Casual Cattle Conversations

casualcattleconversations
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Casual Cattle Conversations is the podcast for beef cattle producers and ranchers to explore new ideas and hear stories that will help them improve their current management practices. Shaye Koester - Wanner connects listeners to other cattle producers and beef industry experts to discover what management practices, industry trends, current events and inspiring stories are impacting today’s beef cattle industry.

  1. 3D AGO

    Cybersecurity: The Biggest Overlooked Threat to American Agriculture

    On this episode of Casual Cattle Conversation, Shaye interviews Chris Sherman of Tech Support Farm about why farmers and ranchers are at risk for cybercrime and how to improve security. Sherman explains that cybercriminals target finance, information, and service disruption, and notes agriculture’s scale, liquidity, critical-infrastructure status, rapid tech adoption without “security by design,” a culture of trust, generational transition risks, and reliance on residential-grade hardware.   He cites examples, including a Minnesota cooperative ransomware attack during harvest and spoofed bank emails that led to lost money and a land deal, plus invoice fraud against ag businesses. Action steps include using a custom domain with commercial email and security tools, stronger 12+ character passwords and multifactor authentication, reviewing social media/device access, locking phones/computers, spotting phishing via headers, links, timestamps, and PDFs, segmenting farm Wi‑Fi, and using tools like antivirus, endpoint monitoring, and mobile device management. Wrapping up, Chris also recommends Tech Support Farm’s “Fence Check” assessment. Learn more about what Chris does at https://techsupport.farm/services/.    Links and Resources Learn more about Cargill here: https://bit.ly/4e1qygS Learn more about Corteva here: RangeAndPasture.com/CattleConversations Learn more about CattleScales Here: https://bit.ly/4dqqTtr Catch more conversations like this one and learn more at https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/    00:00 Cyber Risk Warning 01:34 Why Ag Is Targeted 04:08 Five Ag Cyber Gaps 08:41 Spyware Routers Cameras 09:55 Chris Background Mission 13:07 Email Domains Encryption 16:37 Real World Attack Stories 20:31 Action Steps Passwords MFA 27:52 Phishing Emails Links 30:05 Security Tools MDM WiFi 35:48 Fence Check Takeaway

    39 min

  2. APR 27

    Stop Haying to Improve Your Bottom Line

    Have you ever considered that haying might not fit your operation anymore? This week on the podcast, Carson Roberts, a University of Missouri state forage specialist with a background in alfalfa production and cattle, discusses why producers must treat haying as a separate business enterprise and know the true cost of production to evaluate profitability.   He outlines using regional hay budget sheets and accounting for income, seed, fertilizer, herbicides, custom hire, labor (including the producer’s time), fuel, repairs, overhead, land charge, and especially machinery ownership and opportunity interest. Carson argues hay often becomes unprofitable due to rising and excess equipment costs, over-equipped farms, and mismatched cattle-to-equipment inflation, suggesting some operations may profit more by selling hay equipment, converting hay acres to pasture, and buying tested hay while building reliable supplier relationships. He highlights cheaper feed alternatives such as grazing/stockpiled fescue, corn stalks, and grazing milo, and notes that aligning calving date with spring forage can reduce winter hay needs and costs.   Links and Resources Learn more about Cargill here: https://bit.ly/4e1qygS Learn more about Corteva here: RangeAndPasture.com/CattleConversations Learn more about CattleScales Here: https://bit.ly/4dqqTtr   Catch more conversations like this one and learn more at https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/     02:56 From Agronomy to Forages 05:00 Why Know Hay Costs 06:52 Building a Hay Budget 11:31 Equipment Overload Trap 15:50 When Hay Doesn’t Pencil 19:45 Scale and Reality Check 22:10 Buying Hay Strategically 26:43 Grazing Beats Haying 29:32 Hay Testing and Sourcing 33:11 Winter Grazing Options 36:35 Calving Date and Profit 39:40 Weaning Weights Myth

