Drovers

China Grants 5-Year Extension to Hundreds of U.S. Beef Plant Registrations in Key Trade Breakthrough

Fri, 15 May 2026 18:23:57 GMT

China has granted a five-year extension to hundreds of U.S. beef plant export registrations, marking the first major concrete movement in months on a trade issue that has significantly constrained access to one of the most important overseas markets for American beef.

According to a Friday statement from the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC) has extended registrations for 425 overdue U.S. beef establishments in China’s CIFER system. In addition, 77 new U.S. beef establishment registrations have been added, effective May 15, 2026, with each valid for five years. However, 38 beef establishments remain suspended. Of those, 25 were previously expired and have now been administratively renewed, but they are still not eligible to export.

The announcement adds a significant new development to a week of confusion and shifting signals around U.S. beef access to China. On Thursday, Bloomberg and Reuters reported that China appeared to have renewed export registrations for hundreds of U.S. beef plants during high-level talks between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping in Beijing. But those listings later reverted to “expired” on China’s customs website, with no official explanation, fueling uncertainty across the industry.

As recently as Friday morning, there had been no clear confirmation that broad renewals were in place. The USMEF update now provides the most concrete indication yet that at least partial restoration of access is underway, even as some facilities remain blocked.

Restoring Plant Registrations Was Top Priority for USMEF

For USMEF, restoring those registrations is priority number one, and even said before the high-level meeting this week that this type of meeting would be the perfect stage to restore the registrations..

“We have been at an impasse now for almost a year with these plants,” says Dan Halstrom, president and CEO of the U.S. Meat Export Federation. “The vast majority of the U.S. plants — 400-plus — are either delisted or were never relisted in their registration system in China. So in my opinion, it’s going to take an event like this to maybe jar this loose and break it loose. We’re cautiously optimistic that having this high-level meeting between President Xi and President Trump might just do that.”

Halstrom said while beef is only one piece of the broader trade relationship, these talks could provide the political momentum needed to reopen access.

“There are so many issues outside of beef and even outside of agriculture that are being discussed,” he says. “But time will tell. A meeting like this could absolutely be what we’ve been waiting for.”

From a $2 Billion Market to a Fraction of That

How high are the stakes? According to Halstrom, they’re significant. He says following the Phase One trade agreement in 2020, U.S. beef exports to China exploded. According to Halstrom, exports grew from roughly $300 million in 2020 to more than $2 billion by 2022.

But after the registration lapse last year, exports sharply declined.

“If you remember back to 2020 with the Phase One deal with China, that was a home run for the U.S. beef industry,” Halstrom says. “In 2020, we were exporting about $300 million of U.S. beef. We peaked out in 2022 at a little over $2 billion. Then in 2023 and 2024, we were around $1.6 billion. But after the plants were delisted last year, we dropped to a little under $500 million. So at a very high level, that’s the impact we’re talking about.”

And that loss isn’t just showing up on export balance sheets. It’s hitting cattle values at home.

Halstrom estimates access to the China market adds roughly $150 to $165 per fed animal harvested in the U.S.

“China has become a very important market because of the way it helps maximize the value of the carcass,” he explains. “There are products, especially variety meats that have significantly more value in China than they do here domestically. Items like backstrap and aorta are in very high demand there. If those products suddenly don’t have a home in China, it impacts the value chain almost immediately.”

Why China Matters to the Cutout

Halstrom says the impact also extends into traditional muscle cuts, especially short plates.

“Today, beef short plates are trading roughly around $2.50 per pound,” Halstrom says. “We estimate that if these plants were relisted and access was restored, you could see short plate values increase by more than a dollar per pound in relatively short order. That’s substantial.”

Halstrom also points out China’s importance stretches beyond just direct exports into the country. It really impacts all of Asia.

“It’s not just about what gets sold directly to China,” he says “The China market creates a halo effect across Asia because a lot of these same items are traded between China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. So when China is actively buying, you immediately see stronger demand and stronger pricing across the region for products like short ribs, chuck flap and short plates.”

That broader demand ripple helps support overall cattle prices in the U.S.

“More customers rather than fewer is what impacts the cutout,” Halstrom says. “And there’s no doubt there’s been big money lost over the last year because these plants have not been relisted.”

More Than Just Plant Registrations

Halstrom stresses the expired registrations are only one layer of the issue that needs to be addressed.

“It’s not just the plant relistments,” he explains. “That’s phase one of what we need to have done. A large percentage of these plants are also dealing with technical and non-tariff trade issues, including residue-related issues that have caused additional delistings. So there are really two phases here — first getting these plants relisted in the registration system, and then working through these broader trade barriers.”

He said the U.S. Trade Representative’s office is fully aware of the challenges facing the industry and is listening.

“We’ve been dealing with USTR on these issues and they are very well informed on it,” Halstrom says. “The other thing from an agriculture perspective is encouraging the Chinese to go back and look at what they already committed to with the Phase One agreement back in 2020.”

Demand Is Still There

Despite the political tensions, Halstrom said the commercial appetite for U.S. beef in China hasn’t disappeared.

“One important point here is these are not government-to-government transactions. These are our customers,” Halstrom says. “They want the product and we want to sell it. The commercial business is still there.”

He pointed to major retailers and foodservice buyers already positioned to resume purchases quickly if access returns.

“Sam’s Club comes to mind immediately because they’re one of the leading modern big-box retailers in China,” Halstrom says. “Costco has warehouses there as well, and we also have foodservice customers lined up and ready to go. So we do not need to rebuild the commercial business. The customers are there, willing and able to buy U.S. beef. What we need is for the U.S. government and the Chinese government to work together to restore access so we can get back on track.”

As of the latest industry checks this week, registrations for most U.S. beef plants still had not been renewed.

Red Meat Exports Add Over $3 Billion in Value to U.S. Corn and Soybeans in 2025

Fri, 15 May 2026 20:05:41 GMT

U.S. red meat exports emerged as a multi-billion dollar engine for domestic grain producers in 2025, adding more than $3 billion in combined market value to corn and soybean crops. According to a new study by the Juday Group and the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), the global demand for American beef and pork accounted for over 600 million bushels of grain usage, effectively boosting the price of corn by $0.58 per bushel and soybeans by $1.05 per bushel.

“Red meat exports bring significant value to corn and soybean producers by driving demand for feed,” says USMEF Chair-Elect Dave Bruntz, who raises corn, soybeans and cattle in south-central Nebraska. “This study shows that red meat exports accounted for more than 500 million bushels of corn usage and nearly 100 million bushels of soybeans in 2025.”

From a national perspective, U.S. beef and pork exports accounted for $2.18 billion in market value to corn producers in 2025, $1 billion to soybean producers and $375 million to distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS), according to the study. U.S. beef and pork exports contributed an estimated total economic impact of 13.5% per bushel to the value of corn and 10.3% per bushel to soybeans in 2025.

“We initiate this study every year because it quantifies the value that beef and pork exports bring to the red meat supply chain. This added value is why a diverse range of ag industry sectors work together through USMEF to build global demand for U.S. red meat,” says USMEF Senior Vice President John Hinners.

Key findings from the study, which utilized 2025 statistics provided by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service and data compiled by the Juday Group, include:

Exporting corn through U.S. beef and pork

Beef and pork exports accounted for 508.4 million bushels of U.S. corn usage, which equated to a market value of $2.18 billion (at an average 2025 corn price of $4.29 per bushel).
Beef and pork exports accounted for 2.68 million tons of DDGS usage, equating to $374.7 million (at an average price of $139.82 per ton in 2025).
Beef and pork exports contributed an estimated total economic impact of 13.5%, or $0.58, of bushel value at an average price of $4.29 per bushel in 2025.

Exporting soybeans through U.S. pork

Pork exports accounted for 98.8 million bushels of U.S. soybean usage, which equated to a market value of $1 billion (at an average price of $10.17 per bushel in 2025).
Pork exports contributed an estimated total economic impact of 10.3% of bushel value, or $1.05, at an average price of $10.17 per bushel in 2025.

Beyond the Spread: Is it Time to Update the USDA Beef Grading Matrix?

Fri, 15 May 2026 17:29:38 GMT

For decades, the Choice-Select spread was the “North Star” for beef demand. But with the U.S. cattle herd at a 70-year low and Select supplies shrinking to just 10% of graded carcasses, Don Close, Terrain senior animal protein analyst, says it’s time to stop reading the old signals and start looking at what the modern consumer actually wants.

The recent inversion in the Choice-Select spread is sparking worry that consumers are “trading down” to cheaper, lower-quality beef. Close says in a recent Terrain Outlook the industry needs to quit overreacting to the old Choice-Select signal and start tracking more relevant indicators. For decades, the Choice-Select spread has been treated as a key gauge of beef demand and consumer preferences. An inverted spread — when Select trades higher than Choice — typically raised a red flag that buyers were shifting toward cheaper product. That narrative, he argues, simply doesn’t fit the current structure of the beef supply.

A Different Market Than the 1990s

Close says the conditions that once made the spread meaningful have changed dramatically.

“In previous years, an inverted spread mattered,” he explains. “But the grading percentage then was about 60% Choice or better and about 40% Select. And the majority of retail grocery chains carried Select product. There were also no branded beef programs, and the percentage of carcasses grading Prime ranged from 2% to 4%.”

Today, the entire grading and merchandising picture looks different.

“Now, retail stores predominantly carry Choice or better product,” Close notes. “It is also common for the percentage of Prime carcasses to be 10% to 15% and for there to be more Prime than Selects in the marketplace.”

In that kind of environment — where Select is a much smaller slice of total production and retailers lean heavily on branded and premium offerings — the old read on the spread doesn’t hold.

“In the current market environment, the spread is a meaningless measurement,” he stresses.

(Terrain)

Select is Scarce, Not Suddenly Popular

If consumers aren’t suddenly preferring Select, why has Select strengthened relative to Choice? Close points first to a structural decline in Select production.

“The main reason is that the supply of Select product has contracted, which can make it appear that there is an increase in demand,” he says. “The supply went from 50% of graded beef carcasses in the 1990s and early 2000s to about 10% currently. As with any commodity product as supply contracts, the price is going to increase.”

That supply-side squeeze is occurring alongside the smallest domestic cattle supply in 70 years. At the same time, tight lean supplies and growing use of blended products are pulling on every available pound of lean beef.

“Even with the escalation in lean beef trimmings because of imports, the supply of lean beef is exceptionally tight,” Close explains. “Processors are searching for any source of lean beef to increase supplies of lean grinding materials.”

He adds Select also still has a defined role in a couple of key channels.

“There is also demand for Select products in institutional use, primarily hospitals,” Close notes. “Select products are also still used in many prepared frozen foods.”

Combine smaller Select production, a historically tight cattle herd and ongoing demand in institutional and processed channels, and Select’s price strength looks more like a scarcity story than a consumer “trade down” signal.

Will This Inversion Last?

Close does not expect today’s situation to be permanent — but he also doesn’t see the inverted spread as a near-term threat.

“Is this going to be a long-term scenario? I certainly don’t think so. Is the inversion of the spread going to disrupt the current market again? I don’t think that’s the case,” he says.

Instead, he points producers to the economics of feeding cattle.

“When the day comes that grain prices escalate and the cost of gain exceeds the value of gain, the market may have to take another look,” Close says. “In that case, the economics would discourage cattle feeders from fattening cattle as much, leading to more Select beef, a lower Select price and a higher Choice price.”

For now, the numbers still favor feeding cattle to higher grades.

“Currently, with cost of gain running around $1 a pound and the value of gain approaching 250, the inversion of the spread will not be a market factor anytime soon,” he summarizes.

(Terrain)

Branded Beef and Prime Demand Call for a New Grading Matrix

Rather than obsess over the Choice-Select spread, Close believes the industry should focus on measures that reflect where beef demand has actually moved.

“A better measurement would be a Choice-branded beef cutout, or a Choice-Prime spread,” he suggests.

That shift would also require updating the grading framework itself.

“The last time USDA beef grading matrix was updated or changed was in 1997,” he explains. “At that time, there were no branded beef products. In my opinion, the grading matrix needs to be updated to incorporate all beef in the upper one-third of Choice and better.”

For Close, the consumer verdict is already in.

“Consumers have proven their demand for ultra-high-quality beef,” he says, pointing to the success of Certified Angus Beef and the expansion of Prime offerings at retail. “Now, protein diets have become the craze. The American consumer is not going to go back to eating a largely Select-based product.”

For producers and market watchers, the message is clear: don’t let an inverted Choice-Select spread distract from the bigger, long-term shift toward higher-quality beef and more relevant pricing signals.

Cattle Higher as Cash is King, How Crazy Could it Get? Hogs and Grains See Fund Selling

Fri, 15 May 2026 16:02:43 GMT

Cattle were higher early Friday with the rest of the ag markets lower.

Cattle Rebound Friday
Cattle futures took a breather Thursday but were back higher early Friday with volatility reigning supreme according to Scott Varilek with Kooima Kooima Varilek.

He says the cattle futures are getting tougher and tougher to trade because of the choppy action. “Because there’s no bids, no offers. The volume is hard. I mean, you try to sell five feeders at the market and all of a sudden it kicks the order back because there’s too much movement.”

That is making it tough for hedgers to use the board.

“So and as we’re doing these hedge strategies, we said, OK, we would like to use a spring rally to try to get some long term protection on. Now,
putting that on is really hard in these markets and you have to be ready. It’s not going to be cheap to get some floors on in the feeder cattle market,” he says.

Record Cash but How Crazy Could it Get?
The futures market is still at a discount to this week’s record cash trade which continues to look bullish.

The volume of cash in the North was in the $265 area but the South also saw $260 to $262 as packers seem hungry for cattle according to Varilek.

“I mean, just the hunger from certain majors and all the packers out there buying these cattle is really wow to me. We get some $265 trade, you know, getting this really wide basis normally this is our widest basis is in May and at record prices,” he says.

And packers are buying at these prices for delayed delivery into even the middle of June which is also bullish.

“They’re just grabbing a bunch of inventory so that way they can sit for a while and then it seems like then they’re back the next week already. So still tight supplies up front. It feels really good. And I love it that some of these majors are out front. You know, for the north, that means a lot.”

He says usually Northern feed lots have a hard time getting bids from certain packers but that isn’t the case this year as the cattle market is into its tightest supplies.

“But we’re turning over to this calf crop where these weights are a lot lower, and we’ve got cattle on feed that we might not want to sell yet and packers are calling bidding on them,” he adds.

So next week he expects asking prices will be higher at $268 to $270.

Higher Cattle Limits
Part of the break in the futures on Thursday was news the CME Group was raising limits on cattle again to $8.50 on live cattle and $10.75 on feeder cattle.

Varilek says that only benefits the big fund traders and they are pushing for it, to the expense of producers.

“We do not want that as producers. It’s hard to see our bottom line change by that much just in the matter of seconds. It doesn’t feel like we need that,” he adds.

Ft. Morgan Union to Vote on a Strike on Monday
The Fort Morgan, CO Cargill beef plant union is expected to vote on whether they are striking or not on Monday.

However, Varilek says it may be a non-event because the plant has been dark and the market hasn’t cared.

” And it just feels like we haven’t traded that real hard just because it’s been closed for four weeks and yet we’re still seeing cash move higher. Packers are still very aggressive buying cattle. It’s like, OK, I guess I guess nothing happened. So if there’s some more new news next week, maybe we’ll see if it really dives into the market.”

He’s doubtful it will but the bigger concern is another plant closure.

China Beef News
Conflicting news reports on China re-listing nearly 400 U.S. beef plants for export ended with China still not accepting U.S. beef.

