by Luke Bowman, director of SimGenetic Development
ASA is fortunate to have a team of beef industry professionals, with a wide variety of experience, available to represent the Simmental breed. The ASA Educational Specialists or “SimSpecialists” team covers the US attending sales, presenting at educational events, and serving as a resource for seedstock and commercial breeders alike.
Members of the ASA can qualify to have a SimSpecialist at their sale or event based on meeting one of the five minimum criteria listed below:
1. $2,000 ASA Publication business
2. $3,500 ASA business
3. Crowd of 30 or more and allow ASA to speak for 30 min of the program
4. $500 buy a day
5. State Association Day – field day
Many of the SimSpecialists have storied histories working around the country in all aspects of the beef industry — we have nutritionists and reproductive physiologists, all the way to meat scientists, veterinary technical consultants, and a former USDA researcher on the team. Many are professional educators, and all are well-known throughout their state and region for being the go-to industry expert in beef cattle production; however, the team’s expertise doesn’t come with just the technical knowledge. Many of the SimSpecialists now ranch full-time and can understand the day-in and day-outs of our membership and the challenges they face.
The SimSpecialist model works because these are experienced professionals with a drive to improve the genetic business for our membership and their customers — the program ties in closely with the mission statement of the ASA. They are not wet-behind-the-ears kids who learn while on the go; they have a grip on the seedstock and commercial industries in their given territory and are extremely objective in their counsel and communication. These men and women are not hired guns, tasked with selling your cattle. They are educators available on sale day and other times throughout the year who serve as a third-party, objectively programmed educator who can connect with your customers, teach them about genetics and ASA’s suite of elite services designed for the commercial producer’s success in mind. And that in itself helps to create a demand for top-quality, highly documented, commercially focused seedstock.
I challenge ASA members and SimGenetics customers alike to get to know the SimSpecialists who cover their territory. These men and women continue to get to know the populace in their region with each event and see cattle and genetic evaluation very well. They are a great option to learn from when discussing ASA programs and the latest science and technology programs coming out of the Bozeman office. .
