MSGA has sent all active voting members their voter ID and password to vote for candidates online. Check below for links to vote in your district.
MSGA has sent all active voting members their voter ID and password to vote for candidates online. Check below for links to vote in your district.
Voting for statewide candidates can only be done if a voting member submits their ballot during Annual Convention.
Voting times:
Wednesday, Dec 7: 12:00 – 4:00 pm
Thursday, Dec 8: 7:30 am – 5:00 pm
Friday, Dec 9: 7:30 am – 3:00 pm
Voting Location:
3rd floor of the DoubleTree Hotel at registration
If you have already voted in your district election for 2023, you will not be able to vote in the statewide election at Annual Convention.
Winners will be announced at the Grand Finale Banquet on Friday, December 9, 2022.
If you have not received your email, please check your spam folder.
Questions? Please contact the MSGA office at 406-442-3420 or [email protected]
Nominating Committee’s Recommendations:
Officers
President: John Grande, Martinsdale
1st Vice President: Lesley Robinson, Dodson
2nd Vice President: Turk Stovall, Billings
Expiring District Board of Directors Terms
Northeastern District – Lon Reukauf, Terry
Southeastern District – Monty Lesh, Miles City
South Central District – Dusty Hahn, Townsend
Western District – Bob Sitz, Harrison
City: Billings
Family:
Beef Industry Business Involvement: Commercial Cow/Calf, Stocker/Backgrounder, Feeder, Market/Dealer/Order Buyer
Ranch Business Involvement: Fifth generation Montana rancher.
Stovall Ranches, LLC – Cow/Calf, Stocker, Farms, Backgrounding Feedlot
Yellowstone Cattle Company, LLC – 25,000 herd commercial feedlot
Owner & general manager
Industry Involvement:
In your opinion what are the major challenges the beef industry will face in the next ten years?
City: Miles City
Family:
Beef Industry Business Involvement: Commercial Cow/Calf, Stocker/Backgrounder
Ranch Business Involvement: We have a commercial cowherd selling NHTC feeder cattle. We also do heifer development, AI breeding and bred sales. We have run yearling stockers, backgrounded feeders and finished cattle. Operation is native range and irrigated hay. Sherry, Shayla and Wyatt are involved with the operation of the business.
Industry Involvement: MSGA board of directors for 2 years, Nov 2020 to present.
Other Leadership Positions:
In your opinion what are the major challenges the beef industry will face in the next ten years? Private property rights, public land use/restrictions, environmental/climate change agenda of special interest groups, trade relationships with other countries.
City: Townsend
Beef Industry Business Involvement: Commercial Cow/Calf
Ranch Business Involvement: Hahn Ranch is a diversified, family owned agricultural corporation that has been in business for 114 years in Broadwater County. A cow/calf ranch, irrigated farm, small feedlot, and trucking company comprise the core of the corporation’s business. There are currently three generations living on the ranch, two of which are actively involved in operating and growing the business. I serve as an operations manager, and work hands-on with all aspects of the company. I focus on organizing effective and efficient operations.
Industry Involvement: MSGA board of directors for 2 years, Nov 2020 to present.
Other Leadership Positions:
In your opinion what are the major challenges the beef industry will face in the next ten years? The biggest challenge to the beef industry in the next ten years revolves around the same challenge as we have faced for the last 100 years: politics. As agriculturalists, we have a very keen focus on the physical and economic forces and influences that pressure our business. However, we do not always focus on or have a good grasp of the influence that politics play in our lives and our industry. The beef industry needs great leaders to navigate through the pitfalls of complex issues, opposing viewpoints, and unfavorable legislation. Leaders in the beef industry will be at the forefront of negotiating favorable policy at the local, state, federal, and international level. They must be the face and the voice of those they are representing. I believe most agriculturalists would rather stay in the country and do what they do best: produce. However, leaders must step forward and represent these interests. We all recognize the successful marketing campaign, “Beef… it’s what’s for dinner.” When speaking about politics, this saying is often used: “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” So, it is imperative that we, as leaders, are involved in the political process to make sure that we have a seat at the table, and it’s beef that’s for dinner, not beef producers.
City: Harrison
Beef Industry Business Involvement: Commercial Cow/Calf, Seedstock Producer, Stocker/Backgrounder
Industry Leadership Positions:
Other Leadership Positions:
In your opinion what are the major challenges the beef industry will face in the next ten years? A sustainable market through the ups and downs in the industry. The demise of the family farms and ranches. The lack of sustainable management of forest lads in the west.
City: Terry
Beef Industry Business Involvement: Commercial Cow/Calf, Stocker/Backgrounder
Ranch Business Involvement:
Lon’s grandparents homesteaded near his ranch in 1910 and raised eleven children. His parents began the current operation in 1958, and he helped manage the ranch throughout his life except during college at MSU-Bozeman, where he earned an Agriculture Production degree. He and his wife Vicki returned to the ranch in 1982 and helped grow the ranch roughly six times as large as it was originally. They have a son Thane Reukauf and wife Stesha and daughter Dr. Lynze Franko and husband Kyle Franko. Along with their son and daughter-in-law, they run mostly a cow-calf operation consisting of Black Angus-cross cattle. They keep replacement females with some AI and have retained ownership of calves and finish them in custom lots. They also purchase feeders to finish. Lon has 40 years of commodity futures trading experience. Their ranch has been a long-time Fish, Wildlife and Parks Block Management participant. They have implemented an extensive rotational grazing system with numerous proactive conservation methods and were the 2016 State and Region V Environmental Stewardship Award winner.
Industry Leadership Positions:
Other Leadership Positions:
In your opinion what are the major challenges the beef industry will face in the next ten years?
There is a bottleneck at the beef processing phase of our industry that creates a huge farm to retail spread in prices.This spread will narrow for the next 2 or 3 years and then producers will be in trouble again. We need more ranch-direct sales to consumers as capitalism does not work without competition. Small meat processors need a better way to get the value of hides and byproducts that are currently thrown away. I’m a vigorous supporter of the Beef Checkoff because continuing investment in product development and promoting the image of beef is extremely necessary for our future. Environmental regulations such as governmental climate change policy may be an opportunity or a complete disaster, so we must be wary and educate ourselves to the opportunities and pitfalls. The next few years, the biggest challenge for our individual ranch will be grasshoppers, drought and prairie dogs.