Industry

USDA’s "Male-Only" Fly Breakthrough to Transform Screwworm Eradication

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 14:18:30 GMT

USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is advancing the next evolution of the long-trusted sterile insect technique (SIT) to protect U.S. livestock from New World screwworm (NWS) by introducing a 100% male-only sterile fly strain. This breakthrough will effectively double the production capacity of sterile fly facilities without expanding physical infrastructure. By eliminating the production of “useless” female flies, the USDA-ARS innovation aims to push the NWS fly further south, providing a more robust and cost-effective defense for American livestock producers.

A USDA spokesperson explains, “USDA is using gold standard, proven scientific methods to manufacture NWS flies to produce only male flies and increase the efficiency of SIT. USDA is simply making a proven tool even more efficient and effective to better protect America’s farmers and ranchers.”

USDA currently produces sterile flies for dispersal at the COPEG facility in Panama. USDA is also investing $21 million to support Mexico’s renovation of an existing fruit fly facility in Metapa — which will double NWS production capacity once complete.

Moore Air Base: On Time and On Budget for 2026 Production

Dudley Hoskins, USDA under secretary for marketing and regulatory programs, was a guest Tuesday on AgriTalk. He discussed sterile fly dispersal efforts.

“We’re doing two things,” he says. “One, the Secretary has us modernizing our infrastructure and our production capacity. She has us working on Moore Air Base, which will be a sterile fly production facility, that when it’s finally complete and at max-capacity production, will be producing about 300 million sterile flies per week. ”

Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden recently reported USDA is on track and on time with regard to the Moore Air Base facility near Edinburg, Texas.

The Science of Stopping the Spread: Why Male-Only Matters

SIT, when paired with surveillance, movement restrictions and education and outreach, is an effective tool for controlling and eradicating NWS. Female NWS flies only mate once in their lives, so if they mate with a sterile male, they lay unfertilized eggs that don’t hatch. Releasing sterile flies just outside of affected areas helps ensure flies traveling to new areas will only encounter sterile mates and will not be able to reproduce.

Hoskins says concurrent to the process at Moore Air Base, USDA is working with its partners at the ARS and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to evaluate the genetically-engineered fly — the NovoFly — which would help get more male flies in the sterile fly production facility.

Vaden calls the possibility exciting.

“Basically we’ve been losing half of the production at every facility because what we need are sterile male flies, but of course with nature, half of what you get are female flies, and those to this particular enterprise are useless,” he explains. “Thanks to our agricultural research service, we now have the ability to pump out 100% sterile male flies only, no wastage. That has the effect of doubling production without any change in the available facilities.“

He adds, “We expect to be able, once EPA approves that innovation is safe later this year, to have all those facilities, including the one under construction at Moore Air Base, pumping out 100% sterile male flies, which will make our ability to push this pest back further south where it belongs to take root and begin to have great effect. Not just to hold it, but to push it further south.”

Hoskins summarizes, “All of those things are in motion, all things happening concurrently, and all those will be critical in modernizing our toolbox to take the fight to the screwworm.”

Listen to the conversation on AgriTalk :

Regulatory Road Map: The EPA Public Comment Period

USDA is following established regulatory pathways and submitted to EPA an Emergency Use Exemption and Application for Registration. EPA published the notice of receipt and request for comments in the Federal Register on March 27 and is accepting public comments until April 27 before making a determination.

According to the notice, the application from USDA states: “To register a new pesticide product containing an unregistered pesticide, NovoFly male-only genetically engineered (GE) New World screwworm (NWS) in USDA’s Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) programs. Additionally, the Agency received a Section 18 quarantine emergency exemption application requesting use of the same pesticide to maintain broad suppression of and help prevent the pest from moving further northward from Mexico toward the United States.”

EPA is providing the notice in accordance with the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).

The notice says, “Due to the urgent nature of the emergency, the limited time available to authorize the Section 18 quarantine emergency exemption request and the related FIFRA Section 3 product registration application under review for the same use, EPA is waiving the comment period associated with the emergency exemption request but is soliciting public comment in conjunction with the application for Section 3 product registration of NovoFly.”

To make comments or learn more, visit the EPA website .

Read more about sterile flies and current distribution:

A Life Built on Genetics, People and Purpose

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 17:40:55 GMT

When you ask Lorna Marshall how she built a 30-year career at the center of the beef genetics world, she doesn’t start with titles, company names or big industry deals. She starts with people.

“The thing I’m most proud of,” she says, “are easily the relationships I’ve built — with bull owners, sales reps, team members and industry leaders.”

That simple emphasis on relationships and culture is the thread that runs through Marshall’s journey from a Kansas 4-H member to one of the most influential voices in beef genetics and sire acquisition.

(Provided by Lorna Marshall)

From Junior Leader to Industry Connector

Marshall grew up on a small cattle farm near Valley Center, Kan., where she recalls early experiences in 4‑H and the American Junior Simmental Association helped shape her future.

She describes her participation in junior programs as educational-based — opportunities that developed her curiosity and drive. It also placed her in the orbit of key Kansas industry leaders like Bob Dickinson, Ansel Armstrong and Michael Dikeman. Their work in performance-based beef cattle selection lit a spark in Marshall. Add to that her love of livestock judging and competition, and Marshall quickly found herself on a path that blended science, performance data and people.

She attended Colby Community College where she served as student body president and competed on the livestock judging team. The 1989 Kansas Community College Student of the Year, Marshall transferred to K-State where she was a Block & Bridle officer and a member of the 1990 reserve national champion livestock judging team.

Marshall says judging not only sharpened her eye for cattle, but it also expanded her network, something she credits as “what got me to where I am in my career.”

“An animal breeding professor at Kansas State, Dr. Linda Martin, was someone that I not only loved her class but also really admired her teaching style, how she built relationships with and motivated students,” Marshall says. “I followed in her footsteps when I chose to complete a master’s degree in animal breeding and genetics at Colorado State University.”

Marshall studied under Jim Brinks, whom she calls “very science-based, but very applied — always focused on what’s most important for the producer.”

While at CSU, an internship with ABS Global gave her a front-row seat to the artificial insemination (AI) industry. She started as a GTS evaluator, learning AI from the inside at a time when the beef industry’s use of reproductive technology and performance data was accelerating.

(Provided by Lorna Marshall)

Her Path in Genetics

After a brief stint at a breed association, ABS called her back — and that’s where one pivotal moment quietly shaped her career.

In 1995, ABS leadership turned to Marshall and asked her to oversee sire acquisition. She credits the opportunity to her network in the seedstock industry. Her role in sire acquisition gave her the opportunity to use her knowledge of genetics combined with her natural talent as a connector.

Over the next 16 years at ABS, she built deep relationships across multiple breeds, breed associations and regions. She also began traveling internationally, learning where U.S. beef genetics fit within the global beef supply chain.

She moved to Genex in 2011, shifting her focus more toward marketing, key accounts and large herds. There, she dug deeper into the sales process and started working more in the beef-on-dairy space, where large entities were experimenting with new supply chain models and genetic strategies.

About four and a half years later, Select Sires called and offered her the role she currently serves in: vice president of beef programs.

At Select, she has a chance to integrate everything she’s learned: training, people management and development, acquisition, marketing and product management.

“It was really the opportunity for me to put together everything I had learned in my career,” she summarizes.

(Provided by Lorna Marshall)

A Career Grounded in Cattle and Family

Marshall’s credibility in genetics isn’t just academic or corporate. It’s rooted in a lifetime of raising cattle with her husband, Troy.

The two met at CSU, married and have been together 34 years.

“I think Troy is one of the greatest visionaries in the beef industry; he always is challenging the status quo, and he makes me think bigger and more forward-facing, which I feel has served me extremely well in my career,” she says.

Early on, the couple bought cows together — even before they got married — and eventually built Marshall Cattle Co., a registered Angus and Simmental operation in eastern Colorado. For 20 years, they hosted an annual bull sale and raised their three children in the cow-calf and seedstock world.

“During that time, we’ve had over 20 interns live with us,” Marshall says. “It’s been rewarding to see them succeed. I think every single one of them would tell you that no meal at our dinner table was complete without discussing some current beef industry topic.”

As Marshall advanced through AI companies, most of which are based in dairy country, she negotiated remote work long before it was common. When their first son was born in 1996, she secured a remote office so she could live in beef country and stay close to the cattle and her family.

That dual life — corporate AI leader and hands-on seedstock producer — sharpened her perspective.

“You are better at bull selection if you are a producer,” she says. “You understand all of the problems firsthand. Sometimes the problems aren’t fully described by EPDs on a piece of paper.”

