Episode 20: Preserving a Legacy with Watt Casey Jr. of Casey Beefmasters What does it take to build cattle that pay their way without props? We sat down with Watt Matthews Casey Jr. of Casey Beefmasters to trace a 77-year line of selection grounded in the Six Essentials—fertility, weight, conformation, hardiness, milk, and disposition—and a ruthless commitment to real-world performance. From a closed herd since 1967 to breeding seasons as short as 25 days, Watt explains how discip...

Episode 19: Generations of Stewardship with George Kempfer What happens when cattle are expected to perform in one of America's most challenging environments? They either adapt or fail. At Kempfer Cattle Company, five generations of ranching experience have created herds specifically designed to thrive where others can't survive. George Kempfer takes us inside his family's operation, where nearly 3,000 mother cows demonstrate the power of purposeful breeding and disciplined selec...

Episode 18: Docile Brahmans?!? with Grant and Nicole Vassberg of Kallion Farms What happens when a breeder decides to push back against everything the cattle industry holds sacred? Grant and Nicole Vassberg of Kallion Farms have been doing exactly that with their bold approach to Brahman cattle. For 15 years, Kallion has carried the label of “black sheep” in the Brahman world - systematically breeding away from the stereotype of wild, infertile cattle and toward docile, fertile animals that t...

Episode 17: Soil to Steak with Steve Campbell Forgotten wisdom meets modern ranching challenges in this fascinating conversation with Steve Campbell, a seasoned cattle coach who helps producers improve everything from soil health to cattle selection. Campbell shares the profound concept of the "Solo Cup Cow" – a simple yet powerful visual guide that reveals why cattle conformation matters far more than most realize. Campbell takes us deep into the hidden world of cattle fertility, explaining...

Shooting The Bull: Episode 4 Preview What happens when cattle breeding principles stay focused on function instead of fashion for three generations? The Meitler brothers reveal the extraordinary power of consistency at their family's Hereford operation, where their bulls routinely work for 10 to 12 years while mainstream operations sell replacements every 2 to 3 seasons. From their hunting cabin in rural Kansas, brothers Darris and Clint Meitler share candid insights about carrying forward th...

Episode 16: From the Breaks, Built to Last with Charlie & Courtney Totton Deep in South Dakota's challenging Missouri River breaks, Charlie Totton and his daughter Courtney are quietly revolutionizing cattle production with a refreshingly straightforward approach. For nearly three decades, they've focused on breeding moderate-framed, fertile, low-maintenance Angus cattle that thrive where others fail – on steep terrain, minimal inputs, and unassisted calving. "We don't have time to mess ...

Shooting The Bull: Episode 3 Preview What does “proven” really mean in the cattle industry? In this preview, Patrick Powers sits down with John Atkinson and Grant Vassberg to pull apart one of the most overused and misleading terms in the business. From herds with 900-day calving intervals still being sold as “elite,” to bulls kept marketable with 30 pounds of grain a day, they call out the marketing spin that hides real-world performance. They dig into how less fertile bulls can actually bri...

Episode 15: French Cattle. American Truth. with Scott Fredrickson & Matt Henley When two cattlemen from opposite corners of the country—Scott Fredrickson in Montana and Matt Henley in North Carolina—land on the same obscure French cattle line without ever comparing notes, it raises eyebrows. But when those cattle quietly outperform mainstream genetics in both programs, you start paying attention. In this episode, Scott and Matt join host Patrick Powers to reveal how the little-known Aubra...

Episode 14: Timeless Cattle in a Trend-Driven World with Mark DeBoo "Cattle have to earn their keep." That straightforward philosophy has guided three generations of the DeBoo family at Diamond D Angus in Montana, were function trumps fads and longevity reigns supreme. Mark DeBoo joins us to share how his family's no-nonsense approach to cattle breeding has created extraordinary resilience in their herd. In an industry increasingly dominated by extreme traits and eye-catching EPD...

Episode 13: Sell Truth, Not Hype with John Atkinson A candid conversation with Australian cattleman John Atkinson reveals profound insights about the cattle industry's struggle with honesty, fertility, and sustainable breeding practices. Since our last conversation, John's operation has secured a milestone export deal to Africa, not through slick marketing, but through straightforward communication about which genetics would actually work for the buyer's environment. The episode confronts un...

