Randy with his Celtic group or USBP producers taking advantage of what opportunity arises. However that does not work for everyone. I agree that we should investigate what will improve our bottom line.
Now you reduced your inventory by three this week but Soapweed has been increasing his by 30 a day. Have you reduced total tonnage of beef in the USA with your branded program?
 
I have said before everyone should sell a few of their cattle as retail beef just for the experience of it.

A small herd in a populated area has a better chance of selling much of their product. A large herd in an isolated location is impossible for the owner to move much product.

I still have never met anyone that moves their entire calf crop as freezer beef.

We have 1 family here that has 13 brothers many of them involved in a beef trailer that has certian days for certian towns in a 100 mile radius. They have their own processing facility, but still need to use a licenced kill floor. They are doing ok, but if they had to pay wages to all the wives and kids doing stuff, it wouldn't pay. The biggest help is they move holstiens this way and sell the beef type calves to the packers.

I currently have 2&1/2 in frozen storage, but still have many more animals than you Ben. I can't retire on my beef sales yet. $18,000 was my best year in gross sales, that was a lot of work to get.
 
Mike said:
Big Muddy: Have you reduced total tonnage of beef in the USA with your branded program?
Click to expand...

Does that question really deserve an answer? Isn't it obvious? :roll:
Click to expand...

Do we have too much tonnage? Why are you causing all of us so many problems, Ben? We might just have to defrock you.
 
"The only possible way for a farmer or rancher to dramatically increase his or her income is to get out of the commodity business. As stated in the front-page article, the commodity business, by definition, is a breakeven business. {front-page quote...Most farmers and ranchers are in the commodity business. They produce a commodity, haul it to town, and TAKE whatever someone is willing to pay them on that particular day.} Instead of producing and marketing a commodity, you need to produce and market a product. It is best if your customer is the end consumer. This gives you control over your markets and the prices you receive for your product." Kit Pharo

To paraphrase Kit...I quickly get annoyed by ranchers who whine and complain about only receiving $xx.xx for their weaned calves. "If they want to receive the big bucks, they have got to do the work."

There is more than one path to gaining some control over what a rancher receives for his PRODUCT than pasture to plate!
 
Jason said:
I have said before everyone should sell a few of their cattle as retail beef just for the experience of it.

A small herd in a populated area has a better chance of selling much of their product. A large herd in an isolated location is impossible for the owner to move much product.

I still have never met anyone that moves their entire calf crop as freezer beef.

We have 1 family here that has 13 brothers many of them involved in a beef trailer that has certian days for certian towns in a 100 mile radius. They have their own processing facility, but still need to use a licenced kill floor. They are doing ok, but if they had to pay wages to all the wives and kids doing stuff, it wouldn't pay. The biggest help is they move holstiens this way and sell the beef type calves to the packers.

I currently have 2&1/2 in frozen storage, but still have many more animals than you Ben. I can't retire on my beef sales yet. $18,000 was my best year in gross sales, that was a lot of work to get.
Click to expand...

Exact reason I asked how many cattle Ben had. One might be able to get rid of a small herd in a populated area by developing a Niche market but will his niche marketing of beef work for isolated Large producers? I doubt it would even work well if there is a large amount of ranchers working the same area selling the same niche market beef.
 
Tam said:
Jason said:
I have said before everyone should sell a few of their cattle as retail beef just for the experience of it.

A small herd in a populated area has a better chance of selling much of their product. A large herd in an isolated location is impossible for the owner to move much product.

I still have never met anyone that moves their entire calf crop as freezer beef.

We have 1 family here that has 13 brothers many of them involved in a beef trailer that has certian days for certian towns in a 100 mile radius. They have their own processing facility, but still need to use a licenced kill floor. They are doing ok, but if they had to pay wages to all the wives and kids doing stuff, it wouldn't pay. The biggest help is they move holstiens this way and sell the beef type calves to the packers.

I currently have 2&1/2 in frozen storage, but still have many more animals than you Ben. I can't retire on my beef sales yet. $18,000 was my best year in gross sales, that was a lot of work to get.
Click to expand...

