Nutrition might be the one variable in a cattle operation a producer can actually control — and according to Dr. Chris Cassady, it's also one of the most overlooked drivers of value on sale day. In this episode of We Live It, Ty deCordova and Casey Mabry sit down with Dr. Chris Cassady, Director of Technical Services at BioZyme, to break down exactly how the company's nutrition programs translate into healthier, more marketable cattle. Chris shares his path from growing up on a diversified Illinois grain and cattle farm through Texas A&M, a master's and PhD at the University of Illinois, and a faculty position at Iowa State before joining BioZyme's technical team. From there, the guys dig into the VitaFerm Raised badge — a value-added program for calves fed VitaFerm in utero or for at least 45 days leading up to sale — and why buyers increasingly view a documented nutrition program as a signal of overall management quality. Chris explains the science behind the gut-immunity connection (roughly 70% of the immune system lives in the gut) and how that ties directly into vaccine response and long-term health. They also walk step-by-step through the Gain Smart program: the drench that jump-starts appetite in freshly received, stressed calves; the stress tubs that keep gut health in check through the first two to three weeks; and the fortified mineral and vitamin line that carries cattle the rest of the way to delivery. Ty shares a real-world example of nearly a pound-a-day gain difference between two adjacent wheat pastures where mineral was the only variable — plus their own experience running Liquid Boost through the water tank. Chris closes out with a look at Sure Start, BioZyme's day-old calving drench built to support passive immunity right at tagging. Whether you're a commercial cow-calf producer, a stocker or backgrounder, or a cattle rep helping clients tell their nutrition story on sale day, this conversation is packed with practical takeaways on turning a feeding program into real value. Topics Covered:  • Dr. Chris Cassady's background — Illinois farm roots, Texas A&M, Iowa State faculty, BioZyme technical services  • What the VitaFerm Raise badge program is and how calves qualify  • The 45-day feeding window that applies to both VitaFerm and Gain Smart badges  • Why 70% of the immune system lives in the gut — and what that means for vaccine response  • The three-step Gain Smart program: drench, stress tubs, and mineral/vitamin supplementation  • Real-world gain data: nearly a pound-a-day difference on matched wheat pastures  • What's actually in the mineral — Amaferm, organic trace minerals, and why the combination matters  • How buyers and feedyards read a nutrition badge on sale day  • Sure Start: BioZyme's new day-old calf drench for tagging season  • How producers can connect with their local BioZyme rep and get the badge on their listing 🧬 Powered by BioZyme® The We Live It podcast is proudly powered by BioZyme, the makers of VitaFerm® and Gain Smart®. Proper cattle nutrition is the foundation of livestock health. Through LiveAg's nationwide video auction platform, cattle fed BioZyme minerals gain exposure to a national buyer base, often resulting in premium returns. 🔗 Learn more: https://biozymeinc.com/blog/biozyme-partners-with-liveag/

In this episode of We Live It, Ty deCordova and Wade Leist sit down with Mark Anderson, Executive Director of the North American Limousin Foundation (NALF), live at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming. Mark's path to NALF ran through a cow-calf operation, a degree from Colorado State, six years at CattleFax learning risk management and market analysis, and 23 years managing feedyards — giving him a rare, full-circle view of how the cattle industry has changed from live sales to grid marketing and beyond. The conversation digs into what LimFlex actually delivers: better feed conversion, cleaner yield grades, and real premiums at the packing house. Mark walks through NALF's recent study with Dr. Weber of Kansas State and South Dakota State University, comparing Angus, LimFlex, and purebred Limousin sired calves out of two Montana ranches — the results nearly cut yield grade 4s and 5s in half in the hybrid group. He also previews where red meat yield research out of Texas Tech is heading, and how NALF's genomic database (350,000+ carcass records and counting through IGS) is speeding up genetic progress. Topics Covered: - Mark Anderson's path from cow-calf ranching to CattleFax to 23 years managing feedyards - The industry's shift from live cattle sales to grid marketing - How the Limousin breed's docility reputation got fixed decades ago - What LimFlex (Limousin-Angus/Red Angus hybrid) brings to cost of gain and carcass results - Inside NALF's SDSU/Kansas State heterosis study and its yield grade findings - Feeding cattle to bigger outweights (1,600-1,700+ lbs) and managing yield grade tradeoffs - Red meat yield research at Texas Tech and where USDA grading may be headed - NALF's 350,000+ carcass-record genomic database through IGS - What traits commercial producers should look for when crossing onto Limousin/LimFlex bulls - Where to find NALF bulls, breeders, and study data 🧬 Powered by BioZyme® The We Live It podcast is proudly powered by BioZyme, the makers of VitaFerm® and Gain Smart®. Proper cattle nutrition is the foundation of livestock health. Through LiveAg's nationwide video auction platform, cattle fed BioZyme minerals gain exposure to a national buyer base, often resulting in premium returns. 🔗 Learn More: https://biozymeinc.com/blog/biozyme-partners-with-liveag/ Want to learn more about Limousin or LimFlex genetics? Visit NALF.org to find a breeder near you. Interested in marketing your cattle or advertising on We Live It? Reach out to Jean at jean@live-ag.com, or find your local rep at Live-Ag.com. Don't forget to subscribe and hit the bell so you never miss an episode!

