Practically Ranching

Justin McKee is a professional rodeo announcer, a cattleman, a communicator and a leader. Raised in southeast Kansas, he now has a ranch near Hico, TX, and is a commentator on the Cowboy Channel, as well as announcing numerous rodeos across the nation. In addition, he puts on broadcasting clinics and leadership seminars to help others bring out their best.https://www.justinmckeenow.com

Matt will go over the high-use sires in the Dalebanks 2025 sale offering, plus give an overview of the Perrier family's breeding program and genetic selection philosophies.Don't miss the 2025 Sale, Saturday, November 22, at the ranch NW of Eureka, KS

Don Close is a senior animal protein analyst for Terrain Ag. He’s enjoying serving in leadership roles in the cattle industry and conducting research on a wide range of topics after overseeing the establishment of Terrain as the team’s first leader. Don’s prior experience includes his work as a senior animal protein analyst at Rabobank, and as a market director for the Texas Cattle Feeders Association, where he worked on all economic and market-sensitive policy issues for cattle feeders in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico.In his three decades of professional experience, Don has been a licensed commodity broker, handled risk management and pricing for large cattle operations, managed a grain procurement program, and published market updates and outlooks for cattle and hogs. Don earned his BS in agricultural economics from West Texas A&M.Terrain | The Sneaky Barrier to Herd Expansion: Big Cows

Rich Blair is a beef producer from Sturgis, SD. The Blair family has grown a cowherd over the last 25 years that is focused on meeting demands for their own ranching operation, their genetics customers, the feeding industry and the beef consumer. In addition to the cowherd, Rich also has a commodity brokerage business, where he provides risk management tools for northern plains producers. www.blairbrosangus.com

Jason Kraft is the Founder and CEO of Compass Ag Solutions, a Risk Management firm based in his hometown of Ft. Collins, CO. In addition, his family owns and operates Hilltop Hay and Livestock, a diversified family operation that offers high quality hay, cattle and beef to customers in Colorado’s Front Range. We talk market risk, leverage, fed cattle price discovery and asset protection. Throughout his career, Jason has found ways to find solutions to market challenges. Whether it’s his work in commodity markets and risk management, hay and livestock production or their farm to fork beef business, the Kraft family knows how to turn challenges into opportunities. Disclaimer - Positioning Agribusiness for SuccessAgricultural Risk Management & Trading | Cattle FeedingHome - Hilltop Hay and LivestockLRP episode with Joe Kovanda: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1995747/episodes/13495752

Links:National Cattlemen’s Beef AssociationBeef Quality Assurance - BQAMasters of Beef AdvocacyEnvironmental Stewardship Award ProgramStockmanship & StewardshipCattlemen’s CollegeRancher’s Resilience GrantU S Roundtable for Sustainable BeefJosh White serves as the Sr. Executive Director - Producer Education & Sustainability for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). He is a fourth-generation cattleman whose first experiences with cattle trace back to helping with his grandfather’s commercial Hereford cows in central Georgia as a child. By age twelve Josh had purchased his first heifer, began building his own herd and became a self-professed cattle nerd.  After graduating with honors from Berry College (’95) in northwest Georgia with a degree in Animal Science, Josh worked in private industry and grew his cattle herd, while also serving as a volunteer leader in several county, state and national ag and cattle organizations. In 2009 Josh took the opportunity to move from a volunteer leader role to full time industry service and joined the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association and Georgia Beef Board as Executive Vice President, serving there until joining NCBA in 2014. In his current role as Sr. Executive Director – Producer Education & Sustainability with NCBA, Josh and his team are working to capitalize on the rich histories of the Beef Quality Assurance, Masters of Beef Advocacy, Environmental Stewardship Award Program, Stockmanship & Stewardship, and Cattlemen’s College programs while moving these initiatives forward to deliver even greater value to NCBA members and the cattle industry. New programs like the Rancher’s Resilience Grant are a true passion for Josh and the team – finding ways to empower even more producers to participate in impactful educational opportunities. In addition to overseeing numerous programs, Josh provides leadership for NCBA’s policy funded sustainability efforts and supports beef checkoff funded efforts associated with sustainable cattle production. Josh was recently awarded the Continuing Service Award by the Beef Improvement Federation for his passionate service to BIF over the past decade.  He currently serves on the Beef Focus group for the USDA Meat Animal Research Center (Clay Center, NE) and on the Animal Science Advisory Council at his alma mater. He also represents NCBA on the U S Roundtable for Sustainable Beef and serves as co-chair of the Cattle Health & Welfare committee at the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. Josh continues to own cattle on the family farm in Georgia.  He and his wife of 29 years, Erin, live in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Their three children are scattered around the country in early career or college, and they have one exceptional grandchild. 

