Grass, Money, and Livestock
Host: Jim and Terry Lindsay
Written by Anna Tickle.
Highly functional cows at Landsborough.
Maintaining long-term profitability in our business regardless of the seasons, commodity prices, or market direction is often easier said than done.
While we haven’t yet mastered making it rain on command, there are aspects of your business that can be managed during tougher periods, Jim says.
Earlier this week we touched on Low Stress Stockhandling, which we know is only effective when people implement it correctly, from attitude through to end product. There’s a lot to gain with this approach, not only from a production perspective, but also from a personal satisfaction point of view.
Jim conducting a LSS school in the NT.
If we were able to better manage more aspects of our business, we would find ourselves working within a more effective business structure.
In Jim’s view, a better approach is to consider not only the three important principles of grass, money, and livestock, but the people too, and how these aspects all work together.
There are plenty of players in the pastoral industry seeking to make profits in different ways. At the end of the day what pays the bills in these businesses is the production of livestock and how we choose to market that.
Jim (centre) and his two business partners, Grahame Rees (L) and Rod Knight (R). With the help of American Bud Williams, they set up a business called KLR Marketing prior to Bud’s passing in late 2012.
Jim and Terry speak of the value of participating in external training, and say it was a huge turning point for their operation back in 1979-80; a particularly crucial time in the business’ lifecycle. Jim says there are a lot of opportunities for gaining skills and extending knowledge within agribusiness.
“Fundamentally, to run a family business – or any agribusiness – requires so many skills, from the ground level right through to the business level,” Jim says.
“It isn’t one thing, it is your whole approach, that will make the difference.”
He says there’s no doubt that farming today is a highly skilled environment, and having the opportunity to obtain information through training and development is vital to the business, not only for knowledge, but for the connections as well.
Jim Lindsay.
Jim says he and Terry have been fortunate to be able to apply new knowledge to their own operation over the years. That being said, the personal and professional connections they’ve enjoyed are very important to them.
Through their Mastermind days and KLR schools, they enjoy seeing KLR participants meet and interact with other farmers who run similar businesses of their own.
A KLR School in motion.
Jim and Terry enjoy their involvement in agricultural education and training, as well as the long-term benefits they see it bring to their own business and its future.
Perhaps there is no better time than now for us all to consider a few things, such as how effectively our grass, money and livestock are being managed, and whether or not there are aspects of the people side of our businesses that can be improved.
Sometimes having your back against the wall, gives you a good place to consider solutions and it can be a good place to push from.
JHL Cows and calves in the calving season at Landsborough.
Jim and Terry would like to thank Anna Tickle for writing their blogs for them this week. They have enjoyed hosting Central Station, and pass on their best wishes to all readers.
Until next time,
The Lindsays
