2023 Board of Directors Election

Turk Stovall – Running for 2nd Vice President

City: Billings

Family: 

• Spouse: Jenny
• Children: Gabe, Reagan, and Kristin

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:

• State: Yellowstone Co Farm Bureau Board and Young Farmers Chair
• National: CBB – Nutrition Committee and Evaluation Committee (current)
  AFBF – Animal Care Advisory Committee 2012, 2013 (chair), 2014

In your opinion what are the major challenges the beef industry will face in the next ten years?

• Unity
• Keeping production ag a priority in policy
• Keeping real farmers and ranchers on their land and successful in production agriculture
• Make sure real facts are being used to discuss the industry
• Tell our story

Monty Lesh – Running for Southeastern District Re-election

City: Miles City

Family: 

• Spouse: Sherry
• Children: Megan, Katie, Shayla, Wyatt

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:

• Local: SCL Holy Rosary board member and chairman. Miles City Housing Authority board chairman. Miles City School District board member. Southeastern MT Economic Development revolving loan committee.
• State: Montana History Foundation board member. PPL Montana Community Grant Advisory board. Montana 4H Foundation board

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.

Dusty Hahn – Running for South Central District Re-election

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:

• Local: Advisory committee member for Broadwater County Extension Sevice’s Rancher Roundtable program (2016-current)
• State: Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA) Water Subcommittee vice-chair and chairperson (2007-2010)
  MSGA Montana Stockgrower Foundation Trustee, Vice-Chair, and Chairperson (2005-2014, 2019-2020)
  MSGA South Central District Director (2020-2022)
• National: MSGA delegate to National Cattleman’s Beef Association Young Cattleman’s Conference (2015)
  King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management Excellence in Ag Leadership program (2016-2018)

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.

Bob Sitz – Running for Western District Re-election

City: Harrison

Beef Industry Business Involvement: Commercial Cow/Calf, Seedstock Producer, Stocker/Backgrounder

Industry Leadership Positions:

• State: Montana Angus Association Director (4 years)
  Montana Stockgrowers Association Director (2 years)
• National: Delegate Montana Angus 8 years to National Board

Other Leadership Positions:

• Local: Madison Valley Ranchlands Group (8 years)
  Harrison School Board (4 years)
  Madison County Planning Board (4 years)
  Madison County Conservation District (20 years)
  Willow Creek Water Users Association (20 years)
• State: Bearshead Forest RAC (2 years)

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.

Lon Reukauf – Running for Northeastern District Re-election

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:

• Local: Lon is currently director of the Southeastern Montana Livestock Assn., Prairie County Weed Board member, founding member of the Prairie County Predator Control Board, was a Montana Range Days speaker, and an Environmental Stewardship Ranch Tour host. He is a member of the Prairie County Cooperative State Grazing District and Prairie County Farm Bureau.
• State: Lon is the current Northeast Director of the Montana Stockgrowers Association, was a founding steering committee member and chair of the Montana Grazing Lands Conservation Intiative, served as representative for several counties on the Big Dry/Powder River Resource Area BLM Management Plan, was chair of Montana Young Stockgrowers and was the 2021 Montana Ag Lenders Range School host.
• National: He is a member of the National Public Lands Council and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.  Lon served on the Sustainability Task Force to Develop NCBA’s Sustainability Plan.

Other Leadership Positions:

• Local: Lon is current chairman of the Prairie County Land Planning Board and has been president, secretary and director of the Terry Roping Club. He served as Past Master and is current Secretary of Terry Masonic Lodge #74, and past Elder and Deacon of Terry Community Presbyterian Church.
• National: Member of the National Federation of Independent Business. 

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.