Living and working in the harsh eastern Colorado environment also gave her a practical perspective of how genetics perform in the real world — not just on paper or in theory.

In 2020, the couple chose more family time and dispersed their seedstock herd.

“Our kids decided to go to college in Oklahoma and Texas, and it kind of got to the point where I love cows, but I love my family more,” she says. “That’s really what made us transition to less cows… and more family time.”

Today, the couple resides near Prague, Okla., and has a small commercial cow herd.

(Provided by Lorna Marshall)

What Makes a Leader: Culture, Fit and Development

Across ABS, Genex and Select Sires, Marshall has managed teams, mentored young professionals and helped shape corporate strategy.

“Lorna is a great leader because she cares about others,” says Ryan Bodenhausen, Select Sires associate vice president of beef product development and marketing. “She is the first to give credit and praise to teammates before herself.”

Marshall says her leadership philosophy is simple and people-focused:

1. Culture comes first

“I’ve experienced culture — both good and bad,” she says. “It’s probably one of the most important things to me. We work really hard on culture.”

For Marshall, culture isn’t a slogan. It’s the day-to-day environment her team works in, and she takes responsibility for making it a place where people want to stay and grow.
Bodenhausen says Marshall is very thoughtful and genuine, often sending gifts or handwritten letters as a sign of appreciation or to be uplifting in a time of need.

2. Hire the person, train the job

Marshall is convinced she can train someone to do the job, but she cannot train core character. She looks for:

The right character and values
Strong work ethic
A teachable attitude
A fit with the team’s culture

3. Invest in people more than product

One of the most fulfilling parts of her role now is coaching and help develop young people. Lauren Kimble, Select Sires manager of ProfitSource supply chains, is one of the young professionals Marshall has mentored.

“In our company leadership trainings, we are always asked to think of someone in our organization who embodies a given example, whether it be communication, listening, change management, or so forth,” Kimble says. “Every single time, the first person that pops into my head is Lorna.”

She adds, “I think it’s rare to encounter someone who has both technical and subject matter expertise and also just ‘gets’ people on a deeper level. Lorna has taught me much in both areas and genuinely takes interest in developing people.”

Marshall credits her career and passion for mentoring to her mentors Calvin Drake, who insisted she be treated as an equal as the only woman on her K-State livestock judging team, Dave Spears, Dave Nichols, Larry Corah, Jim Brinks and especially Willie Altenberg, who hired her at ABS and later brought her to Genex and whom she eventually recruited to Select Sires.

From Altenberg, she learned how to accept challenging feedback and turn it into growth.

“He was the first person to really give me performance reviews and coached me. I learned how to take constructive feedback which fueled my development. Willie’s developed lots of leaders in our industry; I’m very proud to be one of the many,” she says.

Today, she sees that investment as something she’s obligated to pay forward.

Rethinking Sire Acquisition: Diversity Over Ego

In sire acquisition, it’s tempting to believe success comes from having a “gifted eye” and anointing the next great bull. Marshall has a more grounded view.

“One of the biggest things I’ve learned is the power of diversity,” she says. “I don’t have to love every bull personally. It may not be a bull I would personally use, but if it serves a market, we need it.”

At Select Sires, that philosophy has shaped an acquisition strategy built around:

Understanding different markets
Matching specific genetics to specific needs
Offering the best bull for each market, not just one ideal type

Her favorite stories aren’t about famous sires as much as they are about the people behind them. She loves telling the story of Mytty In Focus at ABS — a bull that became a No. 1 registration sire for three up-and-coming Montana breeders.

“It changed their lives,” she says. “That’s just really cool to see — when we can change somebody’s life by helping to market their life’s work.”

Growth of Beef-on-Dairy

“One of the things I have been unable to change in my tenure is the amount or the adoption of artificial insemination in the beef cattle world,” Marshall says.

While use of AI in beef herds has remained stable, Marshall has been at the center of the beef-on-dairy shift. She has worked through the industry’s major structural change: beef moving from a side business in AI to a revenue driver.

She says historically, beef was 5% to 10% of an AI company’s income. Today, with beef-on-dairy, she estimates beef is 30% to 40% of revenue at many AI companies. She’s been in roles that touched both seedstock and beef-on-dairy supply chains, giving her a panoramic view of how genetics, packers and retailers are aligning.

Read More about Marshall’s philosophy about beef-on-dairy:

How Beef and Dairy Genetics Are Smarter and More Profitable

As the national beef cow herd is at a 75-year low, Marshall suggests AI and the use of sexed semen can help producers create the genetics that can excel either as a cow or as a feeder.

“I think we need to be focused on maternal traits to rebuild the cow herd,” Marshall says. “We can use sexed semen to create those females with specific genetics for maternal function. And then I think we can maximize quality pounds that we’re sending to the packer by, again, utilizing sexed semen and really elite terminal genetics.”

Looking Ahead: Data, Access and Opportunity

Despite the progress in AI, genomics and supply chains, Marshall’s biggest concern is who will control genetic information in the future. She sees two paths:

A “dairy model” with an open, multi-breed database where data are shared and improvement is accelerated.
A “swine model” dominated by a few large entities with private databases, limiting access and flexibility for independent and young producers.

She worries that without broader initiatives for more shared datasets and open genetic evaluations, our industry will look different with increased consolidation and less access to the necessary genetic information to remain competitive.

At the same time, she’s genuinely excited about sensor technologies, wearables and artificial intelligence-driven data collection that can unlock new traits — calf livability, vigor, red meat yield predictions and other objective phenotypes — without adding labor.

“I think we’re going to be able to solve problems we’ve been working on for 20 years in two years,” she predicts.

Marshall’s story isn’t just about genetics, AI companies or even technology. It’s about a woman who quietly built a career by staying rooted in cows, family and people, and who thinks that the real legacy in the beef business is measured in relationships, opportunity and the next generation coming up behind you.

Marshall’s 3 Strategies For Seedstock Success

Her advice to seedstock producers is consistent and grounded in being yourself and serving your customers.

Don’t copy someone else’s program. She sees too many new breeders trying to be a clone of who they admire. “Create your own path,” she explains. “One of the biggest problems I see in the seedstock industry is that new entrants come in and try to emulate a program they admire without a clear vision of what will differentiate their program.”
Breed cattle you believe in and that you like. The business is too hard to be passionate about something you don’t love.
Listen to your customers. The top programs, in her view, are the ones that: Take great care of customers and treat customer feedback as a primary guide to what works and what doesn’t.

She encourages a practical, relationship-driven philosophy rather than a “chase the hottest EPD profile” mindset.

“The seedstock producers that are the most successful are the ones that take really good care of their customers and listen to their customers,” she says. “So many times, I think in the seedstock world, we think we know more than our customer knows, and it needs to be the other way around.”

JBS Greeley Strike Ends: Workers Return to Plant Monday

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 02:28:27 GMT

Workers at the JBS meatpacking plant in Greeley , Colo., will return to work Monday without a new agreement in place.

In a news release , United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 announced its members at Greeley’s Swift Beef Company, owned by JBS, will return to work after JBS agreed to return to the negotiating table. The strike originally began at 5:30 a.m. on Monday, March 16.

According to the union, thousands of workers have joined the picket lines every day, with workers demanding JBS return to the table and negotiate fairly.

UFCW Local 7 President Kim Cordova says JBS has agreed to meet on April 9 and 10 to resume contract negotiations, and as such, workers will return to work for shifts starting at or after 5 a.m. on April 7.

“This decision by the union comes without any new agreement or change to company’s original offer,” says Nikki Richardson, JBS corporate communications. “Throughout this process, we have remained committed to good-faith negotiations and to operating our facility safely, responsibly and in compliance with all regulatory standards.”

She adds, “Our last, best and final offer remains on the table. This comprehensive proposal includes meaningful wage increases, a pension and other valuable benefits designed to support our team members and their families. We believe this is a strong and competitive package, and we hope employees will have the opportunity to review and vote on it soon.”

Cordova says, “Workers remain united and will continue to fight until JBS fully ends its unfair labor practices and gives workers a contract offer that protects them, shows workers the respect they deserve, and pays them a livable wage. This fight will continue and workers can take strength from the community members, farmers and ranchers, and elected officials who have joined them in this battle. We will not stop until JBS rectifies the suffering it has brought on these workers and the American people as a whole.”

The union press release states the JBS agreed to meet on April 9 and 10 to resume contract negotiations.

“We are pleased to welcome our team members back and are preparing to resume and ramp up operations at the Greeley plant next week,” Richardson says. “Our focus remains on ensuring a smooth and safe return to work for all employees while continuing to meet the needs of our customers and community.”