Shooting The Bull: Episode 2 Preview Not everything worth knowing comes with a data sheet. In this episode, Patrick Powers is joined once again by John Atkinson of Australia, and Kansas cattleman Darris Meitler, for a conversation about the kind of cattle that last. They don’t chase trends, they watch cows. They visit herds. They ask the right questions before ever looking at an EPD. From moderate frames to maternal consistency, they unpack what separates functional cattle from the ones propp...

Episode 12: It's About the How, Not the Cow with Bogs Peralta What if everything we've been taught about cattle breeding is wrong? In this eye-opening conversation with Filipino cattleman Bogs Peralta, we explore how conventional wisdom about "bigger is better" has led ranchers astray across the globe. From the lush tropical landscapes of the Philippines emerges a story that will resonate with ranchers worldwide. Peralta, a third-generation cattle producer, shares his journey from fighting a...

Shooting The Bull: Episode 1 Preview Something feels off, and veteran cattlemen can see it a mile away. In this preview of our debut episode of Shooting The Bull, host Patrick Powers sits down with Grant Vassberg and Australian breeder John Atkinson to expose the red flags that reveal a breeding program built on marketing, not function. From donor cows that never calve to surrogates doing the real work, this is the kind of straight talk you won’t hear in the show ring. To finish the episode, ...

Episode 11: Wrong Background, Right Results with Jesse Colón What happens when a California city boy inherits his father's struggling cattle ranch in Mexico? For Jesse Colón, it became the unlikely beginning of a regenerative ranching revolution in the semi-desert of Zacatecas. Jesse's story is a powerful reminder that sometimes the most innovative paths forward begin with honoring what came before. When faced with his father's deteriorating health and a ranch that had become a financial "mo...

Episode 10: Let the Cows Do the Work: Durability Over Dependency with Arron Nerbas Arron Nerbas of Nerbas Bros Angus challenges mainstream cattle breeding philosophies by creating a herd built on durability rather than dependency. This third-generation Canadian cattleman shares how his family transformed their operation by focusing on three fundamentals: grass, pressure, and purpose. The conversation reveals a refreshing alternative to trend-chasing in the cattle industry. Arron explains how...

Episode 9: Fat Cows, Fat Soil, Fat Wallet: Real Wealth Ranching with Jim Elizondo Regenerative agriculture expert Jim Elizondo reveals the profound connection between cattle genetics and land health in this transformative episode. Drawing from his diverse expertise as an accountant, dairy nutritionist, and agronomy engineer, Elizondo shares how modern cattle selection has inadvertently led to degraded soils and increased dependence on costly inputs. The conversation explores Elizondo's revol...

Episode 8: AI in the Arctic — Building Better Cattle with Hailey Edwards Hailey Edwards takes us deep into the world of raising cattle in Alaska's most extreme environments, where temperatures plummet to -60°F in winter before soaring to 90°F in summer. Growing up on a family dairy that collapsed during industry-wide failures in 2000, Hailey pivoted to beef production and developed specialized knowledge that few ranchers in America possess. The realities of Alaskan agriculture are startling....

Episode 7: No Backbone, No Herd: Restoring Forgotten Genetics With Hays Boyd When nine-year-old Hays Boyd set out to find heat-tolerant, good-natured cattle that could thrive on grass, he had no idea his research would lay the foundation for one of America’s premier Murray Grey herds. Now a veterinarian and third-generation rancher, Hayes shares the journey of Backbone Ranch—where a commitment to practical, efficient genetics is reshaping the industry. From combing through decades-old breed n...

Episode 6: Show Ponies and Paper Tigers with PJ Budler In this episode PJ takes us on a global cattle expedition that challenges everything we think we know about breeding. Having judged cattle in 48 countries, Budler offers a rare perspective on the disconnect between American cattle breeding philosophies and what actually works around the world. Budler introduces two powerful metaphors that perfectly capture the industry's challenges: "show ponies" (cattle bred for ribbons rather than prac...

Episode 5: Form Follows Function and the Bonsma Approach with Darris Meitler What can a cow that's raised 16 calves teach us about sustainable ranching? More than any textbook, says Darris Meitler, a fifth-generation Kansas cattleman whose family has been raising functional, profitable cattle since 1932. The Meitler operation stands as a living testament that focusing on maternal traits, hormonal balance, and practical functionality creates cattle that thrive for generation...