Ranch Management Instruction Manual
As you open gifts this Christmas, they will probably include a few instruction manuals often, full of ridiculous legal jargon. Those manuals tend to get thrown out with the used wrapping paper and boxes. But what if your ranch came with an instruction manual that was actually useful? I’m not talking about how to fix […]
Read MoreGet Better Before Getting Bigger
Our busy season of conducting Ranching for Profit Schools has just begun. Last week, I had the pleasure of dropping in on the school in Abilene, TX and meeting some outstanding participants. It is always an honor to be trusted enough to be invited to help a business discover a new path forward that will […]
Read MoreCow-Calf Profitability
If you could only show me one number on your ranch that directly correlated to the profitability of your cow-calf operation, what would that number be? If you follow traditional thinking you might assume weaning weight, or price received for your calves. Not it. In fact, those numbers have little correlation to profit. So, what […]
Read MoreGoing Long
You’ve probably heard the expression, “Go big or go home.” But there is another time-tested strategy that has a higher success rate: “Go long.” It wasn’t just water that carved the Grand Canyon, cold temperatures that led to the last ice age, or a smart investing strategy that made Warren Buffett wealthy. In each case […]
Read MoreFall is Planning Time
As fall work wraps up for most in cow country, now is the time to start planning for next year. Here are a few essential pieces of that plan: Gross Margin projections and analysis of key enterprises Overhead projection and analysis Profit target setting and how profit will be used Grazing plan for next year […]
Read MoreCow Depreciation – Don’t Follow a Recipe
There has been quite a bit written about managing cow deprecation over the past few years. In simple terms cow depreciation is the reduction of value of a cow from its height of value until it is sold for salvage. I’m glad this often hidden cost is getting attention and that ranchers now see this […]
Read MoreHealthy Land, Happy Families and Profitable Businesses: Stan Parsons’ Legacy
Hazel Parsons emailed me last Wednesday that her husband, Stan, died earlier that day from Covid-19 related pneumonia. I sat staring at the email, absorbing the news and trying to imagine what my life would have been like had I not met Stan. I first heard of Stan Parsons when I was an undergrad […]
Read MoreImplementing the Drought Plan
A good chunk of cow country is experiencing a dry time. If you are Ranching for Profit you had your drought plan done before spring arrived. That drought plan included key dates with specific actions tied to those dates, it was written down, and shared with others on your team who held you accountable to […]
Read MoreRanching from Scratch
Can’t be done. At least that is what conventional wisdom says. I’d agree that it can’t be done, if you follow the rules of traditional ranching – running cows the way everyone else does and owning everything. If you are willing to break some rules and challenge conventional wisdom maybe you can join the amazing […]
Read MoreSocial Distancing Rancher Style
As the coronavirus pandemic continues, all of us in America are changing many of our habits and routines to try and slow the spread. While social distancing is the norm for many in the ranching profession, we are most certainly adjusting our routines in the coming weeks and perhaps months. In my house, the major […]
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