Cattle industry at center stage at upcoming live show

From his Angus ranch amid the South Dakota prairie, Troy Hadrick still recites the valuable lesson he learned the hard way two decades ago.

“Sometimes, the only person you can trust to tell your story is yourself,” Hadrick said.

It’s been 20 years since he and his wife, Stacy, sat at their kitchen table with journalist Michael Pollan for a story on the beef industry—a moment that would forever change the couple’s outlook and objective. Pollan told them he wanted to write a positive story about how a steak starts at the ranch and ends up on a dinner plate.

And the Hadricks, fifth-generation ranchers, were excited to share their passion for raising livestock and the hard work they put into the profession.

Most in the industry know the rest of the tale. Pollan’s New York Times story “Power Steer” focused on the writer’s own agenda—depicting the cattle industry as inhumane with no regard for the environment.

It would have been easy to never speak out again after such an experience, Troy Hadrick said. But with Pollan publishing a book and appearing on Oprah, the Hadricks realized the other side of the story needed to be shared. Doing so has taken them on a public speaking journey across the world—sharing their experience while helping other producers find their voice.

The Hadricks will talk about how producers can effectively tell their narrative through conversation, application and experience at High Plains Journal’s annual Cattle U and Trade Show event, slated for July 29 to 30 in Dodge City, Kansas. The couple will be among the event’s keynote sessions—which feature industry leaders like “Yellowstone” actor Forrie J. Smith and award-winning radio broadcaster Lane Nordlund.

“Ranchers need to find their niche and what works in their area and then take some of those ideas and craft them into their own,” Troy Hadrick said. “And, they need to make it personal. One thing that never changes is the fact that personal stories have the most impact on people.”

Keynote conversations from behind the mic

After hosting virtual events in 2020 due to the pandemic, HPJ will return to live, in-person events starting with Cattle U and Trade Show at the United Wireless Arena. The program will feature keynote speakers each day, breakout sessions, a trade show and a special social event where attendees can meet some of the speakers.

Sessions will focus on a variety of topics, including animal health, feed and nutrition, genomics, ranch profitability, marketing and more. A trade show also will run concurrent to the event.

Broadcaster Nordlund, a sixth-generation Montana rancher, will give a keynote session plus emcee the event. Nordlund said he will share his unique view as an agricultural communicator and rancher, offering insights on the conversations he has from behind the microphone.

That includes how he juggles broadcasting and ranching. A typical day might start with a 3:30 a.m. radio taping and end with cattle branding.

TV viewers can tune in to find Nordlund reporting on the Montana Ag Network, which airs on the Montana Television Network. His voice can also be heard on several podcasts and radio programs. He co-anchors the Western Ag Network reports aired on more than 60 radio stations in six western states. He hosts “Montana Talks Ag,” a segment broadcast during the statewide “Montana Talks” radio show. He is also a contributor for “Cattlemen to Cattlemen,” “Market Day Report ” and “Rural Evening News” RFD-TV television programs.

Nordlund said he would also talk about the current agriculture climate and market trends.

“Events like this help producers keep an open mind and learn from industry stakeholders,” Nordlund said.

More than just an actor

While Yellowstone may be a fictional television show about ranchers, one of its stars, Smith, is the real McCoy.

Smith, most known for his role as Lloyd Pierce on the Paramount Network hit show, is a seasoned cowboy and former bronc rider. He got his start in Hollywood more than 30 years ago—picking up bit parts as a stunt rider and wrangler on movie sets.

He landed the role in Yellowstone, alongside veteran actor Kevin Costner, in 2018.

"I am excited to get to thank the farmers and ranchers in person for feeding America and all the hardships they experience," Smith said.

Smith will highlight his life’s story, which includes being raised on his grandparents’ cow-calf operation. By age 8, he was competing in rodeos, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. He credits rodeo for helping him to get his start in Hollywood.  

Smith said he will encourage attendees to never give up and keep pushing forward—even when life offers up challenges.

"I always say, ‘you quit learning, you quit living,’” he said. “Education is something that can’t be taken away from you. Once you learn something, you have it forever and the more you know about whatever you are doing, the better you’ll be at it."

