garvo - 8/14/2026 08:55 Probably be a adjustment hard on calf segment-talking to a lot of cattle feeders and about most of them have decided it's not business as usual myself included, pass on 300 head calves that have bought past 5 years,best was $75 head profit with the last batch of steers will be -$100 if the market holds at current Dec Board price packer doesnt have to take a loss,cattle feeder is tired of a loss and the cowman didnt get heeled up in last 3 years probably won't stay in some $500 cash rent in my aera, a few investor land cash rent at $400 lots of $200 to $300 rent with other grain crop farmers wanting to rent more crop acres most 20-50 cow guys have quit in last 5 years and lot of farm places gone and in corn and beans-over 10 farm places gone in last 5 years within 4miles of my farm The issue seems to boil down to it is more profitable to grow corn and beans on ground rather than graze cattle. Protected by government guarantees, insurance, random govt checks despite destroyed markets, excess production and less work why would any person buying a farm plant forages and graze cattle??? When you can rent out land for $200-$500/a with govt programs why would any logical person go into cow/calf??? Especially when everyone around him is saying calves are already too expensive for the feeder? Us older guys that have raise cows and calve them out on paid for land are aging out and few young folks want or can afford to take over so the land is sold or rented for high prices to a neighbor who has the corn/bean equipment and usually paid for acres to take on more. If calf prices drop to where the feeder can "pencil" a profit, that drop in prices paid to the cow/calf operator is just going to accelerate the shift from cattle to government corn and beans resulting in fewer catves yet! The only solution is to have government programs stop making corn and beans the only logical use for farmland. A level playing field where putting ground into forages and grazing and breeding mama cows and calving them out is competitive profitwise with corn and beans is the only way to increase US calf production. Like Garvo has seen, farms are consolidating and going corn/beans even here in hilly "America's Dairyland". "Cheaper calves" is not the answer. Demand is there for quality beef.
Edited by Jim 8/14/2026 18:23
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