November 8, 2010 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Montana Stockgrowers Association actively pursuing congressional wolf delisting solution

Helena – The Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA) recently announced its support of several congressional bills seeking to remove the gray wolf from the list of endangered species and return management to the state of Montana.

“The bottom line for us is to get wolves off the endangered species list so ranchers can have more tools to deal with increasing wolf populations and livestock depredations,” said Errol Rice, executive vice president of the Montana Stockgrowers Association. “We feel this is the opportune time for Congress to gain momentum on this important issue, now and into the next Congress.”

In late October, MSGA joined thirteen livestock groups in writing a letter of support for H.R. 6028 sponsored by Congressman Edwards D-TX, with 14 co-sponsors including Montana Congressman Denny Rehberg, and S. 3919 sponsored by Senator Orrin Hatch R-UT along with four co-sponsors, which seek to remove the gray wolf from the endangered species list. Other signatories on the letters of support include the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the Public Lands Council, the American Sheep Industry Association as well as the Montana Public Lands Council, the Montana Association of State Grazing Districts and Montana’s neighboring Idaho Cattle Association and Wyoming Stock Growers Association. (To see the letters, go to www.mtbeef.org/content/images/HR6028Support.pdf and www.mtbeef.org/content/images/S3919Support.pdf)

MSGA has also offered support to a bill drafted by Montana Senator Max Baucus, S. 3864 “Restoring State Wildlife Management Act of 2010.” The bill, co-sponsored by Montana Senator Jon Tester, would remove the Rocky Mountain gray wolf from the endangered species list once Montana’s state management plan is approved by the Secretary of the Interior.

MSGA has been active representing ranchers on the wolf issue for nearly 20 years.
· In 1991, MSGA filed as interveners in the case when the Defenders of Wildlife were seeking to force the federal government to introduce wolves into Yellowstone before completion of an Environmental Impact Statement. The complaint was dismissed.
· On February 1, 1996, the Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA), Beartooth Stock Association and Vernon Keller filed a Motion for Temporary Restraining Order against the Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Park Service trying to halt the release of the additional wolves into the park.
· Once wolves were re-introduced, MSGA began to actively participate in a series of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks State Wolf Management Plan meetings to provide extensive comments detailing livestock concerns. MSGA also worked with the Wolf Advisory Council on the development of the plan.
· In 2008, MSGA intervened in a federal lawsuit filed by environmental groups to block wolf delisting.
· MSGA participated in the development of Montana’s wolf livestock loss and mitigation program to reimburse livestock producers for livestock losses due to wolves. In 2009, MSGA worked with Montana Senator Jon Tester on his Federal Wolf Livestock Loss Demonstration Project, better known as the Wolf Kill Bill, which allowed the federal government to approve a 50-percent cost share of funds for repayment for depredation and proactive incentives, up to $1 million per year.

“MSGA has been extremely active standing up for Montana’s family ranchers on all fronts of the wolf issue,” Rice said. “We will continue to work hard to ensure that ranchers can protect their livestock. Our best option right now is for Congress to support one of these bills, or a compromise between them, so wolves can be delisted finally and permanently.”

August 6, 2010 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Montana Stockgrowers Statement on Wolf Decision

Errol Rice, executive vice president of the Montana Stockgrowers Association, comments on the August 5, 2010 decision by Judge Donald Molloy to return the Rocky Mountain Gray Wolf to the Endangered Species List. MSGA is disappointed in the decision but focused on efforts to ensure ranchers have the tools they need to protect their cattle from ever-increasing wolf depredations. MSGA is also working to press the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to expedite the process of achieving the successful delisting of wolves.
June 4, 2010 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Last day to pre-register for Mid-Year; Great lineup of speakers scheduled for Friday, June 11

With MSGA’s Mid-Year meeting fast approaching, today is the last day to pre-register. (Click here to see the event schedule and registration form.) We have an outstanding line up of speakers and discussions set for Friday’s Opening General Session and Committee meetings.

