Stock Options: Marketing and Merchandising Solutions

WOW, I just realized my blog has been vacant for OVER a month! As my buddy Jeff @ Cattle.com said in his blog ... If you want to sure-fire way to kill your blog ... “don’t post on it for over a week”

Well that was not my plan....

Honestly it wasn’t....

I had such good intentions of talking about all I got to see on my Ok Cow trip and them my IOWA - MINN - SD - NEB - CO trip .. I just never found the time to write the blog… I put on close to 10,000 miles on my rent-a-car in about 18 days…

I know that is nothing compared to sperm peddlers and steer swappers. But what I was getting at is I saw a lot and wanted to share with you guys every thing I saw.

Here is the short list from Oklahoma …

Kris Blacks 2^nd time I have been and wont be my last… that guy can put a set of bred femaies together!

Buck Cattle Co. I was at the ranch before he swept the Jr. Nat’l shows, he had a great set and his cows are impeccable in build and design. In fact I commented to him about being a design FREEK… With his slow southern draw he replied. “Well yeah, …..I guess so, …..I like em’ with some look” ….What’s funny to me is if you go to or have ever been to the ranch you will know that’s is understatement!

K-Bar …. All I can say is every one WATCH the hell out

GCC Greg Burden gave me a good tour in the rain and feed me awesome BBQ at Bad Brads out side of Stilly. (That Greg is a good guy, get to know him) Those calves out of Total Recall ---Killer good. Chopper and Steel Force as mature bulls looked dang nice.

Those are about 1/6^th of my stops and not necessarily the highlights just what I thought I would share about that trip….

Well if you want to know more ask or make the tour for yourself.

Never know what you might find in a mud hole somewhere…..

Respond to this Entry

Spring Smackdown Club Calf Tour

From the Passenger Seat - Monday 26th of April 2010 11:25:00 AM

Did not have my usuall posse with me ....Toad was clipping show cattle some where and the indiana boys wanted to say in Indiana ... fun hate'ers

Spring Smackdown
Took off Friday and made the tour … didn’t make it to all of them, but most…. Real nice set most places … here are my notes

1st stop Wolfridge & Long….I was in on 92 & 321-1 both HW s the 321-1 was out of the his good donor by WMW -Betty- also the dam of his champion at KY beef expo Chi sale that sold to one of my good customers in MICH. --- Seeing those flush calves makes me feel good about buying that heifer for that customer….also I liked a Monopoly heifer … they had a pair of Herefords that looked nice.

2nd stop Brian Cummins… no one was home but I did look over the fence and what I saw was really nice-- going off the ear tags and again looking over the fence standing in the lane was a pair of nice MY TURN’s a Monopoly and a real nice Manchild
Took some pics over the fence of 1 of the Monopoly (on Top) & the Manchild I have posted for you to check out

3rd Hamiltons … While I missed seeing my buddy Brad Hook … I did see a really good heifer by MY TURN out of KOPP cow that sold out of the Season Finale 2 years ago … (anyone who doesn’t think KOPP cows are a good investment needs to make this tour .. 4 of the better ones I saw were all out of KOPP cows that had sold in past Season Finale) the other great thing about this stop besides admiring how sweet the place is and how much work goes into keeping it nice….KILLER FOOD I had a rib eye stake ….this is a must stop they treat you like family (only better)…. Thanks guys

4th Was Jones --- pair of good HW steers and a Monopoly (I am really starting to like these Monopoly calves …. Also thinking all those guys that sold their semen online the last 2 weeks may want it back)Heifers, had a nice wisdom and more HW…

5th was Manning more MY TURN’s there also … Brad Hook must have spent last spring out here breeding cows…. Also saw a Bojo calf that had the right build.

6th stopped at S&N that Leroy brown heifer that was on ML blog … that one was real nice along with a Monopoly steer I am sure had friends…

7th was Gray Farms those calves looked to be a tad younger and greener than some on the tour and it poured down rain before I got to that stop so you can guess the calves did not look their best.…I did find a big stout Dr Who calf I liked and enjoyed shooting the shit with those guys.