However, Varilek says the market did not trade it.

” I feel like we brushed it off, you know, just because, number one, we know Trump’s saying beef prices are too high and he wants to import a bunch of beef to try to handle this tight supply. So we know we don’t have just a large amount of beef to sell, to export, you know, so we don’t really have it. So then the fact that it came out that they’re not, I don’t think we’re trading that real hard,” he adds.

Hogs Spiral on Mexican Export Resistrictions?
Lean hogs saw a nice rally on Wednesday but failed to get follow through buying on Thursday or to start Friday.

Varilek says the inability of the market to find a bottom may be tied to Mexico putting some export restrictions on U.S. pig semen, live breeding animals and offal due to pseudorabies.

“A negative flag that it’s raising there just because Mexico is our number one customer there for pork and and we desperately need it and this adds value to some of the lower quality pork products,” he says.

He says this doesn’t impact muscle cuts but Mexico does take a large amount of variety meats and this accounts for 10% of all their imports.

That is offsetting some of the positive news in the market including that two to three packers aren’t killing on Fridays because they can’t find enough hogs.

Funds Sell in Grains on China Disappointment
Grains are lower again Friday after funds sold hard in the grain and cotton markets on Thursday.

It was in response to the lack of tangible agricultural purchase commitments from China during the summit in Beijing.

Will the funds continue to liquidate in the grains after the technical damage done?

He says, “Yeah, we’re doing some short-term chart damage here and things just are trading pretty ugly today despite the higher energy markets. The grains had rallied on hopes of China business and just the fact that we did not get any news the funds didn’t like it,” he says.

How Low Will Prices Fall?
Varilek sees the grains slipping back into the recent trading ranges but there is good chart support on the bottom side of the ranges that should hold going into the growing season.

“So I’ll be looking for Sunday night’s trade to kind of start to hold as funds usually liquidate in three day waves. We might try to find some value buyers, some end users in some of these markets. So not ready to write it off and say, we got to go find some new lows here,” he says.

Nalivka: Beef Markets and Record-High Prices Going Forward

Fri, 15 May 2026 13:06:37 GMT

As Memorial Day weekend approaches, there is the question of market highs as we head toward the grilling season. I think it is worthwhile to look back at a year ago this time.

During the first week of May 2025, the Choice Cutout averaged $345/cwt., the Select Cutout $332/cwt. and the Comprehensive Cutout $342/cwt. Those prices peaked at $414/cwt. (+20%), $387/cwt. (+17%) and $409/cwt. (+20%), respectively.

This year during the week of May 9, the Choice Cutout averaged $390/cwt., the Select Cutout $388/cwt. and the Comprehensive Cutout $391/cwt. This year’s prices are 13%, 17% and 14% higher for each of the respective cutout values than a year ago.

Cutout Category	May 2025 Avg	May 2026 Avg	% Change
Choice	$345	$390	+13%
Select	$332	$388	+17%
Comprehensive	$342	$391	+14%

Is there a limit to how much current beef demand can drive those prices? My response is, “yes” and we are not too far from that limit.

The Government Question: Let Markets Be Markets

Record-high beef prices are the topic of discussion in cattlemen’s meetings, among market analysts, restaurant procurement, government, and state and federal legislatures with the discussion ranging from “Can prices go much higher” to the government assessing how to “Reduce prices for the consumer.”

My reaction when the government enters the discussion is that we do not need any government entity whether the administration, USDA or Congress to get involved. Markets operate best according to nonmanipulated supply-demand fundamentals, those very drivers that got us to the point of record prices in the first place. Manipulating the market toward the goal of lowering prices for the consumer is not an option, whether it be trade-related or any other manipulation.

(Sterling Marketing Inc.)

For the last 12 months, we have discussed and discussed when rebuilding of the cattle herd will begin. The consensus from all this expert analysis and discussion is that rebuilding will be slow. Why? My response is that the industry and the people involved have changed from those of past cattle cycles.

Farmers and ranchers are older and many no longer have family members who have come back to the ranch after graduating from high school or college. This is a critical factor for those existing full-time cattle ranching operations. These full-time cattlemen whose family members did not come back to the ranch are growing older and slowing down.

But the real driver to cattle numbers is the part-time cattleman — those who also have a cropping operation with pasture to raise a few cattle or people who don’t farm or ranch full time but have pasture, work at another job and want a few (25 to 50 head) cattle.

I believe these part-time cattlemen have declined significantly.

(Sterling Marketing Inc.)

Opportunity Cost: The Barrier to Heifer Retention

Aside from changing demographics of cattlemen, there is another critical issue to herd building and one which has been a driver in previous cattle cycles — record-high prices. While today’s prices are certainly a godsend to full-time cattlemen already in the business, those same record-high prices make the proposition of buying cows to get into the business a challenge, to say the least. And, for that matter, record-high prices can also be viewed as a record-high opportunity cost when a heifer is retained.

(Sterling Marketing Inc.)

The Forage Insurance Policy: Why Diversity is Your Best Defense Against Drought

Thu, 14 May 2026 16:14:26 GMT

Periods of dry conditions often bring renewed interest in alternative forages, annual crops and cover crop mixes to maintain feed supplies and reduce reliance on perennial pasture alone. While no single strategy eliminates drought risk, diversifying the forage base can function as a practical “insurance policy” by spreading risk across species, planting windows and rooting depths.

Rather than relying on a single forage system, producers can improve resilience by incorporating a combination of perennial forages, annual crops and strategically selected cover crops that respond differently to moisture stress and temperature variability.

Thinking in Systems, Not Seasons

A diversified forage program works best when it is planned as a system rather than implemented in reaction to current conditions.

Perennial pastures provide a base level of production in most years, while annual forages can be used to bridge forage gaps during drought, after failed crops or when seasonal pasture growth slows.

Integrating these components allows producers to:

Extend the grazing season in the spring and fall.
Distribute your operation’s forage production across multiple planting dates.
Capture moisture and nutrients when perennial growth is limited.
Maintain flexibility in stocking rate adjustments during dry years.

Herbicide Carryover and Field History

Before establishing any annual forages or cover crops, herbicide application history must be reviewed carefully. Residual herbicides from previous cash crops may limit establishment or create grazing and harvest restrictions for forage use. This includes products applied during the previous growing season and, in some cases, earlier applications depending on the chemical and soil conditions.

Always consult current herbicide labels for rotational, grazing and harvest restrictions prior to planting alternative forages or cover crop mixes. If crops are not listed, it may be appropriate to perform a bioassay prior to planting to ensure the safety of your crop.

Matching Forages to Risk and Moisture Conditions

One of the most effective ways to manage drought risk is to match forage species to expected moisture availability and planting timing.

Using both cool- and warm-season annuals across an operation can reduce the likelihood of complete forage failure during a single dry period.

Cool-Season Annuals
Cool-season annuals typically provide early or late-season forage and may include species such as:
1. Oats, barley, triticale, cereal rye and winter wheat.
2. Peas, forage radishes, turnips and hairy vetch.
These species often perform best when planted early or late in the growing season, allowing them to take advantage of cooler temperatures and available soil moisture.
Warm-Season Annuals
Warm-season annuals generally provide mid-summer forage when cool-season pasture growth slows. Examples include:
1. Sorghum-sudangrass and forage sorghum.
2. Pearl millet, foxtail (including German and Japanese types) and proso millet.
3. Teff.
Once established, warm-season species are typically more water-use efficient and better adapted to hot conditions.

Strategic Use of Perennials

Perennial forages remain the foundation of most grazing systems. Although their productivity can decline substantially during drought, management strategies such as rotational grazing, deferred grazing and stockpiling can help extend pasture use during dry conditions.

Including deep-rooted perennial species, such as alfalfa on suitable sites, alongside grass-dominant pastures can also improve drought resilience. Differences in rooting depth and growth patterns allow these species to access moisture from different soil layers and respond differently to stress.

Soil Water Use and Recovery Periods

Diversified forage systems should account for how different forage species use soil moisture and how quickly they recover following grazing or drought stress. Rapid-growing annual forages can provide timely feed but may draw down surface soil moisture quickly. Perennials typically use water more gradually but often recover more slowly once moisture becomes limiting.

Combining annuals and perennials can help balance these effects by distributing water use across species with varying root systems and growth habits. Incorporating adequate recovery periods into grazing plans is especially critical during dry years to maintain stand persistence.

Establishment Timing and Flexibility

Planting flexibility is a key advantage of annual forages. Warm-season species can be planted after frost risk has passed, while cool-season species fit well into early-spring or late-summer planting windows.

In drought-prone conditions, delaying planting until a meaningful rainfall event may improve establishment success compared to planting in dry soils. Although this approach can reduce early-season forage availability, it often results in more uniform emergence and improved stand longevity.

Nutrient Management Considerations

Nitrogen management should be adjusted according to forage species, yield potential and available moisture. Under drought conditions, excessive nitrogen application can increase the risk of nitrate accumulation in certain forage crops, particularly grass species such as oats, sorghum and sorghum-sudangrass hybrids.

Soil testing, previous crop nitrogen credits and realistic yield expectations should guide fertilization decisions. In some situations, reduced nitrogen rates or no additional nitrogen may be appropriate when moisture is expected to limit growth potential.

Grazing Management and Risk Distribution

Diversification involves not only what is planted, but how forages are managed and utilized. Practices such as rotational grazing, stockpiling and flexible stocking rates allow producers to shift grazing pressure among forage resources as conditions change. Having multiple forage options available reduces dependence on any single pasture or crop and allows for more measured forage use during dry periods of environmental stress.

Drought is an inevitable part of forage production systems, but total reliance on any single forage type increases vulnerability to weather extremes. A diversified forage base — built from a combination of perennial pastures, annual forages and strategically selected cover crops — can improve flexibility, extend grazing opportunities and reduce production risk across variable growing seasons.

— Kim Ricardo, SDSU Extension forage specialist

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High Bull Prices? Why AI is the Cost-Effective Genetic Alternative

Thu, 14 May 2026 14:01:35 GMT

Short on bull power? Artificial insemination (AI) might be the better option for a variety of reasons.

“Bull prices are pretty high, especially high-quality bulls, versus semen prices have remained pretty steady,” explains Jaclyn Ketchum. “So you have access to genetics that you maybe wouldn’t have had access to if you don’t use AI, but then also at a more reasonable price.”

Ketchum ranches with her family in southeast Montana and has taken over the family’s custom AI business. However, prior to this endeavor, she studied reproductive physiology, obtaining a master’s degree at the University of Missouri and her doctorate at Texas A&M.

She reminds producers that the list of benefits from AI differs depending on the type of AI protocol used.

“There’s a list of benefits for AI in general and then there’s a whole list of other benefits for fixed-time artificial insemination with synchronization,” Ketchum says.

Three general benefits of AI include:

Access to bulls with more genetic potential at a lower cost than natural service sires.
Greater bull-to-cow ratio for cleanup.
Access to sexed semen. Sexed semen allows producers to be more consistent in producing high-quality replacement females and high-quality steers.

AI also reduces risks such as bull injuries or failed breeding soundness exams, which can cost producers thousands of additional dollars each year.

AI with synchronization, also known as fixed-time AI, takes the benefits of AI in general to a whole new level because calves have both genetic and age uniformity.

“They’re going to be more similar in age when it comes to weaning time,” Ketchum says. “And then you have a greater set of immunity because they’re getting vaccinated at similar ages.”

Overall uniformity is attractive to feedlots and bred-heifer buyers as well.

She says, “If you’re selling bred heifers, you can breed those heifers to a really popular sire, which will then increase demand for those when you go to sell them. So there’s a whole gamut of benefits from fixed-time AI.”

To fully reap the benefits of AI, producers must set themselves up for success.

“A lot of people would love to just show up on AI day and say, ‘It’s going to be a wonderful day. We’re going to get all these cows bred.’ But in reality, it’s everything leading up to that day and everything following that day that really dictates how successful that event is,” explains Ketchum.

Communication between the producer and AI technician, supply provider, semen provider and employees or day workers is all-important.

“The synchronization protocol typically is three days minimum, if not more,” explains Ketchum. “You might need a crew for all of those days, so communicate which days and times they are needed.”

Once all the supplies and extra supplies are taken care of, facilities also need to be in working order.

Ketchum explains, “If you don’t go through your facility and make sure that your chute’s working and that everything’s set up to work where everything flows really well and then something happens and your timing gets off, then that impacts your AI date as well.”

Managing expectations also matters when determining how successful an AI event was or wasn’t. Keep in mind experience levels of technicians, if timing was off for the protocol or if weather events occurred.

“Hot is really bad for conception rates,” says Ketchum.

However, there’s only so much producers can do if the weather shifts or a storm rolls in.

AI is a valuable tool for cattle producers across the world. Producers are sure to reap the benefits if effort is taken to prepare the cattle and crew prior to breeding day.
Listen to the full conversation on the Casual Cattle Conversations podcas t.

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The Only Other Humans You See All Day: Why Producer-Veterinarian Relationships Matter

Fri, 15 May 2026 12:44:32 GMT

A production animal veterinarian finishes a farm call, climbs back into the truck and starts driving to the next stop. Depending on the day, the producer they just spoke with may have been the first real conversation they’ve had in hours — or the interaction that shapes the tone of the rest of the day.

That isolation is one of the unique realities of production animal medicine. Unlike many clinic settings, there often is no team gathered in a treatment area and no coworkers nearby between appointments. Much of the work happens alone, moving from farm to farm. As Andi Davison, positive change agent at Flourish Veterinary Consulting , put it, production medicine is often “just them, and the only other human that they talk to all day long is the producer.”

During Mental Health Awareness Month, conversations around veterinary well-being often focus on burnout, long hours, compassion fatigue or staffing shortages. Those issues are important, but another factor may deserve more attention: The quality of the everyday interactions veterinarians have with the people around them.

In production medicine, that frequently means producers.

More Than People Skills

Most veterinarians are not trying to become polished communicators or extroverts. They simply want smoother conversations, less tension, better collaboration and the feeling that everyone is working toward the same goal. Those interactions can carry more emotional weight than many people realize.

A productive relationship with a producer can make difficult herd health conversations easier, improve follow-through on recommendations and create a stronger sense of teamwork. A strained relationship can do the opposite — increasing frustration, emotional exhaustion and the feeling that recommendations are going nowhere.

As Davison explains: “We can make all the recommendations all day long, but if we don’t feel like we’re working together as a team, it doesn’t matter.”

Most veterinarians recognize the difference immediately. There are days when you leave a farm feeling productive and respected, and days when you replay the conversation all the way to the next call.

That emotional carryover can leave an impact.

Why Positive Interactions Matter

Research in psychology and workplace well-being has shown even brief positive interactions with other people can influence how individuals experience their work. These high-quality connections are associated with greater trust, collaboration, engagement and a stronger sense of purpose.

Importantly, those interactions do not have to be dramatic or deeply personal to matter. Even short, repeated moments of positive communication can influence workplace relationships and resilience over time. For veterinarians, that sense of connection is often tied directly to the reason they entered the profession in the first place.

At the core of those conversations is a shared goal: We all want to do better for the animals.

That shared purpose may be one of the biggest strengths in veterinary medicine and agriculture. Even when producers and veterinarians disagree on management decisions, timing or finances, there is usually still a common goal underneath the conversation — healthier animals and stronger operations.

“When we are able to cultivate productive communication between the humans of veterinary medicine, we are building trust, motivation and self-efficacy, which then supports the animals of our industry to receive the quality care they deserve. In other words, when we know we matter and the work that we are doing matters, we are much more motivated to do that work well,” Davison says.

Keeping that shared goal in mind can help shift conversations from adversarial to collaborative.

