Value Added Marketing
Today, marketing is the most important aspect of your cattle business; you invest in herd health and genetics and take pride in your operation’s management. Are you letting potential buyers know about extra steps you are taking on the farm? What about your customers? Could they find additional value from the genetics you are supplying? Premium driven value-added marketing programs provide the answers to these questions. 

Today, information seeking consumers and export markets are fueling beef value-added marketing programs to provide cattle producers new premium-driven market opportunities direct from their farm or ranch. These non-carcass merit premiums continue to prove that the market is willing to pay a producer for management practices, age, source, and breed influence information.

To take advantage of value-added markets, producers have to take a proactive approach to herd management and enrollment. Being proactive not only ensures that an operation meets enrollment compliance, but also ensures the best marketing opportunities to work with feedlots who are working to source cattle that meet the stipulations packers need.
Finding the Right Value-Added Program for Your Operation

Source and age verification (SAV), Non-Hormone Treated Cattle (NHTC) and the Verified Natural Beef (VNB) programs make up the foundation of value-added programs. Those three programs are part of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Process Verified Program and have oversight by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to ensure all requirements have been met. IMI Global undergoes an annual audit by the USDA to be able to conduct audits and approve farms and ranches.
Does the American Gelbvieh Association offer a feeder calf tagging program?

The American Gelbvieh Association has partnered with IMI Global to create the Balancer® Edge program, which requires a minimum of 75% of the sires used to be registered Gelbvieh and Balancer® bulls, with a minimum of 25% Gelbvieh genetics. Because the verification process for the Balancer® Edge program also satisfies the SAV program, all cattle enrolled in Balancer® Edge can be marketed into the China Export Verification program, NHTC program for the European Union, VNB and CARE, a sustainability program encompassing animal care, environmental stewardship and people & community. 
How can my customers get enrolled with Balancer® Edge?

Follow steps below to complete the paperwork that should be submitted approximately one month before marketing calves to receive a Balancer® Edge verification certificate:

Step 1: Gather calving records documenting the first and last calf born for the season. Have a head count of your cows. Have copies available to show IMI Global representative.

Step 2: Fill out the Balancer® Edge form found at Gelbvieh.org to apply and order tags.

Step 3: Send form via mail or email to:
              IMI Global
              202 6th Street, Ste. 400
              Castle Rock, CO 80104
              [email protected]

Step 4: Participate in a phone audit and off-site records review.

Step 5: Market calves with the Balancer® Edge program.

For more information, visit the Balancer® Edge page under the Marketing tab on Gelbvieh.org.
Marketing Value-Added Cattle

Working with AGA is a win-win for your feeder cattle when calves are enrolled in Balancer® Edge and the association’s free marketing program, Feeder Finder. The combination of both resources will ensure maximum return on investment for the Balancer® Edge program.

The American Gelbvieh Association’s Feeder Finder, is a complimentary feeder cattle sourcing tool, that uses email to match feedlots looking for Gelbvieh and Balancer-influenced cattle with producers who can fulfill a load lot of cattle that fit the criteria. Producers are invited to use this service whether the cattle sell by video auction, traditional livestock barn auction, or private treaty.
How can I help my customers sign for Feeder Finder?

Marketing Gelbvieh or Balancer® influenced feeder cattle through AGA programs like Feeder Finder can be done using a simple online form. The information received from this form is sent directly to AGA staff to produce and schedule an Eblast using the information provided. We encourage all participants to provide as much information as you can to better promote your feeder calves to the individuals/organizations receiving the emails.
Interested buyers may sign up to receive these Feeder Finder emails by visiting the Feeder Finder page under the Marketing tab on Gelbvieh.org.

To start receiving Feeder Finder emails, simply click on the link provided and enter the appropriate information. Email address’ entered using this link will only be used to share information and details regarding Gelbvieh and Balancer influenced feeder cattle sales in the future.
Questions?

For more information or questions about value added marketing through the American Gelbvieh Association, please contact the AGA office at 303-465-2333 or email [email protected].

To learn more about value-added programs, as well as what IMI Global’s Doug Stanton and Five Rivers Feeders’ Kim Rounds have to say about value-added programming opportunities, see “Demand Driven Premiums” on page 34 of your May Gelbvieh World magazine. Also look for additional information on value-added marketing from the AGA team in the upcoming July edition of Progressive Cattleman magazine. 
American Gelbvieh Association | 303-465-2333 | [email protected]