Categories Events

MSGA’s 126th Annual Convention and Trade Show draws over 600 participants

The 126th Annual Montana Stockgrowers Association Convention and Trade Show, held at the Crowne Plaza hotel and MetraPark in Billings, Dec. 16-18, drew over 600 participants from across the state.

“We had another great convention this year,” said Tom Hougen, MSGA’s out-going president. “With the great cattle market we’ve had, everyone seemed to be in high spirits. We had one of the most robust policy discussions I can remember, developing policy on a wide variety of issues that affect family ranches in Montana. Convention attendees also got to enjoy our top-notch trade show and the Chase Hawks Rough Stock Rodeo.”

Here are some of the highlights:

-Walter “Watty” Taylor, of Kirby was elected President; Tucker Hughes of Stanford was elected 1st Vice President; and Gene Curry of Valier was elected 2nd Vice President.

– Jeff Pattison in the Northeast District, Larry Berg in the South Central District, and Dean Wang in the Southeast District were elected to second terms on the Board of Directors.

-Ray Marxer of Dillon was newly elected to the Board of Directors representing the Western District, filling the seat vacated by term-limited Steve Wilcox of Sheridan. Mark Harrison of Belt was elected from the North Central District to fill the seat vacated by term-limited Fred Finke of Big Sandy.

-Policy to guide MSGA officers and staff through 2011, and the upcoming legislative session, was set in a process that began with committee meetings, progressed to the second reading and finished at the third reading. Notable new policies address freeze branding, the proposed Grain Inspection Packers and Stockyards Administration rules, funding for the MT Livestock Loss Reduction Board, Antiquities Act reform, grazing issues, energy access agreements, predator control funding, and irrigated pasture assessments.

-Travis Choat, Director of Tech­nical Consulting for Elanco Animal Health, was the keynote speaker at the Opening General Session. His presentation “Food Economics and Consumer Choice” discussed the use of technology to meet a growing world population’s demand for safe, nutritious and affordable food.

-The Trade Show boasted nearly 90 booths, a lineup of Ford vehicles, free boot shines, complimentary tote bags, beef dinner stations and “watering holes.”

-John Rose ad Tim Feddes’ stock dog clinic headlined a full and diverse group of Pfizer Cattlemen’s Colleges that educated attendees about estate planning, calfhood vaccination programs, the difference between generic and brand name compounds, cow herd efficiency, and fertility.

-Keystone Ranches, Inc. of Ismay, owned and operated by Bill and Joyce Almy, was named winner of the 2011 Montana Environmental Stewardship Award sponsored by MSGA and the Montana Beef Council. Keystone Ranches is the 18th winner in the history of the award. MSGA will submit Keystone Ranches for the regional and national Environmental Stewardship Award in February.

-Tucker Hughes of Stanford was named the association’s “Top Hand” for recruiting the most new members throughout the year. Gene Curry of Valier and Jeff Pattison of Glasgow tied for second.

-Marian Hanson of Ashland was named “Ranching Woman of the Year.”

-Montana State University and University of Montana mascots Champ and Monte provided entertainment during the President’ s Lunch.

-Kyle Shobe, 2010 World Champion Livestock Auctioneer was on hand to auction off many items to raise funds for MSGA’s Advocacy Fund, as well as the Seedstock and Commercial Cattle Directory page auction which raises money to promote Montana cattle and associated services across the country.

-MSGA held many drawings throughout the course of the convention. Shawn Pilster of Alzada won the NutraLix saddle drawing, Melinda Berg of Sand Springs won the Young Stockgrower PBR tickets drawing, and Karla Johnson of East Helena won the Women of the West Fair Coldwater Creek Gift Certificate drawing.

-The biggest drawing, however, was for the 2011 Ford Super Duty truck from the Montana Ford Stores and MSGA. Buck and Dee Ward of Great Falls were the lucky winners. To be eligible for the drawing, people had to be MSGA rancher members and present at the President’s Lunch when the drawing was held.

-MSGA members received discounted tickets to the Chase Hawks Memorial Association Rough Stock Rodeo on Saturday, Dec. 18, where they were able to enjoy rodeo action from some of the top cowboys and rough stock in the country. Proceeds from the event benefited the Chase Hawks Memorial Association Community Crisis Fund which provides short-term assistance to families facing an immediate crisis.

-Convention photos and a highlight video can be seen on MSGA’s Facebook Page.

-Plans are already underway for MSGA’s Mid-Year meeting which will be held in June 2011.

2010 MSGA/MCW Annual Convention will have something for everyone

This year’s Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA) and Montana CattleWomen (MCW) Annual Convention and Trade Show, Dec. 16-18 in Billings, will have something for everyone. The Convention will offer opportunities for attendees to learn tips to improve their ranch or business, find out about new products available for their animal health and ranch supply needs at the Trade Show, and for members to weigh in on policy discussions. Members who attend Annual Convention will be eligible to win a 2011 Ford Super Duty truck from the Montana Ford Stores and receive discounted tickets to the Chase Hawks Memorial Association Rough Stock Rodeo on Saturday, Dec. 18.