Marci Penner has served as executive director of Kansas Sampler Foundation since the formation of the 501c3. She has a unique perspective of Kansas having been to every one of the 627 incorporated cities several times for guidebook research. Having a reason to observe, have conversations, and note common issues and differences led to the PowerUp Movement (empowerment of those 21-39 who are rural by choice) and the access to resources and topics for the Big Rural Brainstorm and We Kan! Conference. With the opportunity to do guidebook programs and speak at conferences, Marci enjoys the continual journey around the state. She thrives on matching those seeking guidance with resources and to bringing together Good Thinkers who use collective brilliance to move rural communities forward.A graduate and double-sport letter-winner at the University of Kansas, Marci received her Master’s degree in Counseling and Guidance from the University of Wisconsin. She spent five years as an elementary guidance counselor in the Philadelphia area. She’s happy to be home on the family farm near Inman where the offices of the Kansas Sampler Foundation are located. Marci is dedicated to helping Kansans see Kansas with new eyes and to keeping our communities alive and thriving.Kansas Sampler Foundation | Pursuing Everyone's Love for Kansas978 Arapaho RoadInman, KS 67546620.960.0552marci@kansassampler.org

Logan Thompson is an Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist of Sustainable Livestock Feeding at Kansas State University.He grew up on a registered Hereford ranch in central Texas which instilled a passion to improve the sustainability of beef production by developing practical solutions for producers. Logan started his bachelor's degree at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, TX prior to completing his degree at Texas Tech University in 2015. Following this he earned a Masters in beef sustainability at Oklahoma State University in 2017 and a PhD in ruminant nutrition at Michigan State University in 2021. Prior to joining Kansas State University in August of 2022, he served as a post-doctoral fellow at Colorado State University.Logan’s predominate research interest is in measuring greenhouse gas emissions in grazing systems and how grazing management impacts ecosystem function. Of particular interest in how the soil-plant-animal interrelationships are manipulated by management decisions. Additionally, his research examines how management decisions influence nutrient utilization within and across production systems. Logan's wife, Rachel, is also a science nerd and is a Senior Scientist in Ingredient Solutions R&D at MGP Ingredients in Atchison, KS.Past Podcast references:https://www.buzzsprout.com/1995747/episodes/14850913https://www.buzzsprout.com/1995747/episodes/14176506https://www.buzzsprout.com/1995747/episodes/12989654https://www.buzzsprout.com/1995747/episodes/11378191Links:Frontiers | Is Climate Neutral possible for the U.S. beef and dairy sectors?

Rich Porter owns and operates Porter Cattle Company, a grazing and backgrounding operation, located north of Emporia, Kansas. He receives around 7,000 head of three-weight, high-risk calves from the southeast annually and grows them to roughly 800 pounds.Rich holds degrees in chemical engineering, business and law, but for the last five decades, he has been a student of agriculture. His knowledge and ingenuity in the areas of beef production, conservation and management are an inspiration for many.RIch was recently honored with the Livestock and Meat Industry Council's 2025 Stockman of the Year award during their annual Stockmen's Dinner in Manhattan, KS.

Ed Greiman is General Manager of Upper Iowa Beef, a mid-sized beef processing plant located in Lime Springs, Iowa.He was born and raised as a typical farm kid in rural Iowa, went to college at Iowa State University, and has had significant experience in nearly all segments of the beef industry supply chain.NOTE: This episode was recorded in early February 2025, so some of the references to political landscape and economics may sound a bit dated.Home - Upper Iowa Beef | Upper Iowa Beef