Jessica Groskopf: Good evening, everybody. I'm Jessica gross cough, the director of the Nebraska women in agriculture program.
Jessica Groskopf: Thank you for joining us today. This is our debut session of open for business a webinar series that focuses on female agribusiness entrepreneurs.
Jessica Groskopf: On the second Tuesday of every month, we will feature new Nebraska women in agriculture to show their grit and determination as they share their stories about how they have overcome business shocks.
Jessica Groskopf: Today's featured guest is Jacqueline Wilson from Lakeside Nebraska Wilson and her father, Blaine, also known as boss man.
Jessica Groskopf: Operate Wilson ranch an Angus off or few meter reading his operation, better get that right, founded in 1888 in 2011 she founded flying diamond genetics.
Jessica Groskopf: A recent business headquartered near alliance Nebraska and last fall. She co founded flying diamond beef a direct to consumer venture with two other female business partners.
Jessica Groskopf: Wilson has been an active member in the beef industry serving in leadership roles with Nebraska cattlemen
Jessica Groskopf: And the Nebraska and the national cattlemen speakers Association. She's alumni of the Nebraska LEAD program has served as the chair of the Nebraska agriculture Leadership Council.
Jessica Groskopf: And is on the agriculture advisory committees for Governor. Pete Ricketts senator Deb Fisher and representative Adrian Smith.
Jessica Groskopf: She currently sits on the Nebraska Humanities Council in 2016 she received farm journal media's 40 under 40 award. Thank you, Jacqueline for joining us.
Jessica Groskopf: As we go through our time together, please use the chat box or the Q AMP. A located at the bottom of your screen to ask questions and we are looking forward to seeing where you guys are all from. So as we get started with questions.
Jessica Groskopf: Please make sure that you drop where you're viewing from in the chat box so that we can see where everybody is at across the state. So, at this time, Jacqueline, you want to add it to your introduction and tell us a little bit about yourself.
Jaclyn Wilson: That makes me sound a lot more important than I really am. But thank you. And this is really exciting tonight, especially, I was just telling Jessica earlier. I walked in the wife didn't hear about 15 minutes ago and
Jaclyn Wilson: It's been a long cold miserable day out here in Western Nebraska. So it's always great to talk to fellow agriculture list about some of the great things that are going on, especially in our industry and throughout the state and
Jaclyn Wilson: And in a really weird year or a couple years it's been a little hectic. So yeah, it's neat to see all the names popping up over on the side where you guys are from and some of the I know really well. So thank you for coming on, I think, Jessica, pretty much had
Jaclyn Wilson: Wrapped up. I should also say that some of the things not included in there. I do have, I do have a four legged kid. She's actually sitting in the pickup right now because she might get a little loud once in a while, but yes. Otherwise, I think he got everything covered. Great.
Jessica Groskopf: So Jacqueline, this is all about your businesses. So can you tell us about flying diamond genetics and flying diamond beef and how those came about.
Jaclyn Wilson: Sure. So to give you a little bit of background. So I tend to school at the University of Nebraska, I come home in 2002 and I joined at that time, my dad, my uncle and our cow calf operation.
Jaclyn Wilson: I was a fifth generation and the first of the fifth generation to come back to the operation. And then in 2011 the idea for fine diamond genetics came about and 2013 was the first cash crop of that and it kind of took off a little bit beyond what
Jaclyn Wilson: Any nothing that time. And then this last year, we started flying diamond. BEEP I had a couple of great business partners and close girlfriends and
Jaclyn Wilson: It was, it was the right time to do that for us. So yeah, it's been it's been a real hectic time. Um, things are cut out of control right now for me too. And I think my stress levels, a little higher, but we're trying to make it all work.
Jaclyn Wilson: And it is coming together nicely, even though it's just that weird right now.
Jessica Groskopf: So can you tell us about the biggest business shock that you have faced in in either in either of your companies and tell us what that was about. And what that was like.
Jaclyn Wilson: Well, you know, I saw that question earlier. And I think that's something I
Jaclyn Wilson: Kind of want to ask people like which one do they want to talk about do they want to talk about the family, do they want to talk about the health, do they want to talk about
Jaclyn Wilson: The economics are some of the stupid decisions made over time. I mean,
Jaclyn Wilson: That's the thing. There's, there's been so many, so many changes and surprises and things that weren't expected and and that have both been bad and good because I don't think a shock necessarily has to be bad.
Jaclyn Wilson: Shot can also be something that causes you to kind of sit back and analyze your business, um, you know, if we want to start at the beginning. I guess we could talk about family, you know, I'm
Jaclyn Wilson: Being a multi generational rancher is is definitely a challenge. And it can be a challenge. And that was, that was one of the main reasons that I've been started find I'm in genetics is
Jaclyn Wilson: When I came home from school, you know we we kind of had a succession plan talk already, but we really didn't know what that was going to look like.
Jaclyn Wilson: But I do know at that time my parents were talking about everything was going to be split in half between my brother and I.
Jaclyn Wilson: My brother is lives in Omaha's married great family great occupation. I mean, excellent lifestyle down there, but he rarely comes out to the ranch and is is really got involved in our day to day operations.
Jaclyn Wilson: And so at that time when I was looking at that big picture is like. And this isn't going to work for me, you know, from any standpoint, how am I going to continue our legacy on when
Jaclyn Wilson: When I and I have to lease from him, or he's going to own half of everything and and needless to say a lot of things have changed since then.
