CattleCon News (Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show)

The Cattleman's Call That Never Fades: Scott Wolverton’s Journey From Farm to Fame

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 14:08:43 GMT

For Scott Wolverton , the path to Nashville didn’t begin under bright stage lights or inside a recording studio. It started on a cattle farm in southeast Nebraska — where early mornings, livestock chores and county fairs were simply part of everyday life.

Raised on a cow-calf operation in Seward, Neb., Wolverton grew up immersed in agriculture. He started taking guitar lessons when he was 10. He says music was always there, but it wasn’t always the priority.

“I grew up on a small cattle farm,” Wolverton says. “We have a cow-calf operation back home. I grew up playing music here and there, but it really took the back burner to football, baseball, wrestling, 4-H events, showing cattle and doing all that stuff.”

Agriculture wasn’t just something Wolverton participated in. It was embedded in his family.

“My dad’s a veterinarian back home in Seward. He has a small cow-calf operation, K.A.W. Red Angus, and that’s what we would show cattle through and do all that stuff, 4-H projects,” Wolverton says. “My mom works for 4-H Extension out of Seward County. She helps with after-school programs for kids. She helps the county fair set up, running this county fair, hiring judges, all the livestock shows. She does a lot of that.”

Wolverton, his older brother and twin sister were raised around livestock, showing both Red Angus cattle and horses. It was those experiences on the farm and showing livestock that prepared him for the challenges of building a career in Nashville.

“I feel like I learned a lot about responsibility and work ethic just through working with animals, working with my dad and my siblings on the farm and doing just everyday things out there,” Wolverton says.

(Provided by Scott Wolverton)

A Chance Introduction That Changed Everything

Growing up, Wolverton’s interests were split between 4-H and athletics. Baseball, in particular, became a major focus. In college, he majored in agronomy — a natural extension of his agricultural upbringing — while also pursuing baseball seriously enough that it eventually became his career. Wolverton coached at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas, and during that time, he quietly began recording music on his own.

What he didn’t expect was that a casual connection would open a door he never saw coming. The coaches he worked with introduced him to a man who would eventually become his manager.

That manager, Zach, happened to be in Hutchinson one night when an opportunity surfaced almost out of nowhere — a chance for Wolverton to open for country artist Riley Green in Salt Lake City the very next day.

“I was like, ‘OK, that’s awesome. I don’t know if I’m going to get there. That’s about 21 hours away,’” Wolverton says. “And he said, ‘We’ll just fly you out, and then fly you back on Friday.’ And so I flew out Thursday morning, played the show Thursday night, and flew back on a Friday morning. And I’m back in time for practice that afternoon.”

The experience was fast, surreal and life-altering for a farm kid from Nebraska.

“It was kind of surreal in the moment. The Riley Green thing kind of came out of the blue,” Wolverton says. “And it was one of those things where you’re kind of like, it happened so quickly. In the moment I was kind of like, ‘Is this really where I’m at right now?’ Because it happened in less than 24 hours. I was on a plane and back in Kansas.”

That moment set Wolverton on a new path — one that eventually led him to Nashville and a full-time pursuit of country music. But even as his career shifted, his connection to agriculture never faded.

(Provided by Scott Wolverton)

His Inspiration

Wolverton says his main inspiration as a songwriter comes from home and how he was raised — the work, love and lifestyle he learned growing up around cattle.

“A lot of my inspiration comes from home,” Wolverton says. “It comes from where I grew up, what I grew up doing, that west country life, I guess. It’s very simple, but a lot of it has to do with work ethic, my faith, that kind of lifestyle.”

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A post shared by Scott Wolverton (@scottywolverton)

His Most Personal Song Yet

One of his most personal songs, “ Cattleman’s Call ,” draws directly from his upbringing and a sound that defined his childhood.

“My dad has always done that cow, the ‘come-boss,’ cattle call, and it’s always been such a fascinating thing to me because growing up as a little kid, you hear your dad scream and you’re like, ‘What was that?’” Wolverton explains. “And then you kind of learn about it, but it’s so amazing the cows always come right when he calls. They’ll perk their heads up and you can see them just start walking because they know they’re going to get taken care of.”