Small Changes That Build Trust

Of course, knowing communication matters and feeling naturally comfortable with it are two very different things.

Many veterinary professionals describe themselves as introverted or socially drained, especially after long days and emotionally difficult cases. Building stronger relationships does not always come naturally, and small talk can feel forced or awkward.

But communication is not necessarily about charisma. Often, small intentional shifts can noticeably change the tone of an interaction over time.

Communication Tips for Veterinary Professionals

Not quite sure where to get started on improving your interactions with producers? Try these small things out during your next farm visit.

Use names and eye contact

Small signals of recognition can help interactions feel more personal and collaborative.

Ask broader questions

Instead of: “How was your weekend?”

Try: “What’s something good that happened this weekend?”

Questions like that give people something real to respond to instead of an automatic one-word answer.

Get curious

Ask open-ended questions about challenges, goals or concerns on the farm before jumping straight to solutions.

Share appropriately

Small personal details can make conversations feel more human and less transactional.

Listen for understanding

Focus less on preparing the next response and more on understanding the producer’s perspective.

Reinforce strengths

Point out what is going well, not just what needs to improve.

None of those things require a dramatic personality change. But over time, they can help build trust — and trust is often what turns difficult conversations into productive ones.

The Human Side of Production Animal Medicine

Better communication will not solve every challenge facing veterinary medicine. It will not eliminate stress, staffing shortages, financial pressures or difficult cases. But when you spend much of the day working alone, stronger human connections can make difficult work feel less isolating and more purposeful.

In a profession built around problem-solving and animal care, feeling connected to the people involved in that work may shape well-being more than many veterinarians realize. The other humans you see during your day may matter more than you think.

Matching Forage to Fertility: How to Choose the Right Calving Window

Wed, 13 May 2026 17:49:11 GMT

There is no single “best” calving season in the beef industry, but there is a “best” system for your specific resources. While the choice between spring and fall calving often sparks debate at the local sale barn, the real driver of profitability isn’t when you calve — it’s how tightly you control the window.

“One of the most important management decisions in a cow-calf operation is determining when cows should calve,” says David Lalman, Oklahoma State University professor and Extension beef cattle specialist. “Yet, there is no single ‘best’ calving season for every ranch. The ideal system depends on forage resources, labor availability, weather patterns, marketing plans and overall management goals.”

He explains regardless of whether producers choose spring calving, fall calving or even a combination of both, having a defined and controlled calving season is one of the most effective ways to improve efficiency and profitability.

The Economic Power of a 75-Day Window

Research and standardized performance analysis (SPA) data collected from nearly 400 herds in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico demonstrated that longer breeding seasons increased cost of production. In fact, each additional day in the breeding season increased cost per hundredweight of calf weaned.

“Herds that reduced breeding seasons from year-round exposure to approximately 75 days substantially lowered production costs while also improving calf uniformity,” Lalman says. “Uniform groups of calves are generally worth more at sale time because buyers prefer cattle that are similar in age, size and management background.”

Controlled breeding and calving seasons also simplify management. Vaccination schedules, nutritional management, pregnancy diagnosis, weaning and marketing can all be streamlined when cows calve within a relatively short window. In contrast, year-round calving often creates nutritional and labor challenges because cows are in different stages of production simultaneously.

Spring Calving: Lower Costs, Higher Weather Risks

According to Lalman, spring calving remains the most common system in Oklahoma and much of the Southern Plains.

“One advantage of spring calving is that cows are typically dry, not producing milk and pregnant during winter feeding,” he explains. “The dry, gestating period represents lower nutritional requirements compared to post-calving when cows are producing milk. Thus, wintering costs are generally lower for spring-calving cows.”

He adds calving too early, for example in January or February, in Oklahoma offsets some of this advantage.

“Spring-calving systems are not without challenges,” he stresses. “Severe late-winter and early-spring storms can result in newborn calf losses. Another disadvantage is that cows can slip in body condition during early-spring forage green-up.”

High-moisture “washy” grass lacks the dry-matter density needed to meet the requirements during lactation. Cows tend to burn a lot of energy “chasing” bits of tender green forage and ignore available low-quality standing forage or hay provided, resulting in inadequate forage intake and weight loss. This challenge is exacerbated when the early green-up period coincides with peak lactation.

Lalman says delaying the calving season too long can expose females and herd sires to extreme late-summer heat stress during the breeding season.

Fall Calving: Better Body Condition, Higher Feed Bills

Fall-calving systems offer a different set of advantages and disadvantages.

“Fall-calving cows are usually in excellent body condition at calving because they have recovered body reserves during summer grazing,” he explains. “Calves are also generally older and heavier at weaning. However, on most ranch operations in Oklahoma, winter supplementation costs are greater in fall-calving cows. Increased nutrient requirements for lactation in combination with lower-quality winter forage or hay results in a dramatic gap in nutrient supply.”

Without proper adjustments in the nutritional program, cows can experience rapid weight and body-condition loss during the breeding season. In addition, if calving starts too early, extreme heat during late summer can lead to weak or even stillborn calves.

The Silent Profit Killer: Heat Stress and Conception

Heat stress deserves increasing attention in Southern beef systems.

“Breeding cattle during periods of high heat and humidity can reduce conception rates, lengthen the postpartum interval and negatively impact bull fertility,” Lalman summarizes. “In some regions, pregnancy rates may decline substantially when cows are bred during late July through early September. Adjusting breeding and calving seasons to avoid predictable periods of extreme heat may improve reproductive performance.”

The BCS Benchmark: Setting the Stage for Rebreeding

Regardless of calving season, body condition management remains critical. Lalman says mature cows should generally calve in a body condition score (BCS) of approximately 5, while first-calf heifers should be closer to a BCS 6.

“Long-term data consistently show that pregnancy rates decline dramatically in thin cows,” he says. “Producers should evaluate whether their calving season aligns with forage availability and allows cows to maintain adequate body condition economically.”

Adoption of synchronization and artificial insemination (AI) is gradually increasing in the commercial beef cattle operations. Lalman says recent research indicates that pregnancy rates to AI are improved when cows are slightly gaining weight and condition during the breeding season. This is most economically achieved through timing of the calving season and selection for cattle that are a good match to the forage system.

One Season or Two? Balancing Management and Market Risk

Lalman summarizes there are also trade-offs between operating one calving season versus two.

“A single calving season simplifies management and creates larger, more uniform groups of calves to market,” he says. “Multiple calving seasons may spread marketing risk and increase bull utilization, but they also complicate labor, nutrition and herd health programs.”

Ultimately, the “best” calving season is the one that best matches the ranch environment and available resources. Producers should design systems that minimize purchased feed, maintain reproductive efficiency and fit local forage resources.

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WOAH Report Highlights Growing Disease Pressure and Veterinary System Gaps

Wed, 13 May 2026 19:46:48 GMT

A perfect storm may be gathering over the global food system.

As unprecedented outbreaks of bird flu, African swine fever, foot-and-mouth disease, and New World screwworm spread across regions, the financial systems meant to prevent and contain these threats are shrinking.

That is the central warning from the World Organisation for Animal Health’s (WOAH) newly released 2026 State of the World’s Animal Health report , which argues that global investment in prevention is failing to keep pace with a rapidly expanding biological risk profile.

According to the report, more than 20% of global animal production is lost to preventable disease every year, yet animal health receives less than 0.6% of total global health spending. At the same time, approximately 75% of emerging infectious diseases in humans originate in animals.

For food-animal veterinarians in North America, many of the report’s themes already feel familiar. Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in dairy cattle, growing antimicrobial stewardship pressure, increasing biosecurity demands, workforce shortages and concern around emerging and transboundary diseases all feature prominently in WOAH’s assessment of global animal health trends.

“Animal health systems are the first lines of defense against the next pandemic,” said WOAH director general Emmanuelle Soubeyran during a panel discussion accompanying the report release.

Global Animal Health Funding Declines as Disease Risks Increase

One of the report’s strongest warnings centers on what WOAH describes as a rapidly contracting financing landscape. Despite the growing importance of animal health systems, they remain chronically underfunded globally.

Official Development Assistance, government-funded international aid intended to support the economic development and welfare of lower- and middle-income countries, fell to $174.3 billion in 2025 — a 23% decline that WOAH says represents the largest annual contraction on record and effectively erases a decade of growth in global development aid.

Meanwhile, less than $1 billion annually reaches veterinary services and zoonotic disease prevention worldwide. According to WOAH, that amounts to less than 2.5% of an already shrinking global health aid budget.

WOAH estimates bringing veterinary services worldwide up to international standards would cost approximately $2.3 billion annually — a figure the organization contrasts against the trillions of dollars in economic losses associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The choice before governments, funders, partners and private sectors is not between spending and saving,” Soubeyran says. “It is between planned investment in animal health systems and protecting our health and minimizing losses.”

Veterinary services are prevention infrastructure, not simply regulatory oversight. That framing has increasing relevance for North American food-animal veterinarians, whose responsibilities now often extend well beyond traditional clinical work to include biosecurity planning, disease surveillance, movement documentation, antimicrobial stewardship, emergency preparedness and producer communication.

HPAI, African Swine Fever and Emerging Diseases Continue Expanding

The report paints a picture of disease systems becoming increasingly interconnected as climate change, globalization, wildlife movement and changing production systems alter how diseases emerge and spread.

The human and economic cost of this underinvestment is already visible:

Avian Influenza: Between 2025 and early 2026, over 2,100 outbreaks were recorded in 64 countries, resulting in the loss of 140 million poultry.
The Cattle Shift: HPAI is now recognized as an emerging disease in bovines, requiring international reporting as it jumps species barriers.
Parasitic Spread: New World screwworm is moving northward through Central America with tens of thousands of cases, while Lumpy Skin Disease has reached Western Europe for the first time.
Regional Crises: Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) has recently caused unprecedented outbreaks in Southern Africa.

Outbreaks no longer remain localized events. In an increasingly interconnected livestock and trade system, delayed detection in one region can rapidly create wider food system, trade and public health consequences.

Veterinary Preparedness and Biosecurity Deliver Economic Returns

A major theme running throughout the report is that governments and industries continue spending far more responding to disease crises than preventing them.

One highlighted example compares the United Kingdom’s response to FMD outbreaks:

In 2001, an underprepared response cost the UK an estimated £8 billion and resulted in the culling of more than 6 million animals.
In 2007, after improved preparedness investments, another outbreak was contained in just 58 days at a cost of approximately £47 million.

These examples demonstrate the measurable economic return of surveillance systems, preparedness planning, laboratory capacity, vaccination programs and coordinated veterinary services.

“Preparedness begins before the crisis,” says Paolo Tizzani, veterinarian and epidemiologist with WOAH.

WOAH Warns Veterinary Staffing Shortages Could Delay Outbreak Detection

The report also identifies veterinary workforce capacity as a growing vulnerability globally.

According to WOAH data:

18% of countries assessed showed declining veterinary capacity,
22% showed declining paraprofessional capacity.

During the panel discussion, WOAH officials specifically referenced declining rural veterinary presence as an emerging concern.

“When animal health systems are under-resourced, diseases can be detected late,” Tizzani says. “They have the possibility to spread more widely.”

Workforce shortages are no longer simply a labor issue, but increasingly a biosecurity and preparedness concern. Without sufficient veterinary staffing, laboratory support, surveillance infrastructure and field-level reporting capacity, outbreaks become harder to identify and contain early.

Prevention and Vaccination are Key

WOAH warns AMR could contribute to more than 39 million human deaths globally by 2050 while also creating major economic losses in animal production systems. The organization strongly positions prevention-oriented herd-health approaches — including vaccination, surveillance, biosecurity and improved disease management — as critical tools for reducing antimicrobial use.

This discussion aligns closely with ongoing stewardship initiatives across dairy, beef and pork sectors, including increased focus on veterinary oversight, preventive medicine and judicious antimicrobial use.

Only a small proportion of AMR-related research funding currently goes toward animal vaccines, despite their role in reducing antimicrobial demand. Still, the report points to examples where prevention-focused systems have dramatically reduced antibiotic use. Norway, for example, was able to reduce antibiotic use in its salmon industry by 99% through sustained investment in vaccination and preventive health programs.

Animal Health as Critical Infrastructure

WOAH consistently frames animal health systems as critical infrastructure tied directly to economic resilience, food security, public health and trade stability. They also push back against oversimplified narratives that place disease emergence solely on livestock production itself. Instead, WOAH officials emphasize the growing complexity of interactions between wildlife, livestock, humans, ecosystems, climate pressures and global trade systems.

“One Health will remain an aspiration until animal health systems are genuinely built into how we plan and invest,” Soubeyran says.

Animal health systems can no longer be treated as background infrastructure that only becomes visible during emergencies. For food-animal veterinarians in North America, that transition is already well underway.

Whether through HPAI surveillance in dairy cattle, African swine fever preparedness planning, antimicrobial stewardship, movement documentation or producer biosecurity support, food-animal veterinarians are increasingly functioning as frontline public-health and food-system infrastructure.

“Animal health must be financed as a global public good,” the report concludes. “The benefits generated cross every border, and the risks of underinvestment are shared by all.”

Beef Profit Tracker: Packer Losses Deepen as Feedlot Profits Hold Steady

Wed, 13 May 2026 16:16:27 GMT

The impact of higher Choice steer prices against only minor upper movement in the Comprehensive Beef cutout definitely made an impact on beef industry margins last week.

Sterling’s estimate of beef packer margins averaged -$246.42/head against -$123.35/head the prior week while feedlot margins averaged $186.70/head and down only about $7/head from the prior week as estimated break-evens were about $.50/cwt higher with a $2/cwt higher feeder cattle cost.

View the full Sterling Beef Profit Tracker for the week ending May 9.

The Beef and Pork Profit Trackers are calculated by Sterling Marketing, Vale, Ore.

(Note: The Sterling Beef Profit Tracker calculates an average beef cutout value for the week in its estimates for feedyard and packer margins. Other prices in the weekly Profit Tracker also are calculated weekly averages. Feedyard margins are calculated on a cash basis only with no adjustment for risk management practices. The Beef and Pork Profit Trackers are intended only as a benchmark for the average cash costs of feeding cattle and hogs. Sterling Marketing is a private, independent beef and pork consulting firm not associated with any packing company or livestock feeding enterprise.)

Empowering Youth, Feeding Communities: The Competitive Food Drive Transforming County Fairs

Wed, 13 May 2026 21:38:08 GMT

What began as a simple challenge to county junior fair boards five years ago has grown into one of the most impactful youth-led initiatives.

Fight the Hunger, Stock the Trailer was launched by Farm Credit Mid-America in 2021 as a way to support local food pantries and give back to communities. Junior fair boards compete to collect as many food donations as possible, with top counties earning cash prizes to reinvest in local programs. The competition takes place during county fairs — a time when food pantry shelves often run low.

What started as a grassroots effort in Ohio spread to Indiana the following year and has now mobilized thousands of young people, strengthened dozens of food banks and provided relief to families facing food insecurity. In just five years, the program has collected more than 1.6 million lb. of food, proving the power of youth leadership and community collaboration.

How does Fight the Hunger, Stock the Trailer work?

Accept the Challenge: Connect with your county fair leaders and let Farm Credit Mid-America know you want to compete.
Register: Indiana and Ohio .
Develop a Plan: Use your creativity to inspire community members to make donations and find ways to raise money to purchase food for your trailer.
Download toolkits: Indiana Toolkit | Ohio Toolkit These toolkits are packed with banners, flyers, signage, social media graphics and many helpful tools.
Collect Items: During your fair, collect food items and place them in your trailer.
Donate: When your fair concludes, weigh all of your items, donate to a local food bank and report your success to Farm Credit Mid-America.
Celebrate: Let your community know what you accomplished; top donors will be awarded additional winnings.