Jaclyn Wilson: But that was that was kind of one of the first probably the biggest shock I kind of started to realize, hey, maybe I should look at this as an adult, because I hadn't been really
Jaclyn Wilson: By myself as an adult much up to that point. And you know, I didn't really like what I was seeing and what the future held. And so that's kind of when I went out.
Jaclyn Wilson: On a limb and I had a great friend of mine that I was serving with on the breast cattlemen board of directors at that time.
Jaclyn Wilson: And I said, hey, I don't know what I'm going to do. And he goes, Hey, I have an idea. I think he'd be good. I am so it
Jaclyn Wilson: I mean i i was greener than grass. When I started that business. I didn't know anything. I knew how to raise a cow. That was it. I didn't know anything about embryo transfer
Jaclyn Wilson: So what we do with find diamond genetics is I have clients throughout the US they send an embryos we implant those embryos into my cows.
Jaclyn Wilson: And deliver a calf back to the client. And so, I mean, I didn't even know an embryo was seven days old, when it was implanted. I was green is grass and so
Jaclyn Wilson: Um, you know, I think it was just a little bit of tenacity on that and it was a I think the biggest thing is it was the it was the willingness to fail.
Jaclyn Wilson: And because I remember I had a neighbor that said that told somebody which came back to me through the grapevine and
Jaclyn Wilson: And he said, Well, she's young so she fell. She has time to start over. And I think that kind of just gave me a fire to kind of get going and and to make it work. And it hasn't been hasn't been
Jaclyn Wilson: An occurrence and butterflies lots for sure. I mean everything every year. There seems to be something that we haven't seen before, you know, whether it be
Jaclyn Wilson: Last year was accessing moisture. This year we're in a drought. I've had a couple of issues of scenarios that have gone bad, or south and
Jaclyn Wilson: And, you know, and I mean all of a sudden it's one little mistake and it becomes an economic issue. And so, yeah, it's been it's been it's been great. But it's been. I mean, it's been a struggle, and I think
Jaclyn Wilson: I'm the biggest mistake that I made with that business is I had the opportunity. A couple years ago to expand and I had
Jaclyn Wilson: Was approached about leasing a RANCH NORTH OF alliance. And in that, in that lease agreement was the I needed to purchase a couple hundred head more cows from the, from the owner of that operation.
Jaclyn Wilson: And the biggest mistakes that I made on that is, I didn't have a solid business plan going in and that was that was the number one thing
Jaclyn Wilson: Because I I knew what I kind of wanted and I knew kind of big picture, but I didn't have all those minor details worked out.
Jaclyn Wilson: And the second mistake I made, which is a minor one, but it actually ended up being a big one is I didn't mouth the capitalists like I didn't actually determine how old those cows were that I was buying
Jaclyn Wilson: And so, you know, I mean a little mistake like that, it just completely changes the economics around so
Jaclyn Wilson: Um, but yeah, I think, you know, we can continue on with with many, many shots that kind of says start right there.
Jaclyn Wilson: And I'd love you to feel free to ask any questions about anything that
Jaclyn Wilson: That we've gone through as an operation or what I've learned or the mistakes I've made because that's something that I really have found out you can learn a lot from your mistakes as long as you're willing to learn from them.
Jessica Groskopf: How about on the direct to consumer sales side. I mean, I've been watching, especially with coronavirus. How does that affect your business didn't, did you expect that when you started just a few months ago.
Jessica Groskopf: You know what, what direct to sales would be like today and and what did you maybe learning your recent business that you're now transferring over to your direct to consumer sales business, I think.
Jaclyn Wilson: The biggest so to kind of give you a background.
Jaclyn Wilson: Information on how the direct to consumer started about five years ago, myself and one of my best friends who started to look at
Jaclyn Wilson: purchasing a packing plant which long story short this is actually one of the plants that we utilize today in our processing, but we we looked at that for about six months and
Jaclyn Wilson: Had to kind of the same setup that we were doing today a direct to consumer branded beef, you know, farm to table deal and it the numbers were
Jaclyn Wilson: The numbers and the time weren't just quite right and then that other opportunity came up to lease that ranch and so instead I went that direction.
Jaclyn Wilson: And so this last full myself in the business partner my recent deal because to kind of go back to that. So I'm last a year ago last May. I asked a friend of mine if you'd be interested in becoming a business partner and on the research because
Jaclyn Wilson: The two ranches are 70 miles apart and the day to day back and forth was just killing me mentally, physically
Jaclyn Wilson: Emotionally every, every way you can imagine it was just killing me. And so she handles a lot of the day to day operations up there, which is which is a huge saving grace for me.
Jaclyn Wilson: So I kind of, we had her and I talked about it last fall and then we decided to go ahead and make the move towards the end of last year.
Jaclyn Wilson: And then we're like, well, hey, you know, we had this this third friend of ours that that who I had been talking to originally about the packing plans. I mean even get her involved here to
Jaclyn Wilson: Answer reached out to her and she jumped on board. So it's been it's been really interesting because we were meeting so so my two business partners Diana and Jamie, so I how I do is I cover most of the production side.
Jaclyn Wilson: Data is the middle person. She'll. She'll do with the packing plans and and do a lot of our pricing and our cut sheets and and our finances and then Jamie does a lot of the marketing in
Jaclyn Wilson: And so, so we kind of had our own strengths, but we we overlapped a lot in all of them, too. And so before Cove, it really hit you know we're meeting with investors were talking to retail groups.
