Category: Featured
CALF’s Featured Lady – Mandy Raithel
By Patti Wilson, Contributing Editor
There’s only one accurate word to describe Mandy Raithel: multitalented. Raithel’s abilities are not only many, they span as wide a spectrum as one can imagine.
Backgrounding: The Way to Go
By Gilda V. Bryant, Contributing Editor
Backgrounding is proving to be the way to go for some. Many feedyards pay top dollar for calves that have had quality feed or pasture, a mineral program that includes trace minerals, and been vaccinated.
A Shift in the Wind
By Aly McClure, Contributing Editor
There’s an interesting scent in the air of southwest Kansas, and it’s more than manure. For years, Garden City and the surrounding areas has been a U.S. beef-growing hub, feeding over a million cattle in a 100-mile radius.
2018 Price Outlook – Markets Appear Stable, But Price Volatility Remains
By Larry Stalcup, Contributing Editor
While most closeouts were in the red as 2017 approached its end, small profits were on the horizon for early 2018. But with large cattle numbers keeping feedyards full…
2015 Feedlot Consulting Nutritionist Survey
By Gilda V. Bryant, Contributing Editor
In 2015, New Mexico State University and Texas Tech University beef cattle experts collaborated on a feedlot consulting-nutritionist survey. Twenty-four nutritionists, responsible for rations for over 14 million cattle yearly, completed this comprehensive review.
Young Stockman – Mercedes Rodriguez
By Aly McClure
Mercedes Rodriguez is currently a student at Kansas State University where she is pursuing a degree in international agribusiness with a certificate in beef cattle ranch management. Originally from Satanta, Kan., Mercedes has been surrounded by the beef industry the majority of her life. “Growing up, my family grazed cattle where I helped by checking and feeding cattle,” she says.
Tradition and Innovation Lead to a Catalyst for Education
By Michael J. Martin, Ph.D., and Kellie Jo Enns, Ph.D., Colorado State University
The CoBank Center of Agricultural Education at Colorado State University (CSU) opened in 2015 on the Agricultural Research, Development and Educational Campus (ARDEC) in north Fort Collins.
Surviving Hurricane Harvey
By Larry Stalcup
Joe Paschal was still catching his breath at his Corpus Christi office on Sept. 12. He deserved a breather. The beef cattle specialist for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension was and remains part of a dedicated team that virtually dropped everything to try and save cattle…
Spicer Gripp Memorial Roping
By Stephenie Wolf, Contributing Editor
Opportunities abounded this year to make a difference in the lives of numerous young people at the 2017 Spicer Gripp Memorial Roping in Hereford, Texas. Skills in areas such as organization, mathematics, delegation, communication and teamwork are taught as area young people are encouraged to work alongside the directors of the event.
Rising to the Calf Challenge
By Terri Licking, Contributing Editor
The AKSARBEN Calf Challenge Program, held annually in conjunction with AKSARBEN Stock Show, provides 4-H youth an opportunity to showcase their knowledge of the beef industry and their ability to raise a market steer. Steers are provided by the AKSARBEN Foundation and awarded to youths chosen through an application and skill-a-thon process.