Advertising Claims
I'm on Vista and use Twadget to get updates when people I'm following on Twitter post something new. I just saw an interesting tweet come across the screen...
EDJE ADVERTISING TIP: Be credible and trustworthy. The tendency is to distrust advertising, so keep your claims honest and credible.
-EDJE Technologies
And you know what? I agree.
- By Jeff | Comments (3)
NAIS Listening Session Videos
Somervell County Salon posted videos from the Austin listening session on Youtube. I had nothing to do with the videos and have no clue who Somervell County Salon is.
CLICK HERE for the clips.
I really don't have an opinion on NAIS but THIS speaker was the only one that stuck out to me afterward. She's a pretty good example of a very large portion of cow-calf operators in the nation and the kind that NAIS really just doesn't work for.
- By Jeff | Comments (0)
"Mini Sirloin Burgers"
Every time I see that ad I think to myself "oooh, better be careful where you say that, they prefer to be called Lowline now".
- By Jeff | Comments (1)
Cattle Forum Activity
For the period between April 27th and May 17th...
- Cattle-Today - 34.4%
- Ranchers.net - 29.0%
- Steerplanet - 21.5%
- Advantage Cattle Services - 9.1%
- 5BarX - 2.3%
- Clubcalves - 2.1%
- Breedersworld - 1.0%
- Showsteers - 0.5%
- EDJE - 0.1%
The thing worth noticing is the meteoric drop of the Breedersworld forum. The posts per day dropped from 45.12 in March to 9.95 for this time period. What’s worse is the fact that number is buoyed by the largest thread on that forum which is a fight about the change to usernames.
As I posted earlier in this blog, I have no issue whatsoever with requiring a username and thinks it’s the best way to go. However, doing that removed the only competitive advantage of Breedersworld over other sites that do require usernames.
People didn’t stop using Showsteers.com, Clubcalves.com, and the Breedersworld forums because they require usernames. They stopped using those forums because amongst the forums that require a username, the functionality of Steerplanet makes those forums look like something a kid put together.
No, Jason didn’t program that forum from scratch, it’s a popular piece of forum software that they’ve customized quite nicely. However, the days of just slapping a link to a boardhost site up and expecting people to use it are over.
- By Jeff | Comments (1)
NAIS Listening Session Experience II
11:55 AM - Dairyman - Dairies have had the mandatory requirement for a year now and it hasn't been as burdensome as some would think.
11:55 AM - Another LMA rep - "Much concern" about NAIS and that our current system works well. Has not found anybody that supports the mandatory nature of it.
11:55 AM - Comments on what I've been thinking all morning. It's a strange coalition of hippies and cowboys against it. Arguing against the government sticking it's hands in everything.
11:50 AM - Livestock Marketing Association rep - Arguing against NAIS on the grounds of government intrusion.
11:45 AM - Compares it to organizing a plate of spaghetti. Claims NAIS is the result of a lobbying effort to stop local farmers.
11:45 AM - Concerned that England had the program in place before F&M an it did nothing.
11:40 AM - Dairyman - Expressing support and stressing the importance of an NAIS system. Claims it's a "small minority" against it. Strongly in favor of the 840 tag.
11:35 AM - Lockhart Auction rep - Is for a voluntary system. System will add hardship to both animals and producers. Trial run showed that it was only about 80% effective. The logistics of low frequency tags just doesn't work fo auction barns.
11:35 AM - New Farmer (certified organic) - Putting in a word for the "beings that we produce". Making arguments regarding the impact of karma from CAFOs. Has a "good enough relationship" with her chickens to tag them individually but thinks it's wrong small farms have to tag each but not large operations. Was late this morning because a chicken was sick and she put her in "hospital" to get better.
11:30 AM - The "mom" of "mom and pop" - Talking about the logistics of tracking range cattle and the need to allow low maintenance beef production for ag-exemption maintenance. Says look at Ireland, friend had cancelled sale because tags didn't match and had to take cattle home.
11:25 AM - Hippie dude from earlier - Talking about deceptive language by the NAIS. Upset with calling property owners stake holders. Cites the book 1984. Talking about the dangers of calling property a premises.