That cattle call became more than a memory. It became a metaphor and a message.

“My parents have been my rock throughout college baseball and just life in general,” he says. “My dad’s always called me and he’s always been very reassuring of, ‘Hey man, if anything ever happens, you fall flat on your face, you can always come home.’ And so, I tried really hard to relate that cattle call to that feeling, and that’s kind of where that inspiration really came from.”

Released last summer, “Cattleman’s Call” serves as both a tribute to his father and a reflection of the values Wolverton learned growing up in agriculture — values that continue to guide him in an industry that demands persistence and grit.

“Working in any branch of agriculture, a lot of it is hard work. It takes a lot of discipline, it takes a lot of hard work, it take a lot know-how or ‘figure it out,’” Wolverton says. “And the music industry is not a whole lot different from that. It’s really difficult. There’s a lot people doing it. You kind of got to find a way to stand out. And I feel very prepared in that way through the hard work and the dedication that I learned through working with animals, through working on the farm.”

From cattle country to country music, Scott Wolverton’s journey is rooted in the land and shaped by the lessons learned on a Nebraska farm. No matter how far the road takes him, the call of home is never far away.

Buckle Up: Cattle Market Structure Signals the Highs May Still Be Ahead

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 15:51:04 GMT

For cattle producers wondering whether today’s price levels are sustainable, or whether the market has already peaked, the underlying fundamentals suggest the industry may not be finished yet. Despite historically high cattle and beef prices, the U.S. cow herd continues to contract, herd rebuilding has yet to meaningfully begin and beef demand remains resilient even as prices climb. And when you combine those forces together, it’s a recipe that indicates tight supplies are likely to persist well into the second half of the decade, setting the stage for continued strength, and potentially even higher highs yet this year.

That outlook was reinforced during a U.S. Farm Report roundtable markets discussion at this year’s CattleCon in Nashville, with Oklahoma State University Extension livestock economist Derrell Peel, Don Close, senior protein analyst for Terrain, and Joe Vaclavik of Standard Grain.

Close has been in the business for 48 years, and he says he’s waited his whole career for this, as the dynamics in the cattle market continue to build a strong case for cattle prices. And while there is definite risk at these price levels, and volatility is certain, both Peel and Close are bullish on cattle this year.

Inventory Report Confirms the Industry is Still Shrinking

The latest USDA Cattle Inventory report released last week showed another year-over-year decline in beef cows, underscoring just how tight supplies have become. While the number itself was not shocking, the market’s reaction reflected the realization that contraction is not over.

“The fact that [the beef herd] was down some was not a particular surprise,” Peel says. “I thought it also could have been up slightly, so plus or minus unchanged. It came in a little smaller than that. But in general, the report from my standpoint was pretty much what I expected.”

What matters most, according to Peel, is not a single percentage point, but the trend line producers are still on.

“The net effect is we continue to get smaller in this industry, and we are not growing at this point,” he adds.

For producers hoping tighter numbers would soon give way to expansion, the report instead confirmed the industry is still digging deeper into contraction.

Replacement Heifers Signal Intention, Not Expansion

One of the few increases in the report came in beef replacement heifers, but Close cautions producers should not confuse that with meaningful herd growth.

“I think it’s an encouraging indication that they’re starting to think about it,” Close says. “If you look at the offset to the decline in count numbers to an increase of 42,000, 44,000 heifers, there’s no real offset there. We’re still in the infancy of any expansion, and it can, depending on weather, go either way.”

From Close’s perspective, the increase reflects mindset more than action. After several years of drought and forced liquidation, producers are beginning to consider rebuilding, but that process is slow, cautious and far from uniform.

“I think the anecdotal evidence we’re seeing when talking with producers is [they’re] starting to see some very modest expansion,” he says. “And I would conclude with the number of ads we’re seeing online of bred heifers for sale, we’re just starting.”

That “just starting” phase suggests calf supplies will remain tight for several more years, even if expansion intentions continue to grow.

Very Solid Technical Uptrend in Cattle

From a market structure standpoint, Vaclavik says cattle and feeder cattle futures continue to reflect the supply realities producers are seeing today.