Exact reason I asked how many cattle Ben had. One might be able to get rid of a small herd in a populated area by developing a Niche market but will his niche marketing of beef work for isolated Large producers? I doubt it would even work well if there is a large amount of ranchers working the same area selling the same niche market beef.
Click to expand...

Jason and Tam, do you believe that all of the producers that are involved with USPB, are small producers in a populated area. NO! they are not, some of them are large producers in isolated areas, and it is not impossible for them to move all of their product.

Ben Roberts
 
Jason and Tam are typical of NCBA/CCA sheep...they're brain-washed into believing that their only job is to raise a weaned calf and then let the "experts" take over. What they fail to grasp is that the pork and poultry industry are the "experts" largely in charge of promoting and selling OUR PRODUCT, BEEF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was this attitude that had these organizations lay down while these processors took control of the avenues for producers to reach our consumers...and thereby controlling the market! We are sitting in the middle of the largest beef consuming market in the world, yet the major topic here and in the industry is exports...increase USA per capita consumption by 2 pounds and we won't have the beef to export and the demand for live cattle will be through the roof.
 
Ben Roberts said:
Tam said:
Jason said:
I have said before everyone should sell a few of their cattle as retail beef just for the experience of it.

A small herd in a populated area has a better chance of selling much of their product. A large herd in an isolated location is impossible for the owner to move much product.

I still have never met anyone that moves their entire calf crop as freezer beef.

We have 1 family here that has 13 brothers many of them involved in a beef trailer that has certian days for certian towns in a 100 mile radius. They have their own processing facility, but still need to use a licenced kill floor. They are doing ok, but if they had to pay wages to all the wives and kids doing stuff, it wouldn't pay. The biggest help is they move holstiens this way and sell the beef type calves to the packers.

I currently have 2&1/2 in frozen storage, but still have many more animals than you Ben. I can't retire on my beef sales yet. $18,000 was my best year in gross sales, that was a lot of work to get.
Click to expand...

Exact reason I asked how many cattle Ben had. One might be able to get rid of a small herd in a populated area by developing a Niche market but will his niche marketing of beef work for isolated Large producers? I doubt it would even work well if there is a large amount of ranchers working the same area selling the same niche market beef.
Click to expand...

Jason and Tam, do you believe that all of the producers that are involved with USPB, are small producers in a populated area. NO! they are not, some of them are large producers in isolated areas, and it is not impossible for them to move all of their product.

Ben Roberts
Click to expand...


Ben do you think some of the R-CALVED on here would like to to know that USPB was scourcing some Canadian cattle.
I don't think anyone including Tam thinks it's a bad idea for some one to sell beef any way possible . Farmers markets , freezer trade or branded programs. The thing is you have to find a way that fits You and you have to be comfortable doing it. I know people that opened a meat sho to sell some of what they produced in their feedlot. They switched from selling their own beef to buying what was selling from a smaller packer because they couldn't market a whole animal profitably due to seasonal demands for different cuts. I have friends that sell a natural product great if they can keep it up. it's been a struggle but what hasn't been in the cattle business.
I know you have supported opening the border but issues get confused on this site.and feelings get dragged from one topic to another. I know Randy doesn't like me because of Big C but I support his idea of his branded program and wish him the best. I don't belittle anybody that sells beef . Any leagal was of moving any amount of product is good news. But I think you and I agree that working together for soulutions is the best for the industry.
 
If I didn't believe in selling freezer beef, why would I still be doing it?

I make a whopping $50 more per head selling it retail, but I also get to have the best beef in my own freezer. Often I will sell packages and take the left overs from that animal for myself.

At the same time I have doubled the size of my cowherd.

Tell me again where my income is mainly from?

FYI Robert, I haven't sold a fresh weaned calf in many years. I always add value to them first.

If a local plant were to have a solid business plan I would be very interested in joining. The problem has been it always is give us $5000 and we'll see how far we can push it.

When some of the local proposed plants were asked for business plans, that deer in the headlights look said they didn't have one.
 
To add to that point Jason, who remembers the article in Canadian Cattleman Magazine a few years ago in the midst of BSE chaos, that listed dozens of "proposed plants" across Canada. Since that time, how many of those plants have been built?
 
