Welcome to the Friday edition of the HOT BARN REPORT
Heard ONLY on American radio stations across the nation and online at hotbarnreport.com!
Karina Jones, Field Director for R-Calf USA joins us each Friday from her ranch in the heart of Nebraska covering what’s new and important to the family farm and ranch.
It has taken me a lot of chocolate to get through this week, which means I have a lot to recap for you!
First of all, Texas A&M submitted a book, literally a book to the House Ag Committee last week that was entered in to testimony for the hearing on the state of the livestock industry. It literally denounced all the reforms that cattle producers like you and I are working for because after all, sitting behind a desk with their keyboard, they apparently know the woes of you and I’s business better than we do.
Then Greg Hanes, the CEO of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, did an interview with DTN this week where he said, “We have to ensure that our producers are educated and understand what the programs are designed to do”. I thought the Beef Checkoff’s job was to educate consumers and market beef, even though I sell cattle but I digress. So, when we, as the people who pay his salary, demand transparency, we are told via his media interviews we are still just so uneducated. I really wish this guy would come out of his office to let’s say Bassett Livestock Market and tell all of us unloading cattle, the cattle that will pay his salary how uneducated we are.
Then Ethan Lane, NCBA’s Vice President of Government Affairs labeled those of us who are supporting the Opportunities in Fairness and Farming Act as animal rights extremists. The OFF Act would prohibit any checkoff money from going to any lobbying organization. I mean, if us as producers pay the beef or dairy or whatever checkoff to be used to research and market our product, then really, why do lobbying organizations need to play the middle man with our money? Could Mr. Lane come out of DC and meet me in these ole Sandhills to answer that question?
So, back to all that chocolate! Academia has established that I don’t know what is best for my own future and industry. The CBB is still telling me I am uneducated. And NCBA has labeled me an animal rights extremist. So pretty much telling us to be quiet, pay that buck a head and fall in line, like we have been doing the last 35 years. You know what else has happened the last 35 years. Beef consumption has fallen from roughly 80 pounds per person, in 1985 to under 60 lbs. per person now. Yep, in the 35 years that you and I have been forced to pay $1 a head per capita consumption of beef has fallen 20 pounds per person in the United States. That is a FACT jack, found on the USDA website.
Tune in to CattleUSA.com today and check out the run of front pasture kind coming to Crawford Livestock Market! A busy fall run week at the best barns in the nation that power this program! Make ‘em bid at Presho Livestock, North Platte Stockyards, Lemmon Livestock, Bassett Livestock Auction, Mobridge Livestock, Crawford Livestock, Platte Livestock Market, and Stockman’s Livestock. R-CALF USA and Hot Barn Report appreciate these true price discovery centers.
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Lemmon Livestock, INC.
Presho Livestock Auction
Mobridge Livestock
Platte Livestock Market
Stockmen’s Livestock
Crawford Livestock Market
North Platte Stockyards
Bassett Livestock Auction
