RanchHacks Workshops: What and Why?

We talk a lot about our workshops but what exactly is a RanchHacks workshop and why is it of interest or value to you as a ranch owner and livestock producer.

I have been talking to livestock producers and ranchers for over 5 years, asking questions about whether and how they use technology in their operations. The answers vary pretty widely. I have talked to ranch owners who still do their bookkeeping in a green canvas covered ledger book. I know of a ranch that adopted Google Apps about three years ago and swears by the convenience and expediency of using cloud based business data system tools. If we put these two extremes on a scale from 0 to 5, most ranch owners would probably be a 2 or a 2.5. Seedstock producers tend to have adopted a little more technology into their operation at least in part because they would like to tap into the marketing potential that the web and social media seem to promise. Commercial beef producers tend to be a little more tentative about bringing technology into their operation, mostly because they are not convinced that it will improve the operation or add value. There is also concern about the return on investment and the learning curve.

RanchHacks mission is to provide information and education so that rancher owners and livestock producers can make informed choices and decisions about what business systems, what technologies will benefit their particular operation and at what cost. A significant part of this is knowing what technologies can be managed internally, without bringing in costly outside technicians and experts, and how to determine when to enlist a subject matter expert effectively. You do not hire an electrician to turn the lights on and off in your office. You do not hire an electrician to change the light bulbs. You hire an electrician to repair system failures and add capacity. Business systems and technology should work similarly. The question is what equates to turning on the lights and changing light bulbs?

The purpose of the RanchHacks workshops is to provide an inexpensive way to gain a foundation of knowledge and understanding about how to evaluate and adopt technology based solutions effectively into your specific operation. Every operation is different. What works for a large commercial producer in southeastern Montana probably does not work for a smaller commercial producer in the foothills and mountains around Choteau. Livestock operation owners and managers need a fundamental understanding of business systems and technology so that they can make informed decisions about what will benefit their operation at a cost they are willing to afford.

RanchHacks workshops are intended and designed to provide a fundamental understanding of the management of technology in a relatively short period of time and at a reasonable cost. Most workshops are half a day, four hours, sometimes less. In the first workshop intended for owners and managers, we do not teach you how to build a web site, we help you understand how to determine if you need a web site. We talk about determining what a web site can and should be able to do for your operation and how to measure the effectiveness toward those goals. How to decide what computer to buy. What are the different computer operating systems, or should I even care? What is malware? What about the security of my information? The objective of RanchHacks workshops is to provide a basic understanding of these concept so that owners and managers can make informed choices about what is right for their operations.

RanchHacks is looking to schedule workshops throughout Montana. We are especially interested in working with Montana Stockgrower Association affiliates and Montana Farm Bureau county chapters. If your organization is interesting in hosting a workshop please contact us at info@ranchhacks.com.