The MSGA/MCW Annual Convention will provide excellent educational opportunities on a number of topics important to Montana’s ranching families. Travis Choat, PhD with Elanco Animal Health will kick off the Opening General Session on Friday, Dec. 17 with a presentation about the use of technology to meet a growing population’s demand for safe nutritious and affordable food across the world. Pfizer Cattlemen’s Colleges on Dec. 17 and 18 will address a diverse number of topics. On Dec. 17, John Rose with Rose Cattle Company and Tim Feddes with Feddes Hereford Ranch will conduct two working stock dog clinics. The clinics will focus on utilizing stock dogs on livestock with low stress to owner, dog and livestock. John and Tim will cover teaching techniques from puppies to finished dogs. Another Cattlemen’s College will feature a discussion panel including Mac White with McFarland and White Ranch; Jay Atwell, CPA with Summers, McNea and Company; and Richard Brekke with Brekke & Hoskins Law Firm. The discussion’s focus will be how the McFarland and White Ranch came into its current operation from 1973. The panel will also discuss financial statements, trusts, changing ownerships, minority stockholders, buying a trust ranch, ap­praisals, renouncing ownerships, and buying out a partner. Daniel Scruggs, DVM, with Pfizer Animal Health will present “How Do We Evalu­ate Antimicrobials in Bovine Respiratory Disease-What Really Matters.” The presen­tation will discuss some of the factors that affect treatment of respiratory disease, the impact antimicrobials have on treatment, resolution of respiratory disease, and how we might measure and predict those success rates. To round out the Cattlemen’s Colleges on Dec. 17, Dale Groteleuschen , DVM, with Pfizer Animal Heath will present “Improvements in Calfhood Vaccination Programs-Decrease Sickness and Increase Performance.”

On Dec. 18, as part of the Pfizer Cattlemen’s Colleges, Nick Campbell with Pfizer Animal Heath will present “The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nothing But the Truth-What You Need to Understand about Generic Compounds,” a courtroom presentation on the truth between generic and name brands. Andy Roberts, PhD, with Fort Keogh Live­stock and Range Research Laboratory will present “Can Conservative Feeding Im­prove Cow Herd Efficiency and Longevity?” Roberts is a research animal scientist and physiologist at Fort Keogh and focuses his research on feed and reproductive efficiency. Tom Geary, PhD, with Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory will present “Fertility.” Geary’s presentation will cover factors that affect fertility in beef cattle as measured by successful establishment of pregnancy. Much of the information in this presenta­tion will come from research using artificial insemination, but will be tied to natural ser­vice and include both male and female com­ponents.

A major component of the Annual Convention is the setting of new policy and the review of past policies to guide the association through its day-to-day work. The policy process will begin on Thursday, Dec. 16 with committee meetings at the Crowne Plaza hotel. MSGA committees include Beef Production & Marketing, Land Use & Environment, Membership Development & Services, and Tax, Finance & Ag Policy. On Friday, Dec. 17, committee chairmen will give reports from their committees during the Second Reading of Resolutions at the MetraPark. The final reading, and an up or down vote on resolutions, will occur at the MSGA Business Meeting, Saturday morning, Dec. 18, at the MetraPark. Resolutions that make it through the entire process will become association policy.

This Annual Convention, the association will also see changes to its leadership. Tom Hougen will conclude his term as MSGA President. MSGA 1st Vice President, Watty Taylor of Busby, is in line to take over as President, and MSGA 2nd Vice President, Tucker Hughes of Stanford, is up for 1st Vice President, pending the approval of the membership. MSGA will say farewell to out-going Board of Director members Fred Finke of Big Sandy and Steve Wilcox of Sheridan.

The MSGA Trade Show is already sold out and will feature 89 vendors with everything from animal health products and ranch supplies to clothing and crafts. The Trade Show will be open Friday, Dec. 17 from 5-9 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 18, from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is open to the public.

MSGA and the Montana Ford Stores have teamed up to give a 2011 Ford Super Duty truck to one lucky member who attends convention. The drawing will be held on Saturday during the President’s Lunch. To be eligible for the truck drawing you must attend convention, be a current Rancher, Stocker/Feeder or Young Stockgrower member and fill out the truck entry form. Saturday evening, MSGA members will have the opportunity to attend a special VIP Rodeo Reception and receive discounted tickets to the Chase Hawks Memorial Association’s 16th Annual Rough Stock Rodeo.

To learn more about MSGA’s Annual Convention and Trade Show, please call the MSGA office at (406) 442-3420, or visit www.mtbeef.org.