05/13/05 Rich Miller

Rich Miller There is still a place for independent feeders in these days of large corporate feedlots. I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be back in one minute to tell you about one. Kenny Ardell started a feedlot in the Columbia Basin of Washington state in 1963 and a young eighth grader helped set the posts, build the mangers, and hang the gates. The kid's name was Rich Miller and he now owns and operates the feedlot. That's 42 years this feedlot has survived low markets, high interest, beef quality scares, high feed costs, all kinds of weather, and the joy of keeping all the equipment running. We've sold cattle to Rich a couple of times when they fit his program, so I stop and talk to him whenever I can. Through the conversations I've had with Rich I believe one reason this feedlot is still producing while others aren't is Rich's consistency of management. Rich only feeds a ration that is about 85% corn and peas with good quality hay and molasses making up the other 15%. This is the same ration that the feedlot used in 1963 and produces an average daily gain of 3.25 pounds for all the cattle that leave the lot. The cattle that are fed here have also stayed consistentmostly English breeds or English crosses from local herds or reputation cattle out of Oregon and California. One other aspect that has kept this feedlot in business is honesty. I know one rancher that sold his cattle to Rich based on the weight at the ranch. Well when Rich re-weighed the cattle at the feedlot they were quite a bit heavier than the first weight. The owner wasn't there but Rich called him and paid on the heavier weight. I told Rich I wouldn't embarrass him with this storybut I lied. I'm Jeff Keane.