For more information, visit Farm Credit Mid-America’s Community Investment website.

A New Era for the West: Public Lands Rule Repealed as BLM Overhauls Grazing Regs

Tue, 12 May 2026 21:13:28 GMT

In a sweeping move to restore the federal government’s commitment to multiple-use management, the Trump administration Tuesday finalized the rescission of the Biden-era Conservation and Landscape Health Rule (the Public Lands Rule) while simultaneously unveiling a landmark proposal to modernize the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) aging grazing regulations.

According to the Public Lands Council (PLC), individually, these actions are consequential to cattle and sheep producers across the West; together, they are a clear signal of BLM’s commitment to restoring effective multiple-use management and the agency’s investment in promoting strong rangeland resilience.

“From day one, public lands ranchers were clear with the Trump administration: we needed them to remove policies that illegally picked winners and losers in public land management, and we needed them to deliver on their commitment to bring important reforms to the agency’s 35-year-old grazing regulations,” says PLC President and Colorado permittee Tim Canterbury. “Today, they have delivered repeal of the Public Lands Rule that would have resulted in removal of grazing under the guise of ‘conservation’ principles, even though science demonstrates the benefits of our highly managed grazing on these landscapes.”

He adds, “For far too long, BLM has been operating under a set of rules that were developed in response to the ‘cattle free by [19]93’ campaign. The resulting regulations all but ensured ranchers did not have the flexibility to take full advantage of the scientific and management advances that the industry has made over the last 35 years. PLC called on the administration early in their term to incorporate principles of adaptive management into these regulations. Cattle and sheep producers – and the agency line officers they work with – should have the flexibility to make the best possible management decisions for the land, water and permit conditions, unconstrained by antiquated regulations. Today’s announcement is a massive step forward.”

What the Repeal Means for Ranchers

Restoring Multiple-Use: The repeal removes “conservation leases” that critics argued illegally prioritized nonuse over livestock production and energy development.
Wildfire Risk Reduction: Managed grazing is now formally recognized as a primary tool for reducing fuel loads and preventing catastrophic wildfires.
Regulatory Flexibility: Updated regulations provide “adaptive management” power, allowing ranchers to respond to weather and forage changes without waiting for lengthy federal approvals.

What was the Public Land Rule?

According to the Associated Press , the 2024 rule adopted under former President Joe Biden was meant to refocus the BLM, which oversees about 10% of land in the U.S. It allowed public property to be leased for restoration in the same way that oil companies lease land for drilling.

AP reports, “ Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the rule could have blocked access to hundreds of thousands of acres (hectares) of land — preventing energy and timber production and hurting ranchers who graze on public lands.”

Supporters argue conservation had long been a secondary consideration at the land bureau, neglecting its mission under the 1976 Federal Land Policy and Management Act. While the bureau previously issued leases for conservation purposes in limited cases, it never had a dedicated program prior to the Biden administration.

PLC led industry efforts to repeal the Public Lands Rule since it was initially finalized in 2024, including through congressional resolutions of disapproval and seeking legal remedies for the harm that would have been done to public lands ranchers and the resources they manage.

According to PLC, “Not only was this rule illegal, but it would also have enabled the federal government to remove family owned livestock operations from working lands and increase the risk for catastrophic wildfires by leaving countless acres of rangeland unmanaged.”

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What is the New Grazing MOU?

AgriSafe Network Offers 'Total Farmer Health Tools' To Support Mental Well-Being

Tue, 12 May 2026 20:06:04 GMT

With over 95% of U.S. farms operating as family-owned businesses, the line between workplace stress and home life is often nonexistent. To combat rising rates of depression and anxiety on the farm and across rural America, the AgriSafe Network is expanding its “Total Farmer Health” program to provide specialized crisis support and peer-to-peer resources.

Tara Haskins, program director, says the goal is to provide a safety net that supports the unique cultural landscape of agriculture — where a neighbor’s “check-in” can be just as vital as a professional intervention.

“We really feel strongly that we apply a total farmer health model,” Haskins says. “We realize that physical health is just a part of it. The social, the occupational, and the spiritual — all those aspects of health also play a role in farmer and rancher health.”

A Model Built For The Modern Farm

Founded 25 years ago by rural nurses and public health professionals, the AgriSafe Network is a national 501c3 nonprofit that bridges the gap between healthcare and agriculture. The organization’s Total Farmer Health model deliberately places the family at the core of its mission.

“The family plays a very unique dynamic in agriculture, so we felt like that needed to be at the center,” Haskins told AgriTalk Host Chip Flory on Tuesday.

The model addresses a constellation of “buckets” that circle the family unit, including occupational hazards, sleep deprivation, and spirituality. By categorizing resources this way, AgriSafe helps farmers identify how specific stressors — like a poor harvest or a physical safety hazard — trickle down into their emotional well-being.

Navigating The Crisis Across Rural America

For those in immediate distress, Haskins emphasizes that different tools serve different needs. The national 988 number is a vital catch-all. In addition, AgriSafe offers The AgriStress Helpline, a suicide and crisis line specifically for agricultural communities in 11 states. It’s available at (833) 897-2474.

“Those are really geared toward helping people in crisis in the moment and are available 24-7 by call and text,” Haskins says. “It helps keep them out of the hospital and can help bridge them to resources.”

However, therapy isn’t the only answer. Haskins points to the American Farm Bureau Federation Togetherall program as a premier example of peer-to-peer support.

“Farmers can talk to farmers about their issues; it’s amazing how important peer-to-peer support is,” she says.

How You Can Help A Neighbor

One of the greatest hurdles in rural mental health is knowing what to say when a friend or colleague admits they are struggling. Haskins advises that the goal is never to “fix” the problem, but to provide that individual with a safe harbor.

“First and foremost, anytime someone discloses their troubles, I think a good first step is to always thank them for trusting you to have that conversation,” Haskins says.

She offers three key strategies for supporters:

1. Listen to understand: “We need to focus our listening to understand, not listening to respond,” Haskins says.
2. Honor the silence: There is no need to fill every gap in a conversation with words. Silence gives the person space to process.
3. Validate the feeling: Simple phrases like, “It sounds like you’re dealing with a lot right now,” communicate empathy.

If you are the one noticing changes in a family member, neighbor or friend — such as withdrawal or uncharacteristic behavior — Haskins suggests using a gentle, observation-based opening: “I’ve noticed you haven’t seemed like yourself lately. I just want to check in.”

For those seeking professional help, AgriSafe maintains the AgriStress Provider Directory. This database features behavioral health professionals who have completed “Farm Response” training, ensuring they understand the specific cultural and economic pressures of the agricultural lifestyle.

“They’re well-positioned to really level up in a conversation with someone that’s in agriculture,” Haskins says.

More resources, training, and the provider directory are available at agrisafe.org. Also, learn more by listening to the conversation between Haskins and Flory on AgriTalk at the link below:

Beyond the Hide: How Data and Heat Tolerance are Powering the Red Angus Surge

Tue, 12 May 2026 19:24:14 GMT

Commercial cattle producers looking ahead to the next cow cycle are rethinking cow size, hide color and heat tolerance — and many are landing on Red Angus.

“We have record-low numbers of cows, supplies are tight and they’re tight at a time when consumer demand for quality beef is at a record level,” says Greg Ruehle, Red Angus Association of America CEO. “It’s like a perfect storm. It’s one of those opportunities that you don’t see maybe once in your career.”

Ruehle was the featured guest in Episode 21 of “ The Future of Beef Show. ” During the discussion, Ruehle lays out why the breed’s maternal efficiency, carcass quality and verification tools are helping red-hided cattle earn their place in pastures from the High Plains to the humid South.

For Red Angus breeders, he says, the timing is ideal as demand for their genetics and bull sale averages have surged, with many sales averaging $12,500 to $15,000 per head. He notes that Red Angus-influenced replacement females are extremely hard to find because so many are diverted into feeding channels to meet demand.

When asked what makes Red Angus distinct from black Angus, Ruehle underscores the genetics are the same, but the U.S. uniquely manages the breeds in separate herd books.

Seven key takeaways from the podcast discussion include:

1. Perfect Timing for Red Angus in a Tight Market

Record-low cow numbers and record-high demand for high-quality beef create a rare window where Red Angus genetics are in strong demand — for both bulls and replacement females.

2. Same Angus Genetics, But with a Red, Often More Heat-Tolerant Package

Ruehle explains Red and black Angus come from the same genetic pool, but Red Angus offers that Angus-quality eating experience in a hide that often fits heat- and humidity-challenged environments better, especially across the South.

3. Strong Maternal Cows Plus Carcass Performance on the Rail

Functionally, he frames Red Angus as a dual-purpose tool: a moderate, efficient, rugged maternal cow and a quality-driven sire for carcass performance. On the cow side, he highlights moderate size, docility, fertility and longevity, plus the ability to travel and forage efficiently. On the sire side, Red Angus brings quality grade, yield grade and feedlot performance.

4. Built for Crossbreeding and Heterosis — Char, Bos indicus and Beyond

He says the breed fits naturally into crossbreeding systems: Charolais × Red Angus buckskins, American Reds (Red Angus × Bos indicus), Premium Red Baldy (Red Angus × Hereford) and other combinations that target both heterosis and market recognition.

5. Focused on Killing the “Red Discount” with Verification and Data

Ruehle stresses a top priority for the association and its board is eliminating unnecessary price discounts on red-hided calves versus black.

“We do that a lot of ways,” he explains. “We do it by tracking those animals, making sure that we can differentiate them from another red-hided animal in the marketplace. EPDs and the ability to use other DNA tools to track and measure performance on those cattle are absolutely vital.”

6. A Data-Driven, Commercially Oriented Association

Red Angus stands out for mandatory total-herd reporting and required birth and weaning data on every registered calf, supporting trustworthy EPDs and a culture that stays anchored to commercial performance, not just the show ring.

“Red Angus is the only breed that has a mandatory total-herd reporting requirement,” Ruehle says. “We’re the only one that requires you to register and pay on every cow in your herd every year. Every animal to be registered has to have a birth weight and a weaning weight.”

7. Individual-Animal ID and Feedback Loops Are the Future Edge

By tying EID-based, individual-animal data from the plant back to the feedyard and then to specific cows and sires, Red Angus aims to speed genetic progress and help producers make more informed breeding and marketing decisions.

“If we can bring data back from that animal performance in the feedyard, back to the ranch, and tie that back to a cow and a bull, I think then things really get exciting, and we can see improvements happen quickly,” he summarizes.

Looking into the crystal ball, Ruehle sees opportunity and risk intertwined. The opportunity is to rebuild the cow herd with a more thoughtful genetic base and to cement Red Angus as a key contributor — especially in heat-stressed, forage-based systems. The risk lies in mismanaging consumer trust by failing to consistently deliver the high-quality beef experience that has driven demand. He believes Red Angus’ combination of PVP infrastructure, individual animal ID and a data-first culture puts the breed in a strong position that others will struggle to replicate.

The Digital Farmhand: How AI is Solving the Agricultural Labor Crisis

Wed, 13 May 2026 12:00:36 GMT

Agriculture is facing a historic labor shortage at the same time artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping how the world operates. Some fear AI adoption will result in job loss and businesses being left behind due to rapidly evolving technology. Others say AI is the digital farmhand agriculture needs right now to handle repetitive data tasks while humans focus on high-value animal husbandry or field work.

Either way, one thing is true – AI is not going anywhere.

“Whether AI replaces jobs or not depends on how the industry chooses to use it,” says Angel Andaya, manager of digital solutions for Silver Support, a managed development center supporting operations, finance, digital solutions, information technology and automation services.

If AI is seen purely as a replacement, she says that is likely the direction it will take. But it could also become a powerful tool to help farm operations thrive despite labor challenges.

The “Why Now” of AI: Accessibility and Adoption

While AI has existed for years (think Netflix recommendations and GPS), the launch of ChatGPT marked a paradigm shift that made the technology conversational and accessible to everyone, says Tracy Soper, senior director of data excellence at Keystone Cooperative.

“At 100 million [users] in two months, ChatGPT’s growth is unheard of – nothing has grown that fast,” Soper said at the National Pedigreed Livestock Council’s annual meeting. “Why? Because it was conversational and easy to access. It was something all of us could touch and could relate to, like, ‘Oh, this is a thing. It makes my life easier.’”

In the past, technology adoption took years. Now, it happens in months, creating a sense of “AI hysteria” and a need for clear strategy, he adds.

Problem First, People Always

Rather than viewing AI as a replacement for human expertise, it should be viewed as an amplification tool, he says. The strategy is to avoid expensive shelfware by starting with specific business problems.

“It can do a lot of things, but how are we going to use it?” Soper asks. “For us at Keystone, AI is not about replacing people; it’s making people better.”

Years ago, Soper says his job was to look over all things related to information technology (IT). Today that looks like AI and automation solutions as the cooperative’s scale has grown.

“For us, it’s starting very specifically with what problem we’re trying to solve today and then asking, ‘Why can’t we solve it with what we’ve got?’” he says.

Keystone takes a four-step approach:

1. Start with the problem, not the technology.

“AI only creates value when it’s solving a real business challenge. Companies that buy a tool, hand it to IT and expect magic end up with expensive shelfware,” Soper says.

2. Data readiness before algorithms.

“Any insight is only as good as the data feeding it,” he says. “We invested significant time building a modern data foundation before ever pursuing AI.”

3. Amplify expertise – don’t replace it.

“AI is not replacing agronomists, breed managers or the people closest to the animals. It’s amplifying their experience and sharpening their decision timing,” Soper explains.

4. Your data is the competitive edge.

“The competitive gap will be built on data readiness as much as algorithms,” he says.

In the future, Keystone is working actively in predictive machine learning and generative AI, using them to improve decision timing, streamline operations and better serve the producers who depend on the cooperative.

Shorten Time-Consuming Tasks

AI helps experts ask better questions sooner, Soper says. With data flowing more freely across the value chain, he believes there is great opportunity where AI and animal data converge.

For example, computer vision for body condition scoring, lameness detection and welfare monitoring is moving from research into practice in many barns. He’s also excited about how AI-assisted genomic prediction and health monitoring are advancing across species and can help make progress more quickly.

Andaya encourages farmers to think about the daily realities on the farm. What tasks are essential, but time consuming and repetitive?

“Even small improvements in how they are managed can free up valuable time and improve decision-making on the ground,” Andaya says.

If these processes are supported through AI, she believes it will enable farmers and their employees to focus more on animal welfare, planning and improving overall farm productivity.

“In this sense, AI is less about replacement and more about giving farmers and livestock teams the space to focus on what truly matters,” she says.

4 Tips for Successful AI Implementation

Agriculture and livestock operations are full of valuable data from daily logs to finances, Andaya explains.

“What’s changing is how effectively this information can be used,” she says.

Soper says Keystone has learned four important lessons in their journey to use AI more efficiently.

1. Data quality is everything.

Start with the data you own. Then budget time for discovery and cleanup.

2. Build for the people doing the work.

The tool needs to make someone’s job easier or it won’t get used. AI should amplify good discipline.

3. Scope tight, prove value first.

Prove it works before you scale. The business has to own the problem – IT enables, but stakeholders drive adoption and define success.

4. Governance can’t wait.

Policies around approved tools, data and data protection need to exist before people experiment. Once people start using AI on their own, it’s harder to rein in.

