Four states in five days visiting nine different cattle operations with 25 members and staff in tow. And no matter what breed of beef cattle you raise, Mississippi producers got to see a wide variety of breeds and operations.

“They get a chance to not only look at, on this particular farm, genetics in the Angus breed but also Hereford breed and some of the other farms that we’ve gone to.  We’ve seen Simmental and seen other type of cattle,” said Mississippi Farm Bureau President, Mike McCormick. “So, they can go back to their farms in Mississippi and decide what’s best for them to use to improve their herd.”

This tour gives member producers the chance to see, touch and ask questions whether they are brand new to the cattle business or have decades of experience.

“It’s likeminded people … it’s good to see how they work through them and get some information how we can work through them when we do have them,”said Larry Jefcoat, Jones County cattle producer.

“We have some commercial cows and seed stock, and I’m just always trying to learn and improve, and definitely the relationship is what it’s all about and I, hopefully, made some to improve my operation and hopefully to see some of these people in the future,” said Jake Thames, Lincoln County cattle producer.

Each stop along the way gave cattlemen new ideas and information that could benefit their own operations back in Mississippi from protein enriched hay development to digitally measured feeding to streamline the weight gaining process. Even though, each operation had its own way of doing things, the one commonality? Relationships within the cattle industry are vital.

“Out of it, to me, we all have cattle, but, to me, this is a people business.  We’re in the people business, so I hope to gain new friends or comrades in the business to expand our resources and I hope, when people come, they learn something from us, but we can, in turn, learn from them,” said Justin Vehige, owner/operator, T Bar S Cattle Company.

“People get more out of sitting and conversing with other breeders or other people from different parts of the United States about how they do things at home and what you do, or maybe even a neighbor that you didn’t even know done things the right way,” said Kenny Hinkle, owner, Hinkle’s Prime Cut Angus.  “So, I think it’s always been that way since I was a little kid with farmers.  They aren’t afraid to tell other people what works or what doesn’t work.”

“If we could ever help them out, that would be fine.  If not, it’s all an educational process about what you can do to be better at what you do and stay in business,” said Mark Harmon, Joplin Regional Stockyard.

Because you never know who you might meet on these trips, Sandridge Land and Cattle owner Erin Vowell, expanded her family’s seedstock operation to a site near Stillwater, Oklahoma just two years ago raising red angus cattle. Tony Tolar manages the Oklahoma operation. They are both originally from Mississippi.

“It’s always good to see fellow Mississippians and growing up there, being a Mississippi State graduate, you know seeing people that I’ve known since I was a kid, show up, you know, it’s good…I’ve always had the idea of more boots on your place,” said Tony Tolar, manager, Sandridge Land and Cattle, Oklahoma. “It’s just promotion and that’s just part of what we do.  Whether you’re a cattleman or whatever you’re doing, you have to promote your product.”

You might even see a fellow state Farm Bureau president, talk policy and advocacy, but also have something else in common. Both MFBF Presidents, Mississippi’s Mike McCormick and Missouri’s Garrett Hawkins, raise beef cattle at their home place.

“We have so many commonalities when it comes to the policy positions and, particularly, I’m thrilled to have fellow beef producers here looking at what we do in Missouri and, hopefully, we can exchange ideas and everyone’s going to be better off,” said Missouri Farm Bureau  President, Garrett Hawkins.

From wide open spaces to stockyard auctions to stocker operations, every aspect of the cattle business was covered in depth. Just another way Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation goes the extra mile, literally, to help members thrive on and off the farm.

Will Gibson: MFBF staff: “We hope that producers that come on this trip can take those things back to their operation and help benefit them long‑term and then, too, building connections.  A lot of these people never been places like this and have met anybody like this and seen these type of cattle,” said Will Gibson, Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation.  “Every stop we go to, people are exchanging phone numbers, building those lifelong relationships to be able to purchase cattle in the future that’ll help their operation.  I think it’s very substantial in this trip.”