Jaclyn Wilson: And then it just, it just put a huge heartbreak on everything. And so it kind of had to backtrack and look at things a little get a bit and really started to focus more on the consumer.
Jaclyn Wilson: But, similar to the reset business. We kind of jumped in first and kind of got involved without having the business plan without having that final finer details.
Jaclyn Wilson: Figured out. And so now, now we're still trying to get some of those figured out because we a cattle that we're ready.
Jaclyn Wilson: And and we are pushing those cattle through the processing plants before we even kind of had some of those minor details. Figure it out. And so
Jaclyn Wilson: One of the things I think we're we really learned on both businesses, you know, those, those details are the important part. I mean,
Jaclyn Wilson: You would think something like dry ice. We, uh, we spent, we spent weeks talking about dry ice and figuring out how to get dry ice. So something that's so tiny actually becomes a big focal point of everything. If you don't think about it prior
Jessica Groskopf: So,
Jaclyn Wilson: If you were talking to
Jessica Groskopf: Another woman in agriculture, who's getting ready.
Jaclyn Wilson: To start a business.
Jessica Groskopf: What what
Jessica Groskopf: Would you say to them, or what would your pieces of advice be to them.
Jaclyn Wilson: To do it.
Jaclyn Wilson: You know, I think that's, I think that's one of the things that we always we always kind of hold ourselves back
Jaclyn Wilson: And and I me personally, I'm the worst I'm that fear of failure is is just, it's right here all the time like I hate the thought of failing.
Jaclyn Wilson: And the problem is, like, you know, I could, I could see failing, like in a day to day occupation, like if I had an eight to five office job, you know, and got my weekends and holidays off and vacation time and all that fun stuff. Like if I sell. That's okay. I walk away.
Jaclyn Wilson: Put in my two weeks notice are also fired and i and i and i look for another job.
Jaclyn Wilson: In an egg that's a little bit different story. Like if I fail, I lose my lifestyle my livelihood everything I know. I probably lose my home. My land. My livestock and all of a sudden, I'm
Jaclyn Wilson: I don't, I don't have nothing and and so I think one of the things that can I hold me up a lot when I was younger, is I was kind of, I was
Jaclyn Wilson: I had all these great ideas, but I didn't really have a focus and and I was really fortunate that I had parents that were extremely conservative and kind of always be like no Jacqueline
Jaclyn Wilson: Jacqueline and and so so it got it got me to the point where I would be really analytical and I've turned really analytical about stuff. So, you know, the number one thing is is just go for it.
Jaclyn Wilson: Don't be afraid of failure, but at the same time.
Jaclyn Wilson: Know your stuff and and if you have all the details in place, you know, if you've analyzed it from every area and it might be the craziest outside the box idea that you've ever heard or anybody around you has heard, but you can make it work.
Jaclyn Wilson: You know, I, when I started playing diamond genetics. There was one other operation that I knew and in the whole scene in Nebraska. That was doing what we did.
Jaclyn Wilson: And and so fine diamond beef is similar. There's a lot of direct to consumer beat programs out there. There's none that's owned by three single females.
Jaclyn Wilson: And and so, you know, you just have to set yourself apart and and just take a chance because really, you're a you're a lot better than you think.
Jaclyn Wilson: So, and sometimes you know we have to tell each other that and we have to tell ourselves that that we, you know, we've got it in us. We just have to make it work.
Jessica Groskopf: So thinking about what's coming down the pike. What potential shocks or changes do you see coming and how do you prepare your businesses to survive those shocks.
Jaclyn Wilson: So I think one of the biggest things that I learned over time is when
Jaclyn Wilson: I first came home from college, I was, I was pretty adamant. When I joined our operation that you know that I would still be able to have those continuing education opportunities.
Jaclyn Wilson: Whether it was taking classes online or going to conferences or seminars or, you know, whether it be a
Jaclyn Wilson: Year. I mean, like, whether it be like a weekly thing or a couple days, but to continue that education and what I was finding out on some of these things. My first couple years is
Jaclyn Wilson: I would go away to some event and I hear something that was that was really neat. And I bring it home and I say, Dad Hey at that time. That was before his boss man days, you know, he since acquire that title vote.
Jaclyn Wilson: I see Dad, I heard this really neat thing and I think it would work really well and our operation and and my dad would go
Jaclyn Wilson: You know, we tried that your grandfather and I about 20 some years ago and this and this and this is what happened. And so it made me really stop and think that there's so much wisdom and knowledge out there. And those older generations, you know, whether it be
Jaclyn Wilson: Parents or your network or people that you know from all different from all different sectors and I think that if you just take the opportunity to ask those questions and and to reach out to those people
Jaclyn Wilson: I hate to say it, but at the end of the day it's it's not what you know. I mean, it really comes down to those networks that you have. So
Jaclyn Wilson: I it's great because I think I have a person for everything, you know, if I have an issue in this part of this industry. I go to this person if this question comes up, I'll direct it towards this person. I'm never afraid to ask for help. And I think that's, that's one of the big saving graces.
Jessica Groskopf: So here's a question from our chat box. And I would encourage anybody who's on if you have a question for Jacqueline, make sure you drop it in the chat box. We want to make sure we get those answered.
Jessica Groskopf: But this kind of connects to that. So how did the Nebraska LEAD program influence your journey.
Jaclyn Wilson: Awesome question and and
Jaclyn Wilson: You know my life was changed because of the
Jaclyn Wilson: Lead program. So for those of you not familiar with Nebraska LEAD program. It's a two year intensive AG leadership program.