Mike I do both, USDA inspected and custom beef. The USDA beef is slaughtered, aged, and cut & wraped at the USDA plant, the custom beef, I slaughter it here on the farm, then take to our local locker plant for aging and cut & wrap.

BMR BMR, it will work for everyone, everyone has to work together.
You ask, have I reduced total tonnage of beef in the USA (a little) and if you would put all of the beef that other producers are selling the same way I am across this country and yours, then I would say (a lot). BMR, who controls the cattle industry, the proudcers do, until a truck backs up to their loading chute, thats when we lose control of our industry, it makes no difference if those are calves, yearling, fats or cull cows and bulls, thats when we give up our industry. Who ownes and controls the pork and poultry in the world? the processers do. The producers, control the cattle industry, but who controls the producers?

Jason Are you sure you are going to be able to retire, from selling commodity beef, and bulls? I remember in the 1960s when land values fell, the farmers and ranchers net worth was cut overnight and the banks sold many of them out, because they sold their crops in the commodity market, what is going to happen to you and your neighbors, when that happens again? Will the banks sell you out? I've heard enough of, we have sold the highest price cattle ever recorded in 2005 and 2006, with the same packer concentration now, as there has always been, that is true, I also paid the highest prices ever recorded in 2005 and 2006 for farm and ranch supplies, diesel fuel, gasoline, insurance, utilities etc. etc. Now that cattle prices are going down, are my expenses, NO!

Mike No I don't believe it really deserve an answer, I answered it for those that can't or won't see the bigger picture.

Sandhusker No we don't have too much tonnage of beef (YET). On the back cover of my book I quote Philip Danforth Armour, the founder of the Armour meat packing empire, "It is but a question of time when the Argentine Republic will prove a formidable competitor to American beef in forgen countries and probably in this". When that takes place (and it will) then I would say to you, (YES) we do have too much tonnage of beef.

RobertMack It's nice to know that some of us are on the same page. I don't sell any commodities, I produce and sell a product.

Best Regards
Ben Roberts
 
RobertMac, your premise that NCBA/CCAmembers are "brainwashed into believing that their only job is to raise a weaned calf ..." is clear indication you definitely do not understand or know much about NCBA!!!!

The educational sessions at NCBA meetings have, for many, many years, been focused on cattle producer members considering the consumer as our customer, and beef as our ultimate product, even though raising cattle is our business and our living even if we choose, for whatever reason, not to directly participate beyond the sale barn or the feedlot.

I've heard R-CALF promoters claim they raise cattle, not beef, but never heard it from NCBA members.

NCBA has been at the forefront of promoting producer controlled alliances such as USPB and the MANY other such alliances giving larger cattle producers the ability to join together to market their own product to the retailer or consumer.

The cattle producer in or near larger population areas, whether the few large ranches, or the small operator, often with other sources of income than their cattle, are in an enviable position for successfully processing and marketing their own beef.

Larger producers, dependent upon their cattle for their living and all operating expenses, generally are fully employed managing and operating their ranches and do not have the time necessary to build and operate packing plants and market their beef themselves, leaving that end to hired experts (such asUSPB, Ranchers Rennaisance and others).

MRJ
 
PureCountry said:
To add to that point Jason, who remembers the article in Canadian Cattleman Magazine a few years ago in the midst of BSE chaos, that listed dozens of "proposed plants" across Canada. Since that time, how many of those plants have been built?
Click to expand...

PureCountry, you should have built those plants, when Canada is able to slaughter their supply, then you would not be at the mercy of the USA market. You were getting close, then the border reopened, did you ever think of why? Could it be, the packers don't ever want Canada to be able to slaughter their own supply.

Ben Roberts
 
Ben, "Sandhusker No we don't have too much tonnage of beef (YET). On the back cover of my book I quote Philip Danforth Armour, the founder of the Armour meat packing empire, "It is but a question of time when the Argentine Republic will prove a formidable competitor to American beef in forgen countries and probably in this". When that takes place (and it will) then I would say to you, (YES) we do have too much tonnage of beef"

I agree with you. That is why I think we need COOL and a checkoff that only promotes US beef. We're going to need to convince consumers to buy our and not theirs or we're done.
 
