Continuous Learning That Works for Cattle Producers
Question of the Week: What’s one thing you want to learn in Quarter 1 of 2023?
As cattle producers, we can learn something new every day. We are boots on the ground most days out of the year and working with a complex system too! However, it is important to pick specific topics to learn about that are in line with our goals and will move our operations forward in addition to our daily learning from trial by error and hands-on experiences.
So, think about this upcoming January through March period. What is something you can learn in Quarter 1 that will help make Quarter 2 go smoother? Break it down into what will you be doing in quarter two and think about what challenges you faced last year in April, May and June.
Planning ahead will help keep you moving forward and eliminate some last-minute stress that could arise otherwise.
Continuous Learning that Works for Cattle Producers
Jennifer Hill joins the Casual Cattle Conversations podcast to discuss her experiences with continuous learning programs and why she chooses to be a lifelong learner in the beef industry. Jen and her husband Logan recently relocated their ranch from Colorado to Nebraska. As you can about imagine, this created many learning opportunities for them as they couldn’t do everything like they used to. They are in a new environment that offers new opportunities as well as new challenges. Jennifer recognized the importance of maintaining a mindset of continuous learning early on as she used to be a teacher before being full-time on their cattle operation.
Jen says it is important for us to continue learning, because the beef industry is always changing. It is easy for us to do things a certain way, because that is how our dads and grandpas did it. But, that doesn’t make it the best option. Taking the time to discover all options available for different management practices will save you time and money in the long run.
Jen stays up to date on beef industry news and best practices through podcasts, newsletters, visiting with industry experts and participating in the RancherMind program. She has found methods that work for her and allow her to learn wherever she is at without having to leave the ranch.
By staying true to her love for learning and recognizing the need to stay on top of industry news, Jen and Logan have been able to impact their bottom line by switching up how they sell cull cows and implementing a backgrounding segment to their current operation. These are big steps that all stemmed from taking small actions to engage in readily available resources.
Continuous learning for cattle producers can be easy, fun and rewarding. All it takes is a small step in the right direction to get your momentum started and it is well worth it in the long run. Who knows, one podcast, newsletter or conversation could end up saving you hundreds or thousands of dollars just by opening your phone and listening to others. 