Jaclyn Wilson: The first year, the program. They have a national travel study where they go to DC Chicago and Kansas City. And then the second year.
Jaclyn Wilson: They go have an international travel study and then both years on, along with all their three day in state seminars where that you go to
Jaclyn Wilson: Most likely overseas somewhere in my case, I went to Russia, Ukraine and Poland.
Jaclyn Wilson: It changed it changed my life and the end the way it did is because I was in my early 20s. When I went through the program was actually pretty young. The the
Jaclyn Wilson: The age spam on that is usually 25 to 55 and that was my first time traveling internationally.
Jaclyn Wilson: And I realized that we're really interconnected on an international level, we're all dependent on each other to some point and that was something
Jaclyn Wilson: That I had really never stepped outside my my county lines or my state lines to even realize. And so when I returned home from the LEAD program because of that international travel. I was asked to
Jaclyn Wilson: Present to a local a couple local groups and one of them was rotary
Jaclyn Wilson: And because of that experience and lead rotary asked me to represent them in Brazil for a month on a group study exchange. So then I found myself once again learning about agriculture on an international level, um, since that time.
Jaclyn Wilson: I've been to all the continents, but Antarctica. I've to are packing plants. They come five different continents, because that's actually where my real passion is is on
Jaclyn Wilson: On export, import markets, especially dealing with the beef industry. And not only that, but it opens numerous leadership opportunities.
Jaclyn Wilson: For those of you that might know I write weekly for five different I publications that goes out to over 50,000 people
Jaclyn Wilson: Um, I have that opportunity came along because of my involvement and lead and
Jaclyn Wilson: The editor was asked Jesus, over a decade plus ago. Hey, we're looking for producer progress reporter that, you know, might have been through the LEAD program does somebody knows somebody and somebody threw my name out there and and now it's turned into
Jaclyn Wilson: Some really really great opportunities and and so it's so neat to see how we're all connected somehow I've met many great friends because the lead.
Jaclyn Wilson: The network's been phenomenal. So yeah, I would highly encourage everyone if you haven't looked into the program and I hear this.
Jaclyn Wilson: This is the one that bugs me time and time again, as I always hear well I don't have the time. Well, there's certain things you need to make the time for and this is definitely one of them.
Jessica Groskopf: definitely agree with. So thinking about
Jessica Groskopf: Again, talking about business shocks as you the beef industry as a whole, what's coming down the pipeline for for the industry. And what do you think that your
Jessica Groskopf: Your business and businesses are preparing for, you know, what are the consumer trends or what are the genetic trends and and how are you guys, prepare yourselves for those
Jaclyn Wilson: But even know where to start. So consumer trends. I really, really think that Kobe has done.
Jaclyn Wilson: Some real some been a real advantage for people involved in the beef industry, and I understand, you know, the markets and stuffs staying, can they still stink, to an extent, but
Jaclyn Wilson: But the farm to table movement has really taken off and there is more and more people that I see every day that are marketing their product directly to consumers.
Jaclyn Wilson: And what's so neat about that is consumers were almost forced in a way to go out and look to acquire their protein sources.
Jaclyn Wilson: And when they did all of a sudden they're building these relationships with local farmers and ranchers that are delivering it directly to their doorstep.
Jaclyn Wilson: And and that's been one of the coolest parts I think in terms of just the direct marketing that we've done is, is, you know, we've gone out. We've got repeat customers coming back now, because our, our first our first
Jaclyn Wilson: Steer went to harvest in March and so we haven't been in the business that long. And since then, we've sent geez over 40 some head to to harvest. We're, we're shooting somewhere between that
Jaclyn Wilson: Tend to 25 is our goal every month. And so, you know, now we've got these repeat customers coming back, even though that there is readily available protein sources in the grocery store because they've they've developed a relationship.
Jaclyn Wilson: And and that's really neat to see it, and I hope that that's something that continues on and and you know coven probably gave a push in that direction that otherwise wouldn't have happened. Um,
Jaclyn Wilson: In terms of genetics, one of the great deals that we've done the last couple years is we've signed some really neat partnerships always
Jaclyn Wilson: Always kind of related to see the the rodeo contestants at the NFL, that kind of have all they're all the brand age on their on their jackets and I think we're starting to kind of get the same way.
Jaclyn Wilson: One of the neat partnerships that we've signed is with neo Jen and we've been had the opportunity to actually be one of their beta testers for genomics and
Jaclyn Wilson: They have a film crew that's coming out on Thursday of this week to to get some testimonial and stuff. And, and so I think
Jaclyn Wilson: The thing that we want to do and be able to do is we want to be able to track that animal from birth, all the way to that consumers plates and we have that capability right now. I mean, we're
Jaclyn Wilson: We're putting individual and ladies on our product that we're taking to consumers. Because really, people want to know where their food comes from.
Jaclyn Wilson: But at the same time, those, those producers that are going above and beyond. I
Jaclyn Wilson: I'm not a fan of being mandated to be told where my food comes from or be be kind of forced in that direction.
Jaclyn Wilson: That people who want to do the extra work and put the effort in i mean it's it's been great to reap some of those rewards from it. But yeah, it's, it's not it's not a lot of, I mean it's not it's not easy, but it definitely is worth the work
Jessica Groskopf: So here in Nebraska. Are there any regulatory challenges that you face as as a bee producer and either
Jaclyn Wilson: I think what always you know this election this upcoming election is going to be is probably going to be one of the most important elections of our times. And because there's been so many things.