11:20 AM - Direct beef marketer - He's already doing what the NAIS is trying to make mandatory for everyone and sees no need for it.
11:15 AM - TCFA Rep - Voluntary would be a good start but an effective long term solution requires 100% involvement. Concerns regarding data confidentiality, logistics, and hold-harmless for cattle after the leave farm.
11:10 AM - Arguing that NAIS is a positive and we should focus on making it work instead of just arguing against it.
11:05 AM - Writer and local farm and community advocate - NAIS is not about animal health, it's about enriching multi-national meat producers and data solution providers. Says eliminate CAFO and feedlots to accomplish food safety concerns.
11:00 AM - President of Texas Organic Farmers Organization - NAIS is on the march. Proposes it was the idea of data management companies. Claims the back of this room is full of lobbyists and says they're full of manure.
[I'm at a loss as to what people in Austin have against hair care]
11:00 AM - Sustainable Living Activist - Arguments against large agriculture in general.
10:55 AM - Semi-conductor engineer/healer of people and animals/environmentalist - Claims the implanting of silicon chips causes cancer. Chipping is "just injecting cancer". "Who's next? Newborns?".
10:55 AM - Consumer, local food proponent - Concerns regarding impact on local farmers.
10:50 AM - "Sovereign citizen, Libertarian party member" - Thanks them for bringing dog and pony show to Austin. Fairly predictable libertarian view regarding government programs.
10:45 AM - TSCRA Rep - Issues regarding cost. Claims the cost is $40/head based on her research. Claims making it mandatory removes any premium for doing it. Concerns regarding speed of commerce. Concerned regarding the fact that personal information will not be protected under freedom if information act.
10:45 AM - No NAIS Lady - The studies don't back up the claims regarding traceability.
[I still HATE the term "Agri-Life" instead of "Agriculture", thank you Dr. Murano]
10:40 AM - Gives credit the Texas Animal Health credit for what they've done without anything resembling NAIS. General concerns regarding constitutionality.
10:35 AM - "We'll be nothing more than managing serfs".
10:30 AM - U.S./Local Government professor - "What part of no don't you understand?" to NAIS. Freedom from unwanted government intrusion. Risk of data compromise. Big ag and tech industry profiting and pushing it.
10:30 AM - Young gentleman - Makes claims that ID tag makers and CAFOs are the beneficiaries. Godwin's law has been invoked, first person to make a comparison to Nazis. (If you didn't know, it's actually a requirement for public meetings that somebody compare the subject at hand to the Holocaust)
- By Jeff | Comments (2)
NAIS Listening Session Experience
10:20 AM - Gentleman who uses goats to keep weeds down - Claims it must be a U.N. law because Europe and Australia have it. Brings up "666" from Revelations and how we can't let the government enslave us. Our government is a rubber stamp of the U.N. who is dictating these laws. Something about guerrilla warfare.
10:20 AM - A mother - Concern regarding food supply. Against packaged foods in general. Doesn't fear terrorists but does fear obesity.
10:15 AM - A quite libertarian view regarding freedom and taking from one for another. Track and tag animals coming across border and top-25 agri-businesses. Somehow worked in the recent domestic terrorist thing from DHS.
[Something tells me if somebody from a CAFO walked in they'd be tarred and feathered]
10:10 AM - Austin local that has had chickens most of his life - Affront to freedoms by factory farms, computer industry, and government. Concerns centered around impact on people raising animals at home due to economic concerns. There it is..."Eight years of the worst governmental leaders in the history of the United States" - yep, we're in Austin.
10:10 AM - Thinks NAIS will kill auction barns. Claims it's about money for the NIAA.
10:05 AM - Philip Glass, lamb producer/industry rep - Look at source of disease, ferrel pigs, dairies, government bison herds, fever ticks. Already require ID on dairy cattle and still can't control TB. Concerned about mandatory nature and how it could be used by animal rights (AR).
10:05 AM - Part-time cow-calf operator, full time tech professor (information security) - Concerned about security of data.
10:00 AM - Argument that the weak link isn't traceability and that the agency needs to focus on factory farms where the risk actually is high. "Need factory to fork not farm to fork traceability". Need to diversify food supply. Claims the cost benefit analysis was flawed due to erroneous statistical analysis.
