Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster is back talking with Donnell Brown of the R.A. Brown Ranch, in a “best of” edition, looking at the challenges and the opportunities in the beef cattle business.
“I think the consumer is going to demand us to be more sustainable, whether that is greenhouse gasses- cattle do produce methane, there is no doubt about it, so if we can make them more efficient and we can use breeding and technologies that will help them to produce more with less, then we are helping the environment, and we are doing our part to better feed a growing global population,” Brown said. “To me, it all fits together. I look at sustainability as a great opportunity.”
Some producers may look at sustainability as pressure that outsiders are putting on the industry, but Brown said it is about doing the right thing to produce more with less.
“I believe it is our responsibility to do that as stewards of all natural resources and all creation, to do more with less,” Brown said. “That is the way I define sustainability.”
Regarding the markets, Brown said the industry is seeing prices like never before, and he expects those to stick around for an extended period of time. As ranchers might be able to see some good profits, Brown said now is the time to think about how to reinvest those profits to make the business more profitable moving forward.
Brown also talked about an update on the generational transfer the R.A. Brown ranch has worked through.
“Ten years ago, mom and dad led us through a generational transfer,” Brown said. “I am the youngest of four kids. Mom and Dad did an amazing job of avoiding as much tax hindrance to pass on the family business from one generation to the next. They did it with a lot of planning, a lot of hard work, and a lot of assistance from professionals in accounting and tax work.”
Brown said he is thankful his parents took a proactive approach rather than waiting until it is too late.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