Jaclyn Wilson: That have been brought up over the last couple years and and as more and more people are getting further and further we've removed from the, from the farmers and ranchers from the farms and ranches in general, you know, if depending on who wins who we're going to see attacks.
Jaclyn Wilson: Conversations come up. We're going to see deals, of course, always dealing with the Endangered Species Act with regulatory issues with water.
Jaclyn Wilson: One of the great things that we have an advantage of on our, on our home operation as we sit almost on the deepest part of the offer.
Jaclyn Wilson: And we have a lot of surface water and and that's going to be that's going to continue to be a concern.
Jaclyn Wilson: Now as a Nebraskan what one of my biggest concerns are is is that, you know, we're still lacking on a lot of areas of course property tax. I won't even go into because
Jaclyn Wilson: I, you know, that's just going to be an uphill battle there but but I think there's such a disconnect between Eastern and Western Nebraska and
Jaclyn Wilson: And I've been told it's I always get a kick out of this when I told but for some reason they think it's further to travel from east to west than it is from west to east, and I never understood that when
Jaclyn Wilson: You think about you're actually going down hill. So I it makes no sense to me. But, um,
Jaclyn Wilson: But, you know, we're gonna, I think we're going to have to continue to bridge that disconnect, I'll be honest, it's, it's a real struggle for me to know what's going on in the unicameral
Jaclyn Wilson: It's not on our news stations out here, you know, we actually have to search for that because all of our news comes from the Denver Front Range area.
Jaclyn Wilson: Internet, of course, is a struggle. I actually don't have internet at my house. I used to have satellite and then since then I like to go home and disconnected night.
Jaclyn Wilson: I also don't have cell service at my house. So I mean I'm you have a landline which didn't. So I'm actually really disconnected, um,
Jaclyn Wilson: But, you know, a lot of that stuff when I when I'm looking at technology because we're one of the big things that we're really focused on in our operation is technology and we're very data driven
Jaclyn Wilson: And I constantly have to look at for things that are are maybe app based and not web based because I just don't have that capability to do that.
Jaclyn Wilson: It does put me out a little bit of a disadvantage sometimes because I might be having to pay more for a program that maybe I don't have to have Wi Fi for
Jaclyn Wilson: And it might scare some of the people away from looking into those, but it's still something that's really important. So I think you're going to see all sorts of things coming up.
Jaclyn Wilson: Probably one of the biggest things that I've kind of become really passionate about of course is health care.
Jaclyn Wilson: We really, really struggle and rural Nebraska and roll and American general on health care, especially mental health care. That's something that has become incredibly near and dear to my family, the last couple years is I have a family member who suffers from
Jaclyn Wilson: Mental health issues and i mean it's it's a challenge. Anytime you need you need to get help. You're, you're driving. I mean, sometimes you're spending a day or more to go somewhere to test for an appointment and that's
Jaclyn Wilson: That's not really right it's you know it's something that I think a lot of our I guess Association associations have not really put the focus on that it needs to be, especially in times like the last couple of years have been
Jessica Groskopf: So we're going to take just a little bit of a break here. I really would encourage you if you have questions for Jacqueline, if you would.
Jessica Groskopf: pop those in the chat or the Q AMP. A we're going to, we're going to breathe for a year. Just a second right here at the half hour mark and hopefully we'll see some questions come up through the chat. So just a second here silence while we wait for that chat box to fill up
Jessica Groskopf: So Jacqueline a question from the chat is. Can you talk about your experience and your passion regarding packers, that seems to be a hot topic right now. And what you see with the packing industry.
Jaclyn Wilson: Oh, a way to open a can of worms there.
Jaclyn Wilson: Yeah, so, so, you know, that's something that has is really, really fascinating. And I think I can probably talk a little bit about my international experience and some of the things that I've seen overseas.
Jaclyn Wilson: And relate it to what I seen here in the US because I've had the opportunity to visit a number of packing facilities here most of them owned by the big four
Jaclyn Wilson: Here within the states. One of the things when we start traveling overseas is is we don't have the numbers that will see in a plant here because
Jaclyn Wilson: You know, you start, you start coming here to a plant, you're getting over 5000 head that might be processed today.
Jaclyn Wilson: One of the largest plants. I was out overseas does 200 a day. And that was a plant in New Zealand. But what's also really amazing is is I feel that at times. We're really behind in some of our some of our traceability.
Jaclyn Wilson: And and there is a difference because I've been to countries like New Zealand where and Australia where there's mandatory traceability.
Jaclyn Wilson: Which I've talked to many producers and they said that there's not the have seen no economic benefit from that themselves. Now, that doesn't mean that that may or may not float here in the US. That's just what they've said
Jaclyn Wilson: But at the same time. Some of the most some of the most impressive plants. I have been to. I was at one in New Zealand, and they had actually
Jaclyn Wilson: As soon as that animal what come on to the fab floor, they would scan that and they had scales, all the way throughout the fab floor that would that would weigh every single piece of trim that came off the MO what every co was
Jaclyn Wilson: They really worked on their efficiency based off of that. And so it was so neat to see um
Jaclyn Wilson: I've been in a lamb plant in New Zealand and most everything over in New Zealand is all goes to the Middle East, so it's all Muslim killed, which was a little bit different.
Jaclyn Wilson: I have been to a combination hog and cattle processing plant in Brazil where they actually had different kill floors.
