"My whole life I spent working on the ranch finding ways to improve grass, select better genetics, cut costs, all to add value to the cattle I sold off the ranch…and at the end of the day, a simple market move could wipe out a whole year's profits!! I spent a whole career trying to find ways to bring more money into the ranching business, and realized that protecting my hard earned profits through a proper marketing program was actually the best way to keep a year's or a lifetime's worth of hard work from going down the drain. That is why I have built this company, to work with ranchers to offer a service that protects the value of their product, so they can focus on building and improving it." – Ryan Copithorne

Ryan’s career has involved managing and operating a large historic family ranch as well as designing and building one of Canada's largest cow/calf programs as Cattle Director for an investor owned multi-ranch operation with 8500 head of cattle. His current company is called Cows in Control, a company designed to focus on providing financial and risk management advice to farmers to protect the value of their commodities and inventories.  Ryan has an MBA from Queen's School of Business, a finance degree, and over 25 years in the ranching and farming business.

TESTIMONIALS:
In these times of economic and political volatility, risk management is a valued tool to protect our investment and to get a good night’s sleep! Cows in Control provides the checks and balances needed to make informed decisions.
B.H. Valleyview, AB

Can't say how much I appreciate your insights and information. You made and saved us a lot
of cash this year and past years.

Client
Central Alberta

We have greatly appreciated the valuable information we have received through Cows in Control. The information we have received and used has helped increase the profits on our ranch.
A.W. Marwyne, AB

I really appreciate the down to earth analysis of the charts. The monthly reports have helped to make sense of the many moving and inter-related forces that drive our commodity markets. I rest easier knowing that someone is watching for risks and opportunities and alerting me when they arise. Very good value.
T.W. Irricana, AB

Thanks Ryan, you have earned your fees. Your correspondence is very helpful. It gives me much more confidence speaking to the broker. Thanks for coaching me through it.
Client, Irricana, Alberta

I really appreciate Ryan's market analysis especially the hedgable profit/ loss per head by weight class.
H.J. Holden, AB

The Watertrough (Newsletter)
The Watertrough provides a condensed 'Coles notes' version of the cattle market. It is clear and easy to follow even when there are complicated circumstances to consider. The Newsletter is well laid out, balanced with facts and figures and possibly an opinion on what is happening. Ryan does an excellent job in this brief publication.

Client Updates and Alerts
This is invaluable to us as producers since often we are busy 'going about our business' of daily ranch work and can easily miss key events in the cattle industry. Ryan sends out timely and effective communication in his Client Update and Alert publications. These are clear and concise reports of what is currently happening, supported by pertinent commodity graphs and brief explanations of each key point. Ryan is not a clairvoyant, but he does substantiate his opinions with both current and historical facts and figures to give his clients a fuller picture so that better decisions can be made. Ultimately it is up to each producer to manage their own risk, but Ryan gives us a big 'leg up' in deciphering the markets!

Other Services
Going to your banker? Ryan can provide you with the information that a financial institution wants to see - a risk management plan with understandable information!
Need information on what to look for in price insurance? marketing approach? hedging strategies? Ryan can give you as detailed a plan as you request with benchmarks and parameters that are achievable and pre-planned. This gives the producer a comfort level of at least mapping out what otherwise can be very complex and difficult to sort out.

In General
Can't say enough positive things about our experience with Cows in Control services. Do we always agree? Of course not! But Ryan does give us a balanced approach to what we are looking at, bringing to the table a wealth of knowledge and dedication to the industry.
P.W. Borden, SK