Ranch Records
Calving season is in full swing across most of cow country and so are ranchers armed with a red book or smart phone app taking notes about birth dates, weights, […]
Read MoreEconomic Analysis
We recently wrapped up our two day Economics Intensive where alumni of the Ranching for Profit School prepared their economic plan for the coming year. For many of us, if […]
Read MoreMoneyball is a Movie About Ranching
The first time I watched the movie Moneyball, I about came out of my chair thinking, “This movie is about ranching”. The correlations are strong and the lessons from the […]
Read MoreSilver Bullet
There isn’t a recipe for a profitable ranch. Not every profitable ranch calves in May and June. Not every profitable ranch has sold all their hay equipment. Not every profitable […]
Read MoreA Strong Gross Margin
If you’re ranching for profit, there is one way to define “a good cow”. She has a strong gross margin. In much of my writing and speaking it might seem […]
Read MoreSuccession Assets vs Management
Succession. When the word succession is used in agriculture circles most think of who gets what and when. Typically when any industry group hosts a panel on succession, they include […]
Read MoreMaybe We Should Keep Those?
Have you ever looked at a group of calves, heifers, cull cows and thought, “Well… maybe we should just keep those?” If you have, you’re not alone. Acting on this […]
Read MoreCan Small Scale Operations be Profitable?
I often hear from people operating on a smaller scale that their limitations of size make it impossible for them to be profitable. “I only run 12 cows and operate […]
Read MoreGoing Backwards Working for Wages
I was having a conversation with a ranch family the other day about doing their own trucking. They haul cattle to corn stalks and back each year, so they hire […]
Read MoreThe Ranch Business Time Bomb
Think of a ranch business you know of, that is no longer in business. Now I want you to think of the underlying cause for that business no longer being […]
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