Jaclyn Wilson: But they used all the same cooler space. It was owned by the same family. And so, you know, I think there's a lot of big, big opportunities there.
Jaclyn Wilson: But one of the things that we've done over time as, of course, we let those bigger corporations come in. Continue to buy a smaller packing plans, and I think this that through
Jaclyn Wilson: The Tyson fire and through code. I think one of the things that we're starting to see is that people are starting to branch out and think, hey,
Jaclyn Wilson: You know, maybe it'd be a good idea if we kind of started to invest in a in a plan. I'm
Jaclyn Wilson: The biggest challenge that I've seen personally with our direct to consumer is is that USDA certification. So we utilize two plans right now.
Jaclyn Wilson: Both of them are in Colorado ones about a three hour drive for me. The other, it will take me a good 18 hours to get down and back to, and it's over to mountain ranges.
Jaclyn Wilson: But that's the, I mean, that's what we have available right now. And so, yeah, that's a struggle. So if we could get rid of some of that red tape.
Jaclyn Wilson: For that USDA certification to get into other plants, that would be great. But at the same time, a lot of plants don't want to do that work. So it's gonna be really interesting to see what happens over the next year or two, but yeah, definitely a different time.
Jessica Groskopf: So thank you guys for adding to the chat box. Please continue to submit your questions, but there's a few comments and a few questions for you, Jacqueline
Jessica Groskopf: So our first one is a comment and I shared some mental health resources from rule wellness@ul.edu which is a conglomerate of all the resources that the university has right now, including the rule response hotline.
Jessica Groskopf: And Brittany says thank you for your efforts raising awareness on the stigma of mental health and the lack of resources in our area. So thank you for that work.
Jessica Groskopf: Him asks, she has inherited a farm and is new to farming, what are the top five priorities you advise she works on
Jaclyn Wilson: Top five priorities, the very first thing I would say is, what's your goal is figure out your goal, you know, is this something that you want to do is, is something you want to end up with long term but but really come to
Jaclyn Wilson: come to a conclusion of of how you want to be involved and finances. Number two, how do I make it work. You know, what's the economics behind it is, Am I going to be able to run it. Do I need to lease it. Can I look at different outside the box things to make this work.
Jaclyn Wilson: The third thing I would, I would definitely be I'm probably
Jaclyn Wilson: Whoa, yeah you know economics are important probably look at long term to, you know, what's the, what's the plan for for succession on that operation. I mean, is that something that you're going to be with just something you're going to hope to pass on. Because I can tell you
Jaclyn Wilson: As a female. I mean, I just turned 40 this year and physically you know my it's it's a challenge to do day to day hard labor every day. And so, you know, what is, what does that look like what's that layout look out like
Jaclyn Wilson: Um, next thing I would look into marketing. How do you plan on marketing stuff, you know, is this something that you hope to do. Who's your who's going to be that clientele that you're going to market with
Jaclyn Wilson: You know, are you going to sell stuff on the board. Are you going to sell stuff direct to consumer but really come up with a strong marketing plan.
Jaclyn Wilson: You know we utilize social media lot both in the genetic company and also in the beef business.
Jaclyn Wilson: And so what's, what's that budget look like, you know, what does that look like. Do you have the time to do it. And the fifth priority is definitely yourself how how
Jaclyn Wilson: That's what I mentioned earlier, you know, the stress the
Jaclyn Wilson: The physical part the mental part, everything becomes a challenge. So, so what do you need to do to take care of yourself and to make sure that it doesn't become all consuming
Jaclyn Wilson: Mean, there's many nights that I have ranched of wakes me up at two in the morning, I can go back to sleep. And I'm learning to better separate the two. But it's something I really, really struggle at
Jessica Groskopf: So this question might tie into that Hannah asks you mentioned making times time for things besides continuing education. What else do you make time for on a regular basis.
Jaclyn Wilson: Yeah, and I'm still working on that one.
Jaclyn Wilson: Yeah, that's, that's actually been a real struggle and that's been one of the most difficult part. So, so our ranch went through succession. This last year. So my dad, my uncle split. And now, my dad and I became partners and on our homeplace too.
Jaclyn Wilson: And so of course my responsibilities have changed. You know, it kind of went from being
Jaclyn Wilson: Just a just kind of a manager at all of a sudden, you know, you're making day to day decisions and and yet you know you've got the boss man's phenomenal work with and he has so much wisdom there. But all of a sudden you're overwhelmed and
Jaclyn Wilson: A lot of days. I'm just, I get to be overwhelmed. I'm, you know, I'd love to say workout more I'd love to say I would eat better, I'd love to say meditate, but
Jaclyn Wilson: Seems to really happen but I actually, I actually did two weeks ago I bought me a new horse and so
Jaclyn Wilson: Um, it was so bad my bakery. I actually went into my banker and I said hey, just so you know I'm buying a new horse and goes, Well, I think you really need to spend more time on yourself. So
Jaclyn Wilson: So I mean it's just it's a work in progress, you know i i do i like to get away when I can usually that comes in november december international travel is really important I think.
Jaclyn Wilson: I'm not very good at sitting on the beach instead I'll go, I'll go to visit a packing plant or milk cows and or to do something a little bit outside the box, but
Jaclyn Wilson: But I think that's really important. You know, I mean, I don't have a family. I don't have kids. And so you know that's that's also sometimes can be a struggle to if you have those
Jaclyn Wilson: You're very fortunate, but instead I kind of chose to focus on work. And so, you know, there's days I regret that, but at the same time, you know, I feel, I feel pretty comfortable with where I'm at. And so, yeah, it's and and and if all else fails, we just drink.
