Finding the best system and program for your operation is largely dependent on your own unique needs. I break down finding the best system for you into six different categories: purpose, longevity, cost, user access, availability and ease of use.

“The guys that are on notepads don’t always know where they're at,” says Ranly. “They're probably really nervous about the market and hesitant to sell because they don’t know if this profit is good enough.”

“I think another interesting point to discuss is people think cattle are only fed corn and we don’t share how cattle are a part of the overall food supply chain and consuming by-products of other food systems,” says Johnson. “Cattle are taking products that would otherwise be waste and turning them into a nutrient-dense protein source for humans.”

The synergy between these two tools ties land stewardship directly to profitability. “The primary return on investment comes from being better land stewards,” White says. “For years, we’ve used AUMs to estimate intake, but now we can measure the individual grazing cow.”

“This system has so many opportunities in it,” says Jim Strickland, sixth generation Florida rancher. “Not only can I save on capital improvement cost and maintenance cost, but there were so many other opportunities.”

Quail says, “Fertility is like a domino train. You are waiting for the last domino to fall but the train may have fallen off track a long time ago in a different room.”

“One temptation with profit is to avoid taxes, which results in purchasing equipment or cattle,” Berger says. “I encourage ranchers to take a step back and look at the bigger picture to see if that’s truly the best option.”

“If you want to be in the production realm, that’s a very different track than going into the industry or homesteading,” she says. “It’s a very labor-, financial- and time-intensive business to get into.”

“We wanted to get as much local food as possible in our school lunch program,” said Callie Barber, nutrition director for the Stegalls’ local school. “The initial stages involve learning the practices of the local ranchers to ensure nutrition and safety meet USDA guidelines.”

“Consumers are demanding a high-quality product,” Steiger says. “Customers may not understand marbling or grading systems, but when they get a disappointing steak, they remember it.”

“We can’t fix what’s behind us,” Jones said. “We want to manage for profit moving forward.”

“The first risk of bull selection is not clearly defining what you need in a bull,” says Marty Ropp, founder of Allied Genetic Resources (AGR). “The opportunity in bull selection comes in creating that definition and utilizing technology that allows you to precision mate your cows.”

Casey Fanta, seedstock manager at Wulf Cattle, has been hosting 100% online bull sales for five years. He says several key actions are necessary for seedstock suppliers to make this format successful.

“It’s important to know that the marketing of open cattle on the ranch level typically accounts for 10 to 20 percent of gross revenue for cow-calf operators,” said Jon Biermacher, Professor of Practice and Extension Livestock Development Specialist in the Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics at North Dakota State University.

Tiller said, “The draw to virtual fencing is very individualistic, but the common draw is production efficiency.”

Since the early 90s, the Reeves family has been involved in the Wagyu breed on their family ranch near Pullman in eastern Washington. “My dad had the opportunity to go to Japan in the 80s to research the Japanese beef market and through that experience learned about Wagyu beef,” said Arlie Reeves. 

After being impressed by the quality of beef, the family decided to shift their genetics program and currently holds the oldest active member in the American Wagyu Association.