    45 min

  3. APR 20

    The Value of Weighing Cattle

    Why is weighing your cattle important? In this episode of the Casual Cattle Conversations, Shaye interviews Dawn Anderson from the CattleScales team about why weighing cattle is valuable and how different scale options fit different ranch setups. Dawn shares her family’s ranch background and explains how their weighing systems evolved from beam and hanging scales to load bars and chute-side scale heads.   They discuss how accurate weights improve confidence in breeding and culling decisions, reveal herd consistency, guide feed testing and ration changes, track average daily gain, help market seedstock and finished cattle, and ensure proper medication dosing. Dawn emphasizes that scales are an investment, there are portable and stationary options, and ranchers can call to match a system to their goals. Learn more at https://bit.ly/4dqqTtr.    Links and Resources Learn more about Cargill here: https://bit.ly/4e1qygS   Catch more conversations like this one and learn more at https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/    00:00 Why Weigh Cattle 02:01 Meet Dawn Anderson 05:16 Scale Evolution on the Ranch 08:56 Better Data Better Decisions 12:56 Backgrounding and ADG Tracking 14:22 Cow Performance and Culling 17:18 Accurate Treatment Dosage 20:39 Feeding and Pen Decisions 22:24 Marketing With Confidence 26:33 Choosing the Right Scale

    32 min

  4. APR 13

    Fly Control Strategies That Protect Your Bottom Line

    Today, Shaye welcomes Jonathan Wells of the Cargill Animal Nutrition Team to discuss fly control strategies for pasture cattle, focusing on horn flies’ economic impact and how to choose tools for an operation. Wells says horn flies drive about $2 billion in annual losses and can spread diseases like mastitis and anaplasmosis while reducing performance through increased heart rate, higher water intake and urinary nutrient loss, reduced nitrogen retention, and about a 15% drop in average daily gain.   They compare adult-killing topicals and ear tags (and resistance concerns) with feed-through IGRs like Altosid (methoprene) that break the fly life cycle in manure. Wells explains the Altosid XRB extended-release bolus, given once at season start and releasing IGR for about 195 days, dosing guidance for cows and calves, application tips, compatibility with other controls, and visual signs of adequate control.  Learn more about Cargill here: https://bit.ly/4e1qygS  01:33 Why Fly Control Matters  03:12 Hidden Performance Losses  05:04 Fly Control Options  07:24 Breaking The Fly Cycle  08:24 Altosid XRB Bolus  10:57 Bolus Release Science  12:27 Dosing Cows And Calves  14:08 Safety And Application Tips  18:17 How To Judge Control  20:36 Producer Field Experience

    24 min

  5. APR 6

    Cut Feed Costs by Improving Pastures: Weed Control and Soil Fertility Strategies

    On this episode of the Casual Cattle Conversations Podcast, Shaye interviews Corteva forage specialist, Sam Ingram, about prioritizing pastures and hay land to maximize forage production and improve cattle margins by lowering feed costs through grazing. Ingram explains how fertility, weed control, and grazing rest increase tonnage, forage quality, and carrying capacity, emphasizing soil testing and sticking to a consistent testing time to guide nutrient plans.   He discusses the value of legumes like white clover and annual lespedeza for quality and nitrogen fixation and introduces Corteva’s NovaGraz, a non-residual broadleaf herbicide that controls weeds such as biennial thistles, ironweed, buttercup, plantains, wild carrot family species, poison hemlock, and parsnip while maintaining key legumes, offering flexibility for hay sales and crop rotation. He also describes UltiGraz, which combines herbicide and fertilizer in one pass for efficiency. The conversation addresses drought and wildfire impacts, stressing post-disaster planning, avoiding grazing too soon, and using sacrifice areas and stored feed to protect forage cover. Learn more about Corteva Pasture Products here: https://www.corteva.com/us/products-and-solutions/pasture-management/product-finder.html  Catch more conversations like this one and learn more at https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/  Other Links and Resources  Learn more about CattleScales here: https://bit.ly/4dqqTtr Learn more about Cargill here: https://bit.ly/4e1qygS Learn more about Performance Livestock Analytics here: https://bit.ly/47PxY3W  00:00 Pasture Profit Boost  00:16 Meet The Forage Expert  01:10 Why Prioritize Pastures  03:56 Fertility And Grazing Basics  04:49 Weed Control Matters  06:26 Legumes And NovaGraz  09:02 Target Weeds And Application  11:36 Hay Fields And Residue  15:16 Soil Testing Fertility Plan  18:08 Weed Control Plus Fertility  21:19 Drought And Recovery Planning  25:24 Key Takeaways And Wrap Up