Sandhusker said:
Ben, "Sandhusker No we don't have too much tonnage of beef (YET). On the back cover of my book I quote Philip Danforth Armour, the founder of the Armour meat packing empire, "It is but a question of time when the Argentine Republic will prove a formidable competitor to American beef in forgen countries and probably in this". When that takes place (and it will) then I would say to you, (YES) we do have too much tonnage of beef"

I agree with you. That is why I think we need COOL and a checkoff that only promotes US beef. We're going to need to convince consumers to buy our and not theirs or we're done.
Click to expand...


Sandhusker, why do you still continue, to look at the government for help. They are the same ones, that have made all of these free trade agreements. Do you really believe that Wal Mart customers care if it's our beef or some other countries, I don't. We just need to take back the control of our industry.

Ben Roberts
 
Ben Roberts said:
Sandhusker said:
Ben, "Sandhusker No we don't have too much tonnage of beef (YET). On the back cover of my book I quote Philip Danforth Armour, the founder of the Armour meat packing empire, "It is but a question of time when the Argentine Republic will prove a formidable competitor to American beef in forgen countries and probably in this". When that takes place (and it will) then I would say to you, (YES) we do have too much tonnage of beef"

I agree with you. That is why I think we need COOL and a checkoff that only promotes US beef. We're going to need to convince consumers to buy our and not theirs or we're done.
Click to expand...


Sandhusker, why do you still continue, to look at the government for help. They are the same ones, that have made all of these free trade agreements. Do you really believe that Wal Mart customers care if it's our beef or some other countries, I don't. We just need to take back the control of our industry.

Ben Roberts
Click to expand...

The Walmart shrimp shoppers cared about where their shrimp came from. Why wouldn't they think the same of beef? Organic food is the fastest growing segment of the food industry. Doesn't that tell you something about what people are thinking about food? Heck, look at your own operation. Clearly, price is not always the decider!

I'm not asking the government for any favors. I'm just asking for a little balance. They give the packers free trade, give us COOL. Yin and Yan. Why should we be silent and allow them to put us at a disadvantage? I'm not ashamed to demand a fair deal.
 
Sandhusker said:
Ben Roberts said:
Sandhusker said:
Ben, "Sandhusker No we don't have too much tonnage of beef (YET). On the back cover of my book I quote Philip Danforth Armour, the founder of the Armour meat packing empire, "It is but a question of time when the Argentine Republic will prove a formidable competitor to American beef in forgen countries and probably in this". When that takes place (and it will) then I would say to you, (YES) we do have too much tonnage of beef"

I agree with you. That is why I think we need COOL and a checkoff that only promotes US beef. We're going to need to convince consumers to buy our and not theirs or we're done.
Click to expand...


Sandhusker, why do you still continue, to look at the government for help. They are the same ones, that have made all of these free trade agreements. Do you really believe that Wal Mart customers care if it's our beef or some other countries, I don't. We just need to take back the control of our industry.

Ben Roberts
Click to expand...

The Walmart shrimp shoppers cared about where their shrimp came from. Why wouldn't they think the same of beef? Organic food is the fastest growing segment of the food industry. Doesn't that tell you something about what people are thinking about food? Heck, look at your own operation. Clearly, price is not always the decider!

I'm not asking the government for any favors. I'm just asking for a little balance. They give the packers free trade, give us COOL. Yin and Yan. Why should we be silent and allow them to put us at a disadvantage? I'm not ashamed to demand a fair deal.
Click to expand...

My point, when has the government ever gave the producers a fair deal? The cattle producers have never been silent, and we are still at a disadvantage. Why?

Organic is the fastest growing segment of the food industry, dairy has had the greatest amount of that growth. That growth started from zero though, just a few years ago. I would venture to say that, not very many Wal Mart customers would pay four dollars, for a dozen eggs.

I do fine with my beef, but in this country we slaughter around 700,000 head per week. I'm not on ranchers.net to promote organic or myself, i'm here to point out what I have knowledge of, and the industry that I grew up in.

Ben Roberts
 

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