MM Livestock Co

Two posts in one day! I had to share this though. I just got a call from a fellow that had asked several days ago for Charolais steers and Duroc hogs. He was VERY specific about what he wanted so I referred him to breeders I know that raise these animals. He called to say Thank you. Nice. Did I make a sale? No. Did he get what he wanted? Yes. Is that good for my business? Yes. How? The customer got what he wanted and will remember that I didn't try to convince him that my animals were better than what he was looking for. If someone asks him for the type of animals I raise he will have no problem sending them to me. I am forever preaching about how farmers and ranchers need to cooperate with each other to strengthen our position in the market place. This is an example of how and why it is so important. One person being able to say," Megan didn't have what I wanted but she knew where I can get it" boosts my reputation as a producer. It's about doing the right thing, not just doing what's best for my bottom line. Meg

How can we grass feed our stock in Southern California? This question has been asked many times in many ways. From the nice lady that really wants to learn, to the flamer that wants to cause trouble. Here is the answer. We are lucky to have hay growers in our area that use our sheep to clean the fields after harvest. They move from section to section with a shepherd and portable fencing. We also cut our own grass for the dry season. We have irrigation that keeps our cow pastures healthy and productive, and we don't over graze. Our cattle only see confinement when they are being moved from High leases to lowland pasturage and during branding time. Another recent question that came up regarding our beef was, " How Can You Prove Its an Angus?" The answer is simple. We only use Registered Angus Bulls, and our Cows are either Registered or Angus Source Verified,with the exception of our Simmental Cows whose progeny meet the requirement. There are restrictions on marketing beef as Angus. There is a 10 point verification process that must be adhered to. Two of those points being easiest for the Direct Market customer to verify are 50 percent angus blood and 51 percent black hided. You can look up the regulations yourself for a more in depth explaination. If someone says they are selling Angus Beef and can't give you some verification odds are it isn't. Just because its a black bovine doesn't make it an Angus. We can trace many of our cows back to the Original Vail Ranch herds and one of our bulls goes back to an Animal imported by my great great grandfather at the turn of the last century. I guess what I'm getting at here is, if you want to be sure of what you are buying ask questions. If you don't like the answers, don't buy it. meg