“The cattle market and the feeder cattle market are two of the strongest and most orderly bull markets that we’ve seen in a long, long time,” he says.

Vaclavik points to the long-term chart as evidence the rally is not speculative, but fundamentally driven.

“You basically go back, and it’s very easy to see. You go back to when the lows were posted in 2020, like right around the COVID timeframe, and what we built out of that,” he says. “I know there’s been some volatility, but big picture, it’s a very, very solid technical uptrend.”

While he acknowledges the potential for short-term disruptions, Vaclavik says the underlying fundamentals remain firmly in control.

“I just, I don’t see anything fundamentally to set this thing back,” he says. “I do worry about things like headline risk. You know, you worry about ‘Is Trump going to go on another crusade against beef prices?’ ‘Is there going to be a screwworm headline?’ There’s a lot of things that, over the near term, could result in a setback.”

However, he emphasizes recent inventory data does little to change the bigger picture.

“I just, I don’t see it as being material. It’s not enough to reverse the course,” Vaclavik says.

Market Structure Suggests the Highs May Not Be In Yet

When asked whether cattle prices have already peaked, Close was clear in his assessment.

“We’re not convinced we’ve seen the highs,” he says.

Looking at supply constraints and demand strength, he sees room for additional gains in fed cattle prices.

“We’re thinking we could see fed cattle prices this year up an additional 8% to as much as 10% over the average prices we saw in 2025,” Close says.

He points out the market correction tied to political headlines last fall ultimately strengthened the rally prices are currently experiencing, rather than ending it.

“When we went through that period in October, we had the headlines and the involvement from the administration, and that really gave us a scare, but it also gave a correction in the market,” he explains. “So, when we take the fundamentals we think we’ve been working with, and that was confirmed in that cattle inventory report last Friday, I think the structure of the market to continue the rally is absolutely in place.”

Even with the resounding bullish sentiment headlining the discussion, Vaclavik has a clear and pointed message for producers.

“I love all this optimism, but it scares me a little bit. Remember to keep your business a business. Don’t gamble,” he says.

Herd Rebuilding Timeline Keeps Slipping

One of the most critical implications for producers is how far the industry has delayed rebuilding the cow herd.

“We keep pushing off the timeline,” Peel says. “Every year that we could have started some heifer retention, we haven’t. So, I think we’re still pushing off that timeline.”

Even if producers begin retaining heifers in 2026, Peel says the biological clock means supply relief will not arrive quickly.

“If we start saving heifers in 2026, then that’s the start, but time it out. If you save a heifer calf in ’26, breed her in ’27, it’s 2028 or the end of the decade before we change beef production,” he says.

Peel also notes replacement heifers will first be used just to hold the line.

“The small increase we saw in replacement heifers may signal that we’re thinking about it a little bit,” he says. “But the other thing you have to keep in mind is that the beef cow herd has gotten smaller, and we’ve been culling less, so we need to replace some of those cows going forward. It’s going to take some of these additional heifers just to maintain the herd we’ve got.”

Delayed Culling Could Push Slaughter Higher

Close adds that years of holding onto older cows could create another wrinkle in the supply picture.

“If you take the number of cows that probably should have gone to town, but were kept back in 2024 to get one more calf, the same thing repeated in 2025,” he says. “I actually think we could see a modest increase in cow slaughter in 2026 just because of those cows that we kept an extra year or two longer than they probably should have stayed.”

That dynamic could further slow the pace of true herd expansion, even as producers begin thinking about rebuilding.

Another Bullish Factor: Beef Demand Continues to Hold Firm

High prices have raised concerns about whether consumers will eventually push back, but Close says demand data continues to defy that narrative.

“Over the last two years at Terrain, we’ve spent more time trying to evaluate and study what we can about demand,” he says. “We’ve known what the supply is.”

By examining beef prices relative to income, inflation and competing proteins, Close said the results remain consistent.

“We’re looking at all-fresh beef prices against the consumer price index. We’re looking all fresh against average hourly wage. We’re now looking at beef in relationship to both pork and broilers,” he says. “And all those matrices that we’re looking at, we’re not seeing and have not yet seen any softening in beef demand. It’s still in place.”