Jim Peterson, a Buffalo, Mont. rancher and chairman of the U.S. Meat Export Federation will keynote the Opening General Session which begins at 8 a.m. on Friday, June 11. Peterson will discuss the outlook for beef exports this year. (Click here to for a preview of Peterson’s comments with an audio file of Peterson discussing the recent USMEF Board of Directors Meeting.) Errol Rice, MSGA’s executive vice president, and Ariel Overstreet, MSGA’s manager of communications, will also discuss “MSGA’s Issues and Media Response for the 21st Century: Embracing Social Media.”

Committee meetings will begin at 10 a.m. on Friday. The Tax, Finance and Ag Policy Committee will feature a discussion of rural families and the new health care legislation. Senate Finance Committee staffer, David Schwartz, will present an overview of the process and complexities of the legislation. An insurance representative has also been invited to discuss the health care insurance implications for ranch operations and rural families. Representatives from Montana’s congressional delegation will be on hand to give a legislative and 2010 Farm Bill update to the committee. Mike Faupel, program manager for the University of Arkansas’ Applied Sustainability Center at the Sam M. Walton College of Business , will discuss sustainability issues and their affect on the beef marketplace for both the Tax, Finance and Ag Policy Committee (afternoon) and the Beef Production and Marketing Committee (morning). The Beef Production and Marketing Committee will also feature a brucellosis panel discussion with veterinary officials from Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and USDA APHIS. They will address brucellosis-related issues including surveillance, vaccination and wildlife. There will be an opportunity for those in attendance to ask questions to the panelists. The Land Use and Environment Committee will discuss wolf depredation and a new research project that is seeking to discover the additional impacts wolves have on cattle beyond depredations. The Committee will also hear from Steve Becker, State Conservation Engineer for the Natural Resource Conservation Service, who will present a new Feedlot Runoff Model. Also on the agenda for this committee is NorthWestern Energy’s MSTI project proposal.

The Business Session will take place immediately following the conclusion of the committee meetings. Committee chairs will give their reports from the meetings and Bill Donald, Melville rancher and President-Elect of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, will present NCBA’s proposed restructuring plan.

After the meetings on Friday, MSGA will have a prime rib dinner with music provided by the Dillon Junior Fiddlers at the Beaverhead County Fairgrounds. Then there will be three fun events to choose from on Saturday, June 12. We will kick the day off with a parade through Dillon featuring horse and horse drawn entries only. Then attendees will have the choice of participating the Cow Pasture Golf Scramble or a tour of four of the area’s ranches. Today is the last day to pre-register so click here to see the schedule of events, lodging information, and registration form. You can print it out and fax it in today to receive the pre-registration discount!

January 22, 2010 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Lewis & Clark Conservation District to host riparian area best management practices listening session

The Lewis & Clark Conservation District, in conjunction with the Montana Association of Conservation Districts and UM-Helena College of Technology, will host a listening session to gather information on riparian area best management practices Tuesday, Jan. 26 from 5-7 p.m. at the Main Lecture Hall at UM-Helena College of Technology, 1115 North Roberts, Helena . If you have experiences or ideas for Best Management Practices in riparian areas alongside Montana’s rivers and streams, bring your stories, pictures, and experiences to help LCCD compile a “Best of the Best” resource document. This document will help urban and suburban landowners, agriculture, local governments, builders, transportation managers, recreationists, etc. work to protect riparian areas. If you are unable to attend, but have experiences to share, please contact Mary Ellen Wolfe, CIVIL DIALOGUE, 420 W. Curtiss, Bozeman, MT 59715 or call (406) 209-6545. For more information, contact Chris Evans at (406) 449-5000, ext. 112.

