feed costs while increasing grazing days than I am in increasing the size of my calf crop. Despite over a year of a “good” market for cow-calf producers, my father and I just now had our first conversation about maybe keeping back our young open cull cows to put embry- os in instead of sending them to town. That is most certainly not an indication of the rapid expansion of our own cow herd. That is simply a way to better uti- lize our current facilities and acreage, rather than an indication of market signals telling me to expand the cow herd. Old guys are getting out. Young guys can’t afford to get in. Multigenerational operations in a po- sition to expand are tired and want no part of it, espe- cially if a proper succession plan isn’t in place. I recall Andy Bishop delivering his closing remarks at the annual convention in his final meeting, presiding as president of the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association. While reflecting back on his time of service and the year he had put in, he eloquently illustrated to the membership that the last year was a year held togeth- er by grass string, both literally and figuratively. As a child of a former KCA president, I can say it is most definitely a strain on both the operation and the fam- ily to serve in such a leadership position. He thanked his family for their unwavering support and was eager to get home and attend to a few chores that had been neglected. For far too long, cow-calf production has replaced grass string after grass string to hold things together. Based on what I am seeing, prices are just now high enough to finally hang a few gates. Until we, as a sector, attend to a few chores that have been ne- glected for the last few decades, I don’t think there will be a cure to these high prices anytime soon.
NEWSLETTER
12 TH ANNUAL FALL SALE | SMITHS GROVE, KY | OCTOBER 27, 2025 7
Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online