Bud Williams Stockmanship and Livestock Marketing

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Bud Williams Stockmanship
Eunice Williams
883 E 505th Road
Aldrich, MO 65601
417-719-4910
eunice@stockmanship.com
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Attitude

It is interesting to me that people today complain about almost everything.

When we get up in the morning it is a good day or a bad day. We are happy or unhappy. Only we can decide that. Other people can’t. It is up to us . . . It can be bad or good . . . Our decision.

During the 1930’s many people were poor, and some were very poor. Almost no one on farms complained. We seldom went hungry, because we raised or grew what we ate. Everyone worked long days, and they worked hard. They were happy and accepted the life they lived. I am 75 years old and every year has been easier, yet people complain more each year.

Farmers and livestock people complain if the prices of commodities go up or down. They want the price of their land to go up, but land that they want to buy, to go down. Most people want to make lots of money with very little work. This is not always easy to do. It is important to be positive – not negative about things. Be happy. It doesn’t matter what happens, everything has a positive side. One time a young fellow I was working with complained about blisters on his feet. I told him, “There are a lot of people who wished they could walk far enough to wear a blister.” We should be thankful that we are able to walk that far, not complain about it.

What does this have to do with Grass Farming? Lots!

If the price of wheat, corn, and soybeans go up, so does the value of our grass and hay. If the price of land goes up, the land we own is worth more. If we want to buy land, just buy less. With what we grow being worth more, we need less land to make a living.

With livestock, the price of grain going up will cause the cost-of-gain for grain-fed animals to increase. That will benefit the price of animals that are finished on grass. Everything is good if we only let it be, or we can think it is bad and it will be.

While most of us prefer grass-finished meat, keep in mind that our best friend is the feedlot. What if there were no feedlots, and all of our animals were grass finished? With our climate, it would be very difficult to supply the market and keep our customers happy. Let’s be satisfied with our markets the way they are and benefit from the shortage of good grass finished animals.

Life will give you Adventures or Ordeals. You make the decision which it is.

Business will give you Opportunities or Problems. You make the decision which it is.

Live with a Smile and Mean it!