January 22, 2010 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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New MSU President to appear on Montana ag programs

Montana State University’s new President, Waded Cruzado, will be the featured guest on the Northern Ag Network’s “Voices of Montana” program with host Aaron Flint. The broadcast will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 27 from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. This is a great opportunity to get to know President Cruzado and hear her vision for MSU. You can listen on one of the stations below or via the Northern Broadcasting System website at www.NorthernBroadcasting.com. The archived interview will also be available on this site.

Cruzado will also be a guest on Montana Ag Live on Montana Public TV on May 23, 2010. The topic will be “MSU’s President Cruzado’s Views of the Land Grant Mission Relative to the College of Agriculture and Montana’s Agricultural Industries.”

Voices of Montana Affiliates

Billings KBLG 910 AM
Butte KXTL 1370 AM
Glendive KDZN 96.5 FM
Great Falls KQDI 1450 AM
Helena KCAP 1340 AM
Kalispell KJJR 880 AM
Lewistown KXLO 1230 AM
Libby KTNY 101.7 FM
Miles City KMTA 1050 AM
Missoula KPMT 930 AM
Scobey KCGM 95.7 FM
Shelby KSEN 1150 AM
Wolf Point KVCK 92.7 FM

December 16, 2009 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Highlights from MSGA’s 125th Annual Convention and Trade Show

Attendance was up at MSGA’s 125th Annual Convention and Trade Show, held Dec. 10-12 at a new location—the Crowne Plaza hotel and Metra Park in Billings, Mont. Nearly 750 registrations were recorded.

“We had a wonderful convention this year,” said Tom Hougen, MSGA’s President. “A large number of people participated in the committee meetings where policy is set and enjoyed our expanded trade show and educational seminars. The Von Trapp Children Singers provided entertainment that everyone enjoyed. Overall, it was a great convention in a great location!”

Below, please find some of the highlights:

-Tom Hougen, President, Watty Taylor, 1st Vice President and Tucker Hughes, Second Vice President were re-elected to the second year of their two-year terms.

-Michael “Mick” Denowh of the Gartner-Denowh Angus Ranch in Sidney was elected to the Board of Directors representing the Northeastern District. Heath Martinell of Lee Martinell, Co. in Dell was elected to the Board of Directors representing the Western District.

-Policy to guide MSGA officers and staff through 2010 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 brucellosis, cap and trade legislation, export certification, wolf management, grazing issues, public lands access, the EQIP program, predator control, trapping, workman’s comp and property taxes.

-The Ranchers Stewardship Alliance (RSA) in Malta was awarded with the 2010 Montana Environmental Stewardship Award sponsored by MSGA and the Montana Beef Council at the Northern Ag Network Lunch. RSA is the 17th winner in the history of the award and the first group to be honored. MSGA will submit RSA for the regional and national Environmental Stewardship Award in February. Learn more about RSA at http://www.ranchersstewardshipalliance.org/.

-Governor Brian Schweitzer addressed 500 people at the Northern Ag Network Lunch.

-Radio and TV personality, and agriculture advocate, Trent Loos, entertained the attendees of the Opening General Session with stories about people who are out of touch with agriculture. He urged the group to get out and tell their stories about ranching and raising cattle.

-The Trade Show boasted nearly 100 booths, several large equipment displays, a lineup of Ford vehicles, free boot shines, a kid’s play area, free silk scarves, and sponsored dinner stations and “watering holes.” This year the Trade Show also included the First Annual Cattle Pen Display with 11 seedstock exhibitors.

-Curt Pate and Ron Gill’s two-hour “Effective Stockmanship” clinic headlined a full and diverse group of Pfizer Cattlemen’s Colleges that educated attendees about cattle handling, estate planning, and cattle nutrition and reproduction.

-Clarence Blunt of Malta was named MSGA’s “Top Hand” for recruiting 23 new members this year. He won a $1,000 gift certificate to the trade show exhibitor of his choice. Jim and Tammi Sitz of Dillon were second place top recruiters with 13 new members recruited. They were awarded $500 to spend at one of the trade show exhibitors.