Peel agrees consumer behavior continues to support higher prices, even if there is talk about bringing beef prices down.

“I don’t think we have a demand problem or a beef price problem. Consumers are still paying,” Close says. “If consumers didn’t want to pay high prices for beef, they don’t have to. There’s places they can go. They’re still paying it.”

Tighter supplies mean prices may need to rise further.

“We do have supply getting tighter, and it’s going to continue to get tighter, which probably means we’re going to use higher prices in the future to ration a tighter supply even compared to where we are now,” Peel says.

What it All Means for Cattle Producers

With herd rebuilding still largely on hold, cow numbers continuing to tighten and beef demand holding firm, their message to producers is consistent: the fundamentals that drove cattle prices to record levels are still in place. While volatility and headline risk remain, the supply-side realities suggest the market may not yet be finished rewarding cattle producers as the industry heads toward 2026.

CattleFax Provides Optimistic 2026 Price Outlook at CattleCon

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 22:24:39 GMT

2026 could be another record breaking year for cattle prices. That’s according to the CattleFax’s 2026 Outlook released during CattleCon in Nashville, Tenn.

CattleFax CEO Randy Blach says it is likely fed cattle futures prices will go back and test or exceed the all-time highs set in mid-October of 2025. With inventory at a 75-year low and the beef cows numbers down 285,000 that will mean tighter supplies ahead.

“The U.S. cattle and beef industry enters 2026 with strong but volatile market conditions, as historically tight cattle supplies, record-setting beef demand and elevated policy and weather uncertainty continue to support prices, even as markets appear to near cyclical highs,” says Mike Murphy, CattleFax chief operating officer. “Tight inventories and exceptional demand remain the dominant forces shaping the market; however, producer demographics, high input costs, and policy uncertainty point to a slow and measured expansion phase.”

Strong Fundamentals, Shifting Dynamics

Kevin Good, vice president of market analysis at CattleFax, reports the U.S. beef cow herd decreased 280,000 from a year ago in the latest USDA semi-annual cattle inventory report, while dairy cow inventories increased by 190,000 head.

Cattle availability will remain constrained in the first half of 2026 due to limited feeder cattle supplies. Fed slaughter is projected to decline by 600,000 head, primarily early in the year, and non-fed slaughter is expected to remain historically tight at 5.6 million head. Total commercial beef production is projected to decline again in 2026, albeit at a slower pace than in 2025. With imports up 5% and exports down 5%, U.S. per-capita beef supplies are forecast 0.2 lbs. larger in 2026 to 59.2 lbs., the largest since 2010.

(National Cattlemen’s Beef Association)

Record Weights Making Up for Lost Slaughter

Total fed cattle slaughter was down last year by 1.4 million head in 2025 at 1.4 million head.

“That’s a big one-year decline,” Blach summarizes. “And this year, you know, fed slaughter could be down anywhere from 600,000 to 1 million more.”

(CattleFax )

However, has been offset by heavier carcass weights, which in essence created virtual cattle to temper the tight supplies according to Blach.

“In 2024, carcass weights were up 27 lb. That was the equivalent of harvesting another million head of fed cattle. Last year, carcass weights were up 25 lb., which is equivalent to harvesting another 900,000 head of cattle on an annual basis. This year, they’re off and running again. I mean, we could easily end up with weights up another 10 to 15 lb. this year.”

(CattleFax )

Beef Demand Also Key to Strong Prices in 2026

Retail beef demand remained historically strong in 2025, with record retail prices supported by steady consumption and exceptional product quality. Consumer preferences continue to favor high-protein, nutrient-dense foods, reinforcing demand even as higher prices move through the supply chain.

Good says consumer demand for beef is at a 40-year high, which is also adding to their cattle price outlook.

(National Cattlemen’s Beef Association)

He also attributes that to a healthy economy, nearly full employment and rising wage levels that are beating inflation, so consumers have money to spend.

