2014 Grassfed Exchange Conference

August 6th 2014

We hope that you all had a safe trip home from the 2014 Grassfed Exchange conference in Columbia MO. We were concerned that it might be hot and humid in Missouri at the end of July. After all when we went to North Dakota at the end of August we had record breaking temperatures so we did not know what to expect in Columbia. However, we were blessed with a partly cloudy mid 80 degree day for the tours. What a pleasant surprise.

The tour at Greg Judy’s was something that many were looking forward to and Greg did not let us down. It is so wonderful that people like Greg and Jan are willing to share what they have learned so that the rest of us can avoid making some of the same mistakes they made as they were learning. This is the beauty of gathering together like minded individuals to share with one another. This has always been one of the highlights of the tour and conference.

We tried to take off from where we left off in North Dakota and continue to build on what we had learned there. It was fascinating to hear about the minute part of the sun’s energy that it actually takes to create the power that drives everything we do and grow. I believe when we learn to use the gifts that we have been given by our Creator to take care of the land, plants and animals He has given us. We then begin to realize how important of a role we in agriculture play in the bigger picture of solving some of the world’s most serious problems.

Each one of you that is reading this can know that you are an integral piece in the puzzle of life. We need never be ashamed of being a steward of the land. We just may hold the key to solving many of the world’s problems. I have always been amazed at the brain trust that assembles at a conference like this. Each one of you has your own story to tell. Some are just a little further along on their journey.

Now the task lies ahead to begin to prepare for an even better conference ahead in Michigan on September 16th to the 18th, 2015. Mark that date on your calendar now. Maybe you can plan a little vacation around the conference. I hear that part of Michigan is a great place to spend a few extra days, and we can be sure that it will be beautiful that time of year.

What will be the challenges that lie ahead of us in the next year? We do not know for we can only contemplate what they might be? Each one of you has the ability to take each situation that life throws at you and not get discouraged because of the hardships that it might bring. I know each of you will not let the hardship hold you down but instead will look for the opportunity that you now have because of this new challenge. We heard this so many times during the conference how one individual after another had been faced with adversity and that is exactly what challenged them to look for an alternative way to overcome the problem they were being faced with.

The cow calf producer is probably enjoying the best financial years of his career. Yet we all know that the pendulum will swing back the other way. Will we be prepared to face the adversity that will come with that change of the swing? Now is not the time to become complacent since times are good, but now is the time to take advantage of what we have learned and take the risk to try that new idea that we have heard about. We then will be better prepared to take full advantage of these new methods when the pendulum does swing back.

I would like to share some one liners given to us by Joshua Dukart at the conference that I believe will be very helpful to us all as we face the challenges that lie ahead of us.

1. If you want to make changes, change how you do things, but if you want to make big changes, change the way you SEE things.

2. Remember the golden circle. Most people start with the what, then the how, and finally the why. Reverse that start with the why, then the how, and finally the what.

3. People do not buy what you do but WHY you do it.

4. Isn’t it time we put the SUN to work?

5. Agriculture is an effective biological process for producing a high quality food. Thus Agriculture can be the solution-not the problem.

6. Study the 4th dimension “biological life”

7. Conservation is not enough. Regenerative management is needed to produce a sustainable future.

8. Manage for what you want not for what you don’t want.

I Thank you Joshua, for these words of wisdom. I just thought they were too good not to share them with you all again.

Remember that if you were unable to attend the conference and the tours were video taped and will be available soon here on our web site. We also have a few DVD’s of the 2013 conference left for half price if you would like to refresh yourself about what we talked about last year concerning soil, animal, and human health. Please make early plans now to be with us in 2015 in Michigan.

Wayne Rasmussen

Chairman Grassfed Exchange