Yesterday, I talked with Ben Hale of Western Livestock Auctions about the upcoming 2024 LMA Convention and World Livestock Auctioneer Championship. Hale is a member of the board of directors of the Livestock Marketing Association based out of the Kansas City area.

On June 12-25, the LMA Convention will be held in Oklahoma City at the Omni Oklahoma City Hotel, and the World Livestock Auctioneer Championship will be held at Oklahoma National Stockyards. Hale said auctioneers will be coming from across North America to compete in the championship.

The 2024 Livestock Marketing Association (LMA) Annual Convention brings together livestock auction market operators, livestock dealers, livestock auctioneers and others who share a vested interest in promoting the true price discovery method of marketing livestock. The three-day convention is held in conjunction with the premier livestock auctioneer contest, the World Livestock Auctioneer Championship (WLAC). This will be the 60th year of the contest where 31 auctioneers compete for the title of champion. Join this elite group for business meetings, industry discussions, guest speakers, a trade show, local tours, dinner events and world class competition. 



“There is lots of talent there that will be showcased,” Hale said.

Aside from the contest, Hale said there will be plenty of meetings and sessions to attend.

Four of the 31 auctioneers that will be a part of contest in June call Oklahoma home- Dakota Davis of Waukomis, Justin Dodson of Welch, Jeremy Miller of Fairland and Dustin Smith of Jay,

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Mark McCully on Remembering the Consumer When it Comes to New Beef Industry Technologies

At the recent 2024 Cattlemen’s Conference at Oklahoma State University, I caught up with the CEO of the American Angus Association, Mark McCully, and talked about gene editing of the Angus breed.

Looking back on the cattle industry many years ago, McCully talked about the strides that have been made in terms of technology and innovation. Now with gene editing, McCully said there is the ability to advance animal health, wellness, and more.

Many have different feelings about gene editing, McCully said, as some individuals are excited about what this technology can mean for the beef industry, while others fear its potential.

“I think it is a very timely discussion, but it is a complicated one, because it is very technical, and to some people, it becomes very scary,” McCully said.

One of the most important things to remember when adopting this technology is how the consumer will accept it, McCully said, because keeping the trust of consumers is vital.

Grills are Heating up Nationwide, and so is Demand for Beef

Memorial Day is first and foremost a time for Americans to honor military personnel who died serving their country. It’s also the unofficial kick-off to summer – and grilling season, stimulating demand for all types of animal proteins, including beef.

Though the July Cattle Inventory has been discontinued by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, we can use other reports to piece together the cattle and beef market outlook. This Market Intel covers three beef reports to tell the story of where markets and grocery store prices are headed as we kick off grilling season.



USDA’s monthly Cattle On Feed report, published on May 24, estimates that there were 11.6 million head of cattle on feed on May 1, up 1% from May 2023. Cattle placed on feed in April were estimated to be 1.66 million, down 6% from April 2023. Cattle marketed in April totaled 1.87 million head, up 172,000 head or 10% from 2023. Cattle on feed for 120-plus days was 4.72 million, down 4.5% from last month, but up about 5.5% from this time last year. This still leaves higher numbers of fed cattle available in the short run and should help keep beef prices from skyrocketing through the summer.

Farmers Edge™, a pure-play digital ag company, and the National Sorghum Producers (NSP) are excited to announce a new strategic partnership aimed at enhancing sustainable farming practices for sorghum growers. This strategic partnership will support growers participating in NSP’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities (PCSC) grant program funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Together, Farmers Edge and NSP will help growers seamlessly integrate advanced technology solutions for capturing essential on-farm data, including Carbon Intensity (CI) scoring, thus contributing to broader environmental goals.

Using FarmCommand®, Farmers Edge’s end-to-end platform, growers can make more informed management decisions, monitor and improve their CI scores, and easily work with NSP to extract and export data verifying their environmental impact. With this data, growers have an opportunity to monetize their sustainability initiatives, solidifying sorghum as a climate-smart commodity and supporting their farms’ long-term financial viability.

“We’re proud to partner with the National Sorghum Producers,” said Vibhore Arora, CEO of Farmers Edge. “Through our customized technology solutions, we’re committed to supporting NSP in simplifying sustainability reporting and assisting their growers in accessing new revenue streams for climate-smart farming practices.”

Genetics to Improve Profit Potential with OSU’s Mark Johnson

Mark Johnson, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Breeding Specialist, offers herd health advice as part of the weekly series known as the “Cow Calf Corner,” published electronically by Dr. Peel, Mark Johnson, and Paul Beck. Today, Johnson talks about genetics in relation to profit.

Commercial cow-calf operations should take advantage of both additive and non-additive genetic effects. This can be accomplished in two phases: 1) determining which breeds to incorporate into a well-designed crossbreeding system in order to gain hybrid vigor and breed complementarity; and, 2) selecting sires within those breeds based on strong additive genetic values (in the form of EPDs) for the traits of primary economic importance in your production and marketing system.

The results of a well-designed crossbreeding system are primarily realized through the advantages of the crossbred cow. Crossbreeding for the sake of crossbreeding is not suggested. Selecting the right breeds based on additive genetic strengths and complementarity is critical. A well designed crossbreeding system will require an additional level of management and considerations. Determining if sires will be used as terminal or rotational. If replacement heifers are to be purchased from outside sources or produced from within should be part of the planning process.

Mike VanMaanen Elected President of Livestock Marketing Association

Mike VanMaanen married into a family of Livestock Marketing Association members in the 1980s, but never dreamed he’d one day lead the organization. Even though he immediately recognized the benefits of membership, he thought he was too busy to get involved or since his niche market wasn’t nationally known, he didn’t have a place. Soon enough, VanMaanen learned he was wrong on both accounts, and May 17, he was elected president.

VanMaanen, who grew up on a corn, soybean and hog farm in Iowa, attended Missouri Western State University, where he graduated with degrees in agricultural economics and agronomy. It was there he met Lori Angell, a third-generation livestock marketer. The two married soon after graduation and joined her family’s auction market business in Columbia, Missouri, and bought into it in 1990. In 2000, the couple, along with two of her cousins, took over Eastern Missouri Commission Co., in Bowling Green. Last year, they became sole owners.

The World Livestock Auctioneer Championship was VanMaanen’s gateway to Livestock Marketing Association leadership, first serving as a judge in the Parsons, Kansas, qualifier in the fall of 2009 and at the finals in Oklahoma City the following summer. He joined the association’s government and industry affairs committee in 2014 and the board of directors in 2016. During his tenure on the board, he also chaired the membership services committee for two years. He said his time on the board has had many highlights, and he looks forward to what’s to come.