Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is the probable reason why so few engage in it.

— Henry Ford

Register for either In-person Schools or Online Courses

Choose learning in-person OR online!

Taking the schools in person has the advantage of choosing and learning one or both the Marketing and the Stockmanship courses in a short time. Plus you’ll get to network with like-minded producers and have a reason to get a little break from the farm.

Still it’s not a one and done. Even after the schools end, feel free to email or call Richard and Tina with your questions. We want you to succeed!

Taking courses online has the advantage of taking it ALL-IN over 8 weeks!

Because 8 weeks gives you a chance to immediately implement what you learn and bring your questions back to the class.

You’ll get internet access to over 8 hours of recorded videos and 5 scheduled Zoom Q&A sessions live with Richard and Tina.

And if need after class ends, you can even call Richard and Tina with questions!

This marketing and stockmanship knowledge WILL improve—

  • your life
  • the life of your animals
  • the lives of your family
  • and your farm’s profitability

Proper Livestock Marketing Course takes the guesswork out of profiting and gives you confidence in EVERY decision.

And Proper Stockmanship teaches you how to protect the best interest of your animals, you, and your family with best results in handling and production.

In-person Livestock Marketing and Proper Stockmanship School

Sidney, NE; August 4-7, 2025

Early Bird Pricing ends July 4, 2025!

Hours—

Marketing School: August 4, 8 am to 5 pm and August 5, 8 am to 12 noon

Stockmanship School: August 5, 1 pm to 5 pm, August 6-7 1, 8 am to 5 pm (depending on the weather, we might go to a nearby ranch and work some sheep in the 7th, or we might do more classroom)

Meeting Location—

Best Western Hotel, 645 Cabela Dr, Sidney, NE 69162, 308-254-0100

Marketing School Outline—

Using lecture, questions/answers, current market data, and actual math calculations (bring a calculator), we will cover—

    • Know and understand yourself
    • The only price that matters (hint, there won’t be any crystal ball involved)
    • Know your resources (money, feed, livestock, and time) and how to manage them
    • Sell/Buy compared to Buy/Sell
    • Find relationships and determine what to sell and what to buy
    • Marketing for the cow/calf producer (another hint, every cow/calf producer becomes a stocker manager when their calves get to about 300 pounds!)
    • Determine the value of breeding stock
    • How to eliminate guesswork, hoping, and doubt
    • How to use the provided excel spreadsheets
    • Make a profit and stay in business!

Proper Livestock Marketing 101

Additional value: if you attend our Marketing school, you will be eligible to buy the Bud Williams book “Proper Livestock Marketing 101” (click here to read more about it) at the special price of $299 (regular $500).

Stockmanship School Outline—

Using lecture, questions/answers, and movies, we will cover—

    • Research Benefits
    • Pressure and Release
    • How we Communicate with our Livestock
    • Instincts of Humans and Livestock
    • Predator/Prey Relationship
    • Positioning
    • Movement
    • Training the Herd
    • At the Gate
    • Working in the Corral
    • Sorting Livestock
    • Weaning and Receiving Livestock
    • Loading Livestock
    • Our Attitude

Registration Information

    • We offer a price savings if you register earlier than a month before the school!
    • You may register either by printing a pdf file and mailing it with your check or by paying online using either PayPal or a credit card. If you pay online, we must charge you the fee they charge us to process your payment.
    • Two people from the same family/ranch can “buy one, get one half off.”
    • No charge for kids age 18 and under attending with a parent.
    • We offer partial scholarships for each online course and in-person school. Click here for more information on scholarships.

Registration Fee

Pricing (for mailing a check)—before July 4/price after July 4:

  • 1 person attending the full school—$944/$1049
  • 2 people from the same ranch attending the full school—$1416/$1574
  • 1 person attending the marketing school alone—$550/$629
  • 2 people from the same ranch attending the marketing school alone—$825/$944
  • 1 person attending the stockmanship school alone—$629/$708
  • 2 people from the same ranch attending the stockmanship school alone—$944/$1062

To Register

If you would like to register to attend this school, you may either send a check by mail or pay on-line using PayPal or Stripe. 

If you would like to pay online using PayPal or Stripe (we will ask you to pay the fees they charge us for the transaction), click the button below, and then click “choose an option.”

Online Proper Stockmanship Course

October 3-December 3, 2025

If you are considering attending one of our online courses, please read this FAQ page. If you still have questions, give us a call!

Read more about Proper Stockmanship and what you will learn in our course here.

Registration is now open!

Using lecture, questions/answers, and videos, we will cover—

    • Research Benefits
    • Pressure and Release
    • How we Communicate with our Livestock
    • Instincts of Humans and Livestock
    • Predator/Prey Relationship
    • Positioning
    • Movement
    • Training the Herd
    • At the Gate
    • Working in the Corral
    • Sorting Livestock
    • Weaning and Receiving Livestock
    • Loading Livestock
    • Our Attitude

Registration Information

    • We offer a price savings if you register earlier than a month before the school!
    • You may register either by printing a pdf file and mailing it with your check or by paying online using either PayPal or a credit card. If you pay online, we must charge you the fee they charge us to process your payment.
    • Two people from the same family/ranch can “buy one, get one half off.”
    • No charge for kids age 18 and under attending with a parent.
    • We offer partial scholarships for each online course and in-person school. Click here for more information on scholarships.

