CALF_News_April_May_2018

5 CALF News • April | May 2018 • www.calfnews.net Editor & Publisher Betty Jo Gigot | (620) 272-6862 National Account Manager Jessica Ebert | (785) 477-1941 Art Direction & Administration Kathie Bedolli, Lisa Bard Leslie McKibben | BluePrint Media Copy Editor Larisa Willrett | Lariat Communications Contributing Editor Lisa Bard Contributing Editor Walt Barnhart Contributing Editor Blaine Davis Contributing Editor Rachel Lewis Contributing Editor Aly McClure Contributing Editor Chris McClure Contributing Editor Larry Stalcup Contributing Editor Will Verboven Contributing Editor Jim Whitt Contributing Editor Patti Wilson CALF News (ISSN 00077798) is published bimonthly for $40 per year by B.J. Publishing, 4303 East Cactus Road, #309 Phoenix, AZ 85032; (620) 272-6862 e-mail: bjgigot@calfnews.net Postmaster: Send address changes to BluePrint Media P.O. Box 292 Lodi, WI 53555 (970) 556-9296 Change of Address: Please notify us of your change of address at least six weeks before the change. Include the address label from your latest issue. Give both your old and new full addresses. See box at left. Please print legibly. Copyright 2018. B.J. Publishing CALF NEWS The Face of the Cattle Industry April | May 2018 Vol. 57 | Issue 2 Published bimonthly by B.J. Publishing Gypsy Wagon From the Publisher Betty Jo Gigot bjgigot@calfnews.net ON THE COVER: Bright colors and a festive mood greeted cattlemen and women from across the country at the Cattle Industry Covention and NCBA Trade Show in Phoenix, Ariz. Photo by Kathie Bedolli A nother Cattle Industry Convention is in the books.What fun to have everyone come to my new hometown of Phoenix. To be a part of the action, I moved from my north Phoenix address down to the Sheraton Hotel and acted like a tourist with the rest of you. I thought the NCBA Trade Show was awesome (some six acres of booths), the meetings productive and, as usual, seeing all those white Stetsons and old friends was a delight. Once again, CALF News had a booth in the trade show and many of the staff came in for the event.We enjoyed a top-of-the-line dinner at Durant’s, an old Phoenix steakhouse, which served the best whisky and beef ever. One of the traditions through the years with CALF News is to give a full report on the convention with stories and pictures of many of the events. For those of you who were here, our coverage will be a reminder. For those of you who didn’t get to attend, it will recap the activities and give you a chance to see some faces you recognize. The topic for this issue is “By Association,” highlighting not only the convention but also the many benefits of like-minded people working together to advance the industry as a whole. Of interest to me was a meeting with Don Close, Rabobank’s senior analyst for animal protein. Close issues a yearly analysis of the state of the industry and always brings thought-provoking ideas to the table. This year, his analysis was entitled “Food Fight …Online and Brick & Mortar Battle for Business. How can Beef Ensure a Seat at the Table?” His discussion took me right back to the late ‘80s when the industry had to develop specialized, portion-size products for airline meals and restaurants. He discussed the need for beef producers to be ready for the trends of online shopping and meal kits. Both trends seem a little removed from most of our everyday lives until you start really looking at the spiking sales in both areas. Close points out that the transition in the way groceries are sold and delivered is already underway.“Changes in where consumers buy groceries, when they buy and what they buy will inevitably force changes all the way through the supply chain,” he predicted. Once upon a time, a problem knee made it difficult for me to go to the store, shop and get groceries into my kitchen. My solution came in the form of an internet-order company that enabled me to choose my store, view all of its products – complete with photos and prices – pick my delivery time and place my order. Margo delivered my groceries right to my kitchen counter. If there were choices to be made, Margo texted me photos of my options. I found myself changing from buying hamburger and peppers to buying stuffed peppers. The knee got fixed, but Margo will stay forever. Close noted there are as many as 150 different companies in the meal-kit business. One of my kids lives in a small Kansas town and has found them to be ideal for her situation.“There are different recipes than you would normally make. They come with the perfect amount of quality ingredients and specific instructions you can’t mess up. The websites offer a variety of meals each week to pick from to suit your taste. They are especially perfect for two people since you don’t have near the waste in extra ingredients or prepared food. Also, for where we live, the convenience of it delivered by FedEx to the front door is great.” The moral of the story is that the world it is a-changing and we need to be right there with it. 