Dave Weaber, Terrain senior animal protein analyst, says, “I’m not sure slaughter changes much after we got back to early March levels last week. Mostly depends on packers getting beef to rally post Easter.”

Your Next Read: Cattle Market Volatility: Is the Ride Just Getting Started?

Should Beef Producers Be Concerned About Potential Phased Reopening of U.S.-Mexico Border?

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 18:43:31 GMT

The debate at the U.S.-Mexico border continues as the fear of New World screwworm (NWS) increases with warmer spring temperatures while the supplies of feeder cattle tighten.

The border has been closed since July 9 . A temporary phased reopening that began July 7 with the Douglas, Ariz., port was short-lived with a case reported July 8, 370 miles from the border, which was 160 miles northward of the sterile fly dispersal grid at that time.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins spoke with media during the Texas Southwest Cattle Raisers Convention about a potential phased reopening of the border.

“We’re looking at it every single day,” she says. “The closest the screwworm has gotten to the Arizona border is about 800 miles. So, we’re currently evaluating a potential phased-in strategy. We obviously will not be opening all four ports anytime soon, but there is a realistic conversation that’s currently happening that’s looking at that port that’s about 800 miles from the closest case. More to come on that. I expect an announcement either way on that, perhaps within the next two to four weeks.”

A USDA spokesperson confirmed her statement, explaining, “USDA will resume livestock imports at such a time when we determine the risk of NWS introduction into the U.S. can be adequately mitigated. To make the determination, USDA is evaluating a combination of factors including our science-based import protocol, the animal health status of individual Mexican states, and the degree to which Mexico’s national agriculture authority has made progress in implementing our recommendations.”

Where is the Closest Case?

A USDA spokesperson told Drovers the active case closest to the U.S. was confirmed March 17 in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas and is 146 miles away from the border. According to the Screwworm.gov website , there are 1,433 active cases of NWS in Mexico as of April 1.

“There was an isolated case in Nuevo Leon last September that was about 70 miles away from the border,” a USDA spokesperson confirms. “There have not been any cases within 100 miles of the border since then.”

Dan Basse, AgResource Co. president, says he is growing increasingly concerned as the threat of NWS edges closer to the U.S. border.

“I’m becoming more pessimistic as each day goes by,” Basse says. “Seasonally, the fly moves northward, and it’s not that far away.”

Biosecurity Versus Supply Pressures

According to Jim Wiesemeyer, host of the “Wiesemeyer’s Perspectives” podcast and a Washington analyst, the reopening debate is being driven by two competing dynamics:

Biosecurity risk remains the primary constraint.
Market pressures are intensifying.

“Tight U.S. feeder cattle supplies and operational strain on Southwest feedyards are increasing pressure on USDA to restore imports from Mexico, a key supply source for the region,” Wiesemeyer explains.

Basse estimates roughly 120,000 head per month that would typically move into the U.S. are currently being held in Mexico, further tightening already constrained supplies.

“I don’t know how APHIS [USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service] can open the border today,” he says.

Rollins says keeping the borders closed has been instrumental in keeping NWS out of the U.S.

“I think they [Mexico’s government] would have been good partners, whether we close the ports or not, but I know for sure they have been much better partners because those ports have been closed,” Rollins says.

Adis Dijab, DVM and veterinary services associate deputy administrator for APHIS, says Moore Air Base is the hub of the U.S. expansion for sterile NWS flies . He says the dispersal facility is operational and the production plant is scheduled to be built and fully online by 2027 — aiming for 300 million sterile flies per week. On Jan. 30, USDA announced a shift in its 100 million-per-week sterile fly dispersal efforts to reinforce coverage along the U.S.-Mexico border.

What Would a Phased Reopening Mean for U.S. Beef Producers?

“I suspect the futures market will react pretty significantly,” says Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension livestock marketing specialist. “But the fact of the matter is this is not that big a deal. It’s not going to cause an immediate impact of any kind at this point in time.”

David Anderson, Texas A&M professor and Extension specialist for livestock and food product marketing, agrees, saying reopening the border will not fundamentally make a huge difference for the U.S. producer.

“There is not really a flood of animals waiting to come this way,” he explains. “While cattle would be imported it should not have a huge effect on the market. A little more supplies and a little impact on price. It should take a while for imports to ramp up. Phased means a slow reopening, so that implies a slow or small effect on numbers and prices.”

Peel predicts cattle flow from Mexico would trickle, not surge, especially going into the summer heat period when movements usually tail off.

Other constraints that Peel says will limit cattle crossing the border include:

Understaffing and loss of USDA APHIS personnel at ports could be a bottleneck.
Prior abrupt closures have eroded Mexican producers’ confidence, so they’re unlikely to rush cattle north without proof the border will stay open.
Mexico is investing and adapting internally, which could permanently change traditional movement patterns and how much and how quickly cattle flow to the U.S. even after reopening.

“Long term, if we return eventually to normal things, then, you know, that does add some supply back into our feeder cattle supplies,” Peel says. “But that’s all going to take months. I mean, it really doesn’t happen much this year. ... We’re probably talking about next year.”

Don Close, senior animal protein analyst at Terrain Ag, says the biggest impact will be psychological.

“Because the futures market is an anticipatory market, and [if] we ever have any border opening, the market’s going to perceive more numbers to come down the road, so that’s where that psychological impact could come from,” he explains.

He predicts the real story will be a North American cattle shortage, not just a U.S. shortage, due to drought also experienced in Mexico.

The positive impact, according to Anderson, will be for Southwestern U.S. feeders.

He says more supplies of cattle would eventually help the packer keep shifts going to help some plants survive, but when Mexican cattle come across the border, they are “a long way off from finishing.” It will not be immediate relief for the packer.

“I don’t think it’s an immediate impact except in the futures market, because it always reacts immediately and then figures it out and recorrects later,” Anderson says. “It would help boost beef supplies for the consumer — many months down the road. I don’t think this helps enough to offset the increase in gas and diesel prices and the longer-term impact of these costs on our production and marketing system.”

No Need to Panic

Should beef producers be concerned about a potential phased reopening of U.S.-Mexico border?

“I would say this is not something to panic about,” Anderson summarizes. “There are a lot of positives for cattle producers, especially in the Southwest, and the truckers, feed stores, markets and others who are part of the cattle industry in the Southwest.”

He emphasizes, “I think one real benefit is the inspection and surveillance that happens at the border that is a real positive to have a better idea of what is going on.”

Close’s message to producers is that a border reopening would likely cause a short-term, mostly psychological softening in feeder prices, but it won’t solve the broader North American cattle shortage, so any relief will be limited and temporary.

The message from industry analysts is not to panic, but to steady the ship, manage risk and prepare for NWS.

Your Next Reads:

Axiota Animal Health Names Wamego as Global Headquarters

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:37:28 GMT

Axiota Animal Health, a global leader in cattle health solutions, announced it will name its facility in Wamego, Kan., as the company’s global headquarters.

The announcement formalizes the longstanding presence of Axiota Animal Health in Wamego, where the company operates manufacturing, research and development, and scientific operations for its products used by cattle producers in more than 30 countries worldwide.

“Wamego has long been a cornerstone of Axiota’s manufacturing and research, so designating it as our global headquarters is a natural next step,” says Bill Weldon, Axiota Animal Health CEO. “From here, we’re developing and producing technologies that help cattle producers around the world improve herd health and productivity. Leveraging our location within the KC Animal Health Corridor and our longstanding relationship with Kansas State University allows us to drive innovation and attract the top talent the industry demands.”

Located near K-State, the facility benefits from proximity to one of the nation’s leading veterinary and animal health research institutions. That connection helps Axiota attract specialized scientific talent and collaborate with researchers advancing the future of livestock health.

From its Wamego facility, Axiota supports cattle producers worldwide in improving herd health and performance through prevention-based, nonantibiotic solutions. This includes:

Lactipro , the only rumen-native probiotic that delivers Mega e, proven to promote rumen health and performance.
Multimin 90 (zinc, copper, manganese and selenium injection) is the only FDA-approved injectable supplement that delivers four trace minerals known to support cattle health and reproduction.

The decision highlights the global impact of the KC Animal Health Corridor , a hub stretching from Manhattan, Kan., to Columbia, Mo., with Kansas City at its heart. The region, home to the world’s largest concentration of animal health assets, serves as a leading center for life science research, development and collaboration.

“Axiota’s decision to locate its global headquarters in Wamego reflects the industry leadership that continues to define the corridor,” says Kimberly Young, president of the KC Animal Health Corridor. “Companies here aren’t just participating in the industry — they’re driving the science, technology and production that support animal health and food security around the world.”