Heavy Steers and Lean Cows: Drivers of the 2026 Ground Beef Market

Tue, 12 May 2026 15:48:30 GMT

In a market defined by record-breaking prices, an unlikely partnership is driving the value of ground beef: 980-lb. carcasses and the lean cull cows needed to balance them out. While fed cattle weights have reached historic highs, they’ve created a massive surplus of fat trim that requires an equally historic amount of lean blending beef to meet consumer demand. This blending math — combined with tight supplies and a shift in culling patterns — is pushing cull cow prices to new heights.

David Anderson, Texas A&M professor and Extension specialist for livestock and food product marketing, in a recent Southern Ag Today article , summarizes that cull cow prices keep climbing.

“While calf and fed cattle prices have continued to set new record highs in the cash and futures market, cull cow prices have continued their slow ascent to new highs as lean beef prices keep pulling cow prices higher,” Anderson explains. “Southern Plains cull cow auction prices increased to almost $180 per cwt in late April, up about $15 per cwt since January. The seasonal price increase has been smaller than normal this year. Cutter-quality cows have increased about $30 per cwt., almost 25%, since the beginning of the year.”

(USDA-AMS, Livestock Marketing Information Center)

The Blending Effect: Why 980-lb. Carcasses Need Lean Cows

Blending math is the process of mixing high-fat trim from fed cattle with 90% lean beef from cull cows to meet consumer demand for specific ground beef ratios. Anderson stresses one overlooked boost to lean beef prices has been record-large fed cattle dressed weights. Average federally inspected fed steer dressed weights have remained more than 980 lb. per carcass since late 2025.

“Larger carcasses produce additional fat that requires more lean beef for blending to boost its value as ground beef rather than just tallow entering the fats and oils market,” he says.

Glynn Tonsor, Kansas State University professor of agricultural economics, says when the beef industry harvests animals bigger than ever, it is also getting more 50% lean and 50% fat trimmings per animal than ever before. He points out most consumers don’t directly consume 50/50, thus it is an input into ground beef production, and it only works if there is more lean to blend with it.

If there is not enough U.S.-produced lean to blend, the next option is to import lean.

Dairy Culling Shifts and the April Pullback

After exceeding slaughter of a year ago through the first 10 weeks of 2026, dairy cow culling pulled back to year-ago levels during April.

“Dairy cow culling typically peaks in January and February each year, then declines into midyear,” Anderson says. “The decline in dairy cow slaughter has pulled down total cow culling as weekly beef cow slaughter has held at steady but low levels. For the year, total dairy cow slaughter is reported up 6% compared to last year while total cow slaughter (beef and dairy) is down 5%.”

(USDA-AMS and USDA-NASS, Livestock Marketing Information Center)

Beef and dairy cow slaughter is reported weekly by region of the U.S. In recent weeks, Anderson says reported regional cow slaughter data has declined due to confidentiality rules that prevent publication if there are too few buyers to prevent revealing any one operation’s actions.

(USDA-AMS and USDA-NASS, Livestock Marketing Information Center)

“The lack of reporting due to confidentiality concerns has been a problem in fed cattle reporting for many years,” Anderson says. “On the positive side, the weekly national cow slaughter data includes all of the regions, including those that could not be reported regionally.”

2026 projected cow culling is based on year-to-date beef cow slaughter.

(Oklahoma State University)

Retention vs. Liquidation: The Impact of Record Calf Values

Anderson says record-high calf prices are likely keeping cows on the ranch or dairy that otherwise would have been culled to get one more calf out of them. As those calves are born and move to weaning, there may be an increase in culling as those cows come to market.

“Cull prices tend to peak midyear, so there is room for cow prices to continue to increase over the next couple of months,” Anderson says. “Beyond just the seasonal pattern arguing for higher prices, cow culling should continue to be lower than last year, further supporting prices. Beef cow slaughter is expected to remain well below a year ago. Better milk prices should restrain dairy cow culling even though the herd remains large.”

Analyst Predicts Cull Cow Prices Will Remain Elevated

Adding to the discussion on cull cow marketing strategies, Don Close, Terrain chief beef analyst, explains, “Growing up in sale barns we always used to say the best day of the year to sell a used cow is the first day of baseball season. There is some grounding in that date. As soon as grass greens, after a producer has kept her and fed hay all winter, he isn’t going to sell her if he has grass, especially if he thinks she is bred. Once she has calved and grass is available, the producer isn’t inclined to do much unless it is a drought or injury issue. At this point they will wait until fall weaning and cow-sorting time.”

He also points out another driving factor for cull cow prices is the strength of ground beef prices supported with the beginning of the grilling season — prepared-meat manufacturers’ demand is at its peak. Hot dog and lunch meat sales go up as children are out of school and with ballpark hot dog consumption.

(USDA-AMS, Livestock Marketing Information Center)

Your Next Reads:

7 Reasons Your Deworming Program Isn’t Working

Tue, 12 May 2026 18:09:15 GMT

For many producers, deworming has become a routine part of herd management. Cattle are processed, products are administered and the expectation is that parasite control is handled for another season.

But across the industry, cattle continue to underperform despite regular treatment. In many cases, the issue is not a single product failure, but a combination of resistance pressure, hidden production losses and management habits that gradually reduce the effectiveness of parasite control programs over time.

On the most recent episode of “ The Bovine Vet Podcast ,” Megan Bollin, a technical services veterinarian with Norbrook, and Nancy Jackson, a field veterinarian for the Mississippi Board of Animal Health, outlined several reasons why deworming programs may not be delivering the results producers expect.

1. Subclinical Parasites May Be Hurting Performance Before You Notice

Parasites do not need to cause obvious disease to affect productivity. In many cases, the biggest losses are occurring quietly through reduced digestion, feed efficiency and weight gain.

“Those parasites are going in and doing damage to the lining of the abomasum, and so what normally should be a lower pH is actually becoming more neutral. That impacts protein digestion, nutrient absorption and even appetite. It reduces voluntary feed intake, and then that cascades into average daily gain, feed efficiency, milk production and reproductive performance,” Bollin explains.

Because those effects develop gradually, they are often difficult to recognize without measurement.

“They’re those silent robbers that are there. We can’t really see them, and that’s why it’s called a subclinical impact, but they’re doing major damage,” Bollin says.

Jackson notes some calves may visibly underperform, but many losses remain subtle enough that producers underestimate the impact.

“You can see it in some cases, calves just standing there, not grazing, not performing, but a lot of times producers don’t realize what they’ve lost because they’re not measuring it,” Jackson says.

2. Resistance Is Already Present on Many Operations

Reduced dewormer efficacy is no longer considered a future concern. Parasite susceptibility can now vary significantly between farms, even within the same geographic region.

“Even from one side of the county to the other, recommendations might be very different depending on pasture type, parasite exposure and treatment history,” Bollin says.

That variability makes it increasingly difficult to assume a protocol that works well on one operation will perform the same way elsewhere.

At the same time, few replacement products are expected in the near future.

“We’ve routinely given the same things over and over, and we don’t have any new molecules on the horizon,” Bollin explains.

As resistance pressure increases, reduced efficacy in existing products can have growing consequences for cattle performance and long-term parasite control.

3. You May Be Underdosing More Often Than You Think

One of the most common management issues contributing to reduced efficacy is underdosing. As cattle size has increased over time, dose estimates have not always kept pace.

“Our producers still think they have a 1,000-lb. cow, but cows have been getting bigger for years. So, we’ve probably been underdosing cattle, especially those larger animals and bulls.” Jackson warns.

Underdosing exposes parasites to a drug without fully eliminating them, increasing the likelihood that surviving worms contributes to future resistance problems.

4. Some Dewormers Are Being Used Like Fly Control Products

Convenience can also create problems when products are used outside their intended purpose.

According to Jackson, some producers are administering pour-on dewormers at partial doses primarily for fly control rather than at labeled doses intended to control internal parasites. Repeated exposure to subtherapeutic drug levels creates ideal conditions for resistant parasites to survive and spread.

5. Poor Record-Keeping Makes Resistance Harder to Detect

Inconsistent product tracking can make parasite control decisions much more difficult over time. Without knowing which active ingredients or drug classes have been used previously, producers may unknowingly rely on the same class repeatedly or struggle to evaluate whether a protocol is still effective.

“I’ll ask what they used, and they’ll say, ‘It was the blue one’ or ‘I got it off the shelf at the co-op.’ But we need to know the active ingredient to make good decisions,” Jackson says.

That lack of detail can make it harder to identify emerging resistance patterns before they become more significant problems.

6. Application Problems Can Look Like Resistance

Not every apparent treatment failure is true resistance. In some cases, the problem lies in how the product was administered.

“There are a lot of things that have to go right with a pour-on for it to work. If the animal is dirty, that product isn’t going to get absorbed. If it rains, it can dilute it. Oral products can be spit out. There are a lot of factors that can look like resistance but aren’t,” Bollin explains.

Without recognizing those factors, producers may incorrectly conclude that resistance is solely to blame.

7. Parasite Problems Don’t Stay on One Farm

The effects of ineffective parasite control can extend well beyond a single operation. As calves move through the production chain, resistant parasite populations can move with them, affecting downstream performance and management decisions.

“When those calves leave your place, you’re passing that parasite load on to someone else. If it’s resistant, it affects the feedlot and performance down the line,” Jackson warns.

That interconnectedness means small failures repeated across multiple operations can gradually reshape parasite pressure across the industry.

Why Parasite Problems Keep Building

Many deworming programs do not fail because of one dramatic mistake. Instead, they lose effectiveness gradually through repeated small issues: underdosing, inconsistent application, misuse of products and resistance pressure that goes unnoticed until performance has already been affected.

Routine treatment schedules alone are no longer guaranteeing consistent outcomes, particularly when the surrounding management practices remain inconsistent. This means parasite control is becoming less about whether cattle are treated and more about how those treatments are being used and how the results are being monitored over time.

To hear more from Bollin and Jackson on how deworming strategies may be falling short, and how strategies are evolving, listen to the full conversation on the latest episode of “The Bovine Vet Podcast.”

Government Seizes Farmer’s Land to Build Airport for Corporate Jets and Business Hangars

Tue, 12 May 2026 13:46:37 GMT

The government is taking Jeff Melin’s Georgia farm. His crime? Preserving 450 acres and pouring blood, sweat, and tears into the property.

“We already gave the government land for eminent domain,” he says. “Now they’re back wanting more. Now they want it all.”

Even in the nightmare realm of eminent domain power grabs, Melin’s case is particularly shocking. His farmland is being obliterated, with roughly 225 acres ripped from the middle of his operation to house an airport: Cows replaced by corporate jets. Barns replaced by hangars.

“And it’s not even for commercial passengers,” he says. “It’s an airport for billionaires to park their jets and big businesses to have hangars.”

“My grandfather, dad, and myself protected this land,” Melin continues. “We survived depressions and disasters, and kept this place together for decades. My dad turned down millions of dollars, over and over, from subdivisions.”

Melin describes a sickening contradiction of farmland preservation. “We sacrificed to keep this wonderful place whole, and now that’s why they want it. How could it be more ironic? If we’d have built on it or trashed it, they’d leave it alone. The better and longer you take care of your land, the more at risk you are to losing it.”

Insult to deepest injury, Melin is getting a per acre pittance for his land, he says. “They force me to sell against my will and then pay a fraction of the value. And I’m not allowed to turn them down. My story will make you question what kind of country you’re living in.”

Heaven No More
Sixty miles south of Atlanta, in Spalding County, Melin stares across gentle hills veined with creeks, rubbing against a mix of pastures and woods: cattle, water, deer plots, dove field, pecan grove, and much more. Despite the beauty, it also contains a withering family legacy.

“Our farm was not for sale at any price because our lives were molded around this land,” says Jeff Melin.

(Photo courtesy of Melin Farms)

Awaiting grinding at the edge of the 70-acre pecan grove, a chain of toppled trees stretches like fallen dominoes, with many of the specimens over a century in age. Concrete poles are already in place as pecans give way to power lines. Soon, grass will give way to a 6,000’ asphalt runway, as part of a 730-acre new airport for Spalding County.

“I’ve got 90 days to get my stuff out of a 40’-by-60’ shop so they can get started,” Melin describes. “It’s an order to vacate. That means 90 days to move 75 years worth of farm equipment. I don’t even know where I’ll put all the tools, welders, compressors, and all the rest. I don’t have another shop built. I’ve got to get rid of at least 65 cows and 30 calves right off the bat.”

“They’ve killed my farm,” he adds. “This will be the end of me. And when I say, ‘they,’ I mean the county, state, and federal government. All three are involved with this airport.”

“All together, they’re taking about 225 acres from the middle of my operation. They’re leaving me land in the back that’s landlocked, that I can’t get to, and then leaving me land on the front of one side that’s going to be landlocked. I never dreamed this is how it’d end. For sure, my grandfather and dad (John Bennett Melin) never dreamed it, either. This was heaven to us.”

In 1951, the Melin clan pulled stakes in Red Wing, Minnesota and moved over 1,200 miles to Griffin, Georgia, hauling cattle the whole way, to start Melin Brothers Polled Herefords.

Melin’s 450-acre farm is split into four parcels. The county is taking a 225-acre strip from the middle.

(Photo courtesy of Melin Farms)

“I love everything this farm represents—heart and soul,” Melin says. “I love it so much that I took a job close to home as a mechanic at Delta Airlines so that I could work the land and help my dad. We grew up with sacrifice. Didn’t matter if it was family vacation or Thanksgiving—somebody had to be here to feed. People in farming know exactly what I’m saying. Our farm was not for sale at any price because our lives were molded around this land.”

“At 57 and approaching retirement age, to have your land and life snatched away feels like a terrible dream, but I know it’s real. It all started with a newspaper article: They didn’t even have the decency to knock on my door.”

Blood and Tears
In 2012, Melin opened a morning newspaper to find himself in the bull’s-eye of eminent domain’s “common good.” The existing Spalding County airport’s runway was deemed too short, and Melin’s farm was listed among four to five potential sites to build a new airport on 730 acres, including 124 hangars for express and corporate jets.

The opening stage of airport-related construction commences as a power line takes out a pecan grove on Melin’s land.

(Photo courtesy of Melin Farms)

According to the Georgia Department of Transportation, a new airport would generate $24 million in economic impact per year for Spalding County.

Melin was stunned. His ground is hilly. “I thought it was impossible. A mistake. Why build an airport in hills? I couldn’t imagine the amount of dirt moving and earthworks and boxing creeks it’d take to build an airport on my land. I mean, it even requires moving power lines and a gas line.”

No matter. Melin’s land is open and near town. Case closed, in the county’s eyes.

“We’re an old mill town. There’s plenty of other spots that are flatter, but they don’t want to deal with the legalities and paperwork. Better to take prime agriculture ground preserved across my dad’s lifetime at a cost of blood and tears. There’s a lot of other dilapidated land around here, but it’s not open and would require diligence and hassle. Better to steal mine. There was no public vote or opportunity to say no. Nothing.”

Melin’s 450-acre farm is split into four parcels. The county is taking a 225-acre strip from the middle. Irony upon irony, Melin already had willfully ceded ground to eminent domain. “Many times in the past, for genuine public good, we got out of the way when roads were widened, because we cared about people’s safety. This is not that. This is greed and power.”

An Honest Dollar
Letters and studies. Environmental. Archeological. Ecological.

“They dragged it out, year after year, and never let you know what was really going on,” Melin contends. “They never listened. They never communicated with us face to face. They didn’t come to my house. They didn’t seek me out. They didn’t come find me and say anything. They sent a few letters and made their announcements.”

“It just doesn’t seem like America when someone shows up and says, ‘We’re taking your land for a set price, and you’ll like it or else,’” says Melin.

