Literally…. When driving across the State of Texas, the road goes on forever. Yet with each mile marker passed I was blessed with an opportunity to see the raw beauty by God’s handiwork. This year has been an amazing one and I am so thankful for the opportunity He has given me to see the beauty in the little things, because when it comes down to it, it is the little things that mean the most. One day this week take the time to take that detour home, roll down the windows, smell the fresh crisp air after a rain storm, pull over and take that picture with the bluebonnets, do NOT miss all the amazing things that surround us.

As I climbed up into the Beef Council Truck to head out of town Friday, I will admit I was a little nervous. I have never been to South Texas and was not quite sure what to expect. But climbing into that truck with the trailer loaded down gave me such a sense of pride, that any doubts or mixed feelings were soon thrown out the window as I knew this was going to be another great trip. I am so fortunate to work this Texas Beef Council internship, to show the producers and consumers all the wonderful things we are doing for them.

I was headed to Rio Grande City to help assist in the cooking for the Beef 706 program. Jerry McPherson of the Texas Beef Council and I got the opportunity to pull the grill out and cook some steaks. (On a side note, if an opportunity arises and there is a chance to eat a steak cooked by Jerry, do it! This is a must! He has a special touch and the steaks are always amazing.) The flat iron was the cut of steak that we cooked. Did you know that the flat iron is the second most tender cut of meat next to the tenderloin? If you have not tried this cut yet, it is a must do as well! Picture it, the grill smoking outside the auction barn while the steaks sizzled. The aroma of the steaks drifting to the front door as all the attendees started to arrive, mouthwatering, stomach growling, eager and ready to start their program.

The BEEF 706 program is an AMAZING opportunity and if it occurs in an area where you are producing cattle, you definitely should attend. This specific program has three separate sessions. At this particular session, the attendees were broken up into groups. As a group, they had the opportunity to go out and study the steers before a mock auction was performed. Each group bid like it was a live auction, hoping to be able to purchase the steer they thought would perform the best. These steers are then taken and will be put on feed to continue out the rest of the program. There are two additional sessions to this program. Later on, the attendees will get the opportunity to tour a feedlot and see their cattle on feed. They will also get the opportunity to visit the Kane Beef processing plant. In the end the groups will be able to assist in the fabrication process and will be able to tell how their steer ranked against all the other groups. In the ranking process, the cost of the steer, how much the steer sold for, and the quality and yield grade are just some of the many factors that are taken into consideration.

This is an awesome experience for our producers to be able to really tell how much genetics, frame size, and muscling play a factor into their everyday decisions. While I was only at the first session today, I highly recommend it to anyone that is producing cattle. Whether that producer is a seasoned veteran or someone who is fairly new to the cattle business it never hurts to hear about the current information that is being taken into consideration when the cattle are sent to the auction barn or processing plant.

I survived my first trip to South Texas and I am ready to go back…….even though that road does travel on forever! If you are ever down in Rio Grande City, stop by the R.Y. Livestock Sales. Mr. Sam Rodriguez is the owner. Sam and his wife are so nice and welcoming. If you are want more information about the BEEF 706 program, be sure to check out TexasBeefCheckoff.com or reach out to one of your local Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Agents.

While I was driving home, George Strait’s song “Take Me to Texas” came on, it just reminded me of how amazing the State of Texas is and how amazing the Lord is.

Until next time…

 

“And these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

1 Corinthians 13:13