-Carol Mosher of Augusta, Mont. was named “Ranching Woman of the Year” at the Grand Finale Banquet on Saturday night, Dec. 12.

-Ty Thompson, the 2009 World Champion Livestock Auctioneer was on hand to auction off many items during the Grand Finale Banquet including the Brett Badgett Bronze, a kids’ saddle donated by Bank of Baker, Basin State Bank, and Nutra-Lix, and reels of Ralgrow donated by Intervet/Schering Plough Animal Health. The Cattle Directory Priority Page Auction raised $49,600 to go towards marketing Montana’s seedstock and commercial cattle and allied services.

-Pauline Webb of Townsend won the zero-turn lawnmower donated by Torgerson’s LLC. She donated it to the Montana CattleWomen scholarship fund.

-The Von Trapp Children Singers, the great grandchildren of Captain and Maria Von Trapp from the Sound of Music, provided entertainment at the Montana CattleWomen Inspirational Breakfast and the Grand Finale Banquet on Saturday. The Von Trapps were raised in Kalispell, Mont. and perform all over the world.

-Michael and Paulette Keller of Sulphur Creek Cattle Co. in Lloyd, Mont. were the lucky winners of the 2009 Ford F-150 given away by MSGA and the Montana Ford Dealers at the Grand Finale Banquet.

-Copies of “The Weak Ones Turned Back, The Cowards Never Started: A Century of Ranching in Montana,” which was commissioned by the MSGA Board of Directors to celebrate ranching’s history in Montana and MSGA’s 125th Anniversary, were sold out with pre-orders and sales at convention. Editor Linda Grosskopf and artist Aubry Smith were on hand during the Trade Show to sign copies of the book.

-This year’s convention was marked by a special note of generosity by attendees. Over $12,000 was raised for the Younkin family who lost their brother and son in a car accident that also injured the family’s three other children. The giving began when Board of Director Jeff Pattison won the raffle of the David Graham painting and put it up for auction to benefit the Younkins. Arvin Arthun followed suit when he won the NutraLix saddle raffle. Mark and Patti Harrison of Harrison Land and Livestock won the print auction, and donated it back to be auctioned again, and then it was won by Bill and Betsy Donald of Cayuse Livestock Company, who also donated it back. The print ended up being donated to the MSGA office after the MSGA officers were the high bidder on the third raffle. The saddle went to high bidder Thompson Cattle Company and was donated back for another auction, the high bidder being Nick Schultz with the Grand Prairie Ranch in Roundup. Air Design donated a rock design that was auctioned for the Younkins. Also, many people dug in their pockets and donated what they could to help the family.

-Plans are already underway for MSGA’s Mid-Year meeting which will be held in Dillon, June 10-12.

***Visit our Facebook page to see photos from the event!***

May 4, 2009 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Grazing a major threat to wildlife on Western public lands?

Last week the WildEarth Guardians, a group that “protects and restores the wildlife, wild places and wild rivers of the American West” sent out a press release detailing the results of its recent report “Western Wildlife Under Hoof.” The report claims that “incessant, ubiquitous public lands livestock grazing has contributed to the decline of native wildlife” and “public lands grazing continues within the much reduced current ranges of these species, complicating their recovery and in some cases, threatening them with extinction.” The report also claims that “There is a greater economic value in non-consumptive uses of public land — hunting, fishing, birdwatching, hiking, camping — than livestock grazing.” Check out the press release below and click on the link at the end to view the entire report. Post a comment here if you would like to chime in on this report.

