Just Politics

Last year at this time, skyrocketing commodity prices, driven by surging costs for energy and grains, had much of the world in a lather. Oil had surpassed...

Global Wrap

Just as the U.S. beef industry was slogging its way out of the BSE mire, the current global economic calamity reminds us again how important the global...

When, Not If, Disaster Strikes

Finding dead cattle from time to time isn't exactly uncommon. Finding a bunch of them all at once is another heartbreaking matter. An Arizona rancher...

Stress testing

Capitalism is basically built upon debt. If we eliminate debt, we will not grow, says Vincent Amanor-Boadu, a Kansas State University agricultural economist....

Better Times Ahead

Cow-calf producers might look at 2009 in the same light as their sophomore year in high school something to be endured while they look forward to the...

Does The Death Tax Need A Repeal Or An Overhaul?

Repeal of the estate tax, or death tax, as it's often termed by its detractors, has long been championed by ag commodity and small-business groups...

Is life insurance really necessary?

By Burt Rutherford Senior Editor

You can look at life insurance as an estate management tool, or as a take-it-or-leave-it kind of proposition. And most estate-planning experts would just...

Marketing 2009 calves: Part I

Harlan Hughes

In previous columns, we've discussed producers' preparation of cost-and-return projections for 2009 calves. This month, we'll develop a set of planning...

Costs & returns: Part V: managing the ranch

Harlan Hughes

Given current economic pressures, it's imperative that ranch managers work to increase profits from their beef cow-calf herds. One immediate action is...

Pastureland Cool-Down

By Mike Fritz

U.S. pasture values climbed an average 6% to $1,230/acre this year. That's sharply behind last year's 16% pace and extends a flattening trend that followed...

Riding The Winds

By Larry Stalcup

Been trying to keep up with feeder-cattle futures lately? If you have, and you're not sitting down, best find a chair, because the volatility can be dizzying....

Opinion: The Hits Just Keep Coming

Troy Marshall

You might want to send your favorite cattle industry lobbyist a gift certificate to a steakhouse close to your ...

Turning The Cows Out And Aligning Priorities

Troy Marshall

I absolutely love this time of year; it’s a great feeling taking cows to grass, especially when the grass is green and growing! ...