The Montana Stockgrowers Association was happy to have the American National CattleWomen president, Barbara Jackson, at our annual convention this past December. She gave us an inspirational talk about the need to advocate for the beef industry and why it’s important for women to get involved at our local, state, and national levels. Watch the video below to hear Barbara’s story and the goals of ANCW for 2014.
Would you like to join the ANCW? Visit www.ancw.org. Also, be sure to check out the Montana CattleWomen’s website for ways to be involved at the state level.
The Montana Stockgrowers Association’s Foundation is proud to support our state’s bright and talented youth as they explore opportunities across the country. This fall, we sponsored Rachel Abeh of Livingston, Montana to intern with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association in Washington D.C. During her time there, she worked with the NCBA and Public Lands Council team as they worked on behalf of not only Montana ranchers, but the nation’s beef producers.
If you are interested in helping us send more students, like this one, on once in a lifetime trips, please consider donating to the Foundation today.
This week we are highlighting three Montana ranchers who just finished their terms on the MSGA Board of Directors. We are very thankful for all of the ranchers and their families who dedicate time to making sure our organization operates smoothly and continues to serve Montana Ranching Families well into the future.
Mark Harrison of Belt has completed two terms on the Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA) Board of Directors representing the North Central District. His peers elected Mark to the 13-member board in 2010 and re-elected in 2012. Mark was honored for his service at MSGA’s 129th Annual Convention and Trade Show at the Holiday Inn Grand Montana in Billings, Dec. 12-14.
“Due to health complications, Mark chose to shorten his second term on the Board of Directors, but we are very pleased to hear his health is improving,” says MSGA President, Tucker Hughes of Stanford. “Mark, his wife Patti, their whole family and crew have been great supporters of MSGA and our ranching communities. “Mark has been an outspoken leader for the ranching communities. His ability to ask the tough question at our board meetings without being offensive is an admirable quality. He and Patti have always been willing to step up to the plate when events needed to be hosted, such as our Mid Year event in 2012”
The Harrison family moved to Montana in 2003. Mark and Patti purchased the old Jolly Roger ranch near Belt and have been building their own registered Angus Seedstock herd since then. The Harrisons also run a commercial herd; around 400 pairs total. Harrison Land & Livestock held their first production sale in March of 2010.
Mark and Patti have four children. Their two oldest sons, Matt and Joe, live and work on the ranch. Nathan serves in the Army. Elizabeth is currently in college.
Prior to moving to Montana, Mark served on the Foundation Board for Aquinas High School in La Crosse, Wis. and on the American Red Cross Board in La Crosse.
This week we are highlighting three Montana ranchers who just finished their terms on the MSGA Board of Directors. We are very thankful for all of the ranchers and their families who dedicate time to making sure our organization operates smoothly and continues to serve Montana Ranching Families well into the future.
Is your dream to travel the country and learn about the different aspects of the beef industry? The Montana Stockgrowers Association’s Foundation, along with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, can send you on this once in a lifetime trip… via the Young Cattlemen’s Conference.
Denver, Chicago, Washington D.C.
Each summer, NCBA takes around 62 participants from across the US on a multi-city, two-week journey through the beef supply chain. The tour will begin in Denver with a comprehensive overview of the industry. The group will take an in-depth look at many of the issues affecting the beef industry and what NCBA is doing to address these issues on behalf of its members, plus receive a comprehensive view of market information from Cattle-Fax.
The group will then travel to JBS Five Rivers’ Kuner Feedyard, one of the nation’s largest cattle feeding operations, a one-time capacity of over 100,000 head located in Northern Colorado. They will then tour the JBS Greeley facility, one of the nation’s largest beef packing and processing plants. JBS will host the group and will be sharing with them their views of the beef industry from a processor standpoint.
Chicago is the next destination. Here the group will visit the Chicago Board of Trade & OSI, Inc. one of the nation’s premiere beef patty manufacturers. The participants will then travel to the nation’s Capitol. They will get a chance to meet with their respective congressmen and senators. In addition, the group will visit with a number of regulatory agencies that make decisions affecting agriculture.
Last YCC trip, Montana’s representative Travis Brown had the wonderful opportunity to testify on behalf of Montana’s ranchers at the House Natural Resources Committee Hearing.
Apply for YCC by February 15th
Are you interested in participating this summer? MSGA’s Research & Education Endowment Foundation will select one applicant to send on the YCC trip – covering the conference tuition expenses and $500 in airfare. It is packed-full of adventure, education and networking with fellow young cattlemen and women…and it serves as an experience that will impact the way you view the beef industry for the rest of your life.
Fill out your 2014 Montana YCC application online – bit.ly/YCC14MSGA
“The Montana Stockgrowers Association and Foundation is committed to investing in the development and education of leaders in the agriculture business, and the Foundation sees a positive return on the investment in the Young Cattlemen’s Conference delegates,” said Dusty Hahn, Foundation chairman.
