Building A Winning Team Of Experts Improves Cattle Business Management

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“Championship teams all have people with unique skills and expertise advising and coaching them.”
Likely against principles and thinking of many perhaps most farmers and ranchers, “You should have your team of advisors too.”
That’s according to Elizabeth Belew, who has a beef cattle nutrition PhD from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Michael Jordan, Babe Ruth, Joe Montana, Mia Hamm.
All four are considered some of the greatest athletes and champions in their respective sports.
“They also share a common thread in surrounding themselves with a team that took them to the next level,” Belew said.
“Farmers and ranchers can have a team that helps their cattle business win too,” the nutritionist repeated. “Working with a team of experts or advisors is beneficial to ensure farm and ranch cattle operation goals are met.”
The team roster would include nutritionist, veterinarian, Extension agent, banker, sale barn representative, and accountant.
“Each can individually focus on different components to get a farm and ranch cattle operation to the next level,” Belew emphasized.
Nutritionists can help farmers and ranchers capitalize on genetic decision using nutrition to optimize performance.
A veterinarian knows the proper health protocols for vaccines or wormers to utilize in each operation.
“Don’ forget about the value of the perspectives of other cattle producers you trust,” Belew reminded.
“For newcomers to the cattle business,” Belew said, “talk to somebody who has been in the business for a long time. Bounce ideas off them.
“Maybe they are specialized in another segment of the cattle business and can provide a different point of view.”
Taking steps to pool information gathering from a variety of sources can help optimize opportunity and reduce risk for an operation
Start looking for an advisory in the local area, the specialist suggested. “You may already have cultivated business relationship with several people,” she pointed out. “If you don’t know someone with specialization in herd health, nutrition, or finance, ask other producers for recommendations.”
Don’t be afraid to utilize experts from outside the local area. “Agriculture trade shows and conferences are places to network to meet new people who may have knowledge that can be utilized,” Belew said.
“Once you’ve built a team of advisors, consider talking with them quarterly,” she continued. “It doesn’t have to be a formal meeting with everyone all at once. Most discussions can happen through individual phone calls with questions and answers.”
It can be beneficial for the advisors to visit individual farmers and rancher during the year. “They might observe something in the management that is excelling or an area which needs improvement,” the specialist said.
Try meeting with the advisors once a year as a group, she advised. “Meeting together can be advantageous. They can share their expertise with one another to ensure all facets of the business are aligned,” Belew said.
For instance, a banker might gain further insight into what is happening in the cattle markets by speaking with a sale barn representative.
“The group meetings can be for supper at a local café, at the farm-ranch home, or even a conference all are attending together,” Belew said.
“Building a team won’t happen overnight,” she clarified. “It takes time to find the right people and build trust.”
Each advisor must have some understanding of the business situation and personal goals.
“Once they do, they can provide input that helps push the agriculture operation forward,” Belew emphatically stated.
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CUTLINES
Elizabeth Belew has a doctorate degree in beef cattle nutrition from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Beef nutritionist Elizabeth Belew recommends “building a winning team” of advisors to improve cattle management.

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