8th was Larry Conn …. Maybe the 4 best I saw in 1 pasture. Now he is not part of the Smackdown group he is right along the path… saw and really liked pair of flushmate HW …. Both Real good then the Monopoly that was on ML blog and one I really liked was a Eye Candy out of a stout cow ….

-------Next was not a clubby stop but I pulled into John & Diane Day’s custom heifer development center …. For those of you who don’t know I work closely with Martin Livestock on building and managing the Dreamgirl sale in the fall. All the heifers are grown and bred here … wow looks like we will have another great offering… more on this later in the summer----

Last stop was White on the Dutch ….. What a beautiful place with a good set of calves --a pair of RED Monopoly’s one heifer from Steve White and a steer from Jason Renyolds that word is sold for 8K also there was a really good SOS bull calf out of a bred heifer purchased from my buddy Brian Goettemoeller (Goat) … (that will prove to be a real good investment) a Good wisdom blue roan heifer and another good Monopoly black heifer….this stop may have the most numbers of calves offered and they had a fair percentage of good ones.

Respond to this Entry

Ard Ridge DR FEEL GOOD

From the Passenger Seat - Tuesday 20th of April 2010 06:00:03 PM

won't say much just post the pic and wait for the calls ......

Respond to this Entry

GUCCI with the big SHAG

From the Passenger Seat - Monday 19th of April 2010 03:52:00 PM

Gucci Heifer Calf one i saw on my recient tour .... gonna try to do a better job on my blog and posting pic of things i see here is a reall fancy calf by Gucci @ barry

Respond to this Entry

It's The Pitts: Cattle Feeders Anonymous

From the Passenger Seat - Tuesday 2nd of February 2010 11:37:42 AM

Lee Pitts from the cattlenetwork.com

My name is Lee Pitts and I was once a cattle feeder. Yes, I was addicted to cattle feeding. I have seen firsthand the impact this can have on families and their net worth so I am proud to say that I have been clean now for 20 years.

Since there is no Betty Ford Clinic for helping cattle feeding addicts I had to cure my own addiction by developing a 12 step program like those used in Alcoholics Anonymous, Sexual Compulsive Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous and over 200 other such programs. (It may not have been just the 12 step program that enabled me to quit cold turkey; a 58 cent fat market and a balky banker also contributed.) I offer my 12 step program in hopes that it may help others become cattle-feeding-sober.

Step 1: Stand up in a gathering of fellow cattlemen, in a bar or at a convention, and admit you are an addict and your behavior is unmanageable. Admit that when you see a pen of green feeders enter an auction ring and hear the auctioneer’s chant you are powerless in the face of your addiction and your hand automatically goes up.

Step 2: Because no one has yet developed a patch, drug, or chewing gum to rein in your cattle feeding addiction chew on alfalfa stems. You’ve already paid for them and you might as well put the hay to a better use than feeding it to cattle.

Step 3: If you absolutely must go to an auction take a person of higher authority with you, such as your wife, banker or Cattle Feeders Anonymous (CFA) sponsor to stop you when you try to bid on a cheap set of preggy Corriente feeding heifers.

Step 4: Remove the enablers; those people or things that are enabling you to feed cattle. These would include your banker, order buyer and futures trader. Sell your cattle truck and airplane. Cancel your membership in the Texas Cattle Feeders.

Step 5: Sell your calves at auction and don’t even consider retaining ownership. Let someone else have all the fun.

Step 6: Rediscover the other days in the week besides Thursdays when the price of fat cattle is usually established. Quit living solely for that 30 minute period when prices are set by the Big Three and admit that there is a higher power in this universe than Tyson, JBS and Cargill.

Step 7: Remove the temptation to be a farmer as well as a rancher. It is a short slippery step from growing your own hay or grain to building a set of corrals and having 3,500 head on feed.

Step 8: Cleanse your mind of the obsession. Quit reading articles authored by university professors or economists that advise that you are leaving $50 per head on the table by selling your calves instead of feeding them. Ask yourself, where are the teacher's and economist's feedlots?

Step 9: Break old habits. Don’t check the DTN machine first thing when you get up in the morning and every ten minutes thereafter until the markets close. Don’t let the price of corn ruin your day and rediscover a new life without margin calls, feed bills, mad cows, dairy buyouts and e coli outbreaks.

