Market Update:

5 Area Weighted Fed Cattle Price – The May 4, 2012 5-Area Weighted Fed Cattle live price was $120.53 (a $0.73 increase from last week), with Dressed cattle at $191 - $194.

Wholesale beef prices were steady last week with USDA Choice closing at $190.29 and USDA Select closing at $186.11, putting the Choice-Select spread at $4.18, a slight decrease from last week.  Feeder cattle were steady to $3.00 lower, while stockers were $3.00 to $8.00 lower than the week prior.

Cattle feeder margins improved ever so slightly, but losses still average more than $100 per head.  One year ago fed cattle sold for $114.76.

Average fed cattle margins for the week ending May 4, 2012 were -$101.95 per head, a slight improvement over the week prior, but a trend that continues feeder losses of greater than $100 per head.

The surging boxed beef market has now pushed Packers into the black at the expense of the feeder.   Average Packer margin for the week ending May 4, 2012 was $27.27 per head.  This is another week of improvement with an additional $20 per head gain.

Industry Updates:

Beef Products Inc (BPI) will shut down three of its four plants due to significantly reduced business because of the LFTB or “pink slime” issue.  The three plants will shut down May 25^th with the loss of 650 total jobs.  Plants affected are the Garden City, KS; Waterloo, IA; and the Amarillo, TX plant.  The only plant that will remain open is the South Sioux City, NE plant which will operate at reduced capacity.

USDA’s weekly beef export report showed U.S. beef exports holding steady in the face of the recent BSE case discovery.  The report indicated that 18,600 metric tons of beef were exported the week of April 22.  This volume was up 28% from a year ago and a 5.7% increase from the week prior.

Safeway Inc., one of the largest grocery retail chains in the U.S. with over 1670 stores nationwide and sales of $44 Billion in 2011, has committed to a gestation crate free pork supply.  Safeway joins several other large food companies that have made the same commitment.  Others include McDonald’s, Tim Horton’s Compass Group, Wendy’s and Burger King.

The USDA FSIS has announced that it will allow three previously prohibited substances to be added to meat and poultry products.  The previously banned substances are sodium benzoate, sodium propionate, and benzoic acid.

CAST or Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, has released a research review that  states that changes in livestock production practices may affect animal health, productivity, and food quality.  The review “study” was conducted by scientists from Purdue, Iowa State, Texas Tech, University of Tennessee and University of Minnesota.  The report basically indicates that changes in animal production practices, such as reducing stocking densities, limiting antibiotic use, and requiring outdoor access, may have a negative impact on animal health, individual animal productivity, and food quality.  The authors state, “It is critical that decision makers understand the relationship between animal health and food safety, which is a complex association requiring careful evaluation of many variables”.  I am trying to find a copy of the full report so that I can report on the author’s background information used to derive their conclusions.

The HSUS has released recent video from a Wyoming hog farm located near Wheatland.  The farm is owned by Wyoming Premium which is actually a division of a Japanese company, Itoham Foods, Inc.  The video purportedly shows farm workers kicking pigs, sitting on the back of a sow that had a broken leg, untreated abscesses and prolapses, and piglets drowning in manure pits.  Wyoming Premium is a supplier to Tyson Foods.

In The News: 

The National Restaurant Association (NRA) has just released their Top Food Trends from the 2012 NRA Food Show.  The No. 1 food trend is now centered on Food Quality.  The first concern of most restaurant operators is being able to source top quality, healthy food that carries a “premium product” tag.  Other top 10 Food Trends are Sustainable foods, “Better for You” food items, Convenience solutions, Ethnic Foods, and Hypoallergenic foods.

The New York Times recently conducted an essay contest centered on the ethical issues of eating meat.  People were invited to submit essays that detailed both sides of the argument and then the “Times” would pick a winner.  Out of 3,000 entries, the judges, as well as 17,000 online voters, have chosen a meat eater’s essay as the winning entry.  As anticipated, the contest and the winning entry came under heavy fire by those opposed to eating meat.

A recent article in the San Jose Mercury News states that grass fed beef is in ever increasing demand.  The article talks about several well-known ranches in California that produce grass fed beef, pastured hogs, lamb, and poultry, and meat rabbits.  The author states that many high profile restaurants, as well as retail markets, are now seeking the grass fed and pastured meat products due to high customer demand.

