Ever since cattle markets began their dramatic price run-up in late 2022, producers and analysts have been trying to anticipate when prices will peak and what comes after. But the timeline keeps extending with no signs of herd rebuilding, pushing the anticipated peak into the last part of the decade....
Published on 10/16/2025 (18 days ago) Ranch News
Given that the beef cattle industry utilizes a diverse range of nutritional inputs and animal phenotypes across various geographies and climates, it is crucial to understand how cattle interact with their environments. Furthering our understanding of how cattle adapt to unique environments can enhance the economic viability of livestock production systems. As cattle are exposed to both hot and cold environmental extremes, there can be significant impacts on cattle health, welfare, and productivity....
Drought conditions occur gradually over time, sometimes making it difficult to take immediate action. A viable plan needs to have decision points. A short-term drought (lasting one season or year) requires man- agement adjustments, but generally won’t impact the ranch’s via- bility over the long term. In contrast, a multi-year drought may last 3-5 years or more. Each year, drought effects will be multiplied by the management decisions made during previous years. A few years into a multi- year drought, ranch managers may have far fewer management alternatives and resources to work with. Long-term impacts on the ranch’s financial health, ecological health, and rancher stress can be devastating. Having a plan will help producers get through a short- or long- term drought while minimizing...
The Montana Department of Agriculture is keenly focused on expanding value-added agriculture opportunities to allow producers to capture more of the value they create. The following are Montana ag businesses and organizations from across the state that are modeling innovative practices and adding value to Montana agriculture....
FB.org | What began as one rancher’s effort to help meet his local food bank’s 300% increase in demand last spring has progressed to the development of the first federally inspected non-profit purchased and run meat processing facility in the country....
Published on 7/13/2021 (4 years 114 days ago) Ranch News
ncba.org | This week, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) secured the introduction of the Butcher Block Act in the U.S. House, a bipartisan bill that would provide critical funding to expand capacity for small, regional, and independent processing facilities. The bill is the latest in a long line of efforts by NCBA to create more opportunities for cattle producers to get their cattle processed and capture more of the beef dollar. ...
Published on 7/2/2021 (4 years 125 days ago) Ranch News
ncba.org | Today, Mr. Mark Gardiner, the owner-operator of Gardiner Angus Ranch and an NCBA member, testified before the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee on key market challenges that have long threatened the profitability of cattle and beef producers. He was joined by leading industry economists who NCBA has worked closely with to explore solutions to the current unsustainable market dynamics....
beefitswhatsfordinner.com | Meat and poultry consumption is expected to hit record highs this year.1 However, the news about animal proteins’ popularity has been overshadowed by recent headlines generated by plant-based meat substitutes, with national foodservice distribution deals and IPOs garnering attention in both trade and mainstream media. It is important to look beyond the headlines to put these next-generation meat substitutes, and the claims made by the companies producing these products, in context with sales numbers and consumer perceptions, as well as environmental and nutritional facts. While some of the companies behind plant-based meat substitutes aim to replace animal proteins, in 2018 beef was the most valuable protein at retail....
Great Falls Tribune | A different decade, a new administration, a shuffle in Congressional leadership. Much has changed across the U.S. political landscape in the last several years, yet one concerning issue has lingered for nearly half a century ... corporate concentration within the meatpacking industry....
Published on 6/28/2021 (4 years 129 days ago) Ranch News
In North America, prairie grass used to be everywhere. It covered hundreds of millions of acres in the United States and Canada, serving as grazing land for the vast herds of bison that roamed the continent just a few hundred years ago....
Published on 5/7/2021 (4 years 181 days ago)