Lots and lots of land! Open prairie with far-away horizons, plenty space - everywhere. Beautiful cattle country - native pastures that don't loose quality with maturity. Cropping all spring (there's too much winter!), canola, wheat, barley and a bit of corn silage in places, lots of barley silage. Long straight roads disappearing into the horizon, everyone drives a big truck with a V8 engine that can fully utilise the cheap fuel!! Stud cattle guys have big herds of sensible cattle, and they have got to be able to market their bulls. It's about hair and colour, structure and robustness, stoutness and birthweight, and (then) growth and performance. Feedlots look like a tough business - it's about making a margin between the big processors and the cow-calf guy. You would think that the feedlots would have a public perception issue (in terms of visibility ...and smell.. from the road, environmental and animal rights), but I don't think they do. It wouldn't take a particularly savvy consumer to want to buy grass-fed. The cow-calf guys are working on, and have a good public image - they are cowboys and environmentalists! People are very friendly and welcoming. Stop in a small town and someone will come over for a chat, drive a back road and everyone will give you a wave. Even in small towns, hotels will have a list of maybe 20 different denomination churches to choose from - this is a land that is open to people that see things differently ....I like it here! Rodeo Bull Riders might not be wired up just quite right, but those guys that go ice-climbing in the Rockies must be crazy! |
Neil's Nuffield Adventure | Better Breeding - Beef and sheep |