(Photo courtesy of Melin Farms)

“It was shoddy. No matter what I said, they’d respond, ‘We just have to keep on doing studies.’ This was a foregone conclusion, but they pretended otherwise. They didn’t even know there were five gas lines under me and were going to put hangars on top of them.”

Money doesn’t replace lifeblood, but Melin assumed he’d receive a “fair price” for his land.

Melin had fair reasoning behind his assumption: According to the county, there was nowhere else to build an airport presented as indispensable and necessary. Arguably, Melin was sitting atop the most vital land in Spalding County.

“Nope. They wouldn’t give me an honest dollar.”

Like It or Else
Every year, Melin poured in money to improve his land and soils. Fertilizer, lime, weed control, and myriad other management costs—even foot patrol with a backpack sprayer to kill thistle. “None of that goes into their valuations. All I can do about value is look around and make reasonable judgements based on how much got paid recently for land recently around me. There was an old cattle farm right down the road that we did business with for years. It was 100 acres, fenced and cross-fenced, and sold for $75,000 an acre to Georgia Power for a substation. The owner got $7.5M.”

According to schedule, construction of the new Spalding County Airport will begin in 2026 and conclude in 2031.

(Photo by Google Maps)

“About 2 miles from me, the county bought a 29-acre school site and paid $14,000 per acre about 22 years ago: $420,000,” he adds.

However, according to Melin, Spalding County offered a fraction of what the school property brought per acre. “I’m getting lowballed with a percentage of what the other properties sold for, but I can’t refuse the offer. Don’t tell me about federal guidelines and fair market value. I have eyes. I can smell corruption and manipulation. Doesn’t mean I can prove it, but it’s right in front of my face.”

“It just doesn’t seem like America when someone shows up and says, ‘We’re taking your land for a set price, and you’ll like it or else.’”

Farmer In the Way
According to schedule, construction of the new Spalding County Airport will begin in 2026 and conclude in 2031. Within proximity of Melin’s farm, a groundbreaking ceremony is imminent.

“The better and longer you take care of your land, the more at risk you are to losing it,” warns Jeff Melin.

(Photo courtesy of Melin Farms)

“The lieutenant governor, state officials, politicians, and county commissioners will all be there, backslapping, grinning, and congratulating each other,” Melin notes. “Not a one of them can look me in the eye. Can you imagine if eminent domain was used to take their land to park a jet? No, you can’t imagine such, because that would never happen to them.”

“But I’m just a farmer in their way. They’re happy to take my land and call it ‘progress and public good.’ Force me to sell, take my land, and fly in the billionaires and big companies.”

Grass and dirt in a forced exchange for concrete and asphalt. A farm legacy erased by county, state, and federal seizure. “They’re taking my farmland so rich men can have hangars for their jets,” Melin concludes. “That sound like the ‘public good’ of eminent domain?”

For more from Chris Bennett (@ChrisBennettMS or cbennett@farmjournal.com or 662-592-1106), see:

Stealing the Farm: China Continues Raid of US Agriculture by Theft and Agroterror

Corn and Cocaine: Roger Reaves and the Most Incredible Farm Story Never Told

How the Deep State Tried, and Failed, to Crush an American Farmer

Game of Horns: Iowa Poacher’s Antler Addiction Leads to Historic Bust

Ghost Cattle: $650M Ponzi Rocks Livestock Industry, Money Still Missing

Georgia Watermelon Heist Explodes into Epic Night of Pandemonium

Sisters of Farm Fraud: How 4 Siblings Fleeced USDA for $10M

When Conservation Backfires: Landowner Defeats Feds in Mindboggling Private Property Case

Cold-Busted: Frozen Deer Decoy Nabs Poachers and Cocaine in Spectacular Sting

Sticky Fingers: USDA Fraudster Steals $200M in Stunning Scam

Trump Plans to Tackle Beef Prices with More Imports

Mon, 11 May 2026 18:06:39 GMT

Update: Late Monday night, the Wall Street Journal reported the president delayed his actions.

Tuesday morning, in response to the delayed signing of the executive orders, a White House official says, “The President is committed to lowering beef and other grocery costs for everyday Americans, and the Administration is accordingly fine-tuning potential executive actions to alleviate temporary shortages in the domestic beef market.”

In response to the potential expansion of imports, R-CALF USA issued a statement sharing the organizations concerns with the potential 200-day suspension of certain tariff-rate quotas (TRQ) for beef.

On Monday, a White House official confirmed the President Trump would sign two executive orders to address short-term supply issues in the U.S. beef market by expanding imports and supporting the renewal of America’s domestic cattle herd, which is currently at a multidecade low.

According to a Wall Street Journal article , “The Trump administration is opening the way to import more steaks and ground beef from overseas, part of a broader effort to address record-high beef prices.”

The WSJ article explains the administration is planning to temporarily reduce tariffs on beef imports as soon as Monday, according to people familiar with the matter. “The move would suspend the annual tariff-rate quota — which applies a higher tariff rate after a certain level of beef imports are reached — on all beef-exporting nations, enabling more of the product to enter the U.S. at lower tariff rates.”

Beef prices have seen sizable year over year increases for some time. According to Reuters , although prices for eggs, milk and other grocery staples have fallen since Trump took office in January 2025, beef prices have continued to climb.

Last October, Trump ordered a quadrupling of beef imports from Argentina , and a month later removed his 40% punitive tariff on Brazilian beef and coffee.

Reuters says the moves did little to reverse beef ‌prices, ⁠which are up 12.1% year-over-year in April, according to the Labor Department’s Consumer Price Index. Beef is more than 16% more expensive than when Trump returned to office in January 2025.

(U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics via FRED)

What Does Monday’s Announcement Mean

“There is considerable uncertainty about the details,” says Derrell Peel, State University Extension livestock marketing specialist. “It’s not clear whether this only applies to over-quota tariffs or to the 10% retaliatory tariffs that everyone faces. In any event, I don’t believe this will have large impacts to reduce beef prices in the U.S.”

Peel predicts it may only impact Brazil and perhaps Paraguay. Otherwise it may impact Australia and others as well.

“The market is basically determining beef imports now, albeit with some tariffs,” he explains. “Reducing tariffs might have a minor impact on the quantity of imports but I think it is minimal. If it does have any impacts it will marginally reduce lean processing beef prices and thus ground beef. No impact on steaks.”

David Anderson, Texas A&M professor and Extension specialist for livestock and food product marketing, explains the U.S. has TRQs on beef from a bunch of countries.

“The way it works is that the country can export to us at a low tariff until the quota is filled and then the tariff jumps up to a higher level for the rest of the year,” he explains. “For example, imports from Brazil come in at a very low tariff until the quota is triggered and then the tariff jumps to 26.4%.”

Anderson explains by suspending the TRQ the administration has announced, effectively, a lower tariff on imported beef.

“The majority of what we import is lean trimmings for ground beef so that might suggest any impact might be more on the cull cow side of things. I don’t expect much, if any, price impact from this,” Anderson predicts. “These countries also export beef to China and other places so how much is really available to send here? Existing contracts with other buyers in other countries may impact how much is available right away to come here.”

He adds China has recently announced TRQs on beef and the ones for Australia and Brazil are likely to quite restrictive later in the year.

“That indicates that we might get more imports from those countries later in 2026 due to the Chinese tariff restricting what they can sell in China due to relative prices including the tariff,” he summarizes.

Beef Imports Today

Peel says, “Beef imports increased 18% year over year in 2025 and are up 61.4% since 2022, the year of record U.S. beef production and when the current market run began. Total beef production in 2025 was down 3.6% year over year and is down 8.1% since 2022. More important relative to beef imports, production of nonfed beef (from cull cows and bulls) was down 8.0% last year and is down 24.8% since 2022. In fact, nonfed beef production in 2025 was the smallest total since 2005.”

Peel says in a recent Cow-Calf Corner article , increased beef imports are the market response to declining lean beef supplies due to decreased nonfed beef production since most beef imports are lean processing beef. Higher prices of lean beef in the U.S. prompts increased imports from any of several potential beef import sources.

“The amount of beef imports from various sources depends on several factors including: the country’s ability to produce and export; other export markets for the country; and relative price competitiveness of the country, which depends on exchange rates and tariffs the country faces,” Peel explains.

Peel summarizes the top importing countries since 2022:

Australia — up 251.1%
Canada — up 4.3%
Brazil — up 99.9%
Mexico — down 4%
New Zealand — up 37.2%
Uruguay — up 158.8%

Figure 1: U.S. Beef Import, 2019-2025, Million Pounds, Carcass Weight

(Oklahoma State University)

“Record high U.S. ground beef prices continue to be the focus of political discussion along with the possibility of increased beef imports to address unprecedented lean beef prices,” Peel says. “It is important to remember that beef imports are limited only by market forces that determine the total quantity and the mix of sources supplying beef to the U.S. market.”

The latest data for January show some interesting changes in beef imports. Total January beef imports were up 7.7% year over year and up 86% compared to January 2022, see Figure 2.

Figure 2: Beef Import, January. Total January beef imports were up 7.7% year over year and up 86% compared to January 2022.

(Oklahoma State University)

Peel points out the ost noticeable in Figure 2 is the jump in the other category, up 119% from one year ago.

“The biggest part of these other sources is Paraguay, a new player in the beef import market,” he says. “January beef imports from Paraguay were up 147.4% year over year and accounted for 61.1% of the other category and 10.8% of total monthly beef imports. Paraguay has only been exporting to the U.S. since 2024,”

According to Peel Paraguay was able to capture a significant portion of the “Other Country” quota that Brazil has dominated the past four years. January beef imports from Brazil were down 15.1%year over year. Combined January imports from Brazil and Paraguay were up 5.3% year over year. He says this illustrates that markets are determining the total level of imports and also the distribution of sources of beef imports.

Argentina has been the focus of much of the political discussion about beef imports.

Argentina represented 26.1% of the other category and 2.3% of total beef imports in 2025. Peel says Argentina has been granted an expanded tariff rate quota (TRQ) in 2026. Total beef imports from Argentina in 2025 were more than double the previous quota and were limited by market conditions rather than the quota. In January 2026, imports of Argentina were up 122.5% year over year but still represented just 16.1% of other country imports and 2.8% of total January imports (Figure 2).

Peel adds It’s not clear whether Argentina will be able to fill the additional quota this year. The increase would be at the expense of domestic consumption and/or other export markets in Argentina. Increase in beef imports from Argentina would likely displace some imports from other sources.

“Expected growth in beef imports in 2026 will continue to be determined by market forces and may include some relative increase in imports from Argentina,” Peel summarizes.

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Cattle Bounce Early, Act Toppy: Grains Rally Adding War and China Premium

Mon, 11 May 2026 15:35:34 GMT

Livestock and grain futures were mostly higher early Monday with risk on buying across the complex.

Cattle Futures Bounce After Lower Weekly Closes
Cattle futures were higher early Monday after disappointing closes on Friday with lower weekly closes in both live and feeder cattle futures.

Brad Kooima with Kooima Kooima Varilek says the action was a red flag to him since it came after record fed cash trade.

“After 45 years what comes to my mind is when you whip the horse he had better run. Which is a way of saying when the news is good it should rally when the news is bad it should go down. If it doesn’t then you should evaluate just exactly what is the market trading,” he says.

Last Thursday the futures broke on fears of increased Brazilian beef imports and a change in the tariff and quota as President Trump was meeting with Brazilian President Lula.

However, when that didn’t materialize Kooima says the market should have recovered on Friday and it didn’t.

Futures vs. Record Cash
The other concern is that the futures failed to rally on record cash news of up to $260 in the North.

Kooima says, “Are you kidding me we got $260 and a lot of the $260 bought up in my region was for all the way into the first week of June from a couple of the major players.”

Basis Play
He chalks it up to a basis play on cash cattle where the cash is higher than the futures and this wide disparity between the two is mirroring the last bull market in cattle in 2014.

“One of the features to that was that we had an extreme basis. We had at times where futures were much below cash. I mean, like $8, $10, $14 for a while, $15. I wonder if that’s how, as we get to the end of this rally that most of it maybe won’t come in a basis adjustment. In other words, where cash goes much above futures,” he explains.

This happened in 2025 according to Kooima. “Now, last year at this time, hey, $8 or $10 or whatever, you know, with cash above futures. We traded like that a long time last year, okay? So, you know, part of me is going like, hey, you know, to have the June’s $10 under cash isn’t the first time. But I think, you know, you got to look at at least, I look at it a little more analytically.”

So, even though numbers are tight on cattle, the market may be indicating that demand isn’t going to stay very good.

Beef Demand Faltering?
Kooima says there is already evidence beef demand is faltering with Choice beef just over $388, in the face of slaughter cuts and a weekly slaughter of only 527,000 head.

He says that is a problem. “I’m becoming worried about it. Maybe two weeks ahead of Mother’s Day, usually that’s where we catch. That’s where the boxes start to rally. That’s where the middle meets, which is the steak cuts. You sell more strip steaks on Mother’s Day weekend than any other weekend of the year, followed by Memorial Day and Father’s Day.”

At the same time the market sees a movement of choice over select where there’s more demand for these these better quality cuts and that was only $3.38 on Friday which he says is not a good sign. It also means negative packer margins, which can’t be sustained and may result in another plant closure.

“Are we going to lose another packer or something like that or another shift or something. If you’re a packer and May is the month that you almost always make a lot of money and you are like halfway through and are losing like this, I’m sure that those Monday morning boardroom meetings got to be not much fun at all for them,” he adds.

High Gas Prices?
Is the slower demand a function of high gas prices finally taking their toll? Or it is just higher beef prices at the store?

Kooima thinks it is probably both at least in the case of higher priced cuts.

“Now, I should mention that, you know, when we talked about demand, demand for the grind is good for the hamburger,” he adds.

And if gas prices start to come down he thinks consumer demand will rebound quickly.

DOJ Probe Spooks the Funds
The other concerns is that the funds, who are long the cattle market, have likely seen the headlines about the DOJ investigation of the big four packers and got spooked.

“If you’ve got a fund manager, an algorithm that trades or reacts to headlines. What’s the long speculator going to do here? He’s going to go, well, geez, I got to trade crude oil. I got to trade Iran war and now this DOJ probe. If they think that there’s a chance that something really comes of that breaking up the big four it would be extremely bearish in the short term,” he adds.

Funds are currently long over 138,000 contracts and added nearly 6,500 contracts to their length last as of last Tuesday.

Feeder Cattle Futures Discount to Index
The feeder cattle futures are also at a big discount to the cash index index according to Kooima.

Feeder index today is going to be up around $375.86 is our guess. So we’re trading about $6 under or something like that. And as someone who’s actively in the cash feeder cattle market for these good 800 pound kind of cattle, if you can find them in the north, they’re not much cheaper, if any at all. So the demand for the cash feeder cattle continue to be very strong,” he says.

Hogs Bounce Off New Lows
Lean hogs futures were slightly higher Monday morning but bouncing off of new lows set on Friday. So can they hold?

Kooima says there are many fundamentals that should support the futures including the disease issues in the country and high priced feeder pigs.

However, it is being offset by the ample slaughter figures which is holding back the board.

Domestic demand has been steady but globally he says China is not buying much U.S. pork with their large hog supplies and there are concerns about Mexico.

Grains Higher Adding War, China Premium
Grains started higher on Monday adding premium back in as the war continues in Iran and heading into the China summit on May 14 and 15.

Kooima says the market is hoping for some additional China commitments but talk Friday puts their purchases of soybeans at another 12 to 13 MMT for this calendar year, which would be a disappointment.