Hyatt Hotels Corporation has announced a plan to launch a new food sourcing policy based on sustainable and responsible food production.  The company, one of the largest hotel chains in the world, plans to source naturally raised beef and pork, organic produce, and sustainable seafood.

A consumer survey funded by the United Soybean Board and the National Corn Growers Association, has recently been released.  The survey has an anti-organic slant and states that more than 50% of all moms surveyed “mistakenly” believe that organic foods have higher nutritional value and that this contributes to their “food guilt”.  While the survey did show that greater than 90% indicated that buying local was important and good for the environment, the authors stated that only 20% of all U.S. farmland is located near metropolitan areas.

Market Update:

5 Area Weighted Fed Cattle Price – The April 27, 2012 5-Area Weighted Fed Cattle live price was $119.80 (a $2.00 increase from last week), with Dressed cattle at $191 - $194.

Wholesale beef prices gained over $2.00 since last week with USDA Choice closing at $190.27 and USDA Select closing at $186.05, putting the Choice-Select spread at $4.22, a slight gain from last week.  Stocker and Feeder cattle traded steady to $3.00-$4.00 lower than the week prior.

Cattle feeder margins dropped another $17 per head last week.  One year ago fed cattle sold for $116.87 with feeder margins of $211.84 per head.

Average fed cattle margins for the week ending April 27, 2012 were -$107.33 per head, continuing the margin drop over the last several weeks with a $17 drop this week.

The surging boxed beef market has now pushed Packers into the black at the expense of the feeder.   Average Packer margin for the week ending April 27, 2012 was $6.07 per head.  This is a significant improvement over the past several weeks and is an approximate $50 gain.

Industry Updates:

International response to the recent BSE case has been somewhat tempered to date.  Only Indonesia has officially blocked imports of U.S. beef with Thailand indicating that they likely will follow suit.  South Korea is still importing U.S. beef but domestic demand there has dropped significantly, as at least one major retailer has dropped U.S. beef and the other retailers have stopped advertising U.S. beef.  Response in Japan has been good with no drop in demand and no potential trade issues.

A quick update indicates that Thailand will not halt imports of U.S. beef.

Brazilian researchers claim they have identified key DNA markers that identify bovine DNA responsible for producing tender beef.  With 209 million head of cattle, of which 150 million are Nelore, Brazilian cattle producers and packers indicate this discovery could allow for concentrated genetic selection for tender beef in the Nelore breed.

The beef industry has recently weathered firestorms from the LFTB incident and then a newly discovered case of BSE.  The question now is “what will be the next big issue in our industry”?  Some are suggesting that it will be the practice of feeding cattle feedstuffs containing chicken litter.  With the beef industry under increased scrutiny there are advocates who state that poultry litter or “chicken poop” should be eliminated as a potential feedstuff.

A new book titled “Vegan is Love” has hit the market and is garnering quite a bit of attention in the news media.  The author, Ruby Roth, advocates educating children on the “horrors” of eating meat.  The young mother from California has graphic representations in her book that are meant to “scare kids straight”, straight to veganism that is.

Walmart has now officially added USDA Choice steaks to its beef line-up in stores nationwide.  They are offering a refund to any customers who are not satisfied with their new Choice steaks.  If anyone has had the “privilege” of waiting in a Walmart refund line, the beef could spoil by the time you get your refund.

The National Weather Service has announced that the dominating La Nina weather pattern is now over.  They indicate this could be good news for the drought stricken areas of the South and Southwest.  However, some weather experts are stating that it may be too late in the season for weather patterns to shift significantly and that drought conditions in parts of Texas and the Southeast will persist through the end of 2012.

Dr. Temple Grandin’s essay on “Why Eating Meat is Ethical” is offered at the following link:  http://www.amif.org/blog/eating-meat-is-ethical/

In The News: 

A recent consumer survey report by Zagat revealed that a high percentage of consumers believe that restaurants should offer local food choices on their menu.  A whopping 96% surveyed rated local foods as somewhat to extremely important.  In addition, 54% stated that the local foods should be 3^rd party certified with 87% of those in favor of 3^rd party certification wanting the certificate to be openly displayed.

The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) recently released its “Organic Land Grant Assessment Report”, scoring each institution based on organic research focus, organic outreach and education programs, and whether or not they offer majors in organic agriculture.  The six highest ranking universities were Colorado State, University of Florida, Michigan State, University of Minnesota, University of Tennessee, and Washington State.

