Practically Ranching

Gregg Doud is Chief Economist for Aimpoint Research. He served for three years as the Chief Ag Negotiator for the U. S. Trade Representative. He has also worked in Ag Policy in our nation's capitol for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, U.S. Wheat Associates and the Commodity Markets Council. A native of Mankato, KS, Gregg now lives in Edgewater, MD.www.aimpointresearch.com

Doug Spencer is the State Grazing Specialist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service. He's based in Kansas, and his mission is to help ranchers and land managers maintain grasslands throughout his area and even across the high plains. While he works in a myriad of areas, his passion is native rangeland preservation. He lists several links to help range managers have the best data and info to help in this effort. douglas.spencer@usda.govRangeland Analysis Platform (RAP): https://rangelands.app/rap/ RAP Production Explorer: https://rangelands.app/production-explorer/Working Lands for Wildlife (WLFW): https://www.wlfw.org/landscapes/great-plains/ Vulnerability Guide for Woody Plant Encroachment: https://www.wlfw.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/E-1054WoodyEncroachment.pdf Yield Gap Info: https://www.wlfw.org/yieldgap/Flint Hills - 14th most intact grassland: https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/csp2.626 

Tom Perrier is President and majority owner of Dalebanks Angus. He's been a servant leader in nearly every community and agricultural organization in his home of Eureka, Kansas. Most importantly, he's been a great husband, dad and grandfather to his family. This week, his family is being honored by the Livestock and Meat Industry Council as their 2023 Stockman of the Year. I sat down with Dad last January to record this podcast and it was posted immediately prior to the award, presented in Manhattan, KS, on March 2, 2023.www.dalebanks.com

Casey Niemann is founder of AgriSync, a customer-service platform for ticketing and remote support built specifically for ag businesses and equipment dealers. Casey, his wife Tammy, and their children reside in Des Moines, IA. Both of them served as FFA State Officers while at Kansas State University, and both have continued to provide exemplary leadership within the agribusiness segment.

Tom Black is manager of Reynolds Cattle Co. Well into his 80's, he has forgotten more about cattle production than most know today. In an age when loyalty to a company or ranch is fleeting, he has worked for the same family in the panhandle of Texas for 64 years.He's soft-spoken and polite, but after eight decades living off the land in some of the harshest environments in the U.S, his toughness and tenacity are evident. The Reynolds family is a stalwart of Texas ranching, and Mr. Black has been with them through thick and thin. Their story is a great one, and Tom touches on some of the high points during this epidsode.

Callahan Grund is the Executive Director of US Cattle Trace, a private, not-for-profit corporation made up of representatives from all beef industry segments with the mission of securely maintaining and managing data collected for disease traceability.We talk the recent history of cattle identification, technologies used and applicable uses for ID in the U.S. beef industry. www.uscattletrace.orgOther podcasts mentioned during the episode:https://theangusconversation.buzzsprout.com/2029894/11702471https://ksubci.org/?powerpress_pinw=5438-podcast

Jacqueline Leffler is a worker. She's also a thinker.  And a competitor.When you throw in her father, Bill, and grandfather, Jackie, who had business cards listing their contact info alongside the slogan, "Leffler Farms, Inc...Where Agriculture is a Profession," it's a recipe for success. In addition to farming alongside her dad and grandpa, Jacquelyne has started a direct-to-consumer beef business, Leffler Prime Performance, that helps her add value to their family's stocker/backgrounder and cattle feeding business.In addition, she coaches athletes competing in track and field throwing events. She's also been part of various programs to help tell farmers' story to our consumers, one of which is "A Farmer's Journey." Links are below.www.facebook.com/LefflerPrimePerformance/A Farmer’s Journey: FieldView™ Documentary Series (climate.com)

Cheramie Viator is a lifelong beef producer. She was raised on a family farm in Louisiana, has worked for some of the nation's largest ranches and now hangs her hat near Houston, TX, as she balances her day job with Westway Feeds while managing her family's cowherd and putting on youth cattle clinics in her free time.Throughout her career in the beef industry, Cheramie has found ways to promote junior programs and inspire those around her to best tell cow-calf producers' story to consumers and all segments within our industry.

Joe Urban is a chef, entrepreneur and currently is the Director for the Greenville County Schools Food and Nutrition Services, a public K-12 school district with 77,700 students located in Greenville, SC.He leads a team of 750 employees to prepare delicious, nutritious food for students each day.  He strives to get a little better today than he was yesterday. Best of all, he's a fan of high-quality beef and Certified Angus Beef, and he does all he can to keep it in his recipes often.School Food Rocks - Home(3) Greenville County Schools Food and Nutrition Services | Greenville SC | Facebook

Dr. Glynn Tonsor is an Ag Economist at Kansas State University. He focuses on beef/cattle and pork/swine demand and supply decision-making tools and information. His broader interests cover aspects throughout the meat supply chain ranging from production level supply issues to end-user consumer demand issues.Links:AgManager.infogtonsor@ksu.edu