Beyond the Blame Game: Navigate the Mental Toll of Modern Ag

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 13:55:12 GMT

When market pressures mount, it is easy to succumb to the “blame game.” Yet, the most resilient operations are those that anchor themselves in a mission larger than the current balance sheet. For leaders like James Burgum and Lamar Steiger, coping with stress isn’t just about managing the books, it’s about managing the mindset.

The Many Hats of the Modern Producer

James Burgum, CEO of The Arthur Companies, believes the first step in managing stress is acknowledging the sheer weight of the roles farmers play.

“One of the things I did when I stepped into my role is an exercise where I said to our team, ‘Help me understand all the hats on the farm – farmworker, agronomist, grain merchandiser, mechanic, truck driver, snow removal lead, banker, economist,’” Burgum said during a discussion at Top Producer Summit. “You start to go down the list, and its dozens and dozens of roles that an individual farmer plays.”

By recognizing the complexity of these roles, Burgum argues that producers can move toward servant leadership—prioritizing the team’s needs.

“There are things that are much more important and much bigger than the challenges we’re wrestling with on the job every day,” Burgum says. “It’s hard to juggle all the balls, but at the end of the day, we want everyone on our team to make sure they get home at night and be there for their families.”

Choosing Abundance Over Scarcity

Lamar Steiger, owner of The 808 Ranch, learned about stress through the lens of his father, a man who seemed to face every possible setback: health crises, financial downturns and missed market peaks.

The farm struggled during times of high interest rates in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s and his father was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, Guillain-Barre, that left him paralyzed for six months.

Still, his dad always had an attitude of abundance, not scarcity, Steiger says.

“With my brothers holding other obligations, I was left to milk the cows,” Steiger says. “We were so far behind, and all my dad would say is, ‘It could be worse.’”

Breaking the Silence

Eventually, his family lost the dairy. After hitting rock bottom and battling depression , Steiger realized that the “tough it out” mentality was a liability, not an asset.

“When the stresses pile up, you’ve got to find help,” Steiger says. “I wasn’t ‘man enough’ to step up and say, ‘Hey, something’s wrong here.’ I should have said, ‘Time out—this is not working.’”

Steiger’s advice for those feeling the weight of the current market is simple: Find your “who.” Whether it is a spouse, a neighbor or a professional, talking through the stress is the only way to separate your self-worth from the volatility of the markets.

“In agriculture, we’re so reliant on outside forces,” Steiger says. “You’ve got to have an attitude that it’s going to work out. As my Dad would say, ‘Well, we never missed a meal.’ That was his bottom line for ‘It’s okay.’”

Keeping the Family Farm and Rural Community Alive with an Innovative Mindset

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 18:24:11 GMT

Innovation doesn’t always look flashy in agriculture. Sometimes it’s simply a willingness to try something new if it makes the operation stronger for the next generation. For one Indiana cattle family, that mindset has been the key to keeping both the cattle operation and its rural community moving forward.

“My grandpa’s grandpa stepped off the boat the day Abraham Lincoln was killed,” says Andrew Bredeweg. “Our farm started as more of a self-sustaining farm with a little of everything until my dad turned it more into a business.”

Today, the Bredeweg family has its hands in the cow-calf sector, feeding cattle, farming and managing a seasonal sale barn. At the heart of all they do is ensuring the business remains generational while also supporting the rural community around them.

“Everybody in agriculture pretty much has goals to pass it on to the next generation. It’ll be multigenerational,” Bredeweg says.

The Bredewegs have been able to keep the operation in the family for generations because they’ve maintained a mindset of innovation. That willingness to adapt didn’t start with Andrew. It goes back several generations.

“My grandpa was big into Harvestore systems in the ’60s — he was one of the first guys around here to put that system in,” shares Bredeweg. “That allowed him to feed a lot more cattle in a lot shorter time, which freed him up to farm more or run more cattle.”

That same thinking continues today. The family was among the first in its area to feed cattle using a TMR mixer with drive-along bunks. More recently, they’ve adopted digital recordkeeping through Performance Beef to better track feed, performance and costs.

“Just knowing everything is there and everything is correct is worth its weight in gold,” says Bredeweg. “Our performance on the cattle really showed when we started using it because what we thought we were doing wasn’t actually what we were doing.”

Having accurate numbers has also improved decision-making. Instead of guessing at cost of gain or performance, Bredeweg now has real-time data to guide purchases and management decisions.

Innovation on the Bredeweg operation isn’t just about technology, though. It’s also about strengthening the broader agricultural community.

Bredeweg also manages the local White River Valley Cattlemen’s Association sale barn, a cooperative marketing facility started decades ago by local producers. The sale barn hosts a handful of sales each year and provides an important marketing outlet for cattle producers in the region.

For Bredeweg, involvement in multiple segments of the cattle industry reinforces something he appreciates about the business.

“There’s a little more of a team aspect in the cattle business,” he explains. “For us to prosper, somebody else doesn’t have to lose.”

That mindset extends beyond cattle markets and into investing in the next generation. Bredeweg has partnered with a local high school internship program that allows juniors and seniors to leave school early and gain real-world work experience with area businesses.

Students spend part of their day learning hands-on skills and exploring potential careers while still in high school. Bredeweg has hosted several students on the ranch and sees the program as a valuable tool for keeping young people connected to rural communities.

“You’re developing them on the school side and then they get plugged right back into the business side,” he says.

For Bredeweg, keeping family operations alive requires more than just maintaining a profitable business. It requires investing in people and community as well.

“I’d rather ask how we grow and keep these young people busy instead of how we contract,” he says.

Because at the end of the day, innovation in agriculture isn’t just about improving efficiency — it’s about ensuring there are still families, ranches and communities thriving for generations to come.

Listen to the full conversation on the Casual Cattle Conversations podcast .

From Constraints to Catalysts: How Ag Leaders Turn Hardships into Strategy

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 18:19:03 GMT

In an industry defined by “one-year-at-a-time” cycles, the greatest threat to a growing operation isn’t just a market downturn—it’s the inertia that comes with size. Farm Journal CEO Prescott Shibles argues that long-term survival requires a rare blend of faith and agility. To maintain an entrepreneurial mindset, leaders must lean into “conviction” as the core of a strategy that survives the lows.

Here is how four industry leaders are turning today’s constraints into tomorrow’s differentiators.

1. Build when times are hard.

When Brent Smith, president and CEO of NewLeaf Symbiotics, joined the company in 2023, the grain market was entering a significant down cycle. While some saw a risky time to lead a startup, he saw an opportunity.

“I learned in my first startup that the best time to build a business is in hard times,” Smith said said during a discussion at Top Producer Summit. “Because if you can’t withstand tough times, you’re not going to survive long term.”

For Smith, survival meant doubling down on the company’s core: science. Despite the pressure to cut costs, NewLeaf continues to spend half of its operating expenses on science.

“It would be very easy to peel that back,” he admits. “But we focused on projects that make the most impact the quickest, while keeping an eye on the long-term innovation in our pipeline.”

2. Control what you can control.

Farmers face the ultimate constraint every year: the weather. Scott Beck, president of Beck’s Hybrids, recalls the planting crisis of 2019 when constant rains kept tractors out of the fields well into May.

“I was concerned for our customers not being able to plant, but also for us not being able to plant our seed for the next year,” Beck says. “There was nothing that we could do to control the weather, but we could control how we interacted with our customers.”

Rather than retreating, the Beck’s team focused on transparency and empathy, using video series to connect with farmers and even forming small groups for prayer and support. Ultimately, they wanted farmers to know they cared and were there to support them however they could.

Despite the financial reality of what could happen if farmers didn’t plant and returned seed, Beck’s decided their course of action would not include employee layoffs. Instead, they prepared to sell land to protect their people.

“Fortunately, the weather broke and everybody was able to get planted,” he says. “Then the second miracle happened. We had the second warmest September on record, and that’s what brought the crop through to enable 2019 to not turn out as bad as it started.”

3. Turn disadvantages into advantages.

In 2014, Lamar Steiger, owner of The 808 Ranch, was tasked with a monumental challenge: helping Walmart reinvent its beef supply chain. At the time, the retail giant was at a disadvantage, forced to accept whatever the major meatpackers provided.

Steiger’s strategy was to turn that lack of control into a new kind of independence.

“I convinced the Walmart team to go around the traditional supply chain,” Steiger says. Today, Walmart sources 28% of its beef from its own “farm-to-table” supply chain.

There’s no question that decision was really good for Walmart. But Steiger says it was also really good for him personally.

