Greetings from the gorgeous September days of the Eastern Front! Weaning season is in full swing, which fills every spare minute not taken by 2nd hay cutting, irrigation, and harvesting the gardens. Steers came in first this year as they were on the grass hardening off the fastest, and gains were stalling. By getting a weight at weaning, we are able to calculate and plan for exactly how much growth they need to make our contract which takes all uncertainties out of any summer and just turns it into math. Some secondary benefits: we get to see how our commercial calves perform on an aggressive feeding program. We get to see their health platform and what percentage of pulls from sickness we sustain year to year. And we watch sire groups and styles of calves and notice how each responds to post weaning feedlot conditions. Always learning . . .