Food & Water Watch has released a report examining the influence that major corporations have on land grant universities.  The report found that almost 25% of all agriculture research funding now comes from private and corporate contributions.  The report states that the millions of dollars contributed by corporate funders provide these companies with “unencumbered access and influence”.  Major donors include McDonald’s, Tyson, Cargill, Wal-Mart, and Monsanto.

Grass fed beef interest continues to grow, there are several major branded beef programs that are actively pursuing the addition of grass fed beef to their customer offering.  All of these programs are long standing branded beef companies and have serviced the retail, restaurant, and institutional food sectors for more than 2 decades.  In addition, at least one major packer is exploring options in entering the grass fed sector.

Interest in soil amendments in the farming and ranching communities has significantly increased.  These soil amendments come in the form of microbial formulations, humate and fulvic acid formulations, foliar feed formulations, etc.  With significantly higher input costs, increased reliance on chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides, coupled with loss of organic matter, more and more growers are searching for options in their fertilization programs.  Land Grant universities are now testing several of these products in both forages and row crops to determine effectiveness.

Kashi, the maker of various cereals and granola bars, has announced that they have a directive to make all their products GMO-free by 2014.  Kashi has initiated this project and their non-GMO products will be verified.  Kashi is a subsidiary of the Kellogg Company.

Stock prices for All Natural and organic companies have hit an all-time high.  United Natural Foods Inc (UNFI) and Hain Celestial Group have seen stock prices soar recently.

The GMO labeling issue will be on the ballot in the November elections in the state of California.  The California Right to Know Initiative has gathered 1 million signatures on its ballot initiative, allowing Californians the right to vote their preference.

Market Update:

5 Area Weighted Fed Cattle Price – The April 20, 2012 5-Area Weighted Fed Cattle live price was $122.53 (a very slight increase from last week), with Dressed cattle at $198 - $200.

Wholesale beef prices gained over $9.00 since last week with USDA Choice closing at $188.01 and USDA Select closing at $184.39, putting the Choice-Select spread widened again at $3.62.  Stocker and Feeder cattle traded firm to $3.00 higher last week.

Cattle feeder margins dropped another $11 per head last week.  One year ago fed cattle sold for $119 with feeder margins of $240.65 per head.

Average fed cattle margins for the week ending April 20, 2012 were -$90.07 per head, continuing the margin drop over the last several weeks with an $11 drop this week.

Average Packer losses for the week ending April 20, 2012 were $45.74 per head.  This is a significant improvement over the past several weeks.  Although packers are still in the red, this represents a $60 improvement over last week.

Industry Updates:

As all are likely aware, a 4^th case of BSE (Mad Cow) was confirmed in a Holstein dairy cow located in California.  The market reaction when the news broke sent fed cattle futures down the limit within just a few minutes.  However, markets recovered somewhat and reaction to the news is much quieter than what happened in December 2003.  Even the major news media outlets have been fairly quiet as have consumers.  The USDA has indicated that this particular case is an “atypical” form of BSE meaning it is not derived from the consumption of contaminated feedstuffs.  The USDA also indicated that impact on trade should be minimal since the OIE status will not be affected.

Major U.S. beef export markets have reacted mostly favorably to the news of the BSE discovery in a cow in California.  Two of South Korea’s largest retailers initially suspended U.S. beefimports, but within a few hours one of the two had resumed sales of U.S. beef.  Other major importing countries, including Japan, Taiwan, Mexico, Canada, and the EU, have all indicated the BSE finding will have no bearing on import status.   However, Indonesia has suspended import of U.S. beef Bone-In and variety meats, but will continue to accept boneless cuts.

Smithfield Foods has announced that they are debuting a new video discussing their role in promoting sustainability and responsibly produced food.  The video describes what Smithfield is doing to feed the world’s growing population.  Smithfield is the world’s largest pork producer and a major supplier to McDonalds.

U.S. beef exports to Central and South America continue to grow.  The US Meat Export Federation indicates that for the 1^st quarter of 2012 beef exports have almost doubled compared to 2011.  Pork exports were up 23%.

