The Cattle Business Weekly
Episodes
36 episodes
What's Reshaping America's Agricultural Land Base?
Farmland pressure is often discussed as a national acreage-loss problem, but for farmers and ranchers the more immediate challenge is land access. Land can remain technically “agricultural” while becoming harder to rent, buy or keep in p...
What's Reshaping America's Agricultural Land Base?
Farmland pressure is often discussed as a national acreage-loss problem, but for farmers and ranchers the more immediate challenge is land access. Land can remain technically “agricultural” while becoming harder to rent, buy or keep in p...
Cattle Finishing Breakeven Prices and Net Returns
A new report from Purdue University’s Center for Commercial Agriculture examines the economics of cattle finishing, finding that despite historically strong fed cattle prices, profitability is being squeezed by expensive feeder cattle and eleva...
Cattle Finishing Breakeven Prices and Net Returns
A new report from Purdue University’s Center for Commercial Agriculture examines the economics of cattle finishing, finding that despite historically strong fed cattle prices, profitability is being squeezed by expensive feeder cattle and eleva...
After Terrifying Cow Attack, South Dakota Woman Embraces a Second Chance at Life
For a young woman who has worked with cattle all her life, one moment was all it took to take her from a simple check on a momma cow to ending up in the hospital with multiple injuries. With grit, determination, and inspiration, she’s ba...
How Big Will Cattle Get This Year?
Through the first half of the year, year -to- date cattle slaughter is 8.7% lower than last year, and placements have been higher this year compared to last year. These two stats provide information about current and future beef producti...
Strategic Cowherd Destocking
For many cow-calf operations in the region, significant culling may be required to match cow numbers to the forage available, not only for 2026, but also for the next few years. For operations that have spent generations building the typ...
Strong demand, improving exports offer brighter outlook for grain producers
Shrinking margins, declining grain prices, and growing financial pressure have defined recent years for crop producers. But while agricultural economist David Widmar doesn’t believe those challenges are over, he also doesn’t think the outlook i...
Drought Continues to Spread Across Western Region
June 2026 featured several widespread heavy rain events across the Northern Plains, with some communities receiving more than a month's worth of rain in just a day or two. Oglala, South Dakota, received almost 7 inches of rain on June 2-3. In n...
Cash Rents May Need to Adjust
The challenges facing row-crop agriculture aren’t likely to disappear with the next policy announcement or another round of government assistance, according to agricultural economist David Widmar who spoke at last week’s South Dakota Governor’s...
Zabel: Football Life Parallels Farming
When Grey Zabel talks about farming, he lights up much the same way one would expect him to when talking about his first Super Bowl Championship win. Zabel, an NFL football player with the Seattle Seahawks, was back in his hometown of Pierre,...
Both Can Be True: Strong Demand, Tight Cattle Inventories, and Beef Prices
A lot has been said about beef prices in 2026, and there has been a lot of productive discussion about what is driving them. Some point to historically tight cattle supplies. U.S. cattle inventories are at their lowest since the 1950s, and fede...
Prime Time Gala Raises Beef $$$
The South Dakota Cattlemen’s Foundation was thrilled to donate 2,620 to Feeding South Dakota during the 13th Annual Prime Time Gala held on June 20 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Held annually, this brings the fundraiser’s total donation ...
Montana's Jace Thompson Earns 2026 World Livestock Auctioneer Crown
By Codi Vallery-Mills It was a packed house on June 20 at the St. Onge Livestock Auction barn as people filled the stands and the tent outside to watch the World Livestock Auctioneer Championship. Thirty-one men from throughout the Unite...
Bowman, Heldermon are Inductees into Livestock Marketeers Hall of Fame
The Livestock Marketeers hosted their 61st annual Hall of Fame banquet on May 27. This years’ event was hosted by the American Angus Association in St. Joseph, Missouri. The 2026 inductees were Bill Bowman, St. Joseph, Missouri and Delvin Helde...
Having a Ball
The Cattlemen’s Ball of Nebraska is an enormous undertaking. It requires 100 committee members, 500 volunteers, and a ranch location for the event. And yet for 28 years, Nebraskans have pulled together and pulled it off. In early June, t...
Updated: Stopping Screwworm
Updated: June 15, 2026– The USDA has confirmed 12 total cases of New World Screwworm in the United States. 11 cases in cattle, sheep and goats in Texas and one case in a dog in New Mexico. Updated: June 10, 2026 — The USDA has confirmed 6 total...
Colyer Herefords and Angus Named BIF Seedstock Producer of the Year
The Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) recognized Colyer Herefords and Angus, Bruneau, Idaho, as the 2026 BIF Seedstock Producer of the Year on June 3 during the group’s annual research symposium in Boise, Idaho. This national award recognizes a...
High Input Cost Continues to Be Biggest Concern
In May, the Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer (AEB) Index survey asked farmers to identify the main factor limiting improvement in their farm’s financial situation. High input costs were by far the most frequently cited constrain...
Second Case of Screwworm Detected in Texas
A new case of New World Screwworm has been detected in a young, 1 month old calf in Zavala County, Texas, 5.6 miles from the first positive case of screwworm in Texas, which the USDA confirmed on Wednesday. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s ...
New World Screwworm Inches Closer to U.S.
Updated June 4, 9 a.m. The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday confirmed the country’s first case of New World screwworm — the parasitic fly poised to harm the state’s billion cattle industry — in South Texas. The USDA tested a ...
See Virtual Fencing in Action: A Multi-State Bus Tour in June
Have you wondered how virtual fencing might work on your operation, but want to see it in action before making a decision? A two-day bus tour on June 16–17 will give cattle producers the opportunity to evaluate virtual fencing systems in...
Precipitation Seen, But...
More is needed for drought-stricken areas CBW News Desk Precipitation was seen across the region the middle of May but it was characterized by severe thunderstorms and pronounced moisture disparities, according to the UNL Drought Monitor...