“It reminded me that no matter how big you are, there are always challenges,” he says.

4. Create “white space” for the future.

When the day-to-day tasks of an operation become overwhelming, long-term strategy is often the first thing to go. James Burgum, CEO of The Arthur Companies, believes leaders must intentionally carve out “white space” for their teams.

“It’s important to find ways where people can actually spend their time working on the business, not just in the business,” he says.

By protecting time for team members to execute ideas that are three to five years out, Burgum manages the tension between short-term urgency and long-term viability.

“It’s hard to step away from the daily fires you’ll face in your operation, but it’s important,” he adds. “How we manage that tension of short term and long term is creating that white space and making sure that we consciously work on the business.

The Long Game

Ultimately, resilience in agriculture is about knowing when to push and when to pivot.

“You have to know when to put the gas down, and you need to know when to tap the brake,” Smith says. “And regardless of what you are doing, you need to stay focused on what you’re doing.”

Whether it is investing in science during a downturn or choosing customer empathy over the bottom line, these leaders say constraints don’t have to be roadblocks; they can be the very catalysts that drive an operation forward.

Seeing the Whole System: Holder’s Blueprint for the Future of Beef

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 18:32:01 GMT

When you ask Vaughn Holder where the beef industry should focus next, he doesn’t start with the latest feed additive or carbon credit scheme. Instead, Alltech’s global beef research director talks about systems — how methane ties into nitrogen, how trace minerals shape soil biology and pasture growth, and how all of it ultimately shows up in cow-calf margins and human nutrition.

Holder was the featured guest in “ The Future of Beef Show ” podcast, episode 19. He argues the era of chasing single numbers is over, and that the industry’s competitiveness now depends on understanding and managing the entire ecosystem that surrounds the cow.

Holder’s journey to Alltech started far from Kentucky. Originally from South Africa, he had the opportunity to intern at Alltech and he says he essentially never left. Like many in animal science, he originally thought he would become a veterinarian — until he walked through a vet school and realized he didn’t want to spend his life dealing only with sick animals. A course in rumen nutrition changed everything. Today, Holder is less a lab scientist and more a research architect.

From rumen microbiology and feed efficiency to soil health, nitrogen and consumer perception, this episode connects the science inside the cow to the broader ecosystem — and ultimately to the future of the beef industry.

Six key takeaways from the podcast include:

1. Beef’s Role in Sustainable Food Systems

Holder frames cattle as essential actors in circular, systems-based agriculture, not climate villains to be removed. He argues that focusing narrowly on methane without considering the whole system is misguided.

Holder explains Alltech’s documentary, “ World Without Cows ,” was triggered by a high-profile Super Bowl ad suggesting a future with no cows. Rather than producing a piece of industry propaganda, Alltech’s CEO and President Mark Lyons handed the project to journalists and gave them wide latitude. He asked them to find people through a wide range in the sciences and get both sides of the story.

“It really was an open and transparent documentary,” Holder summarizes, stressing the conclusion was clear. “The consensus from the story is really bad things will happen if we get rid of cows.”

He emphasizes that cattle are upcyclers of human-inedible biomass into nutrient-dense food.

2. Systems-Based, Not Siloed, Agriculture

Holder says Alltech intentionally avoids ultra-narrow specialization to keep a systems view of agriculture. He repeatedly stresses many industry debates are too siloed and miss soil–plant–animal–human linkages. He says the industry needs to judge interventions by their overall system efficiency and impact, not single metrics.

3. Future Research: Nitrogen, Rumen Function and Soil

Holder predicts the next major environmental pressure point will be nitrogen, more than methane.

“My guess is it’s probably going to be nitrogen on the ruminant side,” he says. “I think that’s actually a much more legitimate topic for us to be chasing than methane is.”

He notes ruminants have poor nitrogen efficiency, so improving this means fighting evolution. He also sees big potential in work that links trace minerals, soil biology, plant growth and animal performance.

4. Food Pyramid Changes and Human Nutrition

Holder sees animal protein as central to nutrient density and public health, and views the new pyramid as a “return to sanity” with long-run benefits. He strongly supports the shift in the food pyramid toward animal products and vegetables as the base.

He expects long‑term public health benefits from the updated dietary guidelines will reduce childhood obesity and diabetes, clarifying these reductions are going to take years to improve. He also stresses what gets pushed off the plate may matter most — the highly processed, highly stable, packed with additives.

5. Innovation, Startups and Extension

Alltech’s R&D is explicitly positioned as innovation, not just lab work.

“Our entire research department has now been rebranded as an innovation department,” he explains. “Our job is to be out there understanding what new things are coming around and how we can engage with them.”

They deliberately engage with startups and accelerators to stay close to bold, early-stage ideas. He is critical of research that never reaches producers.

“A frustration with a lot of cow-calf researchers is they do that work and they have no one to give it to,” he says. “If no one ever uses it, then what’s the point?”

Holder suggests extension and translation of science into practical language and actions are crucial.

6. Challenges at the Cow-Calf Level

Holder calls cow-calf production both critical and hard to reach. Measuring real‑world responses on farms is a major barrier. He stresses the measurement and adoption gap at the cow-calf level is one of the biggest bottlenecks to applying research and technology.

Overall, the message from Holder is the importance of:

Thinking in systems, not single variables.
Focusing on efficiency and nutrient density across the whole chain.
Treating cattle as integral to circular agriculture and human nutrition.
Ensuring science is translated, measurable and adoptable at the producer level.
Keeping the industry open to innovation and cross‑sector collaboration.

For him, that means one thing above all: never viewing any of those challenges in isolation.

The Next Guatemala? USMEF Sees Massive Upside for U.S. Beef and Pork in Ecuador

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 19:22:33 GMT

Ecuador recently became the ninth country to sign an agreement on reciprocal trade with the U.S. And while it will take some time to implement, once in place, the deal will greatly expand opportunities for U.S. beef and pork in Ecuador, according to U.S. Meat Export Federation Vice President for Economic Analysis Erin Borror.

Tariffs of 20% on beef and 45% on pork are mostly phased out, although there are exceptions on pork.
A 30% tariff on processed pork products which will remain in place.
The agreement recognizes all USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) inspected facilities as eligible for export to Ecuador, removing the need for individual facility approvals.

“The tariff on beef is basically 20% and that’s phased to zero in the agreement over three years,” Borror explains. “For pork, tariffs of 45% are mostly phased out. There are some exceptions on further processed products and sausages that will see tariffs remain at 30%.”

Borror says one of the key wins in these reciprocal trade agreements is getting countries to recognize FSIS, the U.S. food safety authority, as the competent authority.

“They will recognize all FSIS-inspected facilities as eligible to export, rather than going through onerous questionnaires, plant-by-plant audits and maintaining plant lists which have gotten to be unmanageable,” she says.

Borror expects export growth to be similar to what was seen in Guatemala after passage of the Central America Free Trade Agreement.

“Both of those countries have a population of close to 18 million people,” she says. “Their GDP per capita is somewhere close to $7,000, so very similar. And if we take Guatemala, U.S. beef export growth from 2006 to 2025, saw growth from $3 million to $105 million. For pork, the market went from $10 million to $148 million.”

In 2025, the U.S. exported virtually no pork to Ecuador and only $3 million in beef. She says there is great potential in Ecuador.

A Seat at the Table: How Robbie LeValley Bridges the Gap Between Science and Stewardship

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 16:34:16 GMT

As the world recognizes 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF), U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (USRSB) is turning the spotlight on the women shaping agriculture every day here in the U.S. From innovative land management strategies to raising livestock with care and precision, women are vital contributors to our food systems and communities.

From Wyoming Roots to Colorado Stewardship

A fourth-generation rancher, Robbie LeValley is a passionate advocate for public lands and sustainable beef production.

LeValley operates a diversified cow-calf operation in western Colorado, where her work reflects a deep commitment to stewardship and the long-term viability of both land and livestock. Her story reflects resilience and a strong belief that agriculture can, and must, balance productivity with environmental care.

LeValley’s connection to ranching began in northwest Wyoming, where she grew up on a cow-calf operation south of Cody. From an early age, she experienced firsthand the realities of working lands that blended private acreage with federal grazing allotments, a model that continues to shape her approach today.

After attending junior college, she transferred to Colorado State University, where she earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in animal science. Shortly after, in 1989, a career opportunity in livestock extension enabled her to remain in Colorado, the same year she became part of the LeValley Ranch through marriage.

Since then, LeValley has helped build and sustain a multigenerational operation alongside her family, blending tradition with innovation to ensure the ranch’s long-term success.

