Reflection

       While writing blogs over the past few months, I have learned a few things about being a cow/calf producer. Owing a cow/calf production farm requires one to have knowledge of management tactics and advertising means. 

Part One: What I Have Learned

Looking back on the blogs, I have found that management has been a theme. I wrote a lot about what it is like living on the farm and doing the work that I do. In a few of the blogs I read about some management tips. I watched a video about how to feed cattle. I learned about how cattle need a lot of protein in their diets in order for them to have a strong bone structure to withhold their body weight (Usfraonline). I also learned that you need help if you want to do well in the cattle industry. Two brothers found this out in an article that I read. The Denton brothers started their farm together and knew that they couldn't do it on their own (Stump Denton). This has taught me that asking for help is a necessity and that I can't run my farm on my own. 

While thinking about how to make my farm more known, I looked at some issues of advertising within the cattle industry. I learned about making things flashy and putting gut right words on paper. Matt Lautner uses a lot of bright colors and big bold letter to catch the attention of someone. In one of his flyers, the main point to get the name of a bull, Choppin' Wood, to be noticed. The name is simply placed in the middle of the page in big bold letters where it can be seen (Lautner). Another farm, Hartman Cattle Company, also uses the large letters and pictures idea. The idea of his flyer is to show that there is going to be a semen sale. It is noted at the top and pictures of the bulls are shown to catch everyones attention (Hartman Cattle Company). Now when I think about my own farm, I know that when I advertise for it, there needs to be a lot of color and flashy sayings that get straight to the point, along with pictures that will catch someones eye. 

Part Two: What Will I Do Now?

For my own farm, I now know a lot more about what I need to do to be successful in running a cow/calf operation. Having good management and good advertising under my belt is something that will help me do well with my farm. I know now that I will have to spend a lot of time figuring out who I might need to help me when I start running my family's farm. I will have to know what my limits are with who I hire and I will have to watch my budget carefully. I will also have to focus on the feed that I feed my animals and be sure to use a lot of proteins in the diet. 

I know that I will not make a profit or do well with my farm unless I put my name out there with advertising. Making flyers and posting them all over shows and sales and well as on the internet is a great way for me to advertise for my farm. I will have to make sure that I put the right words, information, and pictures on them to catch people attention and to have them remember my farm. 

After doing all the research for this project and contemplating what I will be doing for my own farm, I know that I really want to do this for the rest of my life. I do have a few question about things.I wonder about what a good size or number of cattle to have is. I'm also curious about certain types of feed to feed the cattle. Hiring people is also something I'm skeptical about and need to find out more about. But I know that i want to keep doing this and I plan on using what I have learned for my own farm. 

Im thankful to be able to do this blogging assignment. It has helped me to look at my field a analyze and learn from it a little more than I have in the past. I enjoyed looking for information about my field and picking it apart. I feel as though I have done a good job in teaching myself about how to blog and things about my field. I did struggle with the actually writing portion since I do not like writing. It was difficult to put down enough words and make the blog interesting. But I pushed through it and made a blog that would be interesting to those that are interested in starting and cow/calf operation. 

Works Cited

Hartman Cattle Company. "Broker Semen Sale." Hartman Cattle Company. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2012. <http://www.hartmancattleco.com/2012/8-28/99424_ContinentalLivestock_BrokerSemenSale_AD.pdf>.

Lautner, Matt. "News From The Road: Choppin Wood Semen Available $25/unit." News From The Road: Choppin Wood Semen Available $25/unit. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2012. <http://mattlautnercattle.blogspot.com/2011/04/choppin-wood-semen-available-25unit_26.html>.

Usfraonline. "Beef Documentary." YouTube. YouTube, 21 Sept. 2011. Web. 10 Nov. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onITAppbWyE>.

Stump Denton, Angie. "More Vigor." Www.hereford.org. American Hereford Association, Aug. 2012. Web. 10 Sept. 2012. <http://www.hereford.org/static/files/0812_MoreVigor.pdf>.

Matt Lautner Cattle Company Flyer

http://www.mattlautnercattle.com/

RAIDS

Revision- Club calves are the best to show, Lautner cattle has a lot to offer, Lautner cattle has many winners form its herd

Arrangement- Showing what it is and when very clearly, shows calves from the bull and then useful information

Invention- Splitting wood (bull name Chopping Wood), what I’m doing on that date, rednecks/lumberjacks (the picture)

Delivery- Flyer, colorful, flashy, noticeable

Style- Informational, business like, selling strategy, uses language that catches the attention of someone looking for show calves

This flyer is clearly meant for people who are looking for cattle to show. The usage of the information and names of some of the most used and top performing bulls in the country brings the attention to anyone in the cattle industry. Personally, this flyer does a good job and drawing people into looking at cattle from Matt Lautner and even has me considering buying calves from him. 

