Quit worrying about what we can’t control.

I hear so much bickering these days about everything. Politics, cattle prices, weather and the list goes on and on. I will admit that I’m known to be a little cynical at times. It’s easy to be negative in the ranching business. One thing I have done well is to quit worrying about what I can’t control.

The political atmosphere is vile at this point. Trade wars are hammering commodity prices, packers are gouging cow/calf producers, tariffs are inflating input prices, the global demand for beef is waning, vegan “burgers” are the new fad, processors are catching on fire and Congress won’t budge on County of Origin Labeling (COOL Act). Commodity cattle prices aren’t great and the weather isn’t very cooperative either. Folks the list goes on and on! The average person can’t do a darn thing about these political issues. I have seen people who allow politics and issues totally out of their control toxify their minds. The only thing we can do is support organizations that align with our ethics and vote every few years. Farmers and ranchers constantly blame their failures on someone else and it’s time that we look in the mirror. The reality is the business isn’t the same as it was 20 years ago and it won’t be the same 20 years from now. These issues are totally out of our control, but there are some things that we can control.

We can control our production costs (to an extent) and inputs. We can control our grazing system so that during times of drought there is still ample forage. We can control the type of cattle (genetics) we produce. We can control our prices by direct marketing our products instead of just hauling them to the sale barn and hoping for the best. It’s time to shift your paradigm and start taking control. It’s time to think outside the conventional box and make the changes necessary to stay profitable. If I hadn’t started doing things different on this ranch a decade ago I would still be working a job in town. The status quo agricultural model is falling apart in front of our eyes. I hope that some see the need to change sooner rather than later.

On a side note, build a network of friends and colleagues that are like-minded, positive thinkers. I can’t express enough how important this is. If you practice regenerative agriculture (or anything outside the conventional norm) and see things a little different it is probably best to stray away from the coffee shop. Don’t let the folks who hate weeds and mesquites, love chemicals and “any cow that’s not black just wont work” bring you down. There will be conflict with neighbors who don’t see eye to eye with you. Keep your head up and get after it. More than likely you may not find support until many years down the road when folks realize that your still around and your business is thriving. There will be hard times and your network will be there for you when needed.

I hope this helps anyone who is having anxiety about the problems we all face in agriculture. My goal on this blog is to help you see things a different way, to change your paradigm. The most powerful change we can make in agriculture right now is changing our mindset. Ranching can be a rewarding business if we quit worrying about what we can’t control and focus on what we can control.

Questions or comments? Feel free to post them below or shoot me an e-mail to mail@parkercreekranch.com.