(Photo Provided By Robbie LeValley)

The “Power of And": Balancing Production and Conservation

Today, the LeValley Ranch is a diverse and dynamic operation. In addition to running a cow-calf herd, the ranch integrates multiple business components, including grazing management across public and private lands, a USDA-inspected processing facility, retail beef sales, and recreational opportunities.

Central to LeValley’s work is a commitment to conservation and land stewardship. Through years of rangeland monitoring, she has helped document improvements in both vegetation and overall ecosystem function. Her science-based approach allows her to demonstrate that well-managed grazing can support both livestock production and wildlife habitat.

“It’s not about choosing one or the other,” LeValley explains. “It’s about the ‘and.’ It’s about livestock and wildlife, production and conservation.”

This philosophy has not only guided the ranch’s management decisions but has also positioned it for collaboration. LeValley regularly welcomes producers, policymakers, environmental groups and members of the public onto the ranch to see the science in action and the outcomes firsthand.

In 2023, the LeValley Ranch was recognized with the prestigious Leopold Conservation Award, honoring its dedication to sustainable land management and environmental stewardship.

(Photo Provided By Robbie LeValley)

Data-Driven Decisions: Grazing as the Solution

Beyond the ranch, LeValley’s career reflects a lifelong commitment to education and service.

From 1989 to 2012, she served as a Tri River Area extension agent, working directly with producers and communities to strengthen agricultural practices and outreach. Today, she continues to support research and innovation through her involvement in agricultural and meat science initiatives.

Her background in science plays a critical role in how she approaches ranching. By collecting and interpreting data on rangeland conditions, LeValley is able to make informed decisions and communicate the positive impacts of well-managed grazing systems.

That ability has proven especially important in conversations around public lands, where misconceptions about agriculture can persist.

“Too often, grazing is seen as the problem,” she says. “But when you have the data, you can show it’s part of the solution.”

Advocacy in Action: Ensuring the Producer’s Voice is Heard

LeValley’s influence extends across the beef industry through her involvement in numerous organizations at the local, state and national levels. She has dedicated countless hours to ensuring that the voice of producers is represented in policy discussions and industry initiatives.

Her leadership roles include past service with the Public Lands Council, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, Society for Range Management and Colorado Beef Council.

For LeValley, this involvement is not optional; it is essential.

“If we’re not at the table, we don’t have a voice,” she explains. “The infrastructure, policies and opportunities we have today exist because previous generations stepped up. It’s our responsibility to do the same.”

Her commitment to collaboration is also evident in her mentorship of the next generation. Whether working with young producers or early-career ranchers, she emphasizes the importance of strong relationships and thoughtful decision-making.

(Photo Provided By Robbie LeValley)

Leading in Action

As a woman in agriculture, LeValley has witnessed both challenges and progress throughout her career. Her perspective is grounded not in titles or recognition, but in action.

“Leadership doesn’t always mean being out front,” she says. “Sometimes it means supporting others, and that’s just as important.”

She hopes young women entering agriculture will see that leadership is demonstrated through daily work and integrity, not just words.

Her advice is simple but powerful:

Work hard.
Build relationships.
Find mentors.
Lead by example.

“Work hard in silence,” she adds. “Let success make the noise.”

Continuing the Story

LeValley’s impact reaches far beyond her own operation. She is helping shape the future of ranching and the role of women in agriculture.

Her work demonstrates that stewardship and productivity are not opposing goals; they are interconnected. By embracing both, she is advancing the beef industry and ensuring its resilience for years to come.

As the International Year of the Woman Farmer continues, stories like LeValley’s highlight the leadership of women across agriculture.
They remind us that ranching is more than a livelihood; it is a legacy shaped by care for the land and a strong sense of purpose for the future.

Learn more about sustainable beef and producer leadership by visiting U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef and Public Lands Council websites.

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Cattle Market Volatility: Is the Ride Just Getting Started?

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 16:16:03 GMT

Placements of cattle into feedlots continue to decline and beef production has reached historic lows. More slaughter reductions, albeit temporary, are in the works.

“Feeder and live cattle markets will likely return to rally mode in Q2 and Q3 while calf prices remain mostly rangebound,” predicts Dave Weaber, Terrain senior animal protein analyst, in his Q2 2026 Outlook .

He summarizes beef and cattle prices have been trading at record levels.

“Choice boxed beef is up 15% this year through March versus the same period last year, and cattle prices are up 18% to 40%, depending on class,” he says. “The reductions in available slaughter capacity so far this year have shifted leverage to the packing segment and improved its margins. However, if the Iran War’s effect on consumer gas budgets persists, it could challenge beef spending.”

He reports packer margins have improved from deeply negative to breakeven or slight profits. Cattle feeding losses could turn into breakeven or profits in Q2.

Weaber summarizes the bumpy ride of cattle market volatility is just getting started. Weaber suggests producers consider these four strategies:

1. Plan Around Volatility, Not Just High Prices

Even though prices are at record highs, Weaber expects continued volatility and notes projected losses for many feeders in Q2 and Q3.

He suggests producers use conservative price assumptions in budgets; run stress tests on breakevens at lower fed and feeder prices. He encourages feeders to lock in margins when they’re available — hedging, LRP, options — not just when prices look “high.”

2. Tight Supplies Do Not Guarantee Profits

Cattle numbers and slaughter are down, but packer leverage has improved. He predicts cattle slaughter in Q2 2026 to run 4% to 6% below year-earlier levels.

The reduction in fed cattle slaughter capacity materialized with Tyson closing the Lexington, Neb., beef plant and taking its Amarillo, Texas, facility down to a single shift in January.

“As we expected, the shrinking number of shackles in plants didn’t immediately solve packers’ heavy losses,” Weaber says. “Fed cattle packer margins worsened from the second week of January through the third week of February as five-area fed steer prices rallied from $232/cwt. to $247/cwt. and Choice boxed beef cutout values were nearly flat. During the same period, fed steer and heifer slaughter dropped to a historically small average of 433,000 head per week, down 10% from a year earlier.”

(Terrain)

The packers’ slowing of slaughter has resulted in more surplus cattle, most notably in the northern feeding areas. While the increase isn’t particularly burdensome, it is enough to show up in heavier carcass weights (contrary to the seasonal trend) and a higher percentage of Choice and Prime grading carcasses.

Bargaining position has shifted to the packers’ favor.

He suggests producers need to sharpen cost control — feed, interest, yardage — and be selective on placements. He stresses don’t chase high-priced feeders without a clear risk‑management plan.

For cow‑calf producers and backgrounders, he says strong calf and feeder prices are supported, but avoid overexpansion or overpaying for replacements just because “numbers are tight.”

3. Watch the Consumer: Fuel Costs and Confidence Matter

Weaber flags Iran War’s effect on fuel costs and weaker consumer confidence in affordability as potential drags on demand, even while demand is still strong.

(Terrain)

“Consumer confidence is already getting a hit because of ongoing affordability concerns and declines in investment and retirement accounts,” Weaber says. “This combination has the potential to limit consumer spending on beef items at grocery stores and restaurants.”

He encourages producers to track domestic demand signals — retail features, food service traffic and wholesale beef moves — because a softening consumer could pressure cattle prices faster than supplies alone would suggest.

His suggestion to producers is: Be ready to pull the trigger on sales earlier if you see a combination of weaker beef movement and falling futures.

4. Use the Price Outlook to Time Marketing

Weaber’s forecast calls for:

Fed cattle around $250 to $255/cwt. in Q2, close to $260/cwt. in Q3.
Feeder cattle sideways, then rallying into Q3.
450‑lb. calves range‑bound but at very high levels into fall.

His message to producers is to align weaning, backgrounding and selling windows with predicted higher‑price periods when possible. He also suggests considering staggering sales — rather than one big shot — to spread risk across the Q2–Q3 volatility band.

In summary, Weaber says we’re in a record‑high, record‑tight cattle market, but that doesn’t mean an easy ride ahead. Shifting packer leverage, softer consumer confidence and outside shocks like higher fuel costs mean volatility in cattle prices is likely just getting started.

What is the Livestock Consolidation Research Act?

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 16:24:30 GMT

Senate Agriculture Committee members Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) have introduced the Livestock Consolidation Research Act , bipartisan legislation to support research into the economic impact of livestock market consolidation on farmers, ranchers and consumers.

“Consolidation in the meat and poultry industry impacts Iowa producers and consumers alike, and right now, they’re feeling the squeeze,” Grassley says. “The current patchwork of available data isn’t enough to tackle this problem. Our bipartisan legislation will work to address ag concentration by providing farmers, ranchers and shoppers a full picture of how the market is working.”

