Practically Ranching

Gordon Hibbard owns the Kansas Heartland franchise of the Dale Carnegie Training Course. He formerly led both the Kansas 4H Foundation and the Kansas Farm Bureau, plus has held countless volunteer leadership positions throughout his life. Gordon grew up in my home county, serving as an FFA District officer for SE Kansas in 1971, just 51 years prior to our son Lyle serving in this same capacity. He's always had a knack for communication, interpersonal communication and finding the best in people. What's more, his lovely wife, Karen also leads the Manhattan (KS) Convention & Visitor's bureau as their longtime Director.In the podcast, your host incorrectly associated Dale Carnegie with the Carnegie Library system. In fact, Andrew Carnegie, the  19th century steel mogul and philanthropist, was the man who funded thousands of libraries built across the U.S. (and countless other philanthropic endeavors). The two men are not related. My apologies for the incorrect association.www.dalecarnegie.comBook: How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie

Luke Westerman is a Supervisory District Conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Kansas. He provides consulting, technical assistance and leadership for farmers, ranchers and landowners wishing to best manage the natural resources on their land. In our conversation, we touch on the formation of the Flint Hills, the woody invasion of the plains and the many functions of this unique ecosystem in Kansas. We are fortunate to have folks like Luke who look at their government "job" as much more than just a paycheck. Luke is deeply invested in the Flint Hills region and all of its flora and fauna. He and his wife, Mindy, are our friends and fellow leaders in our community.  Mindy is our kids' 4H club leader and Luke now serves as our Eureka City Fire Chief (didn't even get time to talk about that on this episode), as well as various other volunteer positions.So enjoy this discussion about the Flint Hills, how they have persisted through the centuries, and what lessons they can teach us as we go forth.Home | NRCS (usda.gov)

Kurt Hogan was formerly the lead of Digital Transformation at The Boston Consulting Group and lives in Atherton, CA, where he continues to work with growing software companies as an investor and operator.  Originally from the Spearville, KS, area, he has worked as a business consultant in computer and digital technology for more than 25 years.Kurt and his wife, Kate, have both spent their careers travelling around the world while assisting large companies improve their technology, data management, labor and other business operations. Now living in the heart of the Silicon Valley, they are on the forefront of business and social trends. As they work and live in this competitive, fast-paced region, they still recognize the importance of rural America, its people and values.Listen as Kurt highlights some areas where the beef community can best adapt and implement technology to most effectively grow and improve our businesses in the future.

Glen and his family are great neighbors, customers and friends. They own and operate a diverse ranching operation consisting of custom grazing, a cowherd and even a small direct beef business.We cover plenty of practical ranching issues this week, ranging from tasks associated with custom grazing of yearlings in the Flint Hills to rangeland fire to cattle handling and even family communication and succession planning. Notes:www.ksfire.org

Jarrod Gillig is President of Business Operations and Supply Chain - North America Protein at Cargill. In this role, he oversees operations for their beef division, as well as several other protein segments within Cargill’s scope.Jarrod grew up on a farm near Odessa, MO, and has been with Cargill in a variety of roles over his tenure. In addition to his “day job," Jarrod and his family also have a small herd of cattle and his children are active in 4H and the National Junior Hereford Association.My conversation with Jarrod is a continuation of several episodes (#3, 8 and 10) over the past month or two that have touched on fed cattle marketing and the challenges that we have seen over the past few years in cattle marketing—especially at the fed cattle level.

Charly Cummings is an auctioneer, cattleman and entrepreneur from Yates Center, Kansas. An LMA World Champion Auctioneer, Charly continues to be a proponent of the auction method of marketing cattle, land and other agricultural products.As we continue our discussion of beef cattle marketing, Charly shares his first-hand perspective of how producers can study trends, consult with marketing experts and formulate a plan to best market their cattle. In addition, he shares his belief that producers need to research the issues, consider various viewpoints, communicate and then develop some unity to address marketing challenges and help sustain our farms and ranches into the future.If you haven't already, listen to Episodes 3 and 8 as we continue this topic of beef cattle marketing. www.superiorlivestock.comVaughn Roth Land Brokers

Jeanne and David Clawson are farmers and ranchers. They're leaders. They're former 4H'ers and raised their three children in the Kansas 4H program in Meade County.Join us as we discuss the many values that 4H offers our youth, plus get insight on how to find that balance between "winning at all costs" and "letting the kid sink or swim."Good luck to all of you involved in 4H during this busy time of year. We wish you all the best....now I have to go help the kids clip show steers.

Shawn Tiffany and his brother, Shane, own and manage Tiffany Cattle Company, Inc, a complete cattle feeding and marketing service in eastern Kansas. Tiffany Cattle Co. has a one-time capacity of 35,000 head in their three feedyards. Shawn’s primary duties are the farming and grain inventory side of their business, as well as assisting in cattle health, feeding management, marketing and financial aspects of Tiffany Cattle Co. Shawn currently serves as President-Elect of the Kansas Livestock Association. In addition, Shawn is part of Elevate Ag, a company that offers products, services and knowledge for regenerative agriculture.Shawn and his wife, Nicky, spend countless hours educating their family, their community and the world about agriculture and the values that rural America holds dear.Links:www.tiffanycattle.comwww.elevateag.comwww.Wingit.usTwitter: @Shawn_TiffanyMarket to Market Podcast: www.iowapbs.org/shows/mtom/mtom-podcast/podcast/7827/taking-hat-congress-talk-cattle-shawn-tiffany

Troy Marshall is the Director of Commercial Industry Relations at the American Angus Association. Throughout his professional career, he has served in a variety of roles within the beef industry, working for breed associations, CattleFax, publishing The Seedstock Digest and helping develop his family's progressive seedstock herd at Marshall Cattle Company.Troy has made a habit of studying industry trends, consumer preferences and market drivers to envision the future of seedstock production.  In this episode, Troy and I discuss the issues of Sustainability,  Seedstock Selection and adding value to Angus-influenced commercial cattle through  Angus Link and the Genetic Merit Scorecard.www.angus.org/AngusLink

Lydia Yon and her husband, Kevin, are the founding owners of Yon Family Farms, Ridge Spring, South Carolina.A first-generation ag venture, they have quickly become a leading source of Angus seedstock in their region and across the country. They--alongside their three adult children and their growing families--continue to turn Yon Family Farms into a diversified agribusiness including cattle, farming and retail beef and pecan business, the Nut House.Their story is a wonderful testament to the American values of faith, hard work and determination. They are loyally dedicated to the land, their family and the legacies of folks who have farmed the land before them.Learn more about the Yons at...www.yonfamilyfarms.comwww.nuthouseandcountrymarket.com