Nebraska Rancher Uses Herd to Honor Frontline Workers

(Photo courtesy of David Schuler)

For the last several years rancher David Schuler of Schuler Red Angus in Bridgeport, Nebraska, has had a tradition of creating “cattleart” with his herd at Christmastime, including recreating the ranch’s brand and spelling out Beef in a nod to the “Beef … it’s what’s for dinner” campaign. This past December Schuler was at a loss for ideas, until inspiration struck as an opportunity to honor emergency responders at the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Using a feed wagon and freehand design talent, Schuler created an EKG reading that led into a heart with feed. He then used a drone to take video and still images as the cows lined up to eat.

“We have close friends in many areas of the region and country who have had a stressful year with COVID-19 as first responders and healthcare workers. They have done so much this year, and I thought I could honor them the way I know best, through cattleart!” Schuler says. “I was scrolling through designs and this caught my eye as the best one.”

Schuler says that their herd is used to being fed silage and haylage rations to supplement dry matter they receive on stalks, and they come running to eat the daily ration. When creating art, time is of the essence.

“The key is to get done creating the design before they catch up with the feed wagon! They stay put in the design until they finish their meal, which takes about 15-30 Minutes. They love it,” he says.

While Schuler doesn’t have next year’s design planned out just yet, he does plan to continue the tradition.

“I hope to keep this tradition going and am so happy this one took off on social media and many healthcare workers saw that the agriculture community has their backs through this trying time!” he says. “I haven't thought too far in the future of what will be next, as I want to be in the moment through this season, but I can assure you this will continue! It's too much fun not to!” 

FJFD

 

Latest News

Markets: Cash Cattle Rebound, Futures Notch Four-Week High
Markets: Cash Cattle Rebound, Futures Notch Four-Week High

After a mostly sluggish April, market-ready fed cattle saw a solid rally in the North and steady money in the South. Futures markets began to look past the psychologically bearish H5N1 virus news.

APHIS To Require Electronic Animal ID for Certain Cattle and Bison
APHIS To Require Electronic Animal ID for Certain Cattle and Bison

APHIS issued its final rule on animal ID that has been in place since 2013, switching from solely visual tags to tags that are both electronically and visually readable for certain classes of cattle moving interstate.

How Do Wind, Solar, Renewable Energy Effect Land Values?
How Do Wind, Solar, Renewable Energy Effect Land Values?

“If we step back and look at what that means for farmland, we're taking our energy production system from highly centralized production facilities and we have to distribute it,” says David Muth.

Ranchers Concerned Over Six Confirmed Wolf Kills in Colorado
Ranchers Concerned Over Six Confirmed Wolf Kills in Colorado

Six wolf depredations of cattle have been confirmed in Colorado from reintroduced wolves.

Profit Tracker: Packer Losses Mount; Pork Margins Solid
Profit Tracker: Packer Losses Mount; Pork Margins Solid

Cattle and hog feeders find dramatically lower feed costs compared to last year with higher live anumal sales prices. Beef packers continue to struggle with negative margins.

Applying the Soil Health Principles to Fit Your Operation
Applying the Soil Health Principles to Fit Your Operation

What’s your context? One of the 6 soil health principles we discuss in this week’s episode is knowing your context. What’s yours? What is your goal? What’s the reason you run cattle?