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located just half a mile down the road from Martin. Harold Unrau is general manager of the auction market at Grunthal, south of Winnipeg. “We go back and forth quite a bit,” says Martin. “This gives me a good sense of where the industry is at – price seasonality, where the buyers are, and who’s looking for what type of cattle.” Given this insight from cow-calf to feedlot, Martin testifies, “In the past, Simmental cattle have been called hard-feeding, but today’s Simmental are just as feed efficient as any Angus.” Since becoming involved with Manitoba Beef Producers in 2005 and the CCA in 2007, Martin has expanded his understanding of the beef industry to a global level. He has traveled extensively and been involved with successful CETA negotiations in Brussels and Ottawa, and mCOOL legislation battles in Washington, DC. “Most of us don’t understand that Canada is a high-input beef-producing country. In order to offset our higher costs and compete, we have to produce superior products. When I travel to Europe or Asia, I tell producers there that in Canada, we breed cattle with good hair coats that are feed efficient and easy fleshing. Compared to 25 years ago, our cattle today are 30% more efficient– this is from picking the right genetics,” shares Martin. “We have the tools in Canada to compete globally. But when you look around the world, everyone else is improving too. We can’t relax in any aspect of the cattle industry.” To compete in the future, Bar 88 Ranch will expand its cowherd now that Garett, 27, is on the farm fulltime. Martin and Roxie’s other three children live close by and remain interested in the cattle business, although not directly involved in the ranch at this time. “My main goal is to improve the efficiency of our operation by 20% in the next 20 years – find a way to utilize research in cattle genetics, feed production, and water use in order to produce 20% more product with the same inputs,” Martin adds. “We will also utilize the Beef InfoXchange System (BIXS) to track sire groups, based on feedlot results and carcass data. I think we can move a long way towards our goal of a 20% efficiency gain by selecting the right sires.” “We have bought bulls from across Canada and dealt with some tremendous Simmental breeders. Garett selects most of our bulls now, but it’s still all we talk about from December to March – it drives Roxie crazy! We look for structural soundness of course, and also thickness, depth of rib, and capacity. We also consider EPDs.”
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The Unraus plan to stick with their current breeding program with half Simmental, half Angus cows. They keep about 20 purebred Simmental cows, for interests’ sake, which are normally bred Angus. A few of the resulting F1 bulls are sold to local producers with smaller herds. “I’ve also considered using a Full Fleckvieh bull on high percentage or purebred Angus females, for a one generation cross. The benefits of heterosis with a true F1 cross are a huge benefit in the feedlot when it comes to growth,” Martin says, based on first-hand experience. Martin offers the following advice to his fellow cattle producers: “Find the right kind of cattle for your place – for us, the Simmental-Angus cross is best. Take advantage of the benefits of heterosis that can be gained by crossbreeding. Focus on producing a quality product all the time.” He also emphasizes that the industry needs to work on maximizing the value of each cut of meat sold. In his opinion, higher carcass values filter back to the producer in the long run. “I think BIXS will be a very important program for Canadian cattle producers going forward, especially as we look to new markets like Europe. If we want to be serious about those markets, we will have to produce a traceable, top quality product. This may not be for everybody, but it’s a tool that’s out there. I see it working well in the future for a cow-calf producer to group sires and make breeding decisions based on past performance. If you keep track of animals in the feedlot, you know if your genetics work. I’ve offended people in the past by saying that every purebred breeder should feed at least a thousand steers a year!” When it comes to his success in the political arena and on the ranch, Martin Unrau remains humble. “I got started in cattle politics after BSE because I thought I had some good ideas to contribute – just like everybody else. After I became involved with CCA, I became more knowledgeable.” In terms of benefits afforded by his job as CCA President, Martin says that being up-to-date on big-picture events in the industry helps him make better decisions for his own operation. “It’s nice to contribute to the industry in a positive way; helping to fight big battles to the best of my ability. Getting to know leaders in the industry has also helped me grow and learn. The people I’ve met and the relationships I’ve built are a real perk of the job.” By Trish Henderson