#93 - Stephen Koontz - Uncertainty is a Cost

Send us Fan MailJoin Matt as he gives an overview of the sires of the bulls and females in the Dalebanks Angus 55th Annual Sale, to be held Saturday, November 21, 2026, at the ranch headquarters northwest of Eureka, KS#practicalprofitablegeneticswww.dalebanks.com

Send us Fan MailDr. Stephen Koontz is a Professor and Economist in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at Colorado State University, specializing in agricultural commodity markets, agribusiness, and risk management.In this episode, we talk about beef industry infrastructure, packer concentration, imports, price discovery of fed cattle and changing technology in the valuation of feeder cattle.Links:https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-498yg-1b86543 - Working Ranch Radio [email protected] 

Send us Fan MailJeremy Kinder is the owner and operator of 6K Ranch near Faxon, Oklahoma, along with his wife Katy and four children. Currently, the operation consists of a commercial cow/calf and stocker cattle business. Jeremy graduated from Oklahoma State University with a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science. After graduation, he worked in the registered Angus and Red Angus industry managing various herds from Colorado to Oklahoma. He currently serves as the Southwest Area Vice-President of the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association and President of the Tri-County Cattlemen’s Association. He also serves as a founding member of the Common Ground Coalition.

Send us Fan MailTed Schroeder is a Distinguished Professor of Ag Economics at Kansas State University. His research on livestock marketing and price analysis provides information and direction for the livestock and grain industries. His research focuses on improving commodity market efficiency by investigating price discovery methods, improving market coordinating mechanisms, and applied risk management. Schroeder also teaches courses in marketing and risk management.In this episode, we cover the recent Truth Social post announcing the Executive Order to waive quotas for up to 300 Million Metric Tons of beef for grinding in the U.S. We also cover the recent announcements of closures of Tyson beef plants, plus the challenges of today's small cowherd numbers for overall industry infrastructure. Past episdoe:https://www.buzzsprout.com/1995747/episodes/13838968Contact info:[email protected]

Send us Fan MailJoe Morgan is CEO of Poky Feeders, a custom cattle feeder in Scott County, KS. He began feeding cattle after his graduation from Iowa State University in 1973. He began at Poky in 1985, and has grown the yard from a 17,000 head capacity to 103,000 one-time capacity today.Joe serves as Vice-Chair of US Premium Beef and is a long time member of the Kansas Livestock Association and National Cattlemen's Beef Association.

Send us Fan MailDerrell Peel holds the Charles Breedlove Professorship of Agribusiness in the Department of Agricultural Economics. He has served as the Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist since 1989. His work focuses on livestock market situation and outlook and marketing/risk management education for producers.Dr. Peel works in all areas of livestock production economics and marketing for all beef cattle production sectors. Additionally, he works on meat demand and meat supply chain issues and beef product marketing. He also works in the area of international cattle and beef trade and have particular expertise in the Mexican cattle and beef industry.

Send us Fan MailDr. Kailey Fitzmorris is founding owner of Flyin 3 Vet Service, Eureka, KS. With additional locations in Moline and Cedar Vale, she has 4 additional veterinarians working with her in the practice.Our Locations | Flyin’ 3 Veterinary Service in KansasPast podcast mentioned:Dr. Miles Theurer https://www.buzzsprout.com/1995747/episodes/14655607

Send us Fan MailDr. G. Cliff Lamb currently serves as the Director of Texas A&M AgriLife Research. Texas’ premier research agency in agriculture, natural resources and life sciences featuring 13 centers and faculty in 20 academic departments, a portfolio of more than 500 faculty programs and >$300 million in annual research expenditures.He received his B.S. (1992) from Middle Tennessee State University and his M.S. (1996) and Ph.D. (1998) from Kansas State University. He served as Assistant (1998-2004) and Associate Professor (2004-2007) at the University of Minnesota followed by serving as a faculty member and the Assistant Director and Professor at the North Florida Research and Education Center at the University of Florida (2008-2017). In 2017, Dr. Lamb was appointed as Head of the Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M University, where he served until his current appointment in 2022. Dr. Lamb maintains an active research program focused on applied reproductive physiology to enhance production efficiency of beef cattle operations. In addition to the United States, Dr. Lamb has conducted experiments and implemented reproductive management strategies throughout the world including Australia, Argentina, Botswana, Brazil, Ethiopia, Hungary, Kenya, Malawi, Mexico, South Africa, Russia, Uruguay, and Zimbabwe.

Send us Fan MailMark Gardiner is CEO of Gardiner Angus Ranch, Ashland, KS.In this episode, we talk about the many challenges that wildfires have brought to Mark's region. Mark shares ways that they have overcome these challenges and grown stronger as a result.

Send us Fan MailKendal Kay is CEO of Stockgrowers State Bank, Ashland, KS, where he has worked for 30 years. He is the former mayor of Ashland and played a key role in the donation and recovery efforts of the Starbuck Fire of 2017, one of the state's largest wildfires in recent history.I caught up with Kendal while he was en route to visit victims of the yesterday's Ranger Road wildfire that burnt roughly 150,000 acres of Oklahoma and Kansas ranchland.We talk about current status reports of the many fires in the region, plus what we can do to help victims.Links:Ashland Community Foundation Ashland Community FoundationKansas Livestock Association (785) 273-5115Hay donation locations:Ashland Feed & Seed Ashland Feed & Seed - HomepageShaw Feedyard - Ryan Koons, Manager - [email protected] or 620.805.4682