How could I have not eaten at Peacock Alley yet? Peacock Alley American Grill and Bar, Bismarck, N.D., was named the Beef Innovator of the Year at the 2013 Cattle Industry Convention. This is a big deal. It’s a national award given to only one restaurant in the nation each year. The award recognizes a restaurant that does the best job innovating its menu and growing its business with beef. “Having a North Dakota restaurant win the Beef Innovator of the Year award is a…

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For the past couple of years we have been in the process of changing our home cropland to livestock production and management. It’s something I have wanted to do ever since I bought the farm more than 30 years ago. A few years ago we were able to sign a contract with the Natural Resources Conservation Service or NRCS to implement an Environmental Quality Incentives Program or EQIP plan to fence our fields and install a watering system. The process has taken a long time. In addition…

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A task force put together by the Nebraska Cattlemen has embarked on a tough sell this summer and fall, but one that merits consideration by the state's beef producers. Led by Thedford rancher Dave Hamilton, the task force has proposed a state-based beef checkoff of $1 per head, an assessment that would be in addition to the existing national beef checkoff fee, which also is $1 per head. Thus far, seeking the state checkoff is not the official policy of the Nebraska Cattlemen…

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After returning to Kansas City from an Iowa interview during a break in the recent snow storms, I traveled through the West Bottoms on my way to the Western Farm Show. I'll admit I hadn't been through this historic part of downtown before, but what stood out to me, along with the American Royal Center, was the old Kansas City Livestock Exchange Building – a perfect example of how tightly wound urban centers are with agriculture. Some might say the old stockyards made Kansas…

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High feed prices in 2012 and 2013 have caused many Wisconsin beef producers to cut back or liquidate their herds and get out of the beef business. Ditto for farmers who raise Holstein steers. Many are finding the price of feed is just too expensive for those who have to buy it, and an increasing number of those who grow their own corn are thinking it may be more profitable to sell the corn rather than feed it to steers. This trend didn't just start because of the drought. It goes…

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I came across this quote the other day via Facebook. A disclaimer: I don't know Jacob Gorman, nor have I interviewed him. His quote was shared fourth-hand via a friend of a friend of a friend. And from what I understand, Jacob is from Alabama, has an agricultural degree, works outside the industry now, and makes ridiculously astute observations. Here goes: "It's funny how people cut down trees, bulldoze the land, pour concrete and asphalt over it, build a bunch of…

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My friend, Monica Stevens, shared a most awesome photo with me the other day. She'd been going through her grandparents' old farm magazines and photos, and she came across a page of ads in the 1973 Shorthorn World. And on that page, she found ads placed by her family and mine, right next to each other, nearly 40 years ago. So very cool! In part, because I love history and I love old cattle photos and old livestock publications. They represent years of breeding, refining, planning…

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I don’t know what it’s like around your place, but on my farm, things don’t always go the way I had planned. In fact, it might be said that things usually go poorly. My biochemistry professor in college perhaps said it best when he observed, “In nature, things naturally go to heck,” or something like that. Point well taken. Jay Jenkins, who is the UNL Extension educator in Cherry County, placed a unique, but quite useful spin on that message in his Monday…

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I love the Farm Progress Show. Within three days, I get to see more new products and ideas than I do the rest of the year. Just try walking the show grounds without getting excited about this industry. Your chest just puffs up with pride. When you're part of an industry that feeds the world every day, it’s contagious. I love it even more when I see new ideas implemented on a successful farm. This evening, I witnessed just such a scenario at beef producer (and Wallaces Farmer Master…

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Have you seen the Walmart “steak over” commercial? If not, check out the video below. I first saw this during NBC’s primetime Olympic coverage. Clearly Walmart spent a pretty penny to put this in front of viewers. I love it; and I hate it. Let’s discuss the love part first. I love how the mega-retailer is associating quality beef with value. I’ve long been a fan of delicious red meat at a bargain price. If you’re into grass-fed, hand-massaged…

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