Step 10: Remove defects in your character. Become a CFA sponsor and don’t enable anyone to become an addict by financing them. Help wives and children who have been hurt by your fellow cattle feeding addicts by forming a CFA-anon group in your area.

Step 11: Pay your taxes. Stop buying trainloads of grain in December just to avoid paying taxes. Burn the money instead and save yourself a lot of grief.

Step 12: Replace the risk-taking behavior and euphoria you feel when feeding cattle with other activities. You may find you get the same rush from less risky activities such as hang gliding, sword juggling, car racing or bull riding.

Respond to this Entry

Check out this link really cool Mike Rowe Dirty Jobs from FFA convention

From the Passenger Seat - Thursday 28th of January 2010 11:12:37 AM

http://purduephil.wordpress.com/2010/01/28/video-feature-mike-rowe-supporting-agriculture/

Respond to this Entry

Huston Cattle

From the Passenger Seat - Friday 13th of November 2009 07:50:05 AM

The video of the offering came in the mail yesterday and than is a good set of breds! Aftershocks make great cows and those sure looked like the right kind! I will be consulting for Mike's sale this year. He is a good cowman with a passon for breeding the right kind that will work and get the job done. Please give me a call on the cattle you are intresed in. 937-533-0169

Check out his website at HustonCattle.com

Respond to this Entry

Larry Campbell, Batesville, Indiana Master Stockman Passes

From the Passenger Seat - Monday 2nd of November 2009 08:25:00 AM

From Purdue Beef Blog

Friend, father and great cattleman; Larry Campbell. 59, Passed away on his home
Sunday morning. This drew to the end of a very short and bitter battle with cancer.
Shortly after the Indiana State fair, Larry was diagnosed with cancer in multiple
organs and unfortunately most were quite advanced.
Larry was manager of Kopp land and livestock, (Batesville, In.)
where he had been employed for the last 23 years. This diversified operation
started as a backgrounding program and through the years has changed over to a
cow/calf and feedlot operation. While Larry managed all aspects of Kopp's cow/calf
program, he placed a special emphasis on 4H and show calf production. That was his
passion.
For the last decade under Larry’s leadership, and with the help of herdsman Tim
Schwab, Kopp's have been on the front line producing champions on every level
coast to coast with wins at majors including the American Royal, the National
Western and the North American International Livestock Exposition.
Larry's very capable eye and vision along with his God given talent helped him to
select and prepare a sire, Heat Seeker to the top as arguably the greatest club calf
sire in history. Heat Seeker, has fathered many top quality sires including Heat
Wave.
This December will mark the 7th Season Finale bred heifer sale an event that Larry
and good friend Scott Coffey created to feature the two firms breeding programs.
The Season Final event was one of the first of its kind this side of the Mississippi
River to feature an annual offering from just two firms, due in part to Larry’s
progressive vision. At the Producers Sale Arena in Hillsboro, Ohio late December
you’ll find standing room only as a testament to the belief in the program Larry has
built.
Larry's beliefs in life and the livestock business were simple and built from common
sense. Always be honest and strait forward with people and about your stock; treat
folks fair and with respect; and finally, stand behind your program, your cattle and
your word.
If you ever had the chance to meet and visit with Larry you would know that he was
a man of kindness and honesty who was quick to share a smile and a laugh. He was
proud of his “Down Home” roots, Kentucky Athletics, and the cattle produced at Kopp’s. And perhaps most of all, his dear friends in the cattle business, many who
were like family.
A memorial fund will be set up on Larry’s behalf to support Indiana 4-H and the
little league of Batesville.

Respond to this Entry

Ya'll Come,

From the Passenger Seat - Thursday 8th of October 2009 02:56:11 PM

Any time i pass though Florence, Ky I always smille about the words painted on the water tower, (Florence YALL) i know i am not the only one! Well I hope Ya'll come to Ard Ridge "The LOOK" sale this weekend in Nacny. Great hospitaly, good cattle, great folks... What more could you ask for? if not be sure to watch on LiveAucitons.TV

Videos are posted on the upcoming events page and I would be happy to visit with you about the stock.