Sharing their secrets

The hallmark of HPJ’s Cattle U and Trade Show is the information shared by industry leaders. Nearly 25 speakers—including university professors, veterinarians and fellow ranchers—will share their secrets to building the most profitable operation, whether it is cow-calf, stocker, feeder or dairy enterprise.

For instance, Rosslyn Biggs, the beef cattle Extension specialist and director of Continuing Education for Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine, will talk about how successful cattle programs utilize veterinarians on their team to help monitor the nutrition and health of their herds.

However, the need for rural veterinarians continues to grow, Biggs said.

Biggs said OSU received a federal grant two years ago that helped launch the Integrated Beef Cattle Program to bring awareness and enhance veterinary practices and services in the state. Oklahoma has 1.6 million beef cows, yet many areas lack the veterinarians necessary to service the cattle operations. Part of the grant evaluated the shortage and geographic range of veterinarians in Oklahoma. Biggs will go over survey results during her presentation.

She said veterinarians and producers must be team members to produce top-quality beef.

“For rural veterinarians to be successful, they must have the support of those in their practice areas,” she said. “Producers are leaders in their communities, and it is critical that they establish strong relationships with their veterinary team.”

Variety of topics

Other speakers will talk about topics such as cattle health, nutrition, marketing and traceability.

• Meredyth Jones, a doctor of veterinary medicine at Oklahoma State University, will talk about detecting foot disease in cattle.

• Scott Blubaugh, president of American Farmers & Ranchers/Oklahoma Farmers Union Cooperative, will discuss Oklahoma Certified, a marketing opportunity that blossomed amid the pandemic as more consumers wanted to know where their food comes from.

• Callahan Grund, executive director of U.S. CattleTrace, will discuss the unique opportunity that producers have to create an animal disease traceability program that works for all sectors of the industry.

• Juan Velez, chief agricultural officer, Aurora Organic Dairy, will talk about how to create a ranch culture that promotes animal welfare.

Clay Mathis, director of the King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, said he will focus on profit drivers and the decision-making tools producers should use that lead to successful—and profitable—cow-calf productions.

Producers should understand their fixed and variable costs and how one more cow or one less cow can affect the bottom line, he said.

“It’s not just about maximizing cow-calf profits,” Mathis said. “But instead, it’s about optimizing cow-calf profits so that when you optimize all the enterprises on the ranch at the same time, you maximize ranch profits as a whole.”

“The key takeaway is, how do we make the decisions we make, how do we get focused on the right decisions for long-term profitability. You need knowledge of what matters and the tools to make those decisions well. It doesn’t matter if you have 50 cows or 20,000. The big decisions are the same, it is just where the decimal lands.”

Panels another highlight of event

Two speaker panels—one featuring successful cattlewomen and another marketing experts—will also anchor both days of Cattle U and Trade Show.

The marketing panel on day two includes Jerry Nine, a rancher, HPJ columnist and sale barn owner; Corbitt Wall, DV Auction commercial cattle manager and Feeder Flash market summary host; John Campbell, who has been with Winter Livestock for more than 40 years; and Arlen “Bim” Nelson, a cattle order buyer from Nebraska who works for farmer-feeders across the Midwest.

Day one’s cattlewomen panel features a diverse group of leaders from across the region.

• Courtenay DeHoff, a cowgirl turned television personality—grabbing the attention of Deadspin, The Huffington Post, LIVE! With Kelly and more. Through storytelling and fashion, Fancy Lady Cowgirl is working to bridge the gap between urban and rural cultures.

• Tara Vander Dussen, environmental scientist has a dairy farm with her husband, Daniel. She serves on state and national livestock boards and advocates for dairy farming by sharing her story on her New Mexico Milkmaid blog.

• Trista Brown Priest, CEO of Cattle Empire, is the third generation in the family feedlot near Satanta, Kansas. She has worked in different capacities at the feed yard since she was 14 years old.

• Jan Lyons is the owner and founder of Lyons Ranch near Manhattan. The ranch, now in its third generation, had its 32nd annual bull sale this year.

Biggs also will speak as part of the panel.

“I’m a second-generation veterinarian,” Biggs said. “My mother graduated from Oklahoma State in 1978. I’m very passionate about the interconnectedness of cattlemen and veterinarians, and I think we can all do a better job to improve those relationships because, at the end of the day, we are reliant upon each other for success.”

Amy Bickel can be reached at [email protected].