The Senate Ag Committee has passed its version of the Farm Bill.  Their version would result in cuts of $23 billion, primarily in the form of direct subsidy payments to farmers, program consolidation, and cutting down on food assistance abuse.

China’s meat consumption is now more than double that of the U.S. consumer.  China consumes more than a quarter of all the meat produced worldwide.  About three-fourths of China’s meat consumption is pork.

Mexican poultry farmers are reporting losses between 60 and 130% due to U.S. poultry imports.  This is according to the Mexican Association of Poultry Farmers, which is requesting imposition of tariffs on imported poultry products.

In The News: 

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) announced that 2011 Organic food and beverage sales in the U.S. topped $29 billion.  This is a 9% increase over 2010 sales.  Organic food and beverage sales are now 4.2% of all domestic food sales.  The fastest growing sector is the meat, fish, and poultry sector which grew 13% over 2010 sales.  As a comparison, conventional food sales grew 4.7% in 2011 compared to 2010.

The Obama administration has embraced GMO foods as part of their new bio-economy blueprint.  The USDA announced that GMO crop revenues for 2010 exceeded $76 billion.

According to Dr. Mark Miller at Texas Tech University, studies have shown that consumers prefer higher fat levels in beef, specifically in the form of marbling.  Overall consumer preference dropped from 96% for USDA Prime to 79% for USDA Select.  Research has also indicated that tenderness is the most important factor to consumers, followed closely by flavor and juiciness.

Burger King has announced that they are banning gestation crate use for 100% of their pork suppliers.  They want the pork suppliers to submit a written plan for phasing out the use of gestation crates within the next two years.  They have also indicated that their egg suppliers must end cage confinement of laying hens by 2017.

McDonald’s plans to test a new hamburger sandwich this summer called the “Clubhouse Angus”.  This will be a premium burger with a premium price and will be initially tested at locations in Southern California.

Scott Exo, the Executive Director of the Food Alliance has officially resigned.  Scott was the CEO of the Food Alliance for the past 12 years and captained growth of Food Alliance certified farms and processors from 30 to more than 400.

Market Update:

5 Area Weighted Fed Cattle Price – The April 13, 2012 5-Area Weighted Fed Cattle live price was $122.12 (a slight rise from last week), with Dressed cattle at $192 - $197, a slight rise from last week.

Wholesale beef prices rose slightly last week with USDA Choice closing at $178.51 and USDA Select closing at $177.33, putting the Choice-Select spread widened somewhat at $1.18.  Stocker and Feeder cattle traded steady to $4.00 higher last week.

Cattle feeder margins dropped another $20 per head last week as fed cattle prices dropped once again.  One year ago fed cattle sold for $118.99 with feeder margins of $219.57 per head.

Average fed cattle margins for the week ending April 13, 2012 were -$78.62 per head, continuing the margin drop over the last several weeks.  This is the third week in a row showing cattle feeder losses.

Average Packer losses for the week ending April 13, 2012 were $106.57 per head continuing their week after week posted losses.  However, this was a slight improvement over the past week.

Industry Updates:

According to American Farm Bureau Federation data, Meat and Cheese had the highest retail price increase of any items in the grocery store during the 1^st quarter of 2012.  Overall, food prices increased about 7.0% during the first quarter.  However, John Anderson, Farm Bureau Senior Economist, will decline somewhat as 2012 progresses.

Kansas State Ag Economists state that the recent cattle price pullback was due to happen, in spite of the LFTB flap.  However, they indicate that the LFTB issue did hasten the pullback and may have made the price drop more precipitous.  The primary reason stated for the significant pullback is soft domestic consumer demand.

The U.S Meat Export Federation indicates that U.S. beef exports have declined somewhat in volume in the 1^st quarter of 2012, but that value of the beef is stronger.  February 2012 beef export volume was approximately 3% lower than a year ago, but the value increased 10%.  Through the 1^st two months of 2012 U.S. beef export value topped $815 million.  February 2012 beef exports amounted to 12% of the total U.S. beef production and equated to a value of $208 per head for all fed cattle.

Demand for beef grilling items has been quite soft so far this spring.  Traditionally, the spring “green-up” spurs a rise in demand for grilling items, but that has not been the case this spring as consumers continue to ease back on their purchase of higher priced meat items.

ConAgra has announced they are purchasing Odom’s Tennessee Pride, a leading producer of frozen and refrigerated sausage and breakfast sandwiches.  Odom’s has approximately 750 employees and over $190 million in annual revenue.