The corn rally last week was capped as well on the July contract with a double top and the May WASDE will be a reminder of the large old crop corn ending stocks he says.

Still he is hopeful if the U.S. can secure some China corn purchases it could help corn and soybeans to continue to rally.

Making the Most of Every Bale: How to Improve Hay Quality This Season

Mon, 11 May 2026 13:26:38 GMT

With hay season on the horizon, putting up quality product is crucial to ensure livestock are getting the most nutritious forages in their diets. In a recent episode of K-State Agriculture Today , Kansas State University Extension agronomists Tina Sullivan and Logan Simon discuss growth, harvest and maintenance to provide the highest-quality forage for your livestock.

Factors Affecting Quality

When thinking hay quality, a variety of factors can make or break the final product. Sullivan explains controllable factors include cutting time, cutting height, and fertility application and management. As most producers understand, what is uncontrollable are weather conditions like heat, cool periods and unexpected freezes, to name a few.

She says, “Some of these factors go into once the hay is cut — we can’t control if hay gets wet, but when it does, we lose hay quality.”

Reproductive Stages and What They Mean

At this point in the season in early May, fertility products should already be applied to hay patches. Sullivan explains that applying fertilizers at this point is not cost-effective, nor will producers see the return on investment in the amount of forage produced, no matter what type it is.

At this stage and given the weather Kansas has experienced, with recent warmth and rain pockets in parts of the state, forage is most likely greening and maturing faster than in previous years.

With this advanced maturity, it is crucial to be mindful of a quicker reproduction progression. “Once we are into heading stages, forage quality does significantly decline,” said Simon. This is because the plant is slowly transitioning all its resources from growing leaves and stems to the head and seeds.

With a more advanced schedule, as predicted this season, closer plant monitoring is required. Both agronomists explained that there is potential to cut the plants at a shorter height than expected to maintain the quality of forage.

This point applies to all grasses and legumes. Alfalfa, for example, is a legume that produces flowers, and when stages move faster to a bigger bloom, the quality has already been reduced.

From Swathing to Baling

When swathing time comes, Sullivan reminds producers that “plants are moving sugars at different times in the day,” so emphasis on harvest times is suggested. In highly humid environments especially, cutting time is best mid to late morning, only after the dew has dried. This helps with quicker drying products and contains nutrients at peak time.

Considering optimal raking conditions is the next priority. Hot, dry and windy days increase hay drying rates; the drier a product becomes, the greater the risk of breaking off leaf material.

“We are losing forage quality and increasing indigestible fiber,” Sullivan explains. Ensuring the swathing, raking and baling timeline is appropriate for the conditions is vital to the quality of hay produced.

Simon adds that the proteins in forage, especially legumes, come from the leaves. If those are broken off, you’re left with forage that has a high concentrate of indigestible nutrients or lignin.

He says, “It’s all about the concentration and ratios of these key nutritional factors,” when considering the hay season timeline.

Hay Storage

“The way we store our hay bales is going to affect the overall longevity of those proteins, fibers, structures and overall quality over time,” Sullivan explains.

Whether your hay is wrapped in plastic film or netting, stored indoors or outdoors, the environmental factors like water and temperature affect the longevity of a quality hay product.

Simon explains that 15% to 18% moisture is ideal before baling to ensure best storage, avoiding mold and heating concerns. Wet hay will spark microbial growth that, worst-case scenario, causes spontaneous combustion. For regions where wetter hay is a concern, wet wrapping is another storage alternative, acting as a fermenting rather than heating environment.

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DOJ, USDA Ramp Up Antitrust Investigation Into "Big 4" Beef Packers

Fri, 08 May 2026 18:34:38 GMT

The Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Agriculture are intensifying scrutiny of concentration and pricing practices across the meat industry, announcing this week that federal investigators are ramping up a criminal antitrust investigation into the nation’s four largest beef packers.

During a joint press conference Monday at DOJ headquarters, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche framed the effort as part of a broader push to address competition issues in agriculture and food pricing.

“Today we are here to talk about our progress here at the Justice Department to hold meat packers accountable,” Blanche says.

Federal officials allege price-fixing and collusion may have contributed to higher meat prices for consumers, while also limiting competition within the cattle industry.

“We prioritized investigating potential antitrust violations in U.S. cattle and beef markets,” Blanche says. “In the beef industry, the Big Four processors control over 85% of the beef processing market. Two of the Big Four are primarily foreign-owned.”

The “Big Four” — referenced during the press conference — are JBS, Cargill, Tyson and National Beef. The administration argues the current structure of the meat industry allows competitors to exchange competitively sensitive information across the protein sector — practices DOJ says it is now investigating.

DOJ Encourages Whistleblowers to Come Forward

Blanche also encourages whistleblowers within the meatpacking industry to provide information to federal investigators. DOJ says individuals who provide information leading to antitrust convictions or major enforcement actions could qualify for financial rewards.

“The idea of whistleblowers of people coming forward with information they have is one of the best and most efficient ways that we can solve antitrust violations criminally or otherwise,” he says. “And so we just want to make sure people realize that people in this industry realize that we’re putting money where our mouth is. We’re not asking you to come forward and then see what happens. We’re saying if you come forward and if your information results in a finding, in a conviction, and the amount of money is over a million dollars, which in this industry is not a very high bar, that you stand to recover up to 30%. And so we have to incentivize people to make a very difficult choice and come forward with information if they had it.”

R-CALF USA Applauds Investigation

R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard says the biggest takeaway from Monday’s announcement is that DOJ is actively seeking public assistance through its antitrust whistleblower program.

“The biggest takeaway was that the Department of Justice is reaching out to the public seeking help through DOJ’s antitrust whistleblower program, to find out what the public knows
about these anticompetitive practices,” Bullard says.

Bullard says R-CALF USA has spent years warning policymakers about growing concentration in the cattle industry.

“We’ve been calling attention and warning that this is a threat to our national security, our economy, and particularly to our food safety here and food security in the United States,” Bullard says.

Rollins Links Herd Decline to Regulatory Pressure

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins also focused heavily on the shrinking U.S. cattle herd and declining number of ranchers during Monday’s event.

“In the past decade alone, we’ve lost over 17% of our cattle ranchers,” Rollins says. “More than 100,000 ranches across this country are no more.”

“The low herd size inherited by the Trump administration can be attributed to a variety of factors,” she says. “The biggest one, at least from our perspective, is the radical left’s ongoing assault against ranching as a way of life.”

Today, just four companies — JBS, Cargill, Tyson Foods, and National Beef — control roughly 85% of the cattle processing market. That level of concentration has surged from just 25% in 1977 to 71% by 1992, and now to an astonishing 85%.

Together, these companies operate through… pic.twitter.com/s4naYFcjt7
— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) May 4, 2026

Rollins argues drought alone is not responsible for cattle liquidation.

“For years, they used climate alarmism to wage a war on cattle in America,” Rollins says. “And when you pair that with droughts, wildfire, overregulation from previous administrations and volatile markets, this is how we have ended up here today.”

The administration also outlined several policy initiatives it says are designed to support cattle producers, including:

Opening more federal land for grazing
Implementing new “Product of USA” labeling rules
Supporting small processors through a grading pilot program
Updating dietary guidelines to emphasize the role of meat in the American diet

Rollins says additional announcements are expected later this week.

Agri Stats Settlement Targets Information Sharing

The DOJ’s broader push against anticompetitive behavior escalated Thursday when the department announced a proposed settlement with Agri Stats .

Federal officials accuse the company of helping major meat processors share confidential pricing and production data involving chicken, pork and turkey markets for decades.

Under the proposed settlement , Agri Stats would be prohibited from continuing several data-sharing practices DOJ alleges distorted competition and increased prices.

The agreement would also increase market transparency by making more information available to buyers and sellers throughout the supply chain.

Although the Agri Stats case does not involve beef, Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing Peter Navarro referenced the pending settlement during Monday’s press conference.

“This is like the mathematician’s worst nightmare in terms of monopoly behavior,” Navarro says. “Basically, what the companies in this concentrated industry were doing was individually sending in data on everything, consumers, production, everything in between. And what did that computer do? It spit back what the monopoly price should be.”

With the settlement he explains, “Justice Department said no more. That’s not going to happen on our watch and that case I believe is going to be settled well or at trial in a way which not only will take care of that problem but implicate some of the bad actions that we’ve seen by the two American companies Tyson and Cargill and JBS on the Brazilian side along with National Beef.”

1 – The Department of Justice continues to bring affordability to the American people. Today, we announced a historic settlement with Agri Stats, whose business model directly raised the price of chicken, turkey, and pork in local grocery stores across our nation. 🐔🐖⚖️
— Acting AG Todd Blanche (@DAGToddBlanche) May 7, 2026

On X, Blanche says the settlement will create a more level playing field by making Agri Stats reports available to all buyers and sellers and calls it part of the administration’s broader push to fight anticompetitive behavior in the food supply chain.

Rollins also confirms the DOJ antitrust investigation into meatpackers originally announced in November remains ongoing.

“As ranchers face fewer options for selling their animals, the Big Four grow stronger and stronger,” Rollins says. “These companies now have an unprecedented ability to wield market power and influence prices paid for cattle — definitely more so than if we had greater competition.”

Industry Analysts Push Back on Concentration Claims

Not everyone in the cattle industry agrees that concentration itself is evidence of anticompetitive conduct.

John Nalivka, president of Sterling Marketing, says consolidation largely reflects economics and efficiency within the packing sector.

“As a business, you have to continually look to lowering costs,” Nalivka says. “And you can manage costs and you can manage revenue both. But the cost, you can have a direct impact on your cost structure. And one way of doing this, consolidating and gaining greater capacity and economies of scale.”

Nalivka also disputes the administration’s market concentration figures.

(Sterling Marketing Inc.)

“Well, to begin with, it’s not 85% now, it’s something more close to 78%, or even maybe a little bit lower than that when the Greeley strike was on,” he says.
The timing of the investigation is notable as packer profitability remains under pressure.

Nalivka says Sterling Marketing’s profit tracker showed beef packers losing nearly $200 per head at the end of April.

“From 2011 to 2015, we had the same set of circumstances, significant herd liquidation and pulling the numbers down,” Nalivka says. “And with the packing plant, the capacity is driven by — and I generate the numbers based on slaughter capacity — so it’s all about cattle numbers.”

Nalivka says his data shows the market share of the four largest beef packers has declined in 2026, with Tyson Foods’ share decreasing.

(Sterling Marketing Inc.)

According to Nalivka, the four largest beef packers now account for approximately 73% of fed-cattle slaughter capacity, leaving nearly one-quarter of processing capacity outside what the administration refers to as the “Big Four.”

“I have told people who have made these comments about these big bad packers,” Nalivka says. “I’ve said, first of all, I’ll start out with a statement, what would you do if you didn’t have one, a packer? And secondly, if you think it’s easy and you think you know so much about it, go build one.”

Producers Need Packers

Justin Tupper, U.S. Cattlemen’s Association president, says the DOJ action is less a brand-new effort than a continuation of long-running scrutiny. Tupper was a guest on AgriTalk Thursday .

Tupper acknowledges the seriousness of DOJ’s work, saying, “I sure do” believe they’re ramping it up, and called the probe “long-awaited and long-needed.” But he repeatedly warns about unintended consequences for producers if the investigation disrupts slaughter capacity.

“We like to vilify the packers all the time, but there is one truth to it, we need them,” he says, adding that if a major plant closed, it, “would cause more disruption than any good that could come from it.”

His concern is when cattle numbers rebuild, predicting, “When we get back to cattle numbers that they can control us, then they’re going to use that and weaponize that against us.”

Tupper stresses producers are not trying to deny packers a profit. “All we want as cattle producers is a fair shake; we don’t want to be used and abused when the cattle numbers are high.”

He warns the administration must understand “how tight that supply is and how few of places that slaughter them” and avoid “big disruptions.” He calls for thoughtful, balanced solutions developed with “cool heads and a lot of the smart people in the room” so the investigation doesn’t “disrupt the chain.”

Calls for Structural Reform Continue

Bullard says R-CALF USA continues pushing for significant structural reforms in the cattle industry.

“We’re asking them to do one of two things,” Bullard says. “Either break up the packers to provide more competition within the industry, or regulate those packers to ensure that they don’t engage in the antitrust conduct and anti-competitive practices.”

Bullard says the group is also urging the Trump administration to investigate what it describes as a “formula pricing scheme,” where cattle are increasingly sold through contracts instead of negotiated cash markets.

Critics argue those arrangements give major meatpackers greater influence over cattle pricing.

When asked whether the administration is listening to cattle producers’ concerns, Bullard points to Monday’s press conference as evidence of a major shift in Washington.

“Well, clearly it is,” Bullard says. “The press conference that was held talking specifically about the problems associated with beef packer concentration was unprecedented for the past 100 years. We have not seen our policymakers stand up and take a stand against the concentration of the cattle market. And so we’re excited that this administration is focused on this issue, understands that it is a national security issue, understands that as a result of our failure to properly enforce our antitrust laws, we’ve hollowed out rural American communities all across this country.”

Whether the federal investigation ultimately leads to major reforms within the cattle industry remains uncertain. But the debate over market concentration, competition and who controls pricing power in the U.S. cattle market is now squarely at the center of Washington policymaking.

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Mental Health in the Pork Industry: Redefining Grit with Maddison Caldwell

Mon, 11 May 2026 13:56:42 GMT

In the stock show world, Maddison Caldwell was the blueprint of a firstborn overachiever: disciplined, organized and a perfectionist. But while she thrived in the black-and-white rules of life, the “gray areas” nearly cost her everything.

In college, she took a mandatory psychology class and realized she related to many of the topics they talked about. Caldwell sought help from her primary care physician, not knowing at the time that specialists existed for what she was feeling.

After months of increasing dosages, she reached a medical ceiling. When her doctor told her it was the maximum dose and ‘sent her on her way,’ she felt she had run out of options. Within five months, she attempted to end her life twice.

Private Pain to Public Hope

When she shared her personal battle in January 2022 , her story stopped being just hers. It became a shared common ground for others fighting silent battles.

“As soon as the article came out, it was like the floodgates opened,” she says. “All of a sudden, complete strangers – even people who weren’t involved with agriculture – of all ages from across the country reached out.”

Although it wasn’t easy to have the most painful moments of her life become table conversation, she doesn’t regret the decision to share it with others.

“This story came out right around the time I was starting my career,” Caldwell says. “I was reporting to an executive at a large company, and one of his coworkers on the executive team asked him, ‘Have you Googled her?’”

(Provided by Maddison Caldwell)

She will never forget when he asked her about it and the conversation that followed.

“He was quite a bit older than I am, and from a generation that didn’t talk about these things,” Caldwell adds. “It was a really uncomfortable and really hard conversation.”

But she believes those conversations are more important than ever.

“Doing things like that bring us one step closer,” Caldwell says. “I hope I never lose the drive to keep being uncomfortable in order to help people.”

Redefining Grit in Agriculture

Agriculture is making progress when it comes to talking about mental health and recognizing the importance of conversation.

“I don’t think we are great at sitting in that uncomfortable state,” she says. “We want to fix it and move on, or minimize it, or work harder and stay busy doing anything that allows us to avoid facing the reality of it.”

She believes it’s time to redefine “grit” in agriculture.

“In my opinion, grit means being honest with ourselves,” Caldwell explains. “I think it means coming to the realization that we need to reach out for help sometimes. It’s about the courage to be vulnerable.”

She also challenges the industry to stop equating grit with silence.

“You cannot pour from an empty cup,” she warns.

In an industry that prizes working until the job is done, Caldwell says the ultimate display of grit is the courage to admit when you’re running on empty.

