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intra-related system, in many ways separate from what he does to manage it. He perceives his job as working in conjunction with Nature’s system. If cattle are fed in a secluded hollow, for example, they will seek it out for birthing. They also respond naturally to being fed at night by delivering during daylight.
He also noted that, despite the trend for compressed cow herds and intensive grazing, his cows seem to like a bit more room to roam, possibly because they are descendants of wild Highland cattle and English breeds that had to spread out over large areas to find food. “In this county you have to do what the land tells you to do. You can only work with the land, not do to the land. Farmers really are stewards of the land.”
To this end, Massie uses a two-pronged management approach — keep one eye on the cattle and the other on the markets. “I call the stockyards and have them fax me sale reports on a regular basis. Risk management comes into play.” He subscribes to several farming publications, including the Drovers Journal, Progressive Farmer, and the Farm Journal. He also reads the Lancaster Livestock Report and Lancaster Farming magazine because Amish farmers in Pennsylvania buy a large percentage of his calves to finish on forage over the summer. Other stock goes to Ohio and Nebraska, or is sold locally.
In developing his market plan, Massie tries to remain flexible and responsive to market conditions. “If I have cattle I need to sell (and the market is down, I’m willing to) gamble a bit and retain ownership a bit longer. Or you can do something to add value — like taking the calves off their mothers at
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