Since this time last year, many portions of east Texas have received abundant rainfall.  However, most areas of West Texas and New Mexico are still experiencing severe drought conditions.

In The News: 

A new study published in the journal IOP Science says the world must cut meat production in half if it wants to significantly reduce nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions.  The study states that over 80% of all N2O emissions come from the agricultural sector.  The study does not address how to provide the world’s protein needs with such a drastic reduction in meat production.  It also does not address the impact on the agriculture sector and world food supply if agriculture is reduced worldwide.

A new value-added steak was unveiled at the 2012 Protein Innovation Summit in Chicago.  The new steak is cut from the chuck and has been dubbed the “Veags Strip Steak”.  Developers state it is as tender as the New York Strip and easier to fabricate than the Flat Iron.  Developers are not revealing exactly where the new product is derived due to patents pending.

The world now has a $100 hot dog.  The Dragon Dog from DougieDog Hot Dogs, Vancouver, British Columbia, is certainly one of a kind.  It combines Kobe beef with lobster and 100-year old cognac.  Happy eating!

Over 90% of Southeastern U.S. farmers and ag professionals state that they believe it is very important to protect organic seed from GMO drift.  They view GMO seed as an urgent to very important challenge to the organic industry.

Clay Nash graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a B.S in Ag Business and a Minor in Animal Science.  Charter member of Alpha Gamma Rho, a professional agriculture fraternity.  Managed seedstock program, cattle procurement, and ultrasound programs for Tallgrass Beef Company.  Have served as Manager of several beef cattle seedstock operations.  Experienced salesperson with successful track record for major Ag supply company.  Experienced in managing AI and ET programs.  Founding member of Grass Fed Exchange.

Larry Mehlhoff, along with his wife Lisa and their 5 children, are the owners and operators of 5L Ranch, a genetic seed stock provider for 35 years, located in southwest Montana in the beautiful Ruby Valley near Sheridan.  They sell 500+ bulls annually through 2 production sales and private treaty sales.  Their goal is to provide their customers with genetics that are adaptable to a myriad of environments, exhibiting balance in all traits, so as to enhance profitability regardless of the production model chosen by the customer.

In addition to his responsibilities at 5L Ranch, Larry has served on the board of directors of the Beef Improvement Federation for five years and is presently serving as its president.  Larry has also been very active in the Red Angus Association serving in various capacities.  For the past 14 years he has served as pastor of the Ruby Valley Bible Church.  He has a passion for living,  learning and sharing with all those he comes in contact with.

Todd Churchill, President and Co-Owner, Thousand Hills Cattle Co.

Todd Churchill has an extensive background in family farm-style agriculture.  He grew up on a farm south of Moline, IL.  His family farm raised row crops, cattle, and horses.  He graduated with a Speech-Communication degree from St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, and completed additional coursework in accounting at the University of Minnesota.

After working in public accounting for several years, he formed his first company, called CFO Insights, LLC.  That company provided part-time CFO (Chief Financial Officer) services on a contract basis to startups and small businesses.  Over a period of 8 years, he functioned as the CFO and/or VP-Administration of more than 90 small companies, many in the agriculture industry.  This provided an incredible real-world experience to blend with his education in marketing, sales, communications, strategic planning, finance and accounting, and organizational management.

Todd started Thousand Hills Cattle Company (THCC) in early 2003, after reading an article in The New York Times magazine by Michael Pollan, titled “This Steer’s Life.”  This article described in detail the difference between conventionally raised cattle, and 100% grass fed cattle.  Todd realized that he (like many Americans) didn’t really eat beef anymore.  This wasn’t a conscious decision, beef just didn’t taste the way he remembered it, and it didn’t digest well.  Michael Pollan’s article got him thinking that maybe what he didn’t like was the impact the confinement feedlot diet and experience did to the flavor and quality of the beef.

This led Todd to find some grass fed beef from very small producers in Minnesota, and the quality varied considerably.  He eventually found a few farmer, ranchers and industry consultants that were raising consistent gourmet quality, healthful, great tasting grass fed beef.  Todd felt that if it could be produced consistently throughout the year, this was a product that many consumers in the Twin Cities would like to purchase.   To this end, Todd created the THCC protocol, which describes the production practices required to raise cattle for THCC.

