Historically high beef prices have built wealth, creating a generational opportunity to think about what their operations can be. But prices can come down as fast as they have gone up—and operators want to protect the gains they have made in the past few years.
This is where risk management comes in.
At CattleCon 2026, Landon Nelson, vice president of commercial insurance for Farm Credit Services of America (FCSAmerica), and Pat Shields, a senior relationship manager at Capital Farm Credit, led the learning session, Built for the Long Haul: Risk Management in a High Value Market.
In this recording from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association conference, Nelson and Shields cover several topics, including:
Production and risk management are opposites
Managing price risk versus business risk
Managing the next 18 months
What to consider when choosing a risk management approach
Late last year, when markets dipped, margins tightened, and replacement costs rose, recalled Shields. People began to flinch on risk management: “There’s not enough margin to do risk management.”
But, Shields cautioned, operators need to take a longer view. Think about the equity you have built over the past five years. That is what you are protecting—for yourself and the next generation.
Watch the recording for insights on the right way to think about risk management in today’s market.
The best risk managers focus less on the “perfect price” and more on the viability—or durability—of their operation, Nelson said.