New Report Finds Western Public Lands Grazing as a Major Threat to Wildlife Geographical Analysis Depicts Extensive Grazing in Wildlife Habitat

Date: 4/30/2009
Press Release Author: WildEarth Guardians
Contact: WildEarth Guardians (505) 988-9126
Email: [email protected]
Additional Contact: Mark Salvo, WildEarth Guardians, (503) 757-4221

SANTA FE, N.M. – Dozens of species of wildlife, ranging from wolves to the Sonoran Desert tortoise, are threatened by public lands livestock grazing in the West, according to a report released today by WildEarth Guardians. The report, Western Wildlife Under Hoof, documents, for the first time, the expansive overlap between federal grazing allotments and distribution of iconic species in the region.

Livestock grazing is permitted on approximately 80 percent of public land in the historic range of numerous native trout, more than 75 percent of the historic range for four prairie dog species, 84 percent of the current range of the Gunnison sage-grouse and 91 percent of the current range of greater sage-grouse, according the geographical analysis. The direct and indirect effects of livestock grazing, amplified by its ubiquitousness, are a threat to each of these species.

“It’s confirmed: public lands grazing is permitted all over the West, and it’s nearly impossible for displaced wildlife to escape the impacts of domestic livestock production,” said Mark Salvo, WildEarth Guardians’ grazing program specialist and author of the report.

WildEarth Guardians conducted the analysis by overlaying its comprehensive Geographic Information System data of active grazing allotments with current and historic range of selected focal species. The report confirms that millions of cattle, sheep, goats and horses are permitted to graze approximately 260 million acres of public lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, significantly degrading wildlife habitat—even for far-ranging species.

The analysis found a high potential for conflict between livestock grazing and large carnivores such as wolves, given that ranchers often call for wolves to be killed where conflicts with livestock grazing occur. Almost 2,600 grazing allotments covering more than 19 million acres of public land are located in estimated gray wolf current range in the northern Rocky Mountains, while 82 percent of the Mexican gray wolf recovery area in the Southwest is on public land permitted for livestock grazing.

The report also analyzed the overlap between active grazing allotments and current, historic and/or potential range of northern aplomado falcon and lesser prairie chicken in New Mexico; Columbian sharp-tailed grouse; Mexican spotted owl; Chiricahua leopard frog and jaguar.

“The species included in our report are representative of the hundreds of wildlife species that are threatened by public lands grazing on our forests, grasslands, and deserts in the West,” said Salvo.

To counter the effects of public lands livestock grazing, WildEarth Guardians and partners are working to protect imperiled species under the Endangered Species Act and institute voluntary grazing permit retirement programs to reduce grazing conflicts on public land. Conservationists hope that listing wildlife and encouraging voluntary grazing permit retirement will help recover declining species and restore ecosystems.

“Voluntary grazing permit retirement will become an increasingly important tool for managing grazing conflicts on western public lands,” Salvo commented.

View the Western Wildlife Under Hoof report here or contact Mark Salvo at [email protected].

April 23, 2009 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Range Riders orientation camp set for May 28-30 in Cameron

Press Release from Keystone Conservation

Range Riders: Supporting the Coexistence of Wolves and Livestock

Bozeman – “How can increasing wolf populations and successful livestock operations coexist?” This is the question to be posed at a three-day workshop scheduled for late May. The Madison Valley Ranchlands Group and Keystone Conservation are offering a forum for sharing information about ranching near wolves and an orientation to range riding for livestock producers and riders. By gathering people raising livestock near wolves and biologists intent on making coexistence work, the orientation offers the chance to gain insight into wolf/livestock interactions and share experience on successful (and unsuccessful) practices.

Wolves represent a major new challenge to livestock production in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho. In an attempt to reduce conflict between wolves and livestock, the Antelope Basin Range Riders program began in 2004, as a collaborative effort of the Madison Valley Ranchlands Group and Keystone Conservation. Each summer, Range Riders Jim and Marilyn Powers patrol 35,000 acres of public land in Antelope Basin, near Henry’s Lake on the Montana/Idaho border. The Riders pursue the task of keeping wolves and cattle apart through a combination of vigilant observation, tracking, herding, and non-lethal hazing techniques. They have shown exceptional skill at their work. Very few cattle or wolves have been lost during their tenure, despite growing numbers of wolves. This camp will provide an opportunity for others to learn from their vast experience, as well as a forum for a wide variety of participants to share their expertise.