Registration Fee

Early bird price for mailing a check is:
  • 1 person—$449
  • 2 people from the same ranch attending—$674
Regular price for mailing a check is:
  • 1 person—$599
  • 2 people from the same ranch attending—$899
Early bird price for making online payment is:
  • 1 person—$471
  • 2 people from the same ranch attending—$708
Regular price for making online payment is:
  • 1 person—$629
  • 2 people from the same ranch attending—$944

To Register

If you would like to register to attend this school, you may either send a check by mail or pay on-line using PayPal or Stripe. 

If you would like to pay online using PayPal or Stripe (we will ask you to pay the fees they charge us for the transaction), click the button below, and then click “choose an option.”

Online Proper Livestock Marketing Course

January 9-March 9, 2026

If you are considering attending one of our online courses, please read this FAQ page. If you still have questions, give us a call!

Registration opens later in 2025.

Using lecture, questions/answers, current market data, and actual math calculations, we will cover—

    • Know and understand yourself
    • The only price that matters (hint, there won’t be any crystal ball involved)
    • Know your resources (money, feed, livestock, and time) and how to manage them
    • Sell/Buy compared to Buy/Sell
    • Find relationships and determine what to sell and what to buy
    • Marketing for the cow/calf producer (another hint, every cow/calf producer becomes a stocker manager when their calves get to about 300 pounds!)
    • Determine the value of breeding stock
    • How to eliminate guesswork, hoping, and doubt
    • How to use the provided excel spreadsheets
    • Make a profit and stay in business!

Proper Livestock Marketing 101

Additional value: if you attend our online Marketing course, you will be eligible to buy the Bud Williams book “Proper Livestock Marketing 101” (click here to read more about it) at the special price of $299 (regular $500).

Registration Information

    • We offer a price savings if you register earlier than a month before the course begins!
    • You may register either by printing a pdf file and mailing it with your check or by paying online using either PayPal or a credit card. If you pay online, we must charge you the fee they charge us to process your payment.
    • Two people from the same family/ranch can “buy one, get one half off.”
    • No charge for kids age 18 and under attending with a parent.
    • We offer partial scholarships for each online course and in-person school. Click here for more information on scholarships.

Registration Fee

Early bird price for mailing a check is:
  • 1 person—$449
  • 2 people from the same ranch attending—$674
Regular price for mailing a check is:
  • 1 person—$599
  • 2 people from the same ranch attending—$899
Early bird price for making online payment is:
  • 1 person—$471
  • 2 people from the same ranch attending—$708
Regular price for making online payment is:
  • 1 person—$629
  • 2 people from the same ranch attending—$944

In-person School, Bolivar, Missouri, March 2-4, 2026

Each year we hold an in-person school in Bolivar, Missouri just before the annual Bud Summit.

Registration will open late in 2025.

Hours—

Marketing School: March 2, 8 am to 5 pm and March 3, 8 am to 12 noon

Stockmanship School: March 3, 1 pm to 5 pm and March 4, 8 am to 5 pm

Meeting Location—

Smith’s Restaurant, 1340 State Hwy U, Bolivar, MO 65613, 417-777-6484.

Sleeping Rooms—

1: Best Western Plus, 777 E San Martin St, Bolivar, MO 65613, 417-326-0188
2: Comfort Inn, 2451 W Tower Dr, Bolivar, MO 65613, 417-326-6169
3: Country Inn, 1819 S Wommack Ave, Bolivar, MO 65613, 417-326-8004
4: Super 8, 1919 S Wommack Ave, Bolivar, MO 65613, 417-777-8888
5: Red Cedar Motel, 5100 S Scenic Ave, Bolivar, MO 65613, 417-599-8504 (cheapest, yet good quality, and they have RV hookups in case you want to bring your RV!)

Map—

2026 Bud Summit—

Attendance at this school qualifies you to attend the 2026 Bud Summit on the evening of March 5 and all day on March 6 also at Smith’s Restaurant in Bolivar, MO. This event is a gathering of “Budders” who are using the marketing and stockmanship to further their livestock enterprises. The format is loose and will include discussion by the attendees, questions and answers, video narrated by Bud Williams, and networking with producers from all around the continent. For more information about the Bud Summit or how to attend, contact Eunice Williams at 417-719-4910 or eunice@stockmanship.com.

Marketing School Outline—

Using lecture, questions/answers, current market data, and actual math calculations (bring a calculator), we will cover—

    • Know and Understand Yourself
    • The only price that matters (hint, there won’t be any crystal ball involved)
    • Know your resources (money, feed, livestock, and time) and how to manage them
    • Sell/Buy compared to Buy/Sell
    • Find Relationships and determine what to sell and what to buy
    • Marketing for the Cow/Calf Producer
    • Determine the Value of Breeding Stock
    • Make a profit and stay in business!

Stockmanship School Outline—

Using lecture, questions/answers, and movies, we will cover—

    • Research Benefits
    • Pressure and Release
    • How we Communicate with our Livestock
    • Instincts of Humans and Livestock
    • Predator/Prey Relationship
    • Positioning
    • Movement
    • Training the Herd
    • At the Gate
    • Working in the Corral
    • Sorting Livestock
    • Weaning and Receiving Livestock
    • Loading Livestock
    • Our Attitude