“We look at how many minutes it takes to buy a pound of beef and that number is back to the level we were back at the last cycle peak in 2014 to 2015,” Good says. “At first blush that looks like beef may be getting too pricey. At the same time, our consumers still consume about 59 lb. So this rally the last couple years, the bottom line is big part of it’s been demand driven. So, we really don’t see a push back yet.”

Plus, with an average consumer spending 14 minutes of work to buy a pound of beef, it is still a bargain.

“With 84% of fed cattle grading Choice or higher and 12% grading Prime, the industry is well positioned to sustain premium pricing,” Good notes. “Beef demand continues to be anchored by exceptional quality and strong consumer confidence in beef as a premium protein. Even as markets adjust and trade flows shift, the fundamentals supporting long-term beef demand remain solid.”

(CattleFax )

Fed Cattle Prices Steady to Slightly Higher in 2026

CattleFax forecast the average 2026 fed steer price at $224/cwt., nearly steady from the $225 average in 2025. Risk will increase later in the year as markets anticipate building supplies in 2027.

The range in prices may be narrower this year than in 2025 as well. “A year ago we had a big range in prices,” Blach summarizes. “Prices ranged from $195 at the lows in January at convention a year ago to $245. So, we had $50 range in fed cattle prices in 2025.”

All cattle classes are expected to trade higher, with 800-lb. steer prices expected to average $335/cwt., and 550-lb. steer prices averaging $440/cwt. Utility cows are expected to average $155/cwt., with bred cows at an average of $4,000/cwt.

Feeder Cattle Prices to Top Last Year

Cow-calf producers are expected to retain the strongest leverage as the cycle turns, supporting continued profitability for several more years.

“Cost of gains is as low as they are. We’re still putting a lot of gain on for around a $1 a pound,” Blach says. “So feeder cattle prices are stout. We’ve got a lot of cattle out here trading at $360, $370 right now, you know, with where the indexes are trading. So, we’re going to have very, very strong levels as we come through here.”

The additional tightness of supply in 2025 helped push prices to record levels, largely due to the closure of the Mexican border to feeder cattle imports due to New World screwworm (NWS). That took 1.2 million head out of the U.S. cattle feeding system.

However, Blach says the border will be re-opened at some point, which will have a negative impact on prices.

“We are at cycle highs based on everything that’s going on out here,” he summarizes. “So, when you’re typically there, you’ll get some correction off these levels. When we do see trade normalize, from maybe these tariffs, all the trade wars that we’ve got going on, all that stuff kind of normalize and we do see the Mexican border reopen and we get that flow of cattle, I suspect we’ll go through a correction in all these markets that we all just need to be prepared for.”

Risk Management Key

Both Good and Blach agree that the high prices outlook doesn’t mean profits will exceed 2025. Margins have gotten much tighter moving up the supply chains for backgrounders and feedlot operators. They also caution that the high prices and high volatility will make risk management even more important in 2026.

(National Cattlemen’s Beef Association)

Weather Outlook: Transition Brings Risk

La Niña continues to weaken and is expected to dissipate by March, with a transitional phase most likely through spring and early summer.

“We’re watching a classic transition year unfold,” says Matt Makens atmospheric scientist. “Even as the ocean changes, the atmosphere typically takes four to eight weeks to respond, so weather impacts will lag.”

In the near term, drought risks remain elevated across the Southern U.S. and Central Plains, with a 70% chance of intensification, especially south of I-70 and west of I-35. Spring’s neutral setup may help moisture distribute more evenly, though lingering La Niña effects could still limit precipitation west of I-35.

Summer outcomes hinge on how quickly a potential El Niño develops. A fast forming El Niño could deepen drought in corn growing regions while increasing precipitation in the West, whereas slower development may support more balanced moisture. By fall, El Niño becomes increasingly likely, though global climate factors could still alter its typical impacts.

“El Niño isn’t a guarantee of rain for everyone,” Makens summarizes. “Other global patterns can amplify or mute its influence, so close monitoring remains essential.”

Despite near-term volatility, the long-term outlook remains positive. Strong domestic demand, improving beef quality, and sufficient packing capacity are expected to continue supporting profitability for the cow-calf sector as the industry moves into the next phase of the cattle cycle.