Owner, Todd Porth has over 30 years of experience in the cattle industry. Raised in DeWitt, Iowa on his family’s farm and cattle feeding operation, Todd’s interest and passion for this industry began. This led to his now extensive cattle feeding programs in Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, and Iowa with grazing and growing operations in Virginia, Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming. After facing severe market volatility in the 1980’s, Todd began using the futures market as a tool for price discovery. He developed a hedging platform to protect himself from market uncertainty and began by “hitting singles and doubles”. In 1999, Todd offered his hedging platform as a service for other cattle feeders to manage their risk, and with that, Managed Growth, Inc. was founded. As a cattle feeder himself, Todd participates 100% in his program, demonstrating how consistency and discipline in your own customized hedging program is the key to steady growth. Todd’s involvement with each sector of the cattle industry gives Managed Growth the expertise to create a hedging program that’s right for you.
Sam Cross grew up on a cow/calf operation in Virginia. He first came to Managed Growth as an intern while completing his degrees in Animal Science and Agricultural Economics from Virginia Tech. During his time in college, Sam also interned for a major cattle feeding group in Kansas, where he learned all aspects of feedlot operations. Sam feeds cattle, has his own cow/calf operation, and invests in the commodity markets.
Leo Outland first gained exposure to the commodity markets through a student-run commodity investment group at Virginia Tech and interning with Managed Growth. He joined Managed Growth full time after completing his degree in Business Information Technology. Leo feeds cattle and brings Managed Growth an edge in charting and trend analysis of the markets through his extensive technical abilities.
Nick Fowler came to Managed Growth after working in both the packing industry and feedlot management in Kansas. An Agribusiness graduate from Kansas State, Nick now manages his family’s feedlot, farming and cow/calf operation in Imperial, NE as well as participating in feeding cattle throughout the Mid-West. Since 2007, Nick has applied Managed Growth’s hedging program in his own operation.
Mike Drinnin, a lifelong cattleman and former president of the Nebraska Cattlemen’s Association, is the owner of Drinnin Feedlots and Drinnin West located in Columbus and Palmer, Nebraska, respectively. Mike manages both feedlots with the help of his sons, Sam and Jarad, and farms about 750 acres. The family has utilized risk management in their operations since 1994 and applied Managed Growth’s hedging program since 2013.