In this episode of We Live It, Ty deCordova and Wade Leist sit down with Jace Thompson, the reigning World Champion Livestock Market Auctioneer, live at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming. Jace traces his family's three-generation cattle marketing legacy — starting with grandfather Warren Thompson, who built a sale barn legacy in Riverton, Wyoming, from nothing, through his father's 2009 World Championship and move to Billings working alongside Pat Goggins, and finally to Jace's own path from cattle work into auctioneering roughly five to six years ago. The conversation gets personal: Jace opens up about growing up with an auctioneer father, the pivotal role his mom played in bridging that gap and keeping him in the business during a moment he nearly walked away, and what it meant to hear his name called as champion after years of watching from the crowd. Ty, who hired a 21-year-old Jace on the spot in Billings, shares his own side of that story. They also dig into what the title actually involves day to day — serving as a spokesperson for the Livestock Marketing Association (LMA) and its nearly 800 member markets, attending the Common Ground Summit in Fort Worth, and speaking to high schoolers about careers in the cattle and auctioneering business. Whether you're a young producer figuring out your path, an aspiring competition auctioneer, or just someone who loves a good family story rooted in the cattle business, this conversation is one you won't want to miss. Topics Covered: - Three generations of the Thompson family cattle marketing legacy - His mom's role bridging the gap and keeping him in the business - Watching his dad win the 2009 World Championship - Ty's story of hiring a 21-year-old Jace in Billings - Duties of a World Champion: LMA spokesperson, nearly 800 member markets - The Common Ground Summit and what's ahead for LMA - Inspiring the next generation to get into the cattle and auctioneering business - Winning the world title in just three tries — what changed - Advice for anyone chasing a spot in a livestock auctioneering contest 🧬 Powered by BioZyme® The We Live It podcast is proudly powered by BioZyme, the makers of VitaFerm® and Gain Smart®. Proper cattle nutrition is the foundation of livestock health. Through LiveAg's nationwide video auction platform, cattle fed BioZyme minerals gain exposure to a national buyer base, often resulting in premium returns. 🔗 Learn More: https://biozymeinc.com/blog/biozyme-partners-with-liveag/ Interested in marketing your cattle or advertising on We Live It? Contact Jean at jean@live-ag.com or Keith at Keith@Live-Ag.com. Don't forget to subscribe and hit the bell so you never miss an episode! 00:00 Introduction — Live from Cody, Wyoming 02:43 Meet Jace Thompson, World Champion Auctioneer 03:37 Three Generations: Warren, Ty & Jace 04:33 Building the Family Cattle Marketing Business 05:33 Growing Up Under a Demanding Father 06:25 Watching His Dad Win the 2009 World Championship 08:20 Joe: The Great Auctioneer Who Never Got the Buckle 09:42 His Mom's Role: Bridging the Gap 11:04 The Ledge Moment — Almost Walking Away for Motorcycle Racing 11:18 Ty's Story: Hiring a 21-Year-Old Jace in Billings 15:01 Duties of a World Champion: LMA Spokesperson 15:54 Nearly 800 Member Markets & the Common Ground Summit 16:45 Inspiring the Next Generation of Auctioneers 18:11 Goals for the Next Year 19:19 Winning the Title in Just Three Tries 19:54 What Changed: Turning Everyday Work Into Contest Prep 21:38 Advice for Aspiring Competition Auctioneers 23:44 Thank Yous and Closing Thoughts

Jessie Jarvis grew up on a cow-calf ranch in southern Idaho, tried to leave agriculture behind to become an anesthesiologist, and ended up building one of the most important platforms in the industry instead. In this episode of We Live It, Ty deCordova and Wade Leist sit down with Jessie Jarvis — founder of Of the West and host of the Leaders of the West podcast — for one of the most wide-ranging and personal conversations the show has ever recorded. Jessie walks through her path from an internship at the Idaho Cattle Association and Idaho Beef Council, to communications director for ICA, to seven years at the Boutique Hub under mentor Ashley Alderson, to founding Of the West in 2020 — a job platform built specifically for agriculture and western industries. She makes the case that as the world moves toward feeding and clothing 10 billion people by 2050, agriculture