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This article appeared in the January 2026 Edition of the Branding Pot Monthly. If you want the good stuff first, saddle up and join the newsletter—it's where the secrets drop before they hit the corral. 
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This article appeared in the January 2026 Edition of the Branding Pot Monthly. If you want the good stuff first, saddle up and join the newsletter—it's where the secrets drop before they hit the corral. Raise your hand if you've ever been at a conference or fancy dinner trying to make your best impression and you feel like you forgot how to be a grown up!  As agricultural producers we often pride ourselves in having the get-er-done, roll-up our sleeves attitudes. We fork feed, we unplug balers, we push the odd prolapse back into a cow- but we also run corporations and that comes with business meetings, board positions and relationship building. I can think of a few times where I've sat down with a table of politicians, a room full of cattle buyers or even just a group of my peers and had 37 forks and at least 3 plates staring back at me. While I remembered the old “work from the outside in” trick, my etiquette lessons ended there. So I researched a few EASY tips & tricks for us all to get through the next fancy dinner, prevent a fiasco and maybe even impress the broker/ investor/ boss/ mentor sitting across from us. Let's leave our belly-up-to-the-bunk attitude at home for a minute and channel our inner Rodeo Queen!  CAVEAT. This isn't to say we need to know these things to run a farm. It's simply a reminder, especially during this conference season, that just because we're farmers and ranchers doesn't mean we also aren't bada** business b*tches. Whether or not we think its valid, people are always judging, and once in a while I like to surprise people with my ability to tame the ferality that typically oozes from my soul. So use these if you want, or scroll on sista. No hard feelings!  LEVEL UP YOUR NETWORKING
Ladies, are we still carrying our business cards? How are we easily sharing contact information after a killer networking event? ARE we sharing contact info? Don't be shy. Get out there and NETWORK girlies! (Do we need a Branding Pot guest presenter on this topic?!) Linked In QR Codes (helpful article linked here) Use Apple NameDrop (tutorial here) This article appeared in the November 2025 Edition of the Branding Pot Monthly. If you want the good stuff first, saddle up and join the newsletter—it's where the secrets drop before they hit the corral  This article appeared in the November 2025 Edition of the Branding Pot Monthly. If you want the good stuff first, saddle up and join the newsletter—it's where the secrets drop before they hit the corral.  Save Some Farm $$
Pro Tip: Check with your local health authority as water testing may be free (in AB it is!) Livestock: Salt & minerals are natural in ground water. By testing your livestock water sources you may be able to reduce certain supplementation, saving you money. I personally use CowBytes software to balance rations. This program allows you to input specific water test results. Dive deeper into the economics of water quality on your herd's performance with this article from the Australian Journal of Agricultural Science. This article appeared in the October 2025 Edition of the Branding Pot Monthly. If you want the good stuff first, saddle up and join the newsletter—it's where the secrets drop before they hit the corral. Fall Run: Going the extra mile when you've already run a marathon“We just need to get through the next two weeks, then things will slow down” said every rancher/farmer ever. Its a lie we tell ourselves often, but in the fall we seem to utter it the most. Whether its weaning, processing, harvest or back-to-school chaos, in agriculture we know that it takes a village. But when was the last time you thanked (like, really) that village? Each year I put together weaning/shipping day packages for those special souls that help us get our cattle to market & a paycheck in our pockets. When I shared this on Instagram a few years back, I was shocked by how people reacted to my cattle buyer basket- mostly positive, but the odd nose-up comment about producers doing cattle buyers a favor, not the other way around. Whether you believe it or not, ranching and farming ARE businesses. And in business, its all about relationship building, networking and mutual prosperity. While I don't think that a box of cinnamon buns & a thank-you card will bring me more $/lb on a pen of steers, I do know that business colleague (because that's what they are) is more likely to think of my name next time someone asks where to find new genetics, a great steak or a (insert whatever you sell here). It doesn't cost you a thing to be appreciative. Foster those relationships. Shake their hand. Look them in the eye. And say thank you. Pen a hand-written note to express your appreciation. This goes for all aspects of your life, not just at weaning time or in the cattle pen. Take the time to express your gratitude. And if its weaning/shipping day you're thinking about, like me, don't forget your ground crew, the truckers, the buyers and the team on the other end receiving the cattle (especially if its a cold day!). Yes, it may mean a few extra minutes, but think about the last time someone thanked you (really thanked you). What type of impression did that leave? It doesn't have to be the feedlot either- thank your childcare provider, your accountant, your colleague, or someone that went the extra mile for you when you needed it.What are you waiting for? Get at it.  What I'm Sending...1. Lazy Cinnamon Buns (bread machine)- GET THE RECIPE 2. Rocking Bar H's *Infamous* Banana Bars 3. Whiskey Creek Ranch Native Prairie Honeywww.whiskeycreekranches.com/the-apiary.html 4. Popcorn Balls (we're shipping right before Halloween)- GET THE RECIPE 5. If its a cold day I throw in a bottle of a Baileys for added warmth Extra Extras
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