Cattleman U: Online Community and Education for Beef Producers, Ranchers, and Multigenerational Operations
Have you ever been so excited about something, that you literally can’t stop thinking about it? It’s like a little thought line running in the back of your mind no matter what you’re doing - eating, working, sleeping, driving - it never shuts off.
That’s what Cattleman U has become for me and my team.
Since we launched Cattleman U with our very first group of members in August 2020, we’ve been growing the program each month. And now, we’re getting ready to make it bigger, better, and even more accessible and applicable.
So leading up to that, I wanted to take a moment to answer the most common questions we get about Cattleman U.
Q: What is Cattleman U?
Cattleman U is an educational platform and community that promotes growth and producer improvement through easy-to-apply expert knowledge.
Q: Who is Cattleman U for?
Beef producers
Ranchers
Beginning farmers
Dayworkers & cowboys
Hired Hands
College students
Multigenerational operations
To sum it up? You’ll benefit whether you’re new to the game or have been around the block. As long as you come to learn and care about beef cattle, we guarantee you’ll have major takeaways that apply to everyday life on the ranch.
Q: Do I have to live in Montana to benefit from the trainings?
No - our current members are from all over the U.S. and we bring speakers from a broad range of backgrounds and locations so the trainings are applicable to multiple regions.
Q: Is Cattleman U the same every month?
No. New segments start each month in Cattleman U so you have access to new content regularly. At the same time, you can go back and watch previous sessions anytime during your membership. We typically schedule topics based on seasons coming up on the ranch. So you’ll hear about breeding in the early spring, marketing in the fall, and balancing the books and planning for the future in the winter, then nutrition and calving in late winter, plus a little of everything in between!
In the next six months we’ll be covering these topics:
Forage and pasture management
Ag policy and business development
Seedstock and commercial marketing strategies
Farm to table and consumer marketing
Nutrition, genetics, and breeding
Business strategies and financial management
Q: Who are the speakers?
We have some incredible speakers lined up for the next six months in our program! These speakers come from diverse segments of the industry - University, research, extension, producers, consultants, and business owners. We are proud to offer a variety of different perspectives from our speakers as well. We don’t preach one way of doing things and know that we only grow as producers by staying open to new ideas and different approaches to the problems we all experience.
A few of the experts who will be sharing information are:
Betsy & Roger Indreland – Indreland Ranch - Grazing Management
Luke Frantz - Graized - Selling Niche Product
Clif Lamb - University of Florida - Economics of AI
Dale Blasi - Kansas State University - Stocker Nutrition
Melissa Reed - Hildebrand Farms Dairy - Food to Profit: How to Build a Successful Farm-to-Market Business
Lee Jones - University of Georgia Extension - Ultrasounding and Preg Checking
Corey Wilkins - Allied Genetic Resources - Setting Yourself Apart in Seedstock Marketing
See the most up-to-date list of presenters and topics at cattlemanu.com.
Q: Why do I need Cattleman U?
If you have ever felt stuck in a rut...
If you have ever wanted to go to a conference and couldn’t find someone to cover chores…
If you want to do something new or different than what grandpa did…
Then Cattleman U is for you. The trainings are pre-recorded so you can watch them in your living room, anytime you want. They’re also available to download as audio and take on the go. These trainings are designed to get your wheels turning - thinking about what could be and how something new might look in your own operation.
Q: What is the Cattleman U Community?
A; Our online community congregates in a private, members-only Facebook group where we have the freedom to ask questions, share experiences, and discuss session topics and current events (hello, PAUSE campaign). In our group there are no dumb questions, no shame in not knowing something, and no excluding people for doing things different or judgement for wanting to learn.
But the community extends past the group. Members are encouraged to network with each other outside the Facebook group and offline too so they can form relationships that go beyond the internet.
Our community also hosts monthly live Q & A sessions known as Profit Panels with experts where our members can ask questions in real-time.
Q: I can’t become a member right now but I want the content! What should I do?
Unfortunately, there just isn’t anything that compares with being a part of this community. However, we do offer access to content from previous Cattleman U segments in our online store where you can choose specific topics you would like to learn about, one at a time.
Q: Are there any other perks to membership?
Yes! Members also get access to discounts on select industry services and products, can post classifieds in a members-only classified section, a swag bag mailed to their doorstep, and get early access to other opportunities! (like a big event we’ll be announcing soon!)
Q: When can I become a member of Cattleman U?
Doors will open to new members on June 1st, 2021. You can join the waitlist so you are reminded when doors open and be the first to know of any new updates about the program.
Finding community with others when you’re isolated on the ranch - especially after the last year we’ve had - is challenging, but still incredibly important. We are a reflection of the people we surround ourselves with, so surrounding yourself with people who challenge you to reach for new heights benefits the industry as a whole as we grow together.
Have more questions about Cattleman U? Email us at info@cattlemanu.com!