July 14, 2016 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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National Cattlemen’s Foundation Accepting Applications for W.D. Farr Scholarships

Scholarship Awards Graduate Students Committed to Beef Industry Advancement

DENVER (July 14, 2016) – The National Cattlemen’s Foundation is now accepting applications for the W.D. Farr Scholarships for the 2016-17 school year. The scholarship was established by the National Cattlemen’s Foundation to honor the successful career of the late W. D. Farr.  Two annual $12,000 grants will be awarded to outstanding graduate students that demonstrate superior achievement in academics and leadership and will allow the students to further their study in fields that benefit the cattle and beef industry.

2015 scholarship recipient Greta Krafsur, DVM, a third year anatomic pathology resident at Colorado State University believes that the scholarship is an investment in the future of sustainable production of food animals.

“By alleviating tuition expenses, the W.D. Farr Scholarship has allowed me to focus on my research of bovine pulmonary hypertension so that I may continue to find ways to improve health and productivity of beef cattle,” said Krafsur.

Krafsur’s ambitions include the formation of a consulting group, providing disease prevention and treatment protocols to reduce the incidence of respiratory disease and right heart failure in the beef industry.

Whitney Crossland, also a 2015 scholarship recipient, is PhD student at Texas A&M University studying the effects of common feed additives on animal performance, and will use the scholarship to take her studies international.

“This scholarship will allow me to visit beef production systems in other parts of the world to gain a better global understanding of our role as beef producers,” said Crossland.

Farr, a third generation Coloradan, pioneer rancher, statesman and banker was known for his extraordinary vision.  His dedication to improving agriculture, livestock and water development has resulted in significant changes in farming methods that have influenced the practices of ranchers and farmers throughout the nation.

To apply for the scholarship, graduate students planning to pursue a career in the beef industry should submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, a description of applicant’s goals and experience, a statement of belief in the industry as well as a review of the applicant’s graduate research and three letters of recommendation. Applications close on August 31, 2016. For more information and to apply, visit www.nationalcattlemensfoundation.org.

July 1, 2016 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Montana Cattlewomen Announce Recipient of Scholarship

Allie

Allie Nelson, a Junior at Montana State University – Bozeman has been selected as the 2016 Montana Cattlewomen’s scholarship recipient. This $1000 Memorial Scholarship is made possible through donations given in memory of friends and loved ones of Montana Cattlewomen.

Allie is majoring in agriculture relations with a leadership option. Allie’s accomplishments include serving as a Montana Beef Ambassador, Montana State FFA officer, and mentoring younger 4-H members; advocating for agriculture every step along the way. Allie plans to work for a non-profit organization after graduation. Allie is from Great Falls, MT; her parents are Ron and Becky Nelson.

“We are honored to have had many applicants, and Allie’s selection was a testament to her achievements, community involvement, and future endeavors,” noted Montana Cattlewomen President Lynda Grande.

The Cattlewomen are thrilled to support an up and coming leader of Montana Agriculture and look forward to seeing what Allie accomplishes in the future. For more information on the Montana Cattlewomen please visit montanacattlewomen.org or call 406.442.3420.

June 29, 2016 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Senate Holds Oversight Hearing on Sage Grouse Habitat Management  

Source: National Cattlemen’s Beef Association

WASHINGTON (June 28, 2016) – Today, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests and Mining held an oversight hearing on the Federal sage grouse plans and their impact to successful ongoing state management of the species. Brenda Richards, Owyhee County Idaho rancher and president of the Public Lands Council, testified on behalf of the PLC and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Richards said that any Federal management plan must first recognize the essential contribution of grazing to conservation.

“Ranchers across the west have a vested interest not just in the health of their livestock, but in the rangelands that support their herds and the wildlife that thrive alongside them,” said Richards. “The businesses they operate form the economic nucleus of many rural communities, providing jobs and opportunities where they wouldn’t exist otherwise. Additionally, ranchers often serve as first responders in emergency situations across vast, remote stretches of unoccupied federal lands. Simply put, public lands ranchers are an essential element of strong communities, healthy economies, and productive rangelands across the west.”

Across the west, roughly 22,000 ranchers steward approximately 250 million acres of federal land and 140 million acres of adjacent private land. With as much as 80 percent of productive sage grouse habitat on private lands adjacent to federal permit ground, this makes private partnership essential in increasing sage grouse numbers. However, concern remains that local stakeholder input is being ignored by the Bureau of Land Management.