10:00 AM - Another Austin local....and surprise.....claims issue is factory farms and hopes they'll go out of business.
9:55 AM - Needs to be voluntary. If it's in a public database, it will be open to freedom of information requests and vulnerable to use by the fringe animal rights activists. Database needs to be privately run to ensure competition and best possible result. Doesn't want government involvement.
9:55 AM - "Concerned citizen" - Claiming the logistics of implementing at the sale barn have already been addressed at the Columbus auction barn and that it has worked. Wants to ensure there is a marketing program to recoup the cost of implementation.
9:50 AM - Navasota sale barn owner - This guy knows mom and pop farmers. Talking about the logistics of forcing cattlemen that can barely get their cattle in the pen to take the auction barn to tag and track cattle. Also, how is an auction barn going to tag 1,500-1,700 cattle a week.
9:50 AM - Organic farmer organization rep - Talking about picking up dead chickens and complaint centered around CAFOs.
9:45 AM - NAIS supporter - Likes the food safety aspects to help compete in global market and thinks it would even out volatility in markets.
9:40 AM - Organic product consumer - Complaint that it's on Wednesday instead of Saturday, that the burden is on small operations, GPS tracking (????). Austin shows it's head, calls chicken producers "concentration camps" and claims slaughter houses and feedlots are the real problem.
9:40 AM - Charlie Christensen (San Angelo Producers Livestock Auction) - Issues with the slowing down of commerce and the fact that the technology simply is not there yet.
9:35 AM - Regional director for R-CALF - Primary complaint is that beef packers would have access to too much information about small operations and that it would cut out local auction barns where competitive prices are established.
9:30 AM - Getting into the interesting people; "May your chains set lightly upon you", "send swarms of officers to harass our people", "sons and daughters of the South, WE WILL WIN THIS FIGHT" - standing ovation
9:25 AM - Suggestion to let FSA run it.
9:20 AM - Very rational comments to start, freedom from government control, etc.
9:15 AM - Kicking myself for not bringing a tripod.
9:00 AM - Vilsack didn't make it. People already cracking jokes out loud because his video taped welcome had technical difficulties.
8:40 AM - Some hippie looking fellow just gave me a hand out on the "Delphi Technique" and warned us to not fall for it.
8:35 AM - Funny watching the lady with the "No NAIS" group ask the TSCRA and TDA reps if they want to sign up for her mailing list. (they're remaining "very neutral")
- By Jeff | Comments (2)
NAIS Listening Session
I feel like a kid waking up on Christmas morning. Listening to people throw public temper tantrums (as long as I'm not on the receiving end) is a guilty pleasure of mine. Ask my wife, I like it a bit more than is reasonable.
When I got out of my room this morning to head down to the NAIS session I knew it was going to be a good day when I overheard three cops discussing whether that was enough. A smile wryly grew across my face.
As I walked to the conference room I was offered "No NAIS" stickers by two different people. I asked if I need to register as media since I'm a blogger and they asked me to go ahead and do it. It's strange how things turn out. At A&M, I considered journalism to be the major you end up in after both engineering and business kicked you out and most of the journalism majors I knew agreed with me. Honestly, it's an insult to real journlists that I would ever be considered "media".
I've heard a woman try to start an argument with the person singing her in. She saw a picture of a chicken and asked what I assumed to be an intern why they were trying to make that the only thing people could raise. The young lady handled it well, just going through the motions of checking her in and asking if she wanted to get on the list to make comments.
I've heard the phrase "taxation without representation" twice.
One woman in a suit described the sessions as the the most explosive things she seen. She described the entire thing as throwing gasoline on an already burning fire.
This beats the heck out of building fence and the actual listening session doesn't start for another 45-minutes...
- By Jeff | Comments (2)
"Listenting Session"
In my previous life as an engineer, the firm I worked at was involved in a lot of NEPA work. That included the mandatory public meetings to get feedback from “stakeholders” so we could say the organization we were consulting for got input from them and took it into consideration.
In reality, it was an exercise in listening to people who were under the mistaken impression their opinion was going to have an impact on the final outcome of the project vent steam while we sat and made a mental note of which ones would make the best jokes when we got back to the office. I’m not legally permitted to share the stories but I still joke about many of them with the people I used to work with.
