AgWired

Matt Teagarden is a rancher from Topeka, Kansas whose family has been in the business of cattle for at least four generations. During the Cattle Industry Summer Conference, he said he was closely watching the language around the mandatory COOL program. He explained there is a confidential trade ruling from the World Trade Organization indicating that Mexico and Canada are justified in their claim that our mandatory COOL program violates our trade agreements.

“So we’ve tried to be proactive in fixing the issue so its compliant. Canada and Mexico our are two biggest trading partners for beef,” he said.

Also on his radar and what he sees as the biggest challenge for the industry is the continuing decline of the cow herd. There are many factors causing this but one has been long-term drought in many states. “Even if the weather was right there are factors that are challenging us from growing our cow herd,” said Teagarden. “Our cow-calf producers are getting older so we need to identify the next generation of cow-calf producers.”

On the opposite side, Teagarden said if they can get the right conditions they have the opportunity to expand. “In the states I think we have the opportunity to grow beef demand and total beef consumption. As you look around the world and the global economy rebounds after the recession, the opportunities are tremendous.”

Listen to my interview with Matt Teagarden: Declining Cow Herd Challenge for Cattle Producers

Photos from the conference are posted to this photo album: 2011 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album.

Don Pemberton is a rancher from Hopkinsville, KY. His family business has been in operation for 40 years, and he is a long-time National Cattlemen’s Beef Association member who feels it’s important to have an association that “has your back” so to speak. He was recently elected as Vice Chair of the Policy Division, and the big joke during the Cattle Summer Industry Conference was that Pemberton is “Policy all the time.”

One main issue, he said, are the regulations coming out of the EPA. He said we’ve seen an overzealous administration that is really making it difficult to do business. “There is some talk in Washington that they will repeal some of these regulations. I hope they’re thinking about how they’re affecting the small business owner such as ranchers and farmers across this nation,” said Pemberton.

I asked him why he thought such harmful regulations were being passed. While he said he was not really in a position to answer that question, he did note that three generations ago most people knew someone who was involved in agriculture. Today, most people are two generations removed from the farm. The industry is now such a small percentage that they really have to work hard to make their voices heard, he explained. And they need to be heard, said Pemberton, because they need the opportunity to grow the food, feed and fiber the world needs.

In closing he stressed that it is important for more members of the cattle industry to join an organization that is dedicated to helping them succeed. He invited those interested to visit their new website, www.beefusa.org.

Listen to my interview with Don Pemberton:Pemberton on Policy

Photos from the conference are posted to this photo album: 2011 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album.

All roads lead to Colorado. Cattle producer Terry Fankhauser is a Kansas native but moved to Colorado about 11 years ago. He comes from a multi-generation ranch, but it was only big enough for the family that was there so Fankhauser said his dad had the foresite to tell him to go find something else. And that he did in Colorado – another ranch.

Like his counter part in Idaho, Charles Lyons, Colorado is a public lands state so that means they graze their cattle on a lot of public land. During the Cattle Industry Summer Conference, Fankhauser said he was glad to see that the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) grouped up a lot of the private property, environment and federal lands committee discussions to really talk about endangered species issues, property ownership, leasing, and environmental challenges. In addition, the organization discussed in detail how these elements mix among land uses and production types.

“There’s a few good policies in there but it was more about the conversation on how we can bring our membership closer together and work across industry segments more effectively on those types of policies,” said Fankhauser.

So what does he believe to be one of the greatest challenges facing his business? Like so many others, he feels current regulations have over-reached.

“The biggest challenges we’re seeing are the current environmental regulations that are coming out of the administration that we believe are misguided,” said Fankhauser. “We think that agriculture is part of the solution, not part of the problem and I know we have the data, and the information and the talent to back that up.”

Listen to my interview with Terry Fankhauser:Roads Lead to Colorado

Photos from the conference are posted to this photo album: 2011 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album.