Respond to this Entry

LOT ONE

From the Passenger Seat - Tuesday 22nd of September 2009 11:33:13 PM

If you have not got one ..... Get ahold of one! NICE JOB LiveAuctions.TV

Brad and his staff (MM) did a GREAT JOB ..LOVE IT

Cowboys, cruze over to his site and check it out-

Respond to this Entry

May We Never Forget

From the Passenger Seat - Friday 11th of September 2009 09:52:10 AM

Courtesy of Wikipedia- here are some things to remember from that day in 2001 that I doubt any of us will soon, if ever, forget. "The September 11 attacks (often referred to as September 11th or 9/11) were a series of coordinated suicide attacks by Al-Qaeda upon the United States on September 11, 2001. On that morning, 19 Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners. The hijackers intentionally crashed two of the airliners into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, killing everyone on board and many others working in the buildings. Both buildings collapsed within two hours, destroying nearby buildings and damaging others. The hijackers crashed a third airliner into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C. The fourth plane crashed into a field near Shanksville in rural Pennsylvania, after some of its passengers and flight crew attempted to retake control of the plane, which the hijackers had redirected toward Washington, D.C. There were no survivors from any of the flights."
"In total 2,993 people, including the hijackers, died in the attacks. The overwhelming majority of casualties were civilians, including nationals of over 90 countries. In addition, the death of at least one person from lung disease was ruled by a medical examiner to be a result of exposure to dust from the World Trade Center's collapse.[

In browsing through the many You Tubes available of that fateful day- when lives were lost and our lifestyle was impacted- I have linked one that you might find insightful as we remember those who needlessly died so that the 19 hijackers discovered that there were no virgins waiting for them- only a Holy and Righteous God who saw their sin and punished them for it- eternally.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kv4s3fn8jDc

Respond to this Entry

Internet bidding on calf prospects

From the Passenger Seat - Tuesday 8th of September 2009 09:45:00 AM

You may have heard about agri-marketing groups interested in selling for a commision, club calves on the internet.... I too offer that service with some reservation..... I say with resrvation because of the value so many of these cattle hold and other issues that can arive in the world of selling club calves....if you want to know more call me...937-533-0169

BUT BOY OH BOY can the right site help you sell calves and help your customers in buying them when so many each year are offered!!!!

Below is a reponse I posted to a blog over to CYBER FRIEND--- JEFF@CATTLE.COM

guess I should put it on my own site....

One club calf site I i found after i was at his place sorting calves was JOE SULLIVANS -Sullivan cattle company... Check it out .... after going though those calves and 15 other places the pics and video sure "helped" a persons memory on which calves were which. His calf viewing part of his site was set up by some one local to him AND IT WORKS AWESOME. GREAT. YOU CAN SORT BY SEX, SIRE, PRICE and others items best video playing of them all check it out !!!!

I guess this site and the one Jeff speaks of shows what I consider the best ways to allow the internt to suppliment your current sale......

Check back latter for more updates

Respond to this Entry

JUST Thnigs / Labor day weekend Part 3 BID OFF CALL BACKS

From the Passenger Seat - Monday 7th of September 2009 10:37:00 PM

Well as I write this you can bet the phone lines are hot and heavy with the club calf bid offs takeing place ...a friend of mine has got call backs on several ...it goes like this steer A at place number 1--- 10K with 14 folks bidding and your out .... Steer B, 8K with 10 folks bidding and your out .....farm number 2 steer C at 12,350 with 9 folks in and Steer D at 11,750 with 12 folks in...and your out ....Farm number 3 steers E & F at 8K and 10K with 12 & 19 still on ...and your out .... get the idea?????

The best of all is the great red one we saw was at 26,750 with 27 folks still in ..at 9:15 EST time ... ok my friend stayed in ....next call back $41,000 with 15 potential buyers still in play ....9:56 EST PM... and they say times are tough....

