K-State Ranching Summit

Wednesday August 15, 2018 • K-State Alumni Canter

More than 150 producers, students and industry professionals gathered in Manhattan for the 2018 K-State Ranching Summit August 15. Designed to equip managers with the skills to address the challenges of ranching in the business climate of today and tomorrow, the theme of this year’s program was Beef 2030 – Pursuing technology, transparency and profitability.

“It was a great conference,” said Vernon Suhn, GeneTrust managing partner, Eureka, Kansas. “The conference again reinforced to me that the beef industry is not keeping pace with other industries in utilizing the technology available to us. We need to take advantage of the tools and resources available in all aspects of genetics, production and innovation to make progress and thus keep the beef industry competitive as a food and protein source for the world.”

Mark Gardiner, Gardiner Angus Ranch, Ashland, Kansas, kicked off the morning session with a discussion on pursuing, adopting and leveraging technology in a seedstock operation. Issues covered included maintaining profitability through weather, market and the ongoing challenges for beef producers. Tyson Johnson with Sooner Cattle Co., Pawhuska, Oklahoma, reviewed key managerial accounting numbers for ranch managers. Don Close, Rabo AgriFinance, St. Louis, Missouri, addressed their research in beef and protein market consumer trends and what potential impact these trends will have on beef producers. Matt Perrier, Dalebanks Angus, Eureka, Kansas, ended the morning program with his response to the morning session followed by questions and answers.

“Turn data into information, and information into decision-making tools,” Perrier remarked. He added that transparency has value, and consumers want that transparency with their steak. “This is business; it is more than just cattle, or profits or loss. It is a people business.”

Tom Field, Director of the Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program at the University of Nebraska, started off the afternoon session covering disruptive technologies in the beef industry. K-State ASI faculty Dr. Megan Rolf, discussed the potential for the disruptive genomics/genetics technologies. K-State ASI extension faculty Dr. Luis Mendonca, provided an overview of the power of big data he's captured through the collaborative benchmarking system he's helped develop called DRINK. John Butler, Innovative Livestock Services, Great Bend, Kansas, then shared his vision of the Beef Industry in 2030. The event closed out with Dale Blasi, Kansas State University extension specialist, Manhattan, Kansas, sharing his response to the afternoon program followed by questions and answers.

“The KSU Ranching Summit was a great blend of producer-driven information and upcoming university research,” said Barrett Simon, a Summit attendee and Post Rock District livestock agent. “At the end of the day, it's all about boosting profits in the beef business, without a secure bottom line, producers cannot build a sustainable program. We heard from industry leading producers on how to capture value as well as monitor inputs to boost profit. Personally, I felt that the discussion between the speakers and producers in the question and answer segment will greatly lend to progression of the beef industry in Kansas.”

>> Ranching Summit 2018 Proceedings

>> Watch event live on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/ksuasi/

Schedule

8:30 a.m Registration

9:00 a.m. Welcome, Goals

9:15 a.m. Pursuing, adopting and leveraging technology
Mark Gardiner, Gardiner Angus, Ashland, KS

10 a.m. Managerial accounting: key numbers for ranch managers
Tyson Johnson, Sooner Cattle Co., Pawhuska, OK

10:45 a.m. Break Lunch (30 min)

11:15 a.m. What can we learn from consumer trends
Don Close, Rabo AgriFinance, St. Louis, MO

Noon Response to morning session followed by Q & A
Matt Perrier, Dalebanks Angus, Eureka, KS

12:15 p.m. Lunch

1:00 p.m. Disruptive technologies and the Beef Industry
Tom Field, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE

1:45 p.m. A look at specific disruptive technologies
K-State Speakers

2:30 p.m. Break

3:00 p.m. A vision of the Beef Industry in 2030
John Butler, Innovative Livestock Services, Manhattan, KS

3:45 p.m. Response to afternoon session followed by Q & A
Dale Blasi, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS

4:00 p.m. Adjourn

Early registration (by August 8) is $40 for individuals or $70 for two attendees from the same operation. Students are $20. Registration August 9 and later, including at the door, is $70, no discount offered for second attendee from same operation. Pre-registration is encouraged to accommodate catering.

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Holiday Inn at the Campus under "K-State Ranching Summit." Reservations must be made by July 20 to receive the rate of $99.95 plus tax. Participants may make reservations directly with the hotel at 785-539-7531 or online at www.holidayinn.com/universityks, using the group code RAN.