“Items such as Focal Areas, mandatory stubble height requirements and withdrawals of permits impose radically severe and unnecessary management restrictions on this vast area in opposition to proven strategies,” said Richards. “Rather than embracing grazing as a resource and tool for conservation benefit, these plan amendments impose arbitrary restrictions to satisfy requirements for newly minted objectives such as Focal Areas and Net Conservation Benefit. Wildfire, invasive species and infrastructure are the major threats to sage grouse habitat and they are all most effectively managed through grazing.”

According to the latest data from the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ August 2015 report – Greater Sage Grouse Population Trends: An Analysis of Lek Count Databases 1965-2015, the number of male grouse counted on leks range-wide went from 43,397 in 2013 to 80,284 in 2015.  That’s a 63 percent increase in the past two years and contributes to a minimum breeding population of 424,645 birds, which does not include grouse populations on unknown leks.

“The results of these voluntary, local conservation efforts around the west are undeniable; habitat is being preserved and the sage grouse populations are responding,” said Richards. “Proper grazing specifically addresses the biggest threats to sage grouse habitat, while reduced grazing allows these threats to compound. To arbitrarily restrict grazing when it’s needed most is a recipe for failure. Local input and decades of successful, collaborative conservation efforts must be the starting point for future Federal involvement, not an afterthought as it is now being treated.”

Public lands ranchers encourage the BLM and Federal agencies to work with them to continue to conserve and protect sage grouse habitat.

A copy of Richards’ testimony submitted to the Subcommittee can be found HERE.

June 24, 2016 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Montana Stockgrowers Association sends two attendees to elite cattle industry conference

Representing Montana Stockgrowers Association, Ariel Overstreet-Adkins and Andy Kellom participated in the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s 2016 Young Cattlemen’s Conference. Over 50 cattle producers from across the country and across the industry attended the conference.

Andy

Andy Kellom hales from Hobson, MT. He is currently cattle manager for Bos Terra LP which is a 15,000 head feedlot and up to 7,000 head stocker operation. Andy is responsible for day-to-day cattle management.

Andy was born and raised in Dubois, Idaho. He was involved with his family’s ranch from a young age.  Andy’s love of the beef cattle business started here, as well as days working on many neighboring family ranches in the area.

Andy attended Montana State University where he received a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science in 2002. From there he worked on the cowboy crew of the 1.5 million acre IL Ranch in northern Nevada.  He then spent two years as head cowboy for Harris Feeding Company which is a 100,000+ head feedlot and vertically integrated beef operation in Coalinga, California. Andy then became involved with the Montana Beef Network which was an MSU extension program that dealt mainly with Animal ID as it related to Montana ranchers. Andy was instrumental in the startup of Verified Beef LLC which is a company that at the time offered Source and Age, NHTC, and Never Ever 3 Natural certifications to cow- calf operations throughout Montana and surrounding states.

Ariel

Ariel Overstreet-Adkins is a 2016 graduate of the University of Montana School of Law. Ariel’s article “Extraordinary Protections for the Industry that Feeds Us: Examining a Potential Constitutional Right to Farm and Ranch in Montana,” was published by the Montana Law Review in February. In August, she will begin a yearlong clerkship for a U.S. District Court. Then she will work as an associate attorney at the Moulton Bellingham law firm in Billings, focusing on ag, water, property, and natural resource law.

Ariel was named a W.D. Farr Scholar by the National Cattlemen’s Foundation in 2014. Prior to law school, Ariel served as director of communications and lobbyist for the Montana Stockgrowers Association for five years. She graduated from Princeton University with a degree in cultural anthropology where her senior thesis was entitled: “Growing Up Cowboy: High School Rodeo in Montana.” Ariel grew up on her family’s horse ranch in Big Timber.

She and her husband, Zac, raise a few acres of alfalfa in Helena. Ariel is currently serving as vice president of the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame & Western Heritage Center.

NCBA’s YCC program is an opportunity for these young leaders to gain an understanding of all aspects of the beef industry from pasture to plate, and showcase the industry’s involvement in policy making, issues management, research, education and marketing.

Beginning at the NCBA headquarters in Denver, Colo., the group got an inside look at many of the issues affecting the beef industry and the work being done on both the state and national level to address these issues on behalf of the NCBA membership. While in Denver, participants were given an organizational overview of NCBA and the Beef Checkoff Program and CattleFax provided a comprehensive overview of the current cattle market and emerging trends. At Safeway, the participants received a first-hand account of the retail perspective of the beef business and then toured the JBS Five Rivers’ Kuner feedyard, one of the largest in the nation, and the JBS Greeley packing and processing plant.

