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>.