Passion has nothing to do with age. I know some cattle folks who are just as passionate, and maybe even more passionate, than they were 25 years ago. I also realize that there are passionate people in every business and career. But I think beef producers lead the way in this department when it comes to their career and operation.
In fact, I think that while experience and knowledge are very important in this business, passion is more important. That's because if you're not passionate about this business and continually working to get better, you probably won't last long term. It's that competitive.
Traveling around to bull sales this spring has been really inspiring, because I've talked to so many cattlemen who are passionate about improving their operations and this industry. I find it so uplifting to be around people who are passionate about what they are doing.
I don’t think I'll ever forget sitting down next to a gentlemen on a plane who collected toy tractors. It wasn’t something I had any interest in, but I got pretty excited talking to him. I think that's because passion is contagious. It would serve us all to seek out the passionate people around us.