According to Grassley’s press release , “Cattle producers often make pennies on the dollar due to a lack of transparency and competition in the cattle processing industry, where just four companies control 85% of the market. The lack of competition means farmers get less for their products, while consumers pay more at the grocery store.”

The senators’ goal with the act is to move beyond existing research to discover the impact of this consolidation on farmers and ranchers, as well as the downstream impacts on consumers. The legislation directs the USDA Economic Research Service to conduct this research.

“Just a handful of large companies dominate the meat and poultry processing industry, which means higher prices for consumers and shrinking earnings for farmers. On top of that, farmers and ranchers are dealing with the worst farm economy in 30 years, skyrocketing input costs, and a cost-of-living crisis at home. We can all see that this market concentration spells disaster,” Smith says. “Our bipartisan bill would bring to light the impact of this consolidation on farmers and consumers and help us create the best possible solutions to fix the problem. I look forward to working with Sen. Grassley and my colleagues to pass this legislation as part of a farm bill.”

Grassley and Smith plan to push for the bill’s inclusion in the research title of the farm bill, which could form a base of data to inform future decisions.

Regulatory Concerns: The Economic Impact of Increased Oversight

“Significant liquidation of cattle herds has brought U.S. cattle numbers to a 70-year low and pushed prices and subsequently, cow-calf returns, to record highs,” says John Nalivka, Sterling Marketing Inc. president. “At the same time, Sterling Marketing’s estimate for beef packer margins is to average — $191/head during the first quarter of 2026.”

Nalivka says consolidation has become a top news headline in livestock and meat industries quite often lately.

“As I read about this [proposed legislation], I once again become concerned about the information that leads to this research effort,” he says.

He stresses packing capacity is a significant factor in the market.

“Consequently, I maintain a rather significant database of plants and their capacities for both the beef and pork industries. This database goes back to the late 1980s when I started focusing on capacity and its impact on the market,” he explains. “I adamantly point out that the importance of capacity in the beef and cattle market goes beyond the packing industry to include all aspects of the supply chain from production to packing and processing to the retail meat case.”

Nalivka has often pointed out that consolidation in any industry is the result of businesses growing larger to achieve economies of scale.

“This is extremely important as it has a direct and beneficial impact on the cost structure of a business and ultimately, its financial success,” he says. “It is related to and has an impact on production capacity and ultimately, the ownership of capacity across the supply chain.”

He predicts with Tyson’s closure of the Lexington plant and reducing Amarillo to one shift, the total U.S. beef packing capacity (including both fed cattle and cows) is 36.7 million head. He adds the strike at JBS’s Greeley, Colo., plant brings annual fed cattle plant capacity down to 27.3 million from 28.9 million.

“This leaves my estimate for the four-firm fed cattle plants concentration with the Greeley plant included at 75.7%,” he says. “That is a notable difference from the quoted figure of 85%.”

Nalivka says a study such as the one proposed by Grassley and Smith should not be taken lightly considering the definite potential for increased regulatory activity.

“For those who do not believe that increased government oversight leads to greater government regulations, in 2025, there were 243 volumes in the Federal Register, proposed and final rules and regulations, which begs the question — Is this too much government oversight?”

From Pasture to Plate: Sysco Highlights the Value of Beef Quality Assurance

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 13:36:08 GMT

The best beef is raised the right way. This message was reinforced by remarks from Joe Don Eilers, Sysco vice president of merchandising, during the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Producer Forum, which was part of CattleCon 2026.

Representing one of the nation’s largest food service distributors, Eilers shares how best practices in cattle care and beef production influence beef product, ultimately reaching the plates of restaurants and kitchen tables of consumers.

“At the end of the day, quality beef is a safe, wholesome product for our participants to use,” Eilers says, adding the ultimate goal is delivering a mouth-watering steak that keeps customers coming back for more.

Industry collaboration is key to delivering this eating experience, and programs like BQA help ensure consistency from pasture to plate. For decades, BQA has provided science-based guidelines and education to help family farmers and ranchers improve cattle care, product quality and consumer confidence.

“We believe in the value that the BQA program has brought to the industry for decades,” Eilers says. “That mission to bring knowledge about best practices and innovations to producers across the industry has resulted in a better product that we’re able to purchase and ultimately serve to consumers.”

The commitment to cattle care and continuous improvement is also reflected in the Raised with Respect program, a partnership between Certified Angus Beef and Sysco, now in its third year. The initiative helps expand awareness of BQA principles while supporting educational resources for ranchers and additional collaboration across universities, extension systems and industry partners.

“This campaign is really about bringing another level of awareness to the work BQA has done over the years,” Eilers says, “and creating more opportunities to communicate what can be improved in beef production.”

The commitment to advancing best practices and helping to ensure beef demand recently earned Sysco national recognition — National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) named the company the 2026 BQA Marketer of the Year during CattleCon. This award highlights leaders who go above and beyond to promote BQA and support responsible cattle care across the beef industry.

“As a primary producer-facing program, BQA has been providing guidelines and resources to help cattlemen improve their cattle and resulting beef for decades,” says Josh White, NCBA senior executive director of producer education and sustainability. “It’s exciting to see this work done on farms and ranches across the country and also lends value for how a large beef seller, like Sysco, tells the beef production story.”

For Eilers, those efforts also help build trust with consumers who want greater transparency about how their food is raised.

“Customers and consumers today want more and more information about the products they’re buying and eating,” he says. “The BQA program really helps us talk about best practices around animal husbandry and environmental stewardship, and that builds confidence in the beef producers raise.”

Florida Successfully Defends Lab-Grown Meat Ban in Court

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 12:43:12 GMT

A federal appeals court ruled that Florida, the first state to ban lab-grown meat, can continue to enforce state law SB 1084, keeping the state’s restrictions fully in place.

The March 23 ruling from a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the ban does not conflict with federal regulations.

Upside Foods, a California company that was approved to make cultivated chicken for U.S. sale in 2022, brought the case forward. The company argued that federal oversight should override Florida’s restrictions, but the court disagreed.

“Because Florida’s ban on lab-grown meat does not regulate Upside’s ingredients, premises, facilities, or operations, federal law does not preempt SB 1084,” wrote Circuit Judge Andrew Brasher, as reported by the Florida Phoenix .

SB 1084, which took effect in July 2024, bans the manufacture, sale and distribution of cultivated meat. Six other states — Alabama, Indiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska and Texas — have enacted similar bans since Florida took action.

Florida leaders who backed the ban celebrated the ruling. CBS 12 reports that Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson said it protects traditional farmers and argued that lab-grown meat isn’t proven safe. Gov. Ron DeSantis also praised the decision, saying lab-grown meat won’t be allowed in Florida.

Cultivated meat supporters say these bans block a growing industry, eliminate future jobs, and shut down marketplace competition before the products can gain a foothold, CBS 12 reports.

Signed by DeSantis in 2024 to support traditional agriculture, the state law makes violations punishable by up to 60 days in jail.

“Take your fake lab-grown meat elsewhere,” DeSantis said in Food Safety News in 2024. “We are not doing that in the State of Florida.”

Grilling Season 2026: Will Record Beef Prices Cool Summer Demand?

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 12:44:38 GMT

The cattle industry is closely watching availability as we transition into the spring and summer months.

In a recent issue of “ In the Cattle Markets ,” Bernt Nelson, American Farm Bureau Federation economist, discussed cattle availability and where market conditions could be headed as the industry moves into spring and eventually the summer grilling season when seasonal demand for beef typically peaks.

(American Farm Bureau)

As of March 1, 2026, the total number of cattle on feed is estimated at 11.55 million head. While this is up slightly from last month and down slightly from the same time period as last year, specific trends in placements and marketings suggest a shift in the supply chain:

Placements: 1.61 million head (up 4% from 2025).
Marketings: 1.52 million head (down 7% from 2025).
The Trend: Placements have outpaced marketings in five of the last six months, indicating a growing volume of cattle being prepared for the peak summer demand.

“While marketings have been consistently lower than last year, marking fewer numbers of fed cattle available, it’s important to note that placements have outpaced marketings of cattle in five of the last six months,” he says. “This means more cattle are being placed on feed than are being marketed for beef. This should lead to more cattle being available for beef production during the next several months when grilling demand ramps up.”

Beef Demand and the “Grilling Season” Surge

Memorial Day is considered the unofficial start of grilling season, which typically brings peak seasonal demand for beef. March and April usually bring peak demand for other proteins such as ham and lamb, while beef demand slows.