MSGA’s Foundation is only able to send one participant per year. This year’s application deadline is Feb. 15. To apply, you must be between the ages of 25-50 and can commit to two weeks this June. Please contact the MSGA office to get the application: (406) 442-3420 and for more information, email MSGA’s Lauren Chase at [email protected].
This week we are highlighting three Montana ranchers who just finished their terms on the MSGA Board of Directors. We are very thankful for all of the ranchers and their families who dedicate time to making sure our organization operates smoothly and continues to serve Montana Ranching Families well into the future.
Heath Martinell of Dell has completed two terms on the Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA) Board of Directors representing the Western District. His peers elected Heath to the 13-member board in 2009 and re-elected in 2011. Martinell was honored for his service at MSGA’s 129th Annual Convention and Trade Show at the Holiday Inn Grand Montana in Billings, Dec. 12-14.
“It has been great to interact with Heath and his family from their ranch at Dell to the MSGA Board rooms,” says MSGA President, Tucker Hughes of Stanford. “Heath, his wife Kiley, and children Macie, Taryn and Kalen, are an example of the young ranching families MSGA wants to represent as we move forward. After seeing firsthand the foundation of Heath’s family ranch, it is easy to understand why a very young man elected to the board has served with integrity and devotion.”
“I would like to thank the MSGA membership for allowing me the chance to represent the Western district on the Board of Directors for the pasts four years,” said Heath. “It has been a terrific experience, allowing me to meet many great people from all over Montana.”
“Serving on this board has given me greater insight to the value of this organization. It has been very humbling and motivating to see the countless hours put into the betterment of our industry by so many committed members. Our organization is lucky to have an excellent, professional office staff, serving our needs on a variety of complex issues,” continues Martinell. “I would like to say thank you to the staff, current and past board member, officers, and the MSGA membership for your friendship and continued efforts in our industry.”
Heath and his father, Allen, run a cow/calf operation with their wives in Dell, Mont. Their ranch has been in operation since 1893. Heath’s wife, Kiley, and mother, Yvonne, are very involved with the ranch. Late in 2013, Heath’s wife Kiley was elected to represent Montana Stockgrowers on the Montana Beef Council Board of Directors. The main ranch is at Dell and their summer range is in the Centennial Valley. The Martinells raise most of their own hay and sell weaned feeder calves.
Heath has served as a board member and is a past president of the Southwest Montana Stockmen’s Association. He has also served on the Lima Community Church Board since 2005.
Dr. Peel lead two workshops at the 129th annual convention in Billings and discussed the 2014 cattle market outlook and trends with ranchers in attendance. To read more about Convention highlights, click here for more posts on the blog.
It’s hard to believe, but the Christmas shopping season is well upon us and the days of 2013 are counting down quickly. There are many gifting options out there for your ranching family, but some may be hard to choose from. The MSGA store is a great place to start and find some personalized gifts that really embracing Montana’s ranching heritage.
One of those gifts available in the MSGA store is a book that chronicles 142 Montana family century ranches. For a ranch to exist and continue in a family for more than 100 years is truly a signal of sustainability and Montana Stockgrowers is proud to have a book that chronicles both the good and bad times for these ranching families.
The Weak Ones Turned Back, The Cowards Never Started: A Century of Ranching in Montanacelebrates the long tradition of ranching in Montana, highlighting the stories of 142 ranch families that have been living and working on the same land for over 100 years. Commissioned by the Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA) to commemorate its 125th Anniversary in 2009, the book honors the perseverance, courage and forward thinking of those who were able to pass their family ranch down the generations and help shape Montana as it is today. While the heart of the book is the 142 ranch stories and accompanying historical photographs, there are also other treasures to be found within its pages, including 37 pen-and-ink drawings by Aubry Smith, photographs of MSGA’s presidents and executive vice presidents, a timeline of important events in MSGA’s history, historical sidebars, and timelines to help tell the story of ranching in Montana over the last century. This book demonstrates the importance of the relationship between some of Montana’s oldest and most enduring ranches and the Montana Stockgrowers Association.
The Weak Ones Turned Back, The Cowards never Started: A Century of Ranching in Montana tells the heart-wrenching and inspiring stories of the ranch families who have endured with great fortitude through the ups and downs of life on the sometimes unforgiving lands of Montana over the past 100 years. The book has all of the ingredients of a great story, with tales of love and death, success and failure, family and community. This collection of family histories tells the history of Montana, from a territory to a state, and demonstrates the sustainability of not only an industry, but a way of life. MSGA hopes that this commemorative masterpiece will be cherished by ranchers and non-ranchers alike for years to come.
“Great ranches are not made of the dirt, water, wind and grass that comprise their environment. They are formed and sustained by the character of the people attached to them… These are not just stories of Montana ranches. They tell the story of America at her best…a superb tribute to the heritage of Montana and the American West.” — Charles P. Schroeder, Executive Director, National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum
To get your own copy of the book along with several other Holiday ranching gifts, check out the Store at MTbeef.org.