The Range Riders Orientation Camp will take place on May 28-30, 2009, at the Wall Creek Wildlife Management Area, south of Cameron, Montana. The program will include time afield alongside Range Riders Jim and Marilyn Powers, as well as in-camp presentation and discussion sessions devoted to understanding wolf ecology and the variety of tools and practices that can be applied to reduce wolflivestock conflict. For more information, livestock producers or riders interested in attending the orientation camp should contact Cecily Costello, Keystone Conservation, 406-284-3477, [email protected] or Lane Adamson, Madison Valley Ranchlands Group, 406-682-3259, [email protected].

About the Madison Valley Ranchlands Group
The Madison Valley Ranchlands Group works to protect the ranching way of life and the biologically healthy open spaces on which ranching depends. See www.madisonvalleyranchlands.org.

About Keystone Conservation
Keystone Conservation has worked to protect and restore native predators and their habitats in the Northern Rockies since 1991. Keystone Conservation pioneers innovative solutions that help people and wildlife coexist. See www.keystoneconservation.us.

February 12, 2009 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Legislature is heating up…

Things are really starting to heat up at the Legislature this week as legislators try to have their bills heard before the Transmittal deadline. The deadline of Feb. 26 (also the mid point of the session) is quickly approaching and we have heard that any general bill not heard in committee by the 20th will not have much of a chance of surviving. (After Feb.26, bills that have not passed one chamber and moved on to the other will die. Appropriation and Revenue bills have until the last week in March or so.) Next week’s slate is quickly filling up with bills that have the potential to impact Montana’s livestock industry. Below, please find a select list of bills we are watching:

HB 418 – Authorize investor owned livestock slaughter and processing plants (Edward Butcher, R-Winifred). Will be heard by the House Agriculture Committee.
HB 487 – Classify as business inventories certain farm implements and construction equip. (Walter McNutt, R-Sidney) Will be heard by House Taxation Committee today.
HB 254 – Monitor and report on greenhouse gas emissions (Mike Phillips, D-Bozeman). Hearing 2/16/09 in the House Natural Resources Committee.
SB 396 – Alter criteria for permitting certain changes to points of diversion (Bob Story, R-Park City). Will be heard 2/16/09 in the Senate Natural Resources Committee.
HB 482 – State assistance for economic damage caused by brucellosis (David Howard, R-Park City). Will be heard by House Agriculture Committee 2/17/09.
HB 314 – Revise fish and game laws—game animal damage mitigation act (Kendall Van Dyk, D-Billings). Will be heard by House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee on 2/17/09.
HB 558 – Establish the community hunting access partnership (Bill McChesney, D-Miles City). Will be heard by House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee on 2/17/09.
SB 337 – Revise laws governing bison–re: translocation of quarantined bison (John Brenden, R-Scobey). Will be heard by Senate Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Committee on 2/17/09.
SR 7 – Confirm appointees to Board of Livestock (Donald Steinbeisser, R-Sidney). Will be heard 2/19/09 in the Senate Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Committee.
SB 183 – Revise wolf policy (Joe Balyeat, R-Bozeman). Will be heard 2/19/09 in Senate Fish and game Committee.
HB 430 – Fine for barbwire fences across navigable water (Anders Blewett, D-Great Falls). Will be heard 2/19/09 in the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee.
HB 455 – Big sky rivers act (Michele Reinhart, D-Missoula). Will be heard 2/19/09 in the House Local Government Committee.
SB 423 – Montana river and stream protection (Verdell Jackson R-Kalispell). Will be heard by Senate Local Government Committee. No hearing scheduled yet.
HB 3 – Supplemental appropriations (includes funding for Brucellosis Action Plan) Will be heard by House Appropriations Committee. No hearing scheduled yet.