From Denver, the group traveled to Chicago where they visited McDonald’s Campus and OSI, one of the nation’s premiere beef patty producers. After the brief stop in Chicago, the group concluded their trip in Washington D.C., for an in-depth issues briefing on current policy issues including international trade and increasing environmental regulations. Following the issues update, the participants were given the opportunity to visit one-on-one with members of their state’s congressional delegation, expressing their viewpoints regarding the beef industry and their cattle operations. John Deere then hosted a reception in the evening at their office.

The following morning, the group then traveled to Aldie, Va., for a tour and barbecue at Whitestone Farms, one of the nation’s elite purebred Angus operations.

With the beef industry changing rapidly, identifying and educating leaders has never been so important. As a grassroots trade association representing the beef industry the NCBA is proud to play a role in that process and its future success. Over 1,000 cattlemen and women have graduated from the YCC program since its inception in 1980. Many of these alumni have gone to serve in state and national committees, councils and boards. YCC is the cornerstone of leadership training in the cattle industry.

June 16, 2016 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Stockgrowers’ MidYear Meeting Ends in Great Falls

The 2016 Montana Stockgrowers Association’s Mid-Year Meeting, held in Great Falls on June 9 – 10, drew ranchers and members of the cattle industry from across the state for policy meetings, a leadership-training workshop, and a Tour of Ryan Dam.

 

Weston

Ranchers in attendance kicked off the event by taking part in a workshop with Carrie Mess. Mess is a dairy farmer, blogger and ag-vocate from Wisconsin. Ranchers of all ages participated in the informative workshop, learning how to engage with their customers and effectively communicate their story.

 

A welcome reception was held to benefit the Stockgrowers’ Research and Education Endowment Foundation. The reception included a live auction and recognition of Foundation programs, including scholarship recipients, Young Cattlemen’s Conference Attendees, and an introduction of the inaugural Leadership Series class.

 

A few of the topics discussed during interim-policy meetings included the proposed Yellowstone Grizzly Bear Delisting, bison management, feedlot well setbacks, and the new Department of Labor overtime rule that will go into effect this December. Four interim policies were passed by the Board of Directors, they are available on MSGA’s website. These policies will be reviewed by the membership at the Annual Convention in December.

 

Opening General Session featured a panel on beef sustainability. The panel included Emily Murray, General Manager of McDonald’s Beef at Cargill; Bob Lowe, the Alberta Beef Producers Chair; and Nancy Labbe, Senior officer of World Wildlife Fund’s sustainable ranching program.  The three panel members were instrumental in creating a pilot project in Canada aimed at establishing an independent sustainable verification process in partnership with multiple stakeholders. As one of the world’s largest purchasers of beef, McDonald’s has identified beef sustainability as a key business priority and is committed to being more progressive in partnering with industry to advance sustainable practices to better the lives of cattle, ranchers and consumers.

 

Friday afternoon, attendees traveled to Ryan Dam for a tour of the six-unit hydroelectric plant on the Missouri River. After touring the dam, they traveled to Western Ranch Supply for a social followed by a tour and dinner at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center.

Weston

“Stockgrowers can’t thank the community of Great Falls enough for welcoming our MidYear event into town,” said MSGA President Gene Curry, from Valier. “Our members really enjoyed learning more about the area and the businesses that make it thrive. We look forward to the next time our MidYear is held in Great Falls.”

 

The Stockgrowers’ Annual Convention and Trade Show, taking place December 7 through 9 at the Radisson in Billings. To learn more about Montana Stockgrowers membership, programs and events, visit mtbeef.org or contact the MSGA office at 406-442-3420.

June 3, 2016 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Governor Gets Final Say in Year Round Bison in Montana

Source: Northern Ag Network

If the Montana Department of Livestock and the Fish Wildlife and Parks can’t come to agreement on an issue of bison management, the governor gets to decide is the advice that the Montana Attorney General’s office is giving the Board of Livestock (BOL).  In this case, it means that Yellowstone Park bison will get to be in Montana year round.
In April, the BOL had received a letter from the governor stating that since they had been unable to come to agreement with the Fish Wildlife and Parks (FWP) regarding a management change to the Interagency Bison Management Plan (IMBP) to allow year round tolerance for bison in West Yellowstone and Gardiner, the governor would make the final decision and sign for them.