At the Montana Stockgrowers Association, we are passionate about sharing the family ranching story! And what gets us even more excited is when our members get out their cameras and start clicking away!
As part of the Montana Family Ranching Project, MSGA is hosting the 2nd annual Film Festival at the convention in December. The festival is open to all MSGA members and the entry topics range from cattle to life on the ranch. The convention attendees will vote for their favorite and the winner will be announced at the grand finale dinner on Saturday night.
However, we want you to help select the winner, also! Watch each of the entries embedded below. Then, place a vote for your favorite in the poll at the bottom. The video with the most online votes will receive an extra vote added to their overall score.
It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving is just around the corner and November will soon be coming to a close. During these next several weeks we will be busy buying gifts for family and friends and wrapping up the chores in a hurry to get to family meals. We have much to be thankful for in the ranching communities in Montana and around the country.
“The campaign aims to bring together everyone in the food system, no matter who you are, how you fit into ag, or your favorite social media channel,” says Jeff VanderWerff, a Michigan farmer and president of the AgChat Foundation. “It’s about forgetting the food fights and taking time to share thanks for safe, abundant food.”
Watch how others are already giving #foodthanks, from farm to table:
Get Involved. Check out the #FoodThanks website where everyone’s posts about #FoodThanks are posted from across several social media platforms.
With social media, giving thanks is easier than ever. Simply show your #foodthanks the best way you know how— a quick pin of a family recipe, an update of holiday plans, or a short-n-sweet tweet saying thanks. Just be sure to use the hashtag #foodthanks to share your thanks with others.
Take a photo of a meal that’s special to you and tell us why.
Share a recipe and tag someone you’ll enjoy it with.
Give your time – whether 10 minutes or an hour, making a meal for a neighbor or volunteering at the food bank or homeless shelter.
Use Instagram or Vine to show a meal that’s special to you and explain why.
Share a recipe and tag someone you’re enjoying it with.
“In addition to saying #foodthanks online, the AgChat Foundation is encouraging participants to give #foodthanks offline this year,” adds VanderWerff. “Consider giving your time—whether 10 minutes or an hour—to make a meal for a neighbor or to volunteer at the food bank or homeless shelter.”
There are many ways to express our gratitude and Thanks here locally in Montana as well. All next week, Lauren Chase will be sharing thoughts from Montana ranchers on why they are Thankful this season. Be sure to check out the posts on the Montana Stockgrowers Foundation Facebook page. You can also leave your #FoodThanks in the comments section of this post.
(Portions of this post from an AgChat Foundation press release)
When I think of the Grammy Award-winning country band Big & Rich, I can’t help but sing-shout: “Save a horse, ride a cowboy!” This song is a feel-good, up-beat tune that is recognizable from when the first “dum-dum-dum-dum-dum-dum-daaaa” is sung. I can even remember it being one of the warm-up songs before my high school basketball game.
While this song is what most people associate with Big and Rich, this week, I got to see the band in a new light.
I was on a flight from Las Vegas to Nashville after Ryan and I presented at the Idaho Cattle Association’s Convention and Trade Show. It was my first experience flying Southwest Airlines and was still getting the hang of picking out your own seat. Naturally, only the middle seats were left when I boarded so I nestled between two guys, both jamming out with their expensive-looking headphones.
The man on my left leaned over and started talking to the man on my right, referencing last night’s concert. Intrigued, I asked: “Are you guys in a band?” The man on my left said, “Well, sort of. I’m the drummer for Big & Rich.”
“Oh, that’s cool,” I replied. We talked for a while about the pressures of being a professional musician and frankly, I now have a new-found respect for the music scene. That night in Nashville, he was supposed to learn an entire set-list of songs for a new country singer so he put his headphones on and started practicing his drumming. I then decided to start editing video from the Idaho Cattle Convention. A man across the aisle wearing bell-bottom jeans, a fitted corduroy jacket, a bandana and trucker’s cap that said “Electro Shine” on it leaned over and asked if those guys were being mean to me. I smiled and said, “No, everyone is getting along just fine. We’re all being creative!” He asked what I was working on and I explained that I work for the beef industry in promotions…thinking he would say some nicety and then turn back to his group. But his reply was shocking: “I LOVE CATTLE!”
That sparked further conversation about how his father runs a cattle farm in Virginia and how he loved growing up on the farm. The drummer whispered to me that this man was Kenny, the “Big” of Big & Rich. I felt dumb, but I was excited that I got to meet him!
As the flight went on, I showed him my coffee table book, Big Sky Boots…and he just loved it! We talked more about the cattle industry and how he does charity livestock auctioneering at the local sale barn. Kenny had questions about grazing, nutrition and profitably. It was really refreshing to see someone who travels to many metropolitan cities and interacts with thousands of people, name off many breeds of cattle and be genuinely interested in learning more about the industry.
We de-planed at BNA and as a favor to cattlemen, he let me record the video below. Help me to thank Kenny (catch him on Twitter @BigKennyTV) for supporting America’s farmers and ranchers!