can't afford to keep shrinking its workforce, and that the industry has far more career paths than most people realize. As she puts it: there's no job outside of agriculture you can't also find inside it. The conversation also covers what makes her podcast, Leaders of the West, stand out (including her favorite guest ever — Pat Fitzgerald, who helped build iTunes Podcasts at Apple before becoming president of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame Museum), practical resume and job-search advice for anyone applying for work in ag, and the personal side of building a business: marrying a childhood friend, raising two very different kids, and running it all from a rural operation an hour from the nearest Costco. Whether you're a producer trying to hire, a job seeker trying to find your place in agriculture, or a fellow entrepreneur juggling a business and a family, this conversation is full of hard-won perspective on what it takes to build something that lasts. Topics Covered: Jessie Jarvis's path from ranch kid to founder of Of the West Why she left agriculture for med school — and came back Building Of the West, a job platform for agriculture and western industries Agriculture's shrinking workforce and why career awareness matters The variety of careers available inside agriculture Building the Leaders of the West podcast and her favorite guest, Pat Fitzgerald Resume and job-search advice for ag job seekers What reps can learn from job seekers about selling yourself Marriage, motherhood, and running a business from rural Idaho Mentorship from Ashley Alderson and the Boutique Hub Find Jessie at OftheWest.co, listen to Leaders of the West wherever you get your podcasts, and follow Of the West on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.  Don't forget to subscribe and hit the bell so you never miss an episode.

In this episode of We Live It, Ty deCordova and Wade Leist sit down with Chris Howell in Boise, Idaho, to talk about his decade inside Riverbend Ranches and Riverbend Steaks— and why he decided to step into representing cattle for producers across Nevada, Oregon, California, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, and South Dakota. Chris breaks down what Riverbend actually is, how Riverbend Steaks sells beef direct to consumers, and how the operation grew from purchasing 3,000-5,000 calves a year to 50,000-70,000. He also shares what he looks for in bull genetics and EPDs, how commercial producers can attach real value to their bull-buying decisions, and why trust is the most important thing a rep can build with a customer. Whether you're a commercial cow-calf producer, a seedstock breeder, or new to the cattle business, this conversation is full of practical insight on genetics, marketing, and what it takes to build a program that lasts. Topics Covered: - Chris Howell's move from Riverbend Ranches to LiveAg - What Riverbend Ranches, Riverbend Stakes & Riverbend Seedstock are - RiverbendSteaks.com and direct-to-consumer beef sales - Bull genetics and EPD selection - Creating value through genetics and marketing - Building trust between reps and producers - Advice for young producers entering the cattle business - New technology: virtual fencing and verified natural programs - Chris Howell's LiveAg rep territory (NV, OR, CA, ID, UT, WY, SD) Reach Chris Howell directly at Live-Ag.com to start marketing your cattle with him. 00:00 Introduction — Live at the LiveAg Sale in Boise, Idaho 01:15 Welcome Back to We Live It: Meet Chris Howell, New LiveAg Rep 02:00 Chris's Role at Riverbend Ranches: Customer Service to Procurement 02:52 Riverbend's Growth: From 5,000 to 70,000 Calves a Year 04:11 What Is Riverbend Ranches, Riverbend Stakes & Riverbend Seedstock? 05:09 RiverbendSteaks.com: Direct-to-Consumer Beef Subscriptions 06:04 Chris's Path: From a Nevada Commercial Ranch to Riverbend 07:29 The Opportunity to Join LiveAg 08:17 Choosing the Right Bulls: Advice for Commercial Producers 09:26 Why Producers Overlook Genetics & Marketing 10:51 Where Bull Value Really Comes From 11:50 Attaching Dollar Value to Genetic Traits 13:10 Why Trust Is the Foundation of Rep Relationships 15:02 Moving from Buying Bulls to Marketing Cattle 16:53 Chris's Territory: NV, OR, CA, ID, UT, WY & SD 17:45 How to Reach Chris Howell Through Live-Ag.com 18:09 Advice for Young Producers: Don't Fear New Technology 20:03 Adapting to Stay in Business for the Next 100 Years 20:28 Closing Thoughts