Jaclyn Wilson: We get all honesty.
Jessica Groskopf: Alright, well this question kind of goes back to your conversation about your banker, what challenges have you had as a female an entrepreneur encountered working with lenders attorneys and other professional advisors.
Jaclyn Wilson: Yeah, and I think that's, that's one of the biggest struggles for for females that want to get involved in agriculture is trying to to break that male, female, divide
Jaclyn Wilson: You know, I was really fortunate I and and I kind of got started into different leadership groups at a pretty young age. I kind of worked
Jaclyn Wilson: My way up through the Nebraska cattlemen and kind of pushed my way into leadership roles international cattlemen Beef Association and. And I think one of the things is
Jaclyn Wilson: Is at the end of the day, you have to, you have to almost present yourself in a in a different manner than what you would think, I mean, I was, I was so conscientious
Jaclyn Wilson: In my earlier years you know i i was always trying to say and do the right things. And I remember sitting in a Nebraska cattlemen meeting and
Jaclyn Wilson: And was sitting on the board at that time. And there was a gentleman.
Jaclyn Wilson: In our board meeting that actually you know it was one of those things everybody you all, everybody says, A. Yay. And everybody would raise their hand and nobody would ever disagree.
Jaclyn Wilson: One day, there was a gentleman that disagreed. And I went up to him afterwards in the hallway. And I said, Why did you, why did you vote against that and he thanked me
Jaclyn Wilson: He said you're the only person on the board. And I was, I was one of probably about three females on this 20 plus member board at that time.
Jaclyn Wilson: And he says, you're the only person that asked me why I voted against that and I think it made me realize, you know, you don't have to always agree and, you know, if you want to kind of be a little more aggressive
Jaclyn Wilson: It's okay. Sometimes it's shunned a little bit because you're a female, but at the same time, I think some of the business opportunities that we have had have come along, because I've always tried to be respectful. I've always tried to carry business with integrity.
Jaclyn Wilson: And loyalty. But at the end of the day. If somebody gets in my face because I'm a female. I kind of shut down pretty quick.
Jaclyn Wilson: But I've definitely had I've definitely talked to
Jaclyn Wilson: Her real estate guys that say, Well, are you looking at land or is your husband, looking at land, you know, or and I mean there's that but
Jaclyn Wilson: Then comes up time and time again and you just kind of laugh it off and then you just
Jaclyn Wilson: Kind of sometimes they make a smart mouth comment and move on and they realized pretty quick, that, you know, you mean business. It's just really how you carry yourself. But yeah, it's, it's definitely a challenge and and it continues to be unfortunately
Jessica Groskopf: While we still have some more time for questions here. Jacqueline, is there anything else you want to add while we wait for more questions to come through the chat things you've thought about as you were talking with us that you want to share
Jaclyn Wilson: One of the things that I do kind of want to go back to some of that mental health and some of the things that surround that
Jaclyn Wilson: One of the, one of the things that we kind of forget in agriculture, and this is something that has come forward and and just the experiences that we've had in my family dealing with mental health.
Jaclyn Wilson: Is sometimes it's just not a mental health issue. There's might be an underlying cause that's there that's causing a mental health issue.
Jaclyn Wilson: We had kind of gone through the gamut with a family member, and I had done some toxicity testing. Many, many years ago. And so finally got to the point where, like, why haven't we tried this yet.
Jaclyn Wilson: And when we started looking into some of the toxicity issues we found out this individual was extremely high a mold extremely hide in guy sulfates.
Jaclyn Wilson: Um, you know, and, and there's other toxins that were exposed to on a daily basis that we don't really think much of but surprisingly, some of us do have some genomic markers that ended up making us more susceptible to
Jaclyn Wilson: And so everything that she was testing high in terms of toxins actually caused a lot of neurological problems.
Jaclyn Wilson: And so instead, all of a sudden it's, it was more than a mental health issue. There was an underlying cause. And so really be conscientious, you know, a lot of us live in old form houses.
Jaclyn Wilson: Where some of that stuff might affect us especially being females more than others.
Jaclyn Wilson: And and so we just need to always kind of think more outside the box. Even in terms of dealing with our health that hey, yes, yes. Times are tough economics are tough, but a lot of times there is a reason
Jaclyn Wilson: Why we got things are the way they are and and we need to we need to maybe look a little deeper.
Jessica Groskopf: While the questions in the chat box have stopped. So this is your final warning if you want to ask Jacqueline a question I really would encourage you to do that.
Jessica Groskopf: While we wait for those. I just want to remind you that we will be hosting the series every second Tuesday of the month, our next episode will be October 13 at 6:30pm
Jessica Groskopf: And we will be featuring our lavender company out of big springs, Nebraska. So again, if you have questions, go ahead and pop those in the box. Otherwise, make sure you mark your calendar for October 13 at 6:30pm Central time
Jessica Groskopf: So that you make sure you see our next Open for Business episode.
Jessica Groskopf: Sherry does have a question for you. What is your succession plan in the future.