***To email your legislator about any of these bills, please click here. Stay tuned for Action Alerts from MSGA on some of these bills.***

December 18, 2008 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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2008 MSGA Convention Highlights

This year, despite sub-zero temperatures and terrible road conditions, 644 people attended the Montana Stockgrowers Association’s 124th Annual Convention and Trade Show at the Holiday Inn Grand Montana in Billings, Dec. 11-13. Below, please find some highlights from the convention:

-Tom Hougen of Melstone was elected the 59th President of the Montana Stockgrowers Association.

-Walter “Watty” Taylor of Busby was elected 1st Vice President. He previously served as 2nd Vice President from 2006-2008.

-Tucker Hughes of Stanford was elected 2nd Vice President. He served on the Board of Directors from the South Central District from 2004-2008.

-New Board of Directors:
Northeast District – Jeff Pattison of Glasgow
Southeast District – Dean Wang of Baker
South Central – Larry Berg of Judith Gap

-Wesley Batista president and CEO of JBS Swift, a division of JBS S.A., currently the world’s largest beef producer and exporter, was unable to attend the convention as planned due to a death in his family. Chandler Keys, vice president of government affairs for JBS Swift, filled in as the keynote speaker at the Opening General Session. He discussed the history of the Batista family and how they built up JBS S.A. from humble roots to being a global meatpacking powerhouse. Keys also described JBS’s business model and explained how the company has made inroads in global markets for both Brazilian and U.S. beef. Chandler fielded many questions from the audience and met with the media after his speech.

-Policy to guide MSGA officers and staff through 2009 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 livestock theft awareness, livestock biosecurity education, horse slaughter, the promotion of U.S. beef, bison reintroduction to the Chares M. Russell Wildlife Refuge, carbon sequestration, Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks wolf kill projections, and the Clean Air Act.

-Chances to win a 12-inch fully tooled kid’s saddle, sponsored by Nutra Lix, Basin State Bank, Ruby Valley National Bank, and MSGA, were auctioned off at the Grand Finale Banquet to benefit MSGA’s Advocacy Fund. Harrison Land and Livestock was the original winner, and Mark and Patti Harrison donated the saddle back for one last auction. Tucker Hughes was lured into a bidding war with Bill Donald and Gene Curry and ended up with the saddle with a high bid of $4,800. Overall, $27,300 was raised for the Advocacy Fund which goes toward MSGA’s legislative efforts.

-In addition to being elected 2nd Vice President, serving as emcee of the Grand Finale Banquet on Saturday night, Dec. 13, and being the highest bidder for the kid’s saddle, Tucker Hughes was named MSGA’s “Top Hand” for recruiting 15 new members and won an all-expense trip to Mexico sponsored by Valley Bank of Helena.

-The Cattle Directory Priority Page auction raised $42,000.

-Donna Sitz-Arthun of Billings was named “Ranch Woman of the Year” at the Grand Finale Banquet.

-Chelsea Phipps of Brussett won the Nutra Lix saddle giveaway.

-Rochelle Brownlee of Big Timber won the Torgerson’s LLC lawnmower giveaway.

-Rachel Endecott of Miles City won the WALCO Animal Heath and Intervet /Schering-Plough Animal Health Young Stockgrower membership drawing.

-The Trade Show offered 100 booths with various products and services for convention attendees. On Friday night, the “Night around the Campfire” Trade Show Grand Opening offered four beef dinner stations, entertainment by the Ringling 5, and a silk scarf giveaway. Saturday night’s Trade Show Finale featured a poker run that drew a huge crowd.

– Plans are already underway for MSGA’s 125th Anniversary Celebration to be held in conjunction with MSGA’s mid-year meetings in Miles City, June 10-14, 2009. Stay tuned for more information about this exciting milestone event!