The BOL followed up to the Montana Attorney General’s Office, requesting a legal opinion regarding the legal roles of the agencies and the govenor in deciding the bison tolerance zone.  The AG’s office has responded with a confirmation of the Governor’s statement, that “on bison management issues, the two departments, Department of Livestock and FWP, must cooperate, and any management conflicts are resolved by the Governor.”
Mike Honeycutt, Executive Officer of the Department of Livestock outlined the AG’s response.  “The Department of Livestock has powers and duties to manage bison when they present a disease risk.  The Fish Wildlife and Parks has responsibility to manage wild bison when are not a disease risk.  If there is any potential for disease risk, FWP is supposed to cooperate with the Department of Livestock in that respect.”

“At the end of the day, if those two agencies can’t to come to an agreement on precise points of policy and how to get things done, the governor, as the executive of the state, has the power to make the decision for the agencies, tell them that this is where the lines are going to be and this is how each agency is going to carry out its legal responsibility around that decision that the governor has made,” Honeycutt said.
“I know that may not be an answer a lot of people in our industry want to hear.  I think they might have wanted to hear that the park boundary is the park boundary and that’s where we are supposed to push bison to,” acknowledged Honeycutt.

The BOL also asked for help to clarify the department’s responsibilities in bison management in the new tolerance zone.  The AG’s office responded that the state statutes in place are very clear.  Whether the border is the park boundaries or the new tolerance zone, the DOL’s job is to prevent disease transmission from the bison to cattle.

Honeycutt explained, “Our job, at this point from the Department of Livestock, is where maybe the old boundary was pushing all bison back to the park, our job now making sure that bison stay in the zones where they have tolerance and that our employees are keeping the separation between them and the cattle herds that will be grazing for the summer.

Honeycutt said “We are still in the position of making sure we maintain separation between potentially diseased bison and where cattle herds will be operating at.”

“We do not want potentially diseased bison occupying, in any shape or form, the same space that’s going to be occupied by summer grazing cattle.”

CLICK HERE to read a copy of the letter from the Attorney General’s office

June 3, 2016 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Supreme Court Upholds Landowner Rights in WOTUS

Source: Beef Magazine

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) handed down a pivotal decision in the ongoing and protracted efforts by cattle producers and other landowners to protect themselves from the EPA, Army Corps of Engineers and the controversial Waters of the United States (WOTUS) regulations.

The Supreme Court’s ruling in United States Army Corps of Engineers v. Hawkes Co., Inc., set a precedent that landowners may challenge the Corps’ jurisdictional determination specifying that a piece of property contains a “water of the United States.” The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association filed an amicus brief in support of Hawkes. NCBA President Tracy Brunner said this is a major victory for landowners across the country.

“This case highlights the issues landowners and land-use stakeholders have with the Clean Water Act,” said Brunner. “Neither of the options provided to landowners are realistic under the current regulatory environment. Applying for a 404 permit is expensive, exhaustive and time consuming. Gambling on EPA enforcement and risking civil and criminal penalties is foolish. This case strikes a balance that at least gives us some measure of regulatory certainty in the notoriously unclear Clean Water Act.”

The Hawkes case involved three companies engaged in mining peat in Minnesota. Due to the difficulty inherent in determining the need for a 404 Dredge and Fill Permit, the Army Corps allows property owners to obtain a standalone jurisdictional determination if a particular piece of property contains a WOTUS and therefore requires a 404 permit before using the land.

Upon receiving an approved jurisdictional determination that their land did contain a WOTUS, the companies exhausted the administrative remedies available and then filed suit in Federal District Court challenging the Corps’ jurisdictional determination. The government argued that such a jurisdictional determination was not final agency action and that landowners would have to either discharge without a permit and then challenge EPA enforcement or apply for a permit and challenge the outcome.

“Given the subjective nature of a determination and the inconsistent application of the Clean Water Act, knowing what is or is not a WOTUS was ripe for challenge,” said Brunner. “The ability to challenge a determination before going through the time-consuming and costly permitting process, or gambling on EPA enforcement, provides a measure of fairness to landowners.”

In his concurrence, Justice Kennedy expressed the Court’s continued concern with the Clean Water Act, “[t]he Act… continues to raise troubling questions regarding the Government’s power to cast doubt on the full use and enjoyment of private property throughout the Nation.” NCBA is committed to continuing its WOTUS lawsuit on behalf of its members.