Jaclyn Wilson: It's a really good question. Sherry and and you know one. Unfortunately, I started to think about a lot more the last couple years because I think you know at the time he was so concerned about carrying on the legacy of
Jaclyn Wilson: where we're at. But sometimes you forget to look. Well, what's that look like in the future. I don't know yet what that what that plan is going to be
Jaclyn Wilson: I do have a niece and nephew. They live in Omaha, hopefully, you know, if nothing comes my direction or it doesn't happen on my end, you know, hopefully one of them wants to come back to the operation, but at the same time.
Jaclyn Wilson: If they don't want to. That's their decision. And I think, you know, that might be something that we really struggle with in the future of what that's going to look like, especially as we, as we all continue to get older.
Jaclyn Wilson: But I think one of the things is really become important, especially in our operations we utilize a lot of interns very passionate about.
Jaclyn Wilson: helping him female interns, especially kind of get their feet under him, and learn about agriculture and it's been great. I've had a couple interns that have continued on full time with me now and
Jaclyn Wilson: And so they're they're on a day to day basis. And it's been
Jaclyn Wilson: I think as long as we continue to to kind of help others out, you know, all that stuff will fall into place, somehow.
Jaclyn Wilson: And I think the right thing is going to come along and they'll be a good gut feel. You know, whether it continues on in our name or somebody else's name.
Jaclyn Wilson: I will always be a ranch. I do know that because it's really, it's really not made to do anything else but but yeah that's a
Jaclyn Wilson: That's an important part, you know, and I like I said, there are regrets there because you know I did kind of pass up some of that stuff to focus on the operation. But, but, you know, at the same time, I don't know if the operation would be words that if I had it. So it's a lot of what ifs.
Jessica Groskopf: So there's a question in the chat if somebody's interested in applying for an internship with you. How can they do that.
Jaclyn Wilson: Sure. Just get ahold of me, you know, you can get ahold me through any of the social media venues Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat.
Jaclyn Wilson: Or also just send me a message via email. It's really simple. Just Jacqueline at either flying diamond genetics are flying diamond beef calm and just to reach out, you know, sometimes that's made a huge difference.
Jaclyn Wilson: I know I spoke this this last year at Nebraska US beef leadership symposium. I had a great gal there that just approached me afterwards and she was. She internship and lived with me a summary for internship and
Jaclyn Wilson: And it was great. It was probably one of the it was as it was probably even better for me that was her because I enjoyed it so much but but yeah just reach out. I mean, it never hurts to ask
Jaclyn Wilson: And and if we can't, if we're fully definitely know have a lot of people in the industry or in agriculture in general that we could kind of direct you towards
Jessica Groskopf: So another question in the chat box is. Do you know why it is so hard for smaller plants to become a USDA certified. Is it just a Nebraska issue, or is that nationwide.
Jaclyn Wilson: It is nationwide to a point on, there's a lot of red tape there and you know if we can really reduce some of that red tape, it would be good. The other problem is logistics.
Jaclyn Wilson: Because of the fact you know there's certain plants like for instance we use one in northeast Colorado. They are USDA, but there, but their inspectors also grandfathered in, and that's the only plan that has that inspector.
Jaclyn Wilson: And and so, you know, if you're looking at a plant in central Nebraska. I know there's some right now there have that have applied and are having challenges.
Jaclyn Wilson: But at the same time, you know, it doesn't really it doesn't really justify having an inspector there one day a week. Instead, they kind of need to rotate around other plants and so
Jaclyn Wilson: There was a way you know that a lot of those local lockers would be interested in and doing the extra work and taking the application and and and going through that I think
Jaclyn Wilson: Maybe you could have the possibility of sharing inspectors with multiple plants as long as it was logistically possible. But yeah, it's a struggle.
Jaclyn Wilson: It definitely is. And I, and I'm not personally I'm not for just letting people sell their beef without it having the USDA inspected i i don't agree with some of those thought processes and some of those new
Jaclyn Wilson: laws that are attempting to be passed without it being inspected and the reason being is because of the high ability
Jaclyn Wilson: At least if it's inspected you kind of lose some of that liability but if not all of a sudden, you might have a producer. It might. It might shut their whole business down and you might not be aware of it, doing that.
Jaclyn Wilson: And so that's something that does that does concern me too is is just from the producer standpoint, I would not be comfortable as a producer doing that.
Jessica Groskopf: So another question that's come in is, have you ever had a buyer in your direct sale business be dissatisfied. If so, how did you resolve that situation.
Jaclyn Wilson: Fortunately, not in the direct sales business, but we have in the genetic company and you know and that's
Jaclyn Wilson: That's just, I think that's part of it anytime you're dealing with a consumer or a client or something. There's going to be somebody that ends up being dissatisfied or not happy or
Jaclyn Wilson: And you know, I, one of the things I've learned is to just do the best that we can. And if something happens, we usually try to approach it with as much data as we can give
Jaclyn Wilson: I know there's been a client or two in the past and maybe unsatisfied with their weaning weights of their kids. But I can say
Jaclyn Wilson: Well, here's the data. The rest of the animals. This is what they're doing. This is the comparison that you guys haven't with your within your own hurt.
Jaclyn Wilson: So it's not passing blame. It's just backing it with data, but at the same time, if something does happen, like I take, I take responsibility, usually FOR IT. IF IF IT'S JUSTIFIABLE and and and I feel that it's it's worth the liability risk.
Jessica Groskopf: Awesome. Well that concludes the questions that we have for tonight. Thank you, Jacqueline, and thank you everybody on today. We actually have about 40 people that were on today. So after this
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Jessica Groskopf: With that, thank you all for joining us today and we will see you October 13 for next Open for Business episode.