Cowman Commentary: Gelbvieh Perspective

Aug 2, 2006 9:43 PM

By Jay Johnson Courtesy of the American Gelbvieh Association

I was flipping through my Genex/CRI semen catalog and noticed that several breed associations had pieces inserted to talk about what their specific association is doing to add value to the beef cattle industry. Basically you could take any of the articles, change the name of the breed association at the top, change the terminology to fit that specific association, and the average beef cattle producer would still look at the article as just another breed propaganda piece.

Now I was really thinking. What sets us, the Gelbvieh breed, apart from the other associations? Our EPDs look just like other breeds’ EPDs. Our cattle come in multi-colors just like other breeds. We have a magazine; they have a magazine.We have junior programs; they have junior programs. What exactly is it that sets us apart?

I really did not have to think long for the answer. I truly believe what sets us apart from others is leadership. And I am not talking about the American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) Board of Directors. The kind of leadership I am talking about is not size or number of registrations or the amount of money in the bank. It is the willingness to do what is right for the beef cattle industry. There is no better example than the SmartCross™ program. We advocated crossbreeding and promoted it heavily before the other Continental breeds joined the fray. We were promoting what was right for the beef industry, not just our breed.

The other reason I believe we are different from other breed associations is that we are willing to admit we have some weaknesses and we are working to correct those problems. If this is not true, then why are we DNA testing our cattle for the presence of marbling and tenderness genes? Why is the association sponsoring multiple research projects involving multi-breed evaluation, crossbreeding, and the proper timing of ultrasounding continental cattle if we are not interested in continual breed improvement?

The groundwork for the AGA Five-Year Strategic Plan has been started. This project really began with the 2006 AGA Convention and the AGA Board began work at the April board meeting. As we go through the year, the plan will be fine-tuned based upon the input of the membership and assistance from industry leaders.

There is one thing I can already tell from the beginnings of this plan. It is aggressive. We are not resting on our laurels and accolades. Based upon committee inputs and the board input, we are poised to aggressively promote Gelbvieh genetics over the next five years. This will come through advertising, research, beef cattle conferences and regional trade shows, and any other viable method we can produce. I will also tell you the plan will not be inexpensive nor will it be substandard.

How Do You Accept Change?
I have been reading a book by John C. Maxwell titled “Leadership.” In the book, he talks about how people meet change. According to Maxwell, when a proposal for change is introduced, people fall into five categories in terms of their response:
Innovators – They are the originators of new ideas and generally are not acknowledged as leaders or policy makers.
Early Adaptors – They are those who know a good idea when they see it.
Middle Adaptors – They are the majority. They will respond to the opinions of others.
Late Adaptors – They are the last group to endorse an idea. They often speak against proposed changes and may never verbally acknowledge acceptance.
Laggards – They are always against change. Their commitment is to the status quo and the past. Often they try to create division within the organization.

As the American Gelbvieh Association goes forward with the Five-Year Strategic Plan, I ask that you think of the plan in this manner. There may be parts of the plan you will be an early adaptor; there may be other parts where you are a late adaptor. Without you and your assistance, the plan alone cannot help us achieve the ultimate goal of the five-year plan—to increase the demand for Gelbvieh-influenced genetics.

Jay Johnson is the current president of the American Gelbvieh Association and is a partner in Johnson Cattle Co. near Happy, TX. For more about the American Gelbvieh Association visit http://www.gelbvieh.org/ or contact Johnson at cattlej@midplains.coop.

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