Warning Signs

With one in five U.S. adults facing mental health conditions and one in five high school students considering suicide, Caldwell isn’t shy about offering advice now.

“One of the things I did was bury myself in work, in being productive, in not taking any time to just stop and ‘smell the roses,’” Caldwell says. “If you notice people withdrawing from activities that they would have once loved, pay attention. If they’re exhausted all the time, if they’re not talking as much, if they use the words ‘I’m fine’ all too often, or if they are pouring so much into other people at their own expense, those could be signs.”

Looking back, she admits it’s hard to recognize herself during those years. Her mindset is much different now. She challenges people to stop shying away from asking hard questions.

“People often think if you say the word suicide, it’s going to put that idea in someone’s mind,” Caldwell says. “Let me be clear that this thought was already in my head when I was struggling. I don’t know what would have happened if someone just blankly asked me if I was thinking about suicide, because that’s not something people talk about.”

Healing Is Not a Straight Line

Today, Caldwell lives by a quote she read early in her recovery process: “When we recover loudly, we keep others from dying quietly.”

“I will shout my story to the rooftops if it means that one person feels less alone in how they’re feeling,” she says.

Healing looks different for everyone, and everyone needs different tools, Caldwell explains. She compares it to going to Starbucks to get a cup of coffee and then realizing you don’t like it.

“Does it mean that you’re going to stop going to Starbucks altogether, or, even worse, stop drinking coffee altogether?” she says. “Absolutely not. Sometimes you just need to go to different places or add in a little sugar here and there based on personal preference. I feel like my healing journey is like that.”

Caldwell says the “gray areas” are still terrifying at times. But she’s learned that true bravery is figuring out how to thrive even when a clear plan isn’t visible. Healing hasn’t removed the stressors in her life, but it has increased her capacity to handle them.

The one thing that has changed in the past six years is her willingness to have uncomfortable conversations and ask hard questions. She is grateful for the family, friends and professionals that support her in doing this.

“Transparency looks different now,” she says. “I can text my mom to just say, ‘It’s not a good day today.’ That’s something I never would have done because I didn’t feel comfortable saying that.”

Stay Beyond the Crisis

Her message to farm families is simple: don’t just show up for the crisis; show up for the recovery.

“Stay to see them thrive,” Caldwell says. “Stay to hear people like my mom say that ‘the light has returned’ in their eyes.”

Maddison’s family members have been a key support to her in the healing journey.

(Provided by Maddison Caldwell)

On the sixth anniversary of being alive after her last suicide attempt, Caldwell lit a candle and blew it out surrounded by her inner circle.

“As I looked around at the simplest of things, I was so grateful,” she says. “I was flooded with all the beautiful moments I have had since that time that I would have missed out on.”

Discover more about Caldwell’s journey – the challenges that would have wrecked her before, the most unexpected people who helped her recover and the joy she finds in her career today – by watching “The PORK Podcast” on YouTube or by listening to it anywhere podcasts are found.

No one has to struggle alone. If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available 24/7. Call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.

Cattle Digest Record Cash, Brazil Import Talk: Grains Try to Recover

Fri, 08 May 2026 20:45:22 GMT

Livestock were leaning higher early Friday. Soybeans higher and corn and wheat mixed.

Cattle Recover With Record Cash
Cattle futures were higher on Friday after recovering well off the early lows on Thursday.

Scott Varilek of Kooima Kooima Varilek says cash trade developed in the South at $256 to $258, up $2 to $3.

However, in the North trade started at $256 but by the end of the day trade was all the way up to $260. Dressed prices ranged from $400 to $405 with the volume at $402, up $3.

He says it was unexpected after the $10 to $12 higher cash last week. “That was the surprise, the highlight from yesterday where we have markets that are crashing in a big, big fashion. Then all of a sudden we started to hear some cash bids in the South and it was $256 in Kansas or Texas. And then all of a sudden it was $257 up to Kansas, then $258. Then you’re getting $260 rumors around the North. People start asking $260 and some guys got it. It was, wow, never been higher cash,” he details.

That brought the board back on Thursday and helped with the early rally on Friday.

He says the record cash cleaned up the showlists and packers were buying for delayed deliver as well, which is bullish.

“I heard the $260 mainly in the North, you know, it kind of started in Western Nebraska, but they sell with a 4% shrink there. And then when it kind of finally came to Eastern Nebraska and Iowa, that’s with a 3% shrink. So that’s even a better price yet. I didn’t hear a mountain of anything, I guess, as far as the South goes at $260, but they trade such small numbers anyway. I guess it wouldn’t surprise me if they did. But we’re likely done,” he adds.

Cattle Market Broke on Brazil Import Fear
“Yesterday’s news was the Brazilian president coming up to the White House to meet with President Trump. And I think that just started some fears, that are we going to import some more beef raise the quota so we we can bring more in because President Trump says beef’s too high,” he explains.

So the market reacted and turned significantly lower.

However, by the end of the meeting Varilek says they didn’t address beef and agreed to keep talking.

“So, we saw a big recovery yesterday as it kind of started to diminish those fears just a little bit on that news.”

DOJ Probe
There was also increased talk about a DOJ probe into meat packer price fixing which may have also spooked the market.

The Assistant Attorney General detailed actions against AgriFax for price fixing in the pork, chicken and turkey business and how that would be used as a precedent for the beef packing industry.

He says, “I think that’s just some extra uncertainty we’re throwing on the market. You know, I think we all look at the big four and, you know, us that are in the production industry, we understand that that’s been frustrating for many, many years. And, you know, where you want to say, yeah, that sounds like a great idea. It just makes you a little nervous. You know, the government’s getting involved. If they swing a big stick, it could really change the whole scheme of things, I guess. And just that uncertainty that circles around it is a little bit scary. So what does that look like? We’ve got some foreign-owned packers. We’ve got the big four that we talk about all the time and love to complain about. But just when their hands get in there, I think you’re a little bit nervous just what the outcome could be there.”

Retest the Highs?
So can the cattle futures retest the all-time highs with the help of the cash news?

Varilek says the one thing that may hold the market back is boxed beef values. They were lower on the close yesterday and while the negotiated totals are a small part of the actual sales, the trend is concerning.

“Just the prices that we are seeing are pretty lackluster and in the height of our demand season we’ve got Mother’s Day weekend coming up. The choice select spread negative and not seeing any major you know rallies in these boxes that’s a little bit alarming,” he adds.

Next Cattle on Feed Report
The other factor that could start to turn the market sentiment is bigger on feed and placement numbers in the next Cattle on Feed Report.

He says, “We’re going to have to start getting used to that just a little bit as we’re comparing to historical tight numbers from the year prior. So wondering what that does to the market. Does it start to drop off those deferreds as we see more numbers, get used to some, you know, seeing some of those on feed reports that aren’t just super duper friendly. So I think that’s something to keep an eye on here. We already have the deferreds kind of holding back. you know, thinking there’s more numbers coming, it’s going to happen later. And it kind of creates that bull spread market when, well, cash is still $260. So I guess the front’s got to stay up.”

He also expects numbers to start to creep up with the drought and some cattle being sold early due to the lack of pasture or some cows being culled.

“We culled this cow herd really hard two years ago. Last year really kind of took that off. I think started to rebuild, keeping those cows back. keeping some heifers back, and that’s going to give us some long-term hope that we’re going to get some supply back. But the only other factor is it’s dry in cow-calf country. Grass is running a little short, so does that kind of start to kick the can down the road? And maybe we’ve got to bring some of those extra numbers back into town early,” he further explains.

Cargill’s Fort Morgan Plant Dark
Meanwhile the Cargill plant in Fort Morgan is still dark as workers are still not back to work but the market has really faded the news.

“And not hearing anything about it. It just seems like, you know, the Greeley plant was in everyday news and we talked about it. We maybe had more to talk about. This one doesn’t have any news and we’re just kind of brushing it off,” he says.

Hogs Mostly Higher
The hog futures were mostly higher Friday except for the spot month as Varilek says the back months are still building in premium on tighter supplies tied to disease.

Still the cash market has not taken off so the futures are being bear spread.

“Supply traders are all starting to push disease back to more through July and October that’s what it looks like now,” he adds.

PRV Export Restrictions
The front end of the cattle futures are also pressured by the news that Mexico is looking at restricting U.S. pork variety meat imports due to the cases of Pseudorabies in Iowa.

“Mexico talking about curbing some exports and making some different requirements for us. So, that’s a little bit of ripple effect that’s starting to happen is that’s there there could be some effect and you’ve got pork we rely on exports for that industry. So, Mexico being our number one customer that’s a that’s a one to swallow,” he says.

Grains Try to Recover
The grain markets have had a tough week trading lower with the energy markets on a possible cease fire with Iran and opening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran rejected the deal so energy markets recovered on Thursday and are around steady on Friday.

That is helping the grain markets recover.

“And I think it just shows you how much war premium is in that market. You know, the energies were really on fire at some very high levels. And when they started to correct mainly because there’s more ceasefire hopes there’s hopes that we’re going to going to make a deal took the wind out of the sails of those energy markets and grains absolutely followed that down,” he says.

Corn and soybeans held support on Thursday on the charts and so they are bouncing off those levels but have retreated down to the lower levels of the trading range.

WASDE and China Summit
The markets may also see some positioning going into the end of the week, and with the May WASDE and the China summit scheduled for next week.

Varilek says the China trade hopes should support buying in the soybeans but the WASDE may not be that friendly.

“You know, we always get that reminder of our ending stock number and how much supply that we have. And hopefully it’s a surprise. And we’ve really started to chew into it from some of this increased energy demand,” he says.

He is also expecting lower wheat production estimates from USDA based on poor conditions in hard red winter areas and with the Kansas Wheat Quality Council tour likely to confirm lower production.

The High Cost of Haste: Why Early Pasture Turnout Could Cost You $6 a Pound

Fri, 08 May 2026 15:13:36 GMT

It’s May. The cows are restless at the sight of green grass just on the other side of the fence. Your lawn is a bright green, and pastures are becoming green. Before you decide that the pasture looks good enough to turn cattle out on, think again. This year, that decision carries more weight than ever.

Iowa State forage specialist Shelby Gruss recently joined “ Beef Collective ” host Patrick Wall on the podcast to talk through what producers should be thinking about as they prepare for spring turnout. At the top of the list: don’t turn out too early, and don’t underestimate what that decision costs you in the long run.

“The No. 1 thing it takes to grow grass is grass,” Wall notes.

Why Early Turnout Backfires

In the spring, grass looks more mature than it really is. Visually, that vibrant green signals that the grass is ready to be grazed on. Turning cattle out too early puts underdeveloped plants under pressure they cannot handle yet.

“We also think that way because spring is when our grass grows the best, typically,” Gruss says. “Typically, we think, ‘Oh, we’ll get ahead of it by doing this.’ But we’re actually just starting off on a bad foot in general.”

That above-ground growth sets up pastures for success. Turning out too early, combined with continuous grazing of the same plants, does not give grass a chance to fully develop.

“If we turn out too early, especially this year, with producers saving more heifers and trying to expand, we’re going to put ourselves behind the eight ball before we ever hit peak growing season,” Wall says.

What “Ready” Actually Looks Like

Gruss recommends a minimum 10-inch height benchmark for grass in continuous grazing systems. That height gives the plant enough leaf area to continue photosynthesizing even while cattle are actively grazing. In operations that use rotational grazing, cattle can be turned out on shorter grass but must be moved more quickly to avoid eating the grass down in one pasture.

“The plant uses photosynthesis; you have to have above-ground growth to support the whole plant,” Gruss explains.

Sunlight captured in the blades of the grass is transformed into nutrients and energy to support healthy grass. When cattle graze a plant too low, they strip away the leaf area the plant needs to capture sunlight. Without that above-ground growth working to support it, the plant essentially has to start over. That recovery draws from the root reserves, weakening the plant over time and reducing overall pasture production.

“If we’re constantly hitting it, we are not giving that plant an opportunity to grow and keep producing,” Gruss says.

Hay as a Management Tool

In this season, carryover hay is widely available and affordable. Feeding hay to keep cattle off grass can be used as a bridge strategy.

“A cow is smart enough — and dumb enough — that if you put dry hay and green grass in front of her, she’s going to nub down whatever’s growing before she touches the bale,” Gruss adds.

Before turning cattle out on grass, ensure they are full and not ready to eat everything in front of them. This will slow down their excitement to graze on grass while supporting the grass growth, recommends Gruss.

For producers tempted to split the difference, Gruss suggests a stair-step approach. Turn cattle out for a limited time, bring them back in and shut them off the pasture, then feed hay until the grass is ready to handle the pressure of the herd grazing.

The Financial Stakes

“Every pound that calf gains on the side of that cow this year has been historically worth about $5 to $6 right now per pound. You can’t make any hay that’s ever worth $5 to $6
a pound,” Wall says.

Producers who mismanage spring turnout risk shortening their grazing season, reducing the number of grazing days available in the most valuable time in the cattle market in a generation. Using a stair-step approach supports the grass for grazing throughout the whole season.

Have a Plan

No season goes perfectly. Between weather and the market, many factors are out of our control. Choosing when to turn out cattle to graze this spring, however, is within our control. Producers who have thought ahead of the season and prepared a backup plan will have the most gain while protecting their pasture.

“Grazing is the cheapest option that we can have,” Gruss summarizes. “If we manage them like we manage our corn or soybeans, we’re going to get the most productivity that we can.”

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Party in the Pasture: Tickets On Sale Now for the Cattlemen’s Ball of Nebraska

Fri, 08 May 2026 13:07:15 GMT

If Cozad, Neb., cattlewoman Linda Benjamin has her way, her grandchildren or great-grandchildren won’t ever have to worry about a cancer diagnosis.

“If everybody gets together and we work really hard on this, we’re going to beat this,” says Benjamin. She, her husband, Howard, and their family, along with neighbors Levi and Bobbie Jo Messersmith, will host the 2026 Cattlemen’s Ball of Nebraska, which unites people across the agriculture industry to raise money for cancer research.

The annual event, slated for June 5 and 6, will be hosted at the Benjamin’s pasture 10 miles north of Cozad. Tickets are on sale until May 15 for the ball, which promises a good time and good beef, all in a picturesque location.

“It’s just the most beautiful site. You can see the entire valley from there,” Benjamin says.

The pasture was selected for its accessibility, off a paved road and with plenty of space for all the weekend’s activities.

Independent country music star Aaron Watson will headline the Saturday evening concert, performing his top hit singles like “Freight Train” and “Outta Style.”

The jam-packed schedule also includes a style show, golf outing, 5K run, gourmet beef meals, auctions, additional entertainment bringing together Nebraskans from across the state for fellowship, fundraising and fun.

“I hope everybody walks away with some type of ‘wow’ moment, whether it’s educational through the health care tent or beef. I just want people to come back and say, ‘I can’t believe you guys did this,’” Benjamin says.

The Cattlemen’s Ball raises vital support for the Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, with 90% of proceeds directed to cancer research and 10% benefiting local health and wellness initiatives in the host community.

The Messersmiths have set a big goal fundraising but are also eager to show others what makes Cozad and the surrounding area so special.

“It’ll have that hometown feel,” Bobbie Jo says. “I want to promote the area and just our good, solid family values.”

Since its founding in 1998, the event has generated more than $20 million to advance cancer detection, treatment and care across Nebraska.

“We’re going to have a party in the pasture and we’re going to raise money for a really good cause and you don’t have to be a cattleman,” Benjamin says. “All you have to do is buy a ticket… buy a ticket and you’re going to be surprised.”

Tickets and event details are available at CattlemensBall.com .

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