    29 min

  6. MAR 30

    Family, Technology, and Entrepreneurship in the Beef Industry

    In this episode of the Casual Cattle Conversations Podcast, Shaye interviews Andrew Bredeweg about his multi-generational family farm in southwestern Indiana and why supporting family agriculture businesses helps rural communities thrive. Andrew explains how their operation evolved from a sustenance farm and dairy into a cattle-focused business that also farms under 500 acres, and how his kids are gaining ownership and business experience through feeding cattle and selling beef locally.   He discusses their approach to adopting practical technology—highlighting rotational grazing, TMR feeding, and the Performance Beef app to improve feeding accuracy, billing, and decision-making for custom-fed cattle. Andrew also shares his role managing a co-op feeder calf auction barn with seasonal sales and describes a local high school internship program that places juniors and seniors with area businesses to keep young talent in the community.  Catch more conversations like this one and learn more at https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/  00:00 Andrew’s Family Farm Story  01:10 Why Support Family Ag  02:32 Life in Southern Indiana  03:31 Generations on the Farm  05:14 Raising the Next Gen  06:10 Learning Business Leadership  08:27 Adopting Farm Technology  12:35 Performance Beef App  15:47 Managing the Sale Barn  19:56 Internships for Rural Youth  23:30 Community Keeps Talent Home  25:18 Final Takeaways  26:19 Wrap Up and Thanks

    26 min

  7. MAR 23 ·  VIDEO

    Market Cattle the Modern Way

    This week, Shaye talks with Jacob from AtTheYards about the past, present, and future of cattle marketing and why marketing options haven’t modernized as much as other areas like animal health.   Jacob notes that about 65% of feeder cattle still trade through sale barns and contrasts that with newer models like Superior Livestock’s video auctions, arguing producers need faster, broader access to buyers to manage market volatility and reduce commission costs that can materially impact the bottom line.   He explains that AtTheYards is a nationwide marketplace where buyers set customizable templates and receive notifications when listings match their criteria, creating targeted exposure for sellers. The platform supports split loads, offers a free first consignment, then charges $5 per head via credit card, posts cattle daily with text bid notifications, and is compliant with Packers and Stockyards bonding.   Learn more about AtTheYards here: https://bit.ly/400T7mF   Additional Links & Resources Learn about CattleMax here: https://bit.ly/4aG7K5q Learn about Performance Livestock Analytics here: https://bit.ly/47PxY3W Chapters 00:00 Modern Cattle Marketing 00:34 Meet Jacob AtTheYards 00:51 Why Marketing Needs Change 01:52 How Marketing Evolved 03:10 Jacob’s Industry Background 03:41 Bottom Line in Volatile Markets 06:04 Targeted Ads for Cattle 07:38 How AtTheYards Works 09:40 Buyer Efficiency and Templates 10:40 Split Loads for Small Herds 11:44 Risks Fees and Compliance 15:45 Speed Posting and Notifications 17:20 Selling Your Own Cattle 19:03 Final Takeaway and Wrap Up

    21 min

  8. MAR 16

    How to Make Record-Keeping Easy for Ranch Families

    Today on the Casual Cattle Conversations podcast, Shaye sits down with Wyoming rancher and CattleMax team member Jacqueline Lewis to talk about why herd records matter, especially for family and multi-generational ranches. Jacqueline explains how simple, goal-driven recordkeeping helps ranchers make better decisions, improve herd performance, and support long-term ranch success. She also shares practical advice for getting started, overcoming common challenges like time and technology concerns, and choosing a system that works, whether that’s paper, spreadsheets, or software. Listeners will walk away with simple steps to begin organizing herd records and using data to strengthen their operation. Learn more about CattleMax here: https://bit.ly/4aG7K5q  Links & Resources Learn more about Red Angus here: https://bit.ly/4iaU6bb  Learn more about At the Yards here: https://bit.ly/400T7mF  Catch more conversations like this one and learn more at https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/. 00:24 Meet Jacqueline Lewis 01:43 Goals Drive Data 03:18 Generational Ranch Benefits 05:19 What Organized Looks Like 07:11 Common Recordkeeping Challenges 10:48 Simple Starting Steps 12:23 Choosing Your Method 15:02 Team Approach on Family Ranches 15:54 Switching Platforms Without Overwhelm 19:19 Beyond Cattle Inventory 20:21 Key Takeaways and Next Steps 21:41 CattleMax Resources and Wrap-Up

    24 min
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4.9
out of 5
72 Ratings

About

Casual Cattle Conversations is the podcast for beef cattle producers and ranchers to explore new ideas and hear stories that will help them improve their current management practices. Shaye Koester - Wanner connects listeners to other cattle producers and beef industry experts to discover what management practices, industry trends, current events and inspiring stories are impacting today’s beef cattle industry.

Information

  • Creator
    casualcattleconversations
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    279
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2019 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Casual Cattle Conversations

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