CAREERS CONCENTRATED AROUND CATTLE
A career in agriculture is one with purpose , working alongside others to create food , technology and products to feed and clothe the world . For students who grew up on family cattle operations or anyone wanting to pursue a job in the beef industry , here are a few perspectives from people with roles spanning the cattle spectrum .
Melinda Perkins lives in Buchanan , Tennessee , where she and her family own and operate a century farm in Henry County . Together , they raise registered Shorthorns and commercial cow-calf pairs . Perkins also directs Youth Programs and Outreach for the Tennessee Cattlemen ’ s Association ( TCA ).
Walt Keeling is the vice president of Risk Management for Cobalt Cattle Company LLC and resides with his wife and two daughters in Omaha , Nebraska . He spent time as a senior trader in grains and feed before joining Cobalt Cattle .
Kirby Brincefield , operations and production manager at Western Livestock Journal ( WLJ ), lives with her husband in Agate , Colorado , where they own land and run a cow-calf ranch . She worked on the creative side at beef organizations before working for WLJ .
Here is some sage advice from these three professionals .
Describe your role .
Perkins : My role at TCA includes overseeing Tennessee ’ s Top Tier program , a show-cattle points circuit created under my leadership . I coordinate the TCA Second Harvest Initiative where TCA and industry partners purchase market steers from the State 4-H Beef Expo and donate the meat to the local food bank . I manage the scholarship and award programs and lead the TCA Youth Ambassadors . In my role , I collaborate with industry partners , county cattlemen ’ s associations , and other entities on special events and
Walt Keeling , Cobalt Cattle Company
Melinda Perkins , Tennessee Cattlemen ’ s Assoc .
promotions throughout the year .
Keeling : My job at Cobalt Cattle is to reduce the volatility of earnings by identifying and neutralizing price risk . My main areas of focus are reducing risk around live cattle , feed , and feeder cattle prices . We utilize CME Group cattle futures and forward contracts to offset or lock in our input cost and / or our sale prices . Additionally , we use historical market analysis to identify seasonal price trends to better assess favorable times to lock in prices given certain supply and demand factors .
Brincefield : At WLJ , I do a little bit of everything . I help with the day-to-day needs of the business , manage timelines for the production of the magazines , assist with design and layout . I also have a hand in the marketing efforts and supporting our field representatives with account management . I have an amazing team and try to do whatever is needed so they can succeed in their roles . Basically , I help with anything and everything WLJ . If there is an account issue , invoicing , social media post or any other task needing to be done , it falls on my plate . How did you get into this career ?
Kirby Brincefield , Western Livestock Journal
Perkins : My journey into my career is a little untraditional . I graduated from the University of Tennessee Knoxville in December of 2017 . I quickly realized it was a bit more challenging to find a job following a December graduation versus a May graduation . TCA was offering a full-time internship for the spring semester . I decided to pursue the internship in hopes it would allow me more time to find a full-time job . I like to say my internship with TCA was a five-month job interview because I started as an intern in January 2018 and was hired full-time as the director of Youth Programs and Outreach in May .
Keeling : I developed an interest in commodity trading and economic price analysis while pursuing my bachelor ’ s degree in Agricultural and Applied Economics at Texas Tech University . After graduation , I joined Conagra , where I worked at various grain elevators throughout the Midwest . Eventually , I accepted a position as a grain trader with Green Plains Inc ., while pursuing my MBA at Southern Methodist University . After completing my graduate studies , I moved to Omaha to manage risk for the newly created Green Plains Cattle Company , LLC . I continued in this role and Green Plains Inc . divested Green Plains Cattle Company , LLC in 2020 , which became Cobalt Cattle Company LLC shortly after .
Brincefield : In college , I majored in agricultural communications and had internships that introduced me to livestock publications and agricultural association work . I started my professional career with PrimeTime AgriMarketing in Ohio where I did publication and design work and helped manage cattle sales across the country . I went to work for the Indiana State Fair and eventually became a graphic designer for the National Cattlemen ’ s Beef Association . All these positions helped to shape my skills and led me to my current role .
What type of person would this career be a good fit ? Perkins : This career would be good for a “ go-getter .” It requires you to be goal-oriented , plan months in advance , and stay
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