Meet Rancher and Innovator Emmet Storer, Symbrosia's first Ambassador

At Symbrosia, our goal is to develop a seaweed feed additive for livestock that benefits ranchers. We want the ranchers who use our product to have more profitable, sustainable operations than ever before. We want insights from the ranchers we serve to inform our actions as a company. We are starting the Symbrosia Ambassador Program to find incredible leaders in the ranching world to help guide our Moove-ment.

We are thrilled to announce Emmet Storer as our first Symbrosia Ambassador. Based in Whitman, Nebraska, Emmet is the Founder and CEO of Platform Cattle, a distributor of innovation for the cattle industry. Through Platform Cattle, Emmet is a licensed distributor of BoviBox, a probiotic cattle feed supplement.

Emmet will be testing Symbrosia's feed additive and measuring methane reduction and productivity improvements with his own herd in 2022. Emmet has incredible insights into the ranching industry, the evolving importance of sustainability, and how to create new value within the industry. Read on for our interview with Symbrosia Ambassador, Emmet Storer.

Can you share a bit of your story, your background, and your current work?
I grew up on a ranch in Western Nebraska. I will be the 5th generation to be on the ranch, and both sides of my family are ranchers. It was always in my blood to ranch, and I always enjoyed cattle. I did rodeo in high school. I knew I wanted to do something with cattle and needed to figure out a way to make money doing it. Everything I’ve done, I’ve been following that passion.

I went to junior college for 2 years, then got a degree in agricultural economics at University of Nebraska–Lincoln. While I was there, I did a minor in agricultural entrepreneurship through the Engler Agribusiness program. I also emphasized meat science, and worked at the University's meat laboratory where I helped process, fabricate, and retail product for the University. I even went to a couple quiz bowl competitions for meat science, which were pretty cool. I also did an animal health internship at the Adams feedlot in Broken Bow, Nebraska, one of the largest family-owned feed operations in the US.

Now, I run Platform Cattle. We distribute products to cattlemen to help support them and their operations.

What do you think is the greatest challenge facing ranchers today?
That’s a loaded question. I think trying to create a product that is unique is one thing. I think an industry challenge that falls on ranchers is telling our story. This is essential. For the generations of ranchers before us, there was always a connection between the consumer and the producer on some level. But now, that’s getting smaller and smaller, and harder to find. As ranchers and producers, we have to be able to tell a story, mainly because if we don’t tell the story, then it gets told by someone else.

I actually think sustainability is another key challenge. I think “sustainable” can mean multiple things. Sustainable for the environment is one thing, sustainable for your operation is another, sustainable for the population is the third. We’re producing more pounds of beef per head of cattle than we ever have before. There are actually less cattle in the US than there were 30 years ago. What are we doing to continue making our operations more efficient?

So there are three challenges: diversifying our product, telling our story, and finding ways to be efficient. Some old cowboy told me one time that the most expensive words in the industry are: “That’s the way daddy did it.”

What potential do you see for Symbrosia's product to add value to ranchers?
I think Symbrosia provides a product that allows ranchers to hang on to their traditional ways and not go down a path that they don’t want to go down while still providing the consumer with a diversified product. 

Symbrosia broadens our consumer base, allowing us to make a product that is attractive to a consumer who has turned down meat in the past. We’ve always tried to become more sustainable, but there has been a false narrative about us. Essentially, Symbrosia’s product opens the door to a consumer market that in the past has always been closed.

As a Symbrosia Ambassador, what do you hope to accomplish?
From the Platform Cattle standpoint, we want to be able to distribute innovation. I think it’s important to recognize that there are people around the world who are doing a really good job at innovating in the ag sector. At the same time, it’s a completely different world in a high-production area like The Panhandle or Middle America. It’s a higher production rate, there are a lot more numbers. I want to take practices and innovations that people are using around the world, and create products that are usable for the US cattle industry, which is the biggest powerhouse of cattle and ag in the world. I want to be able to distribute innovation here.

I think being a Symbrosia Ambassador puts me in a position where I can help Symbrosia understand and get into our market, and by doing so help our entire market. I think together we can connect and figure out what we need to change to make Symbrosia’s product most usable, and how we can make those changes.

What should companies like Symbrosia that are developing new products for ranchers keep in mind? How can companies most effectively partner with ranchers to add value to their operations? What do you wish more companies in your industry did, and what are some common mistakes companies make? 
The most common mistake that a lot of companies make is they want to change the cowboy, not help the cowboy. 

More companies need to find ways to help the cowboy, by providing value to him, while respecting his values and his passions. I think there’s a fine line between benefiting someone, and changing their lifestyle.

Would you or someone you know be a great Symbrosia Ambassador? Reach out to us and introduce yourself!