Respond to this Entry

JUST Thnigs / Labor day weekend Part 1

From the Passenger Seat - Saturday 5th of September 2009 11:54:00 AM

Well I am leaving for the RC Early Bird Auction in a few hours, sure to be a good sale, however before I left wanted to update folks who follow this of a few things

1.    Keep our friend Larry Campbell and his family and crew at KOPP in your prayers, they will need lots of them in the next while as Larry battles some serious health issues.

2.    Please be safe as your traveling the next few days looking at prospect calves those who are out and about!

3.    I got back at 3:00 from a quick trip to Iowa, made eight stops and WOW! Keep your eyes and ears posted for the high ones out of John Sullivan and Steve Downing’s! John has one of the best beasts I have laid eyes on, a red WHO DA MAN, I believe full sib to the ones last year. Steve has a great set and 3 steers who I think are unreal! ….also hit Pryor --- check out his red appendix horn out of his bull Hollywood.

4.    Internet Calf Sales …. Check out Joe Sullivan!!! The best I have seen yet! Plus he is running it himself. Great set of good feeding prospects in volume.
I will have some pics up later this weekend and more reports on stops made…..

Respond to this Entry

The RC Offering

From the Passenger Seat - Wednesday 26th of August 2009 12:31:24 PM

Was though Ron Rutan and Christy Campbells set the other day .. some dang nice crossbred heifers and a super good Angus female, gonna try to get some pictures of them before the sale. Check back you wont want to miss these ...

Sale September 5th Eaton Ohio

Respond to this Entry

Royal Edge Cattle Sale

From the Passenger Seat - Tuesday 6th of January 2009 01:17:00 PM

      I will be consulting for the ROYAL EDGE II on the 11th of January. Last week I went to view the cattle and video them for the consignors. I shot consignments from Willie Morris the first day and once you get past the cold wind and catch your breath you found a good set of cattle, feel free to check out there videos on the upcoming events page. Several standouts in his group one of my favorites was a great haired, sound legged, geek necked, Macho daughter. Along with her and some other 3C Macho bred heifers there is a great pair out of Maximus! Morris has a supper set of white face SimAngus based cattle that will work! For the possible buyers out there the biggest attraction to me is the fact that many of them are bred to “Mama’s Boy”!
   Mama’s Boy did not have many calves in ’07 but every one I saw was VERY saleable and the kind that generated profits Including the one out of a $1800 bred from Willie in last years sale that traded once for 3 times that and will trade again for a whole lot more.
   Mac Smith already had his cattle at the Morris Ranch with his transition from Cane Ridge to M.A.C. Cattle. One of the best you’ll see anywhere is 335 a New Look Daughter with just a so-so photo in the sale catalog, this gal has power built in at the ground and runs true end to end! She is one I look forward to seeing in a donor program real soon. Set your satchel down on this one and be in the business for a long, long time!
   Mac’s neighbor Ashbourne Angus has a awesome Granger female bred to BC Lookout that will generated headlines. Granger is out of the great “75” cow Mac sold to ZWT last summer, perhaps the best one I have ever laid my eyes on, and this Granddaughter will have a BRIGHT future.
Paulsen is up next and first of let me warn you if he offers you a ride, wear your seat belt!
Jeff’s got a hell of a thing started, and his breds are real good with lots of diversity to select from. First one in was the Hereford marked donor, a big stout powerful cow with a great look, slick neck and HUGE hip. GET IN WHERE YOU FIT IN!

A pair of real good Baldy cows came in the picture pen next, one a Meyer X Draftpick that is PHA clean and built right! The other a white snouted Heat Wave X Meyer bred to Carney man (the cow came from Kephart as a calf) .
Also on your wish list should be A.I. sire “Jazz’s” full sister and a fat legged, huge boned Maximus bred to Warrant.*******If you like big middled soft made huge hipped cattle you will LOVE the chromed up Heat Seeker X Meyer daughter selling bred to TIN MAN. The more I have thought about this cow the more things I think of a man should do with her! She needs to be in a pasture in OHIO making those chromed up babies that are so easy to sell!*******
Last on my list at Jeff’s was a pair out of Wyoming, Lots 10 and 13. Sounds like everyone who sees them likes a different one I like 10 you study the video decide for your self, ask the wife, and call me to make your purchase.

Respond to this Entry