Click the links below to listen to the presentations and the Q&A session.
Gene Harris
Vance Uden
Kevin Yon
Q&A Session

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Take Me, for Instance

There are many resources to go to for information about the beef industry. University specialists and pharmaceutical companies all provide valuable research and data, but it’s also important to take into account hands-on application of management techniques on the producer level.

The audience at the 2003 National Angus Conference got the opportunity to listen to a group of peers.

Gene Harris, Killdeer, N.D.; Vance Uden, Franklin, Neb.; and Kevin Yon, Ridge Spring, S.C., shared how their operations are managed before fielding questions from the audience.

Harris and his family operate a commercial straightbred Angus cow-calf operation. The operation’s management philosophy focuses on three goals, Harris says. He says the No. 1 philosophy is, "if it rusts, rots or depreciates, the cows can’t afford it." Equipment investment costs are kept minimal.

Their second goal is to produce the best quality beef they can afford (genetic selection), and their third goal is to stay environmentally defendable at all costs to preserve human interests and grass/ranch resources.

Uden has been operating TC Ranch Inc. since 1952. He says it is vital for the industry to focus on fertility, longevity, structure and profitability — a complete package. Uden culls 35% of his bull crop to maintain a high-quality offering and to collect valuable carcass information. He also explained some of the management practices, such as early weaning and fall calving, that his program has used to deal with drought conditions.

Yon and his family have been operating Yon Family Farms for seven years. They have focused on offering bulls to commercial producers and providing customer service. Yon managed an Angus operation before purchasing his own operation. They have 350 Angus cows and 200 commercial cows.

A panel of three producers answered questions regarding production, management and marketing. Those on the panel were Kevin Yon, Gene Harris and Vance Uden.

Yon and Uden said that as the beef industry continues to progress, customer service will continue to become more and more important. Uden says it takes customer service to achieve customer loyalty. Harris said he wants a seedstock supplier to take care of him if a problem arises with the genetics he purchased. He said that as the industry continues to move forward, he will have to take advantage of a female sale that a seedstock supplier sponsors.

Harris says he is looking for seedstock suppliers that are in the beef industry because it’s their business, because that is why he’s in the industry. He looks for breeders with consistent pedigrees – those who can offer him genetic consistency. He also demands high-accuracy data.

Many other questions were asked by the audience members and answered by the panel. Download the audio archive linked above to listen to the presentation.

— by Corinne Blender