Jill Weber VanDerWal and her husband are the fourth generation at Four Corners Farm in southwest Minnesota. Like many family farms, it is a multi-generational cattle and row crop business with their son and her parents actively involved. The cattle feeding business has evolved over the years - from adding their first TMR mixer to working more closely with a nutritionist to fine tune rations and integrating new precision technology.

Technology played a big role in changing their business. A few years ago, they began to question the time and hassle involved with the handwritten notes they used for the feedlot. The paper records required entry time and slowed their ability to make decisions. With all the precision ag tools they were using on the row crop side they knew there had to be a better way for their cattle business.

Evan VanDerWal uses the Performance Beef scale app to accurately load the ration. As the fifth generation returning to the family farm, he helps with every aspect from crops to cattle.

Finding an Easier Way to Manage Data

VanDerWals found the Performance Beef platform via their daughter. She was attending graduate school at the University of Minnesota and used Performance Beef to feed cattle at the University feedlot. Their nutritionist had been using it with other customers and appreciated how easy it made making recommendations and seeing day-to-day performance. After discussing the value with their nutritionist, they were ready to get started.

Four Corners Farms was up and running with Performance Beef in three days. In his late 70s, even Jill’s dad enjoyed using the program to feed cattle. The easy-to-use platform introduced the simplicity they were looking for without changing their daily workflow.

Like every cattle operation, data was plentiful even before using Performance Beef. However, by streamlining the data capture and combining it with analytics, the VanDerWals are able to make better management decisions. Today they are digitally capturing every pound of feed and feedlot expense without the time of double entry, allowing them to make data-based decisions rather than enter data.

With cloud-based connectivity everyone at Four Corners has access to the same intelligence center to evaluate key nutrition, performance and financial metrics. Moving from handwritten notes to a real-time intelligence center within Performance Beef allows the entire team to work together to make better decisions.

The analytics within Performance Beef allow VanDerWals and their nutritionist to easily monitor daily as fed and dry matter intake without a separate calculation. The automated charts helpthem see the diet is mixed consistently with appropriate nutrients day after day.

Transforming the Livestock Industry

Since 2018, more than 1700 producers like the VanDerWals have simplified their business with Performance Beef. Providing real-time access to accurate nutrition, financial and performance information from anywhere enables better management and marketing decisions.

In 2020 the cloud-based platform is expanding to integrate health and individual animal management. The new features will help producers continue to simplify their business with automated data collection at the chute with easy-to-use processing and treatment protocols. The new features complement existing Performance Beef functionality by combining real-time performance with health data to save time and boost efficiency.

For more information or to request a free Performance Beef demo, visit performancelivestockanalytics.com.