After only 8 years, Todd and his team at THCC have built an incredibly diverse customer base of health food stores, premium grocers, restaurants, colleges, web merchants, and specialty butcher shops, primarily in the Twin Cities.  In 2011,  the growing interest in local and sustainable foods resulted in sales to more than 350 retail locations, restaurants, and over 30 public school districts in Minnesota.

Todd continues to lead THCC as the President/CEO, raise his own 100% grass fed cattle, and work closely with existing and new farmers and ranchers teaching them how to raise more 100% grass fed beef.

In addition to his entrepreneurial endeavors, Todd and his wife Dee raise 7 children, as well as assorted horses, ponies, chickens, dogs, cats, and of course cattle, on their farm near Cannon Falls, MN.

John Wood is a life long resident of Lewis County Missouri.  Following a Farm Operations B.S. degree at Iowa State University in 1975, John returned back to a 5^th generation family farm and was involved in day to day management of conventional Northeast Missouri family farm from 1975 to 2000.

John married in 1983 and added two daughters and a son into the rural community.  All have prospered on a stubborn work ethic that has preserved the rural way of life for centuries.

In February, 2000, John and 3 partners created a pasture to consumer online grass-fed meat business creating solar dollars on a farm near Canton, Missouri.  Grassland Beef, LLC d.b.a. U.S. Wellness Meats was organized officially on September 1, 2000.  Marketing commenced on November 7, 2000, and continues today nation wide and into several foreign countries.  Grass-fed beef, lamb, butter, cheese, bison, free range poultry, compassion raised pork, organic snacks, wild caught seafood, raw honey and gourmet rabbit compose the core business model.  U.S. Wellness Meats have been featured by restaurants, doctors, trainers, authors and the likes of Fox News in recent years.

During the past 34 years, leadership positions were held with Lewis County Extension, Lewis County Farm Bureau, Missouri Young Farmers and a 3 year stint on the Missouri Soil and Water Commission during the mid 1990’s.

It is exciting to be in an industry that supports animal agriculture, treats animals with respect, entry position for young farmers with low overhead, good for the land & plant community, good for the rural community and improves health and wellness for our consumers.

Bio:  David Rasmussen is an attorney who practices law full-time in Lincoln, Nebraska.  His professional career notwithstanding, David was raised on a family farm in Plainview, Nebraska and believes the work ethic and lessons learned as a youth on the farm were highly influential for molding his  personal character.  Whenever schedule permits David and his family enjoy having the opportunity to return to the farm, get outdoors and help out.

While David is not active in day to day agricultural operations he does represent numerous agricultural clients and is passionate about making sure information is available and accessible for those persons interested in better stewarding the land and natural resources associated with it.

Why I am involved with the Grassfed Exchange:
David is the son of Wayne Rasmussen, one of the founding members of the Grassfed Exchange.  For over ten years he has seen firsthand the incredible potential of the grassfed industry through his father’s operation and interaction with other producers associated within the grassfed industry.  In the Internet age in which we live there is so much information available on every topic that the challenge has become to effectively take the best pieces of that information, consolidate it and communicate in a real and “unspun” fashion.  David believes that the people, speakers and producers associated with the Grassfed Exchange try to do just that in a manner where everyone can gain a better understanding for the mutual benefit of all.  David is just honored to be part of that endeavor.

Bio:  Abe Collins is a cattle grazier on Cimarron Farm in St. Albans, Vermont, and a student of the lessons offered by soil, grass and cattle.  He has milked cows, currently finishes beef cattle, and spends much of his time learning from other producers and working on decision-support tools for graziers, farmers and allies.

Abe works on developing the ideas and practice of grazing and agricultural management for topsoil formation, and connecting rural providers and urban beneficiaries of the environmental services that come from topsoil.

Abe is the founder of New Soil Quantum, which works to network and combine land managers’ know-how with environmental monitoring, modeling and decision-support tools.
Why I am involved with the Grassfed Exchange:
I’m honored to work with the Grassfed Exchange.  GFE is working to accelerate learning and success in the grassfed industry.  I admire the focus on harnessing the innovations of practical producers, and recognize that the speakers and growing network represent the cutting edge of working with soil, grass and livestock to grow high quality food, improve soils, and realize positive results in terms of quality of life and profit for families on the land.