Email: [email protected]

Hometown: Roy

Elected: 2023

Industry Involvement: I own/operate a cow/calf operation in Central Montana, and occasionally keep the light calves to run as stockers.  The operation consists of one full time employee, myself, and one seasonal employee (Bodie). I am responsible for all the decisions regarding the ranch, with my mother as a silent co/owner.  The ranch consists of irrigated deeded acres, private acres, state lands, and BLM,  A large percentage of the Federal lands are  within a Montana State Grazing District.

Leadership Service:

• Vice President Fergus County Livestock Association
• Vice President Indian Butte Montana State Grazing District
• Past Chairman Endangered Species Committee MSGA
• Chairman Marketing Committee MSGA
• Member Cattle Contracts Library Working Group NCBA       
• Past Chairman Roy Public Schools

Challenges Facing the Beef Industry: The biggest challenge the beef industry may face over the next 10 years could very well be high interest rates that threaten economic viability and expose our vulnerability to all the other “political motivated” challenges facing every one of us.  Since there is nothing any one of us can do about interest rates, I will move on to the mariad of other threats facing the industry.

Packer Leverage and fair markets was the largest threat to the industry last year.  Supply and demand forces have largely neutralized this threat for the time being.  However, while the production side of the industry is experiencing a beneficial shift in leverage to our side, the packing side of the industry is still dominated by 4 major packers.  I am not sure what the answer is, but we must strive to avoid the scenario we found ourselves in after 2014, while insuring that the “medicine” isn’t worse than the cure.

Disease control and management, specifically Brucellosis
Endangered Species management, specifically Grizzly Bears and Wolves
Protecting public lands grazing
Protecting the “story” of beef and those who grow it
Resisting Government growth/overreach specifically in regards to the EPA and IRS