According to the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), now, when the Corps asserts jurisdiction over low spots that look more like land than water, it will have to do so with the knowledge that its jurisdictional determination can be tested in court.

“Today’s decision removes a huge roadblock that has prevented landowners from obtaining relief from the courts when the Corps illegally claims their land is federally regulated water,” AFBF President Zippy Duvall said. “Now, farmers and ranchers can have their day in court when the government tells them they cannot plow a field or improve a ditch without a federal permit.”

May 24, 2016 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Electric City to host Montana Stockgrowers Association’s MidYear Meeting

Electric City to host Montana Stockgrowers Association’s MidYear Meeting

Helena, MT – The Montana Stockgrowers Association’s MidYear Meeting will be held June 9-11 in Great Falls at the Hilton Garden Inn. This year’s MidYear event will be highlighted by a Cattlemen’s College workshop, policy committee meetings and a tour of Ryan Dam!

Mid-Year is one of two major meetings MSGA holds annually where members will gather to discuss the issues facing Montana ranching families and set interim policy to guide the association through the rest of the year. Topics that will be covered in policy committee meetings include the Yellowstone grizzly bear delisting, brucellosis, elk management, the bison quarantine and an update from the Department of Livestock’s executive officer.

The Cattlemen’s College workshops presented by Carrie Mess will kick off events on Thursday afternoon. Ranchers will have the opportunity to learn how to effectively communicate their story and connect, both online and in person with their customers. Area business leaders and the community are invited to a special fundraiser event on Thursday night for MSGA’s Research & Education Endowment Foundation, held at the Hilton Garden Inn with live music by Insufficient Funds Band.

Friday’s Opening General Session will feature a panel of supply chain stakeholders who have formalized Canada’s beef sustainability program and the progress being made in the U.S. The panel includes Bob Lowe, the Alberta Beef Producers Chair; Nancy Labbe, Senior officer of World Wildlife Fund’s sustainable ranching program; and Emily Murray, General Manager of McDonald’s Beef at Cargill.

After policy meetings Friday morning, Ranchers will gather for a Tour of local businesses followed by a steak dinner, fun and music!

For more information about MSGA’s 2016 Mid-Year Meeting, contact MSGA’s office at (406) 442-3420 or join the Facebook event. Visit mtbeef.org for more details.

 

Images of speakers available at: http://bit.ly/2016MidYear

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The Montana Stockgrowers Association, a non-profit organization representing nearly 2,500 members, strives to serve, protect and advance the economic, political, environmental and cultural interests of cattle producers, the largest sector of Montana’s number one industry – agriculture.

May 19, 2016 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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2015 Legislative Score Card now online

After every legislative session MSGA puts together a score card so members can see how their legislators voted and whether they are supporting issues that are important to the membership. This information is really important to take into consideration when voting for next year’s legislators.

The 2015 Legislative score card is now available in our members only section. You will need to be logged into your account to view the score card.

Follow the directions below to access the score card.

  1. Click this link. (You must be logged into your account. You can recover your password on the log in page – if you have forgotten it.)

If you are having problems accessing the information, please call the office or email [email protected].

 

Score Card

May 12, 2016 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Administration drops lesser prairie chicken appeal

Statement by Ethan Lane, executive director, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Federal Lands and Public Lands Council regarding the decision by the Obama Administration to drop their appeal of the federal court decision that overturned the listing of the Lesser Prairie Chicken as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.

“We are pleased that the Administration has elected not to proceed with their appeal of Judge Junell’s substantive ruling vacating last year’s unfounded listing of the Lesser Prairie Chicken under the Endangered Species Act. Voluntary conservation efforts like the Range-Wide Plan are working to recover the species and must be given an opportunity to succeed without the unnecessary burden of a federal ESA listing.”

In the case of Permian Basin Petroleum Association (PBPA) et al. v. Department of the Interior (DOI), et al., Judge Junell in the U.S District Court for the Western District of Texas concluded that the listing was arbitrary and capricious and that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service failed to properly follow its own process for listing determinations in this matter. Further, conservation efforts have already been undertaken across millions of acres over five states to improve habitat and diminish threats to the Lesser Prairie Chicken. The Court determined these conservation efforts, which have resulted in a 25 percent increase in the population of Lesser Prairie Chicken from 2014 to 2015, were ignored by the Administration.

 

Source: NCBA and PLC