The National Junior Hereford Association Board of Directors

Over this summer, I had the opportunity to run for a director position on The National Junior Hereford Association Board of Directors. This position is a leadership role within the American Hereford Association. Not only are the directors ambassadors for the breed, but also they are considered the backbone of the association. They are leaders, teachers, and role models for the youth. They also plan many of the national shows that the junior members will participate and show at. They also are in charge of the many activates for the juniors at these shows.

As far as the ambassador position, the directors must follow up with breeders and be informed with what is going on within the cattle industry. They must be able to hold conversations with breeders about what is going on in the cattle industry without any complications. They should be able to talk to PETA representatives about how showing cattle is not harming them at all. They must be respectful and presentable and remember that they are representing the Hereford Association wherever they go.

Being a part of the Board of Directors has been one of the best experiences of my life. I have met so many amazing people and made some of the best friendships I will ever have. I have learned so many things about the cattle industry and the Hereford breed alone. I have learned to be respectful more than I already was and learned to be civil and presentable no matter where I am, because you never know who might be watching. Having this position has been an honor and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. 

The Significance of a Name

After spending a lot of tim e at cattle shows and sales over the past few weeks, I have realized that the name of a farm or an animal has a lot of significance. When certain names come up in conversation with people in the cattle industry, wether it be a farm name like Upstream Ranch or a breeder like Matt Lautner or a bull like Monopoly, people always know who or what you're talking about. 

For some people, showing and raising cattle is their life. All they do is work with cattle. These are the people that have put time and money into making a statement with a particulate name. The name of a farm or a bull is something that you want people to remember. You want it to stick in their minds. It is a marketing tactic that is used by many people. The name Monopoly for a bull for instance is one that everyone in the cattle industry knows. Its easy to remember and has a significance to a childhood game played by many people. It is truly unforgettable. 

So as I think about what I name my cattle, I try to pick names that will be memorable to people. In this way, I can create a base for a good market for my farm and be able to get people to talk about it. 

Feeding The World

http://www.fox59.com/news/wxin-future-farmers-of-america-future-farmers-of-america-work-to-end-hunger-in-central-indiana-haiti-20121024,0,2300770.column

The Future Farmers of America is an American (FFA) youth organization, based on middle and high school classes that promote and support agricultural education. Over the years, they have been working to feed the world with American crops and livestock. This past week, they have focused on feeding local citizens in central Indiana and Haiti. At the National FFA Convention in Indiana, student FFA members worked to package food that would be sent to these countries. Over 500,000 meals were to be distributed to those in central Indiana and Haiti.

The importance of being a farmer here in the United States can be noticed in this article. As crop and livestock farmers, there is a consumed product made from the work that they do. This not only feeds the farmers family, but people throughout America and the whole world. Without farmers, a lot of people in the world would go starving everyday. But with their hard work and organizations like FFA, small and/or larger portions of the world can be fed. 

Hands On

For me, being hands on in my field of being a steer jock is simply something I do all the time. It is my life. Last weekend, I had to give shots, put in ear tags, weigh, and castrate all the calves on our farm. In farm lingo, this is called calf processing. This hands on experience is nothing to take lightly. 

All the calves need something special. It could be a heath concern, to be made a steer, a new tag, or a special shot. But all calves need to be thoroughly inspected. It is not an easy task. Giving shots and putting in tags even need to be put in a particular spot and done correctly to avoid future issues. 

During processing, there is almost always a problem. A calf has a sore and needs it to be cleaned and to have shots. Or one gets lose and needs to be run through the chute again. Even sometimes, the calf might go into shock or have a reaction to the shots or stress of being in the chute. There needs to be a lot of attention on the aftermath and health of the calf while in and out of the chute. 

I enjoy being hands on with the calve and doing processing since I know that what needs to get done gets done and it is done correctly. I also get to see the calves and pick what ones I want to keep to show, what ones I'm gonna sell, and what ones we'll keep as feeders. 

Being hands on and learning is so much easier than reading it from a book. From a book, you only would know how things would go in a perfect situation, but during processing, there are all sorts of scenarios that can happen that one needs to be aware of. It is also so much easier to see something be done and learn from it since one will know exactly what they need to do. 

My 365 Day Job

Ever since I've lived on a farm, everyday is a day of work for me. Early mornings and late nights have been no new news to me. Getting up at the break of dawn almost every day of my life to feed calves is a joy to me. I wouldn't trade seeing the beautiful faces of my cows every morning for anything. 

Even though working with calves is a lot of hard work, it is definitely what makes me the most happy. Rinsing all my show calves, feeding them, working their hair, blow drying them, and then clipping them everyday, twice a day is a tedious task, but it is my life. It is what I do. And I wouldn't trade it for the world. 

From the day the babies on my farm are born, to the day that they go to the sale barn or the slaughter house, I give them some sort of attention. Whether it be a simple look to make sure that everything is okay, to a wash, a dry, a clip, and a feeding twice a day, every cow, calf, bull, steer, and heifer gets some attention. This is a timely and laborious task, but it is something that needs to be done in order for the farm to be healthy and running smoothly.