Galen, Lori & Megan Fink • 15523 Tuttle Creek Blvd. • Randolph, Kansas 66554
785-293-5106 (phone and FAX) • finkbull1@twinvalley.net

Involvement in Industry Alliances

Fink Beef Genetics announces new marketing option with USPB

Manhattan, KS (Feb. 4, 2000)--Fink Beef Genetics (FBG), a Black Angus and Charolais seedstock company, has introduced a new marketing option for FBG customers who market their calves through U.S. Premium Beef (USPB), a producer-owned beef company that owns an interest in National Beef Packing Company, the nation's fourth largest beef producer.

"We are committed to helping our customers add value to their calves and believe that encouraging them to market their calves through U.S. Premium Beef will do that," Galen and Lori Fink, owners of Fink Beef Genetics, said in making the announcement.

"There are several reasons for financially encouraging our customers to market their cattle through U.S. Premium Beef," Galen noted. USPB offers producers one of the industry's best marketing grids that rewards high-quality grading cattle. It also provides producers with individual carcass data which we believe is critical if producers are to improve the quality of beef they produce.

"And, USPB pays producers dividends from the earnings of its processing company Farmland National Beef. That is unique to the beef industry and gives producers an opportunity to own what they produce through the value-added portion of the beef industry," Lori Fink added.

Beginning this year, Fink Genetic Systems customers who market their cattle through U.S. Premium Beef will qualify for "Fink Genetic Credits" towards the purchase of bulls from Fink Beef Genetics. To qualify for "Fink Genetic Credits" customers must provide carcass data received from U.S. Premium Beef on Fink-sired calves to Fink Beef Genetics. "We believe providing credits on new bull purchases will help offset the cost of marketing cattle through U.S. Premium Beef and will help our customers realize more profit from their Fink Beef Genetics-sired calves," Galen concluded.

Fink Beef Genetics is a leading supplier of Black Angus and Charolais carcass trait genetics to the U.S. commercial cow industry. It also is a co-founder and owner of Genetics Plus, Inc, and Integrated Genetic Management--companies designed to provide commercial producers with higher quality replacement heifer genetics and total herd genetic planning.

For more information call Galen or Lori Fink at Fink Beef Genetics, Manhattan, KS, headquarters at 785-776-9385.

Lane County Feeders, Inc.

Lane County Feeders differentiates itself from other good custom feedyards by: individual tracking and marketing, ranch ID preservation, good relationships with finished cattle customers (packers) and commitment to deliver information to producers for improvement. In 1998 LCF incorporated Electronic Cattle Management (ECM). It is a comprehensive identification data tracking, and individual animal management system. It adds value by sorting cattle into outcome groups based on grid targets as well as watching the economics of gain so that each animal is given its potential for maximum profitability. Additionally, Ranch to Rail Identification can be a huge benefit long term. For more information call Derek Martin, Supply Representative at (800) 579-3645 or (620) 397-6752 or visit our Web site.

Angus GeneNet - Charolais GeneNet

This is a new company, but on old face. Ken Conway started this company in August 1998. Dr. Conway has marketing agreements with Monfort (2nd largest packer) with 4 locations, and Caldwell Packing in Minnesota. Flexibility to feed cattle where you want, but still get paid for what the cattle actually do on the rail is the goal.

Dr. Conway has a value-based grid he will gladly tell you about. (913) 397-9100.

Decatur County Beef Alliance

Established in the fall of 1994 under the leadership of Warren Weibert. This very innovative feedyard is always on the forefront of new technology. This program utilizes electronic identification and sorting to make sure the cattle are marketed at optimum times. Fink customers have found this program has no equal in supplying volumes of data, detailed for each animal. An alliance and feedlot large enough to provide plenty of technology, but a family managed yard that let you deal directly with the owners.

Warren Weibert: 785-475-2212. 

Beef Industry Product Providers

	Ryan Michaelis 785-636-5137
Dennis Delaney 1-800-821-3070	Brad Smith 1-800-657-2519

Call Galen or Lori for more details.