It’s with that in mind that I’m taking a short drive up to
My only thought is that if anybody thinks they are going to get people like our recently deceased neighbor to do anything more than pour a sack of cubes for his cattle, they are certifiably insane.
- By Jeff | Comments (0)
Cattle for Sale Delay
My Internet service has been cut off by a neighbor's digging dog. We've got some other stuff to do to the cattle for sale section before it goes live and hope to do so on Monday.
- By Jeff | Comments (1)
Cattle For Sale
One of the most popular things to do when setting up a beef related portal is to start with an online auction or cattle for sale section. Heck, it’s the first thing I thought of back in the Summer of 2001 when I was walking around a field trying to come up with an idea for a website. Luckily I kept walking and decided a show cattle game would work better.
If you don’t have the critical mass to have enough listings worth viewing, nobody will check them. If nobody checks them, nobody will list anything. If you think you’re going to charge for it, people will go to the half dozen or so legit sites that don’t. That’s part of the reason we haven’t had a cattle for sale section on this site since I redid it…until tomorrow.
After I saw a few people listing cattle for sale in the “Rate My Calf” section I realized there might be a little demand for a classifieds section here so we’re launching one tomorrow. It’s not going to replace Steerplanet, Cattle Today,
I’ve been working on it for a week or so and have a bit more tweaking to do with it but I like the system we have setup so far. It allows uploading of pictures, inclusion of both Youtube and WMV videos, and has a lot of flexibility for future additions. And yes, it’s all free.
- By Jeff | Comments (1)
May Cattle Site Traffic Report
- CattleNetwork.com 24.39%
- Cattle Today Sites 22.11%
- Cattlerange.com 9.62%
- Cattle.com 9.16%
- Beefmagazine.com 8.20%
- Showsteers.com 6.37%
- Cattlegrower.com 3.93%
- Steerplanet.com 3.09%
- Cattlepages.com 3.03%
- Clubcalves.com 2.37%
The only thing worth noticing is that Cattlegrower.com is continuing its quick run up the ranking. Aggressive marketing + Quality Facebook clone = Success.
Minor updates include Clubcalves replacing Primetimeagrimarketing in the top ten which is common among the 7-11 group. EDJECattle.com continued to stay outside the top ten.
We added a few new sites to the index…
Mattlautnercattle.com is updated more often than just about any blog, let alone website, out there. While it’s making an exception to put it in the index (we typically don’t include individual ranches) it’s become more of an informational site than the site of an individual supplier.
Thetextresults.com was added but it doesn’t get enough traffic to register. I also haven’t gotten a single text message sale result since I signed up two-weeks ago and turned on updates for all categories and states.
- By Jeff | Comments (0)
Full Flush
Does anybody have a clue why referrals for the search term "Full Flush" would have spiked on May 2nd? We've always had 1-2 referrals a day from Google for the term but it jumped to 76 and slowly tailed off after that.
The only other time we've had that sort of spike for an individual bull was when the curly calf stuff came out about 1680.
- By Jeff | Comments (0)
Brad Hook's Youtube Channel
Brad Hook got around to adding a few videos to his Youtube channel that are worth checking out...
- By Jeff | Comments (0)
27.80 vs 8.71
That's the difference in the amount of posts per day on Breedersworld between 3/28-4/27 and 4/27-5/4.
- By Jeff | Comments (0)
JLS Brangus Sale Report
JLS International put on a nice sale in Devine, TX this past Saturday. It was refreshing to see a bunch of high quality 4-year-old three-in-one pairs. It seems like you just don’t get the opportunity to buy cows at that stage of their life in anymore.
I really only went to this sale on a sight seeing tour but I’ve been continually haunted since then for not buying a pair that ended up going to Louisiana. I’m not a steer jock but I’ve easily seen 150 or so American steer prospects this Spring. There was only one that impressed me more than that bull at the side of that pair and it was the only calf that still had his nuts at Charles Schroeder’s (no relation, as if there was any question) sale. I just don't remember ever seeing a purebred Brangus calf with nearly as much thickness over the shoulder.
- By Jeff | Comments (1)