Herd Quitter™ Blog
Where Have All the Family Farms Gone?
New census data released by the USDA in February provides reason for concern. The number of farms operating in the US and the number of farm acres have both fallen significantly. There were 141,733 fewer farms in 2022 than in 2017. The number of farm acres was reduced...
Professionals vs. Amateurs
A recent blog from Farnam Street on success caught my attention. The blog pointed out that the one thing that stands out when it comes to success is mindset. If you want results, you need to approach things like a professional, not an amateur. It all comes down to...
Bull to Cow Ratio
Recently, I have had several phone conversations with customers and potential customers about how many cows you should run with a bull during breeding season. As you might expect, there is a big difference between what status quo bull producers recommend and what...
Two Trucks
When I was putting together my presentation for the recent Holistic Management Canada conference, my wife Deanna said, “Don’t forget the two trucks.” It has been several years since I shared the Two Trucks slide in a presentation. Since it provides a great visual aid...
Are You Enjoying the BEST of TIMES?
Since God created the very first cow, we have never ever experienced cattle prices as high as they are right now! This should be the BEST of TIMES for cow-calf producers – but you will find very few who are doing the Happy Dance. Are you enjoying the BEST of TIMES?...
Retail Beef Demand
In our Winter 2024 Newsletter, I shared an article entitled “BEEF… How High is Too High.” As cattle prices increase, the cost of beef in the local grocery store also increases. How high can the cost of beef go before beef is replaced by cheaper forms of protein like...
Zero Tolerance
From the very beginning (40 years ago), Pharo Cattle Company has had Zero Tolerance for cows that do not live up to our expectations. Suffice it to say our expectations are much higher than anyone else’s in the registered business. Most cows, with enough inputs, can...
Stand Out from the Average
In a world where everyone wants to be “average,” PCC has challenged farmers and ranchers to be different. Most people don’t want the attention that comes with being different. Most people would rather blend in with the status quo herd. I challenge you to be different,...
Shortsighted Cattlemen
The world, so it seems, is full of shortsighted cattlemen. Shortsighted cattlemen refuse to consider the future when making management decisions. They refuse to acknowledge the world is constantly changing. They will continue to make decisions based on the past – and...
Results Follow Effort
As a coach, I’m always pushing my wrestlers to give 100% effort. “Work hard,” “Compete until the end,” “Push yourself,” and “Pick up the pace!” are some of my favorite quips. Effort is a great matrix for my wrestlers to measure themselves against. Did I try my best?...