“This year, demand for beef has risen over the last several weeks, pulling prices higher at a much faster pace than in past years,” Nelson says. “Since January, the Choice beef cutout value has increased by $50.14/cwt. or 13%, from $349.97/cwt. on Jan. 2, 2026, to $400.11/cwt. on March 20, 2026. This is 25% higher than 2025 and has many analysts questioning if the strong demand from grilling season will pull beef prices even higher this summer.”

(American Farm Bureau)

Josh Maples, associate professor of agriculture economics at Mississippi State University, says in a recent “ Southern Ag Today ” article, “The Select cutout has also surged and is at levels only surpassed by May 2020. The gap between the Choice and Select cutout has been narrow during the first few months of 2026, indicating there has not been much of a premium for Choice cattle over Select.”

(Southern Ag Today, USDA-AMS)

He adds boxed beef values tend to build gradually through the first quarter before accelerating in the spring and reaching a seasonal peak ahead of summer grilling season.

“In 2026, the cutout has surged earlier in the year as cyclical market fundamentals are outweighing typical seasonality,” he explains. “Cattle supplies and beef supplies are tight. When supplies are tight, wholesale prices tend to respond quickly. Additionally, buyers may be pulling some purchases forward due to expectations of tight supplies and even higher prices later this spring.”

Increases in the rib and loin primal values since the start of the year are key contributors to the overall cutout value increase.

Maples explains in 2025, the Rib value ran up sharply from March to April, while the Loin value increased from March to June. This year, both primal values have been on a strong uptrend since mid-January.

“For producers, strong early-year boxed beef prices are supportive of fed cattle markets,” he summarizes. “Strong demand and tight supplies are supporting beef values in 2026.”

Economic Headwinds: Recession Risks

While cattle supplies are slow to rebuild, consumer demand can shift rapidly.

“Cattle supplies will take years to rebuild, but demand can change more quickly,” Nelson says. “Events such as a recession could be a threat to the strong demand that has supported beef prices over the last couple of years. Continued strong demand is key to maintaining a strong cattle market in the months to come. If demand begins to fall for any reason, especially during grilling season, beef prices will also begin to fall along with the cutout value. When the cutout falls, the packer has to buy cattle at a lower price, which leads to lower prices at the farm gate.”

As we move toward the summer months, the balance between tight cattle supplies and consumer willingness to pay record prices will define the profitability of the 2026 grilling season.

Your Next Reads:
What Does Talk of $10 Ground Beef Mean to Producers?
High Cattle Prices Driven Not Just by Supply, but Strong Demand

Halter Raises $220M in Series E to Accelerate Global Expansion of Virtual Fencing

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 12:40:41 GMT

Halter, the global agtech company transforming cattle farming, today announced it has raised $220 million in Series E funding at a $2 billion valuation. The round was led by Founders Fund, with participation from Blackbird, DCVC, Bond, Bessemer, NewView, Ubiquity, Promus and Icehouse Ventures, as it continues to expand alongside the ranchers using Halter in their operations.

The capital will be used to support the ranchers and farmers already using Halter and to extend it to more operations globally, with a continued focus on the people using it every day.

The round is one of the largest-ever in agtech globally and reflects growing demand for virtual fencing technology. Halter serves more than 2,000 ranchers and farmers across New Zealand, Australia and the U.S., with 1 million of its solar-powered collars now sold. Since launching in the U.S. in 2024, American ranchers using Halter have built 60,000 miles of virtual fencing as part of how they manage their land, with Halter working alongside them.

Ranchers using Halter can move herds, rest pastures and cut their reliance on physical fencing — all from their phones. The GPS-enabled, solar-powered collars help reduce the kind of labor-intensive work that has long defined cattle operations, giving ranchers back time and more control over how their land is managed.

“We started Halter because we believed technology could fundamentally change what it means to run a ranch, and enable ranchers to use innovation to build long-term futures on their land,” says Craig Piggott, CEO and founder of New Zealand-born Halter. “Our ranchers need tools that work, and the fact that they’re using Halter tells us our technology has earned their trust. This raise lets us bring it to far more of them — and faster.”

The deep tech company’s GPS-enabled collars use audio cues and gentle vibrations to contain and herd cattle within virtual boundaries, allowing ranchers to move herds from a smartphone — without breaking ground or stringing wire.

“Agriculture is a multitrillion-dollar industry that feeds the world, yet remains one of the least digitized sectors on Earth,” says Founders Fund Partner Amin Mirzadegan. “Halter is changing that by bringing software, sensors, and AI directly into livestock operations in a way that ranchers actually adopt. Craig’s deep understanding of the ranchers he serves has enabled the company to build something that’s not just useful, but mission-critical to how ranches run.”

Halter will deploy the new capital to grow its commercial and field operations across the U.S., New Zealand and Australia, while expanding into other international markets, starting with Ireland and the U.K. later this year. The company already has early ranches in Canada and is also exploring further expansion in North and South America this year.

Investment will continue across product development, including animal health monitoring and pasture management, shaped by how customers are using the system in the field. The focus remains on supporting the ranchers and farmers building their operations with Halter.

Halter plans to hire an additional 200-plus people — its largest-ever hiring effort — with a focus on product, engineering and customer roles at its Auckland headquarters.

Through the Flames: Miracles, Heartbreak and the Fight for Nebraska’s Cattle Country

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 22:26:16 GMT

Ranchers Julie and James Hawkins were at the dentist, two hours from their Arthur, Neb., ranch, when they got the call. The smoke was encroaching.

With Julie behind the wheel, and little regard for the speed limit, James was on the phone with their children — Annie, 17, and Ward, 21 — talking them through how to ready the tractor, disc, trucks, trailers and water rig for battle.

When Julie and James arrived back at the ranch around 5:30 p.m., they could see a massive plume.

“It looked like a storm front coming in, and then I realized it was all smoke,” James recalls. “The fire line was several miles wide.”

Frantic calls to the neighbors and the Garden County Sheriff revealed the wildfire was already “2 miles east of Racket Road,” a key landmark that meant it was close.

It was go time. Ward left with the tractor and disc to cut a firebreak around their hay yard. James took the fire truck. Annie followed with a pickup and trailer loaded with horses. Julie hopped in another truck to find their cows.

She expected their cows to be sheltered beneath a hill, but they weren’t there. She took out over the rough terrain to keep looking.

“I topped this ridge, and there’s fire and there’s my cows,” she recalls. “I honked the horn, ‘Come on, girls, let’s go.’ The fire was on my northwest, it was on my west and it had already shot past south, underneath Ward Hill.”

The panic set in because she had left her husband and daughter at Ward Hill filling the water tank on the fire truck.

Julie coaxed the cows to safety down into the valley where her son disced a firebreak to protect their hay yard. James and Annie had outrun the wildfire and made it back to the hay yard. The family turned on its irrigation pivot and moved the horses, trailers, saddles and other valuable equipment behind the pivot for protection.

When Julie Hawkins found her cow herd she also found the fire. She recalls the fire was on her northwest, west and it had already shot past south, underneath Ward Hill.

(Hawkins Family)

A Fire Wall Several Miles Wide Leaves Destruction

The Hawkins family was one of the many ranchers impacted by the historic Morrill Fire that burned more than 642,000 acres.

The “fast-moving, overwhelming event” that started on March 12 devastated pasture and hay resources, describes Dusty Wilson, a fourth-generation cow-calf producer from southwest Arthur County, but it also revealed the strength and generosity of the ranching community.

Northwest winds up to 75 mph meant firefighters’ efforts were no match for the west-to-east threat that escalated quickly, he explains.

Wilson and his 84-year-old father, Delwin, stayed behind to move cattle and fight fire while his wife and kids evacuated.

The father-and-son duo drove to the calving pasture blaring the horn, trying to locate and call the cows in the dark and smoke.

“We had already tried to move a few other bunches, opening gates to give them areas of exit,” Wilson says.

They were unable to locate the cows when they noticed the fire was moving closer and it was time to evacuate. They left the pasture, praying the cows could find protection from the fire.

When the fire reached Wilson’s place he describes the wall of fire was several miles wide, and it “boiled over the hill” right behind his dad’s house, his barn and their shop.

“We almost got trapped,” he recalls. “We were able to find a safe spot, a sandy spot, around a windmill to park and shelter until that wave got around us.”

Both the Hawkins and Wilson families spent Thursday night fighting fire along with their neighbors and volunteer firefighters. Generations of family members, including kids, worked together to help move cows, horses, equipment and pets while other family members scouted fire location and wind shifts.

After the fire at Hawkins’ ranch.

(Hawkins family)

Miracle in the Sandhills: Wilson and Hawkins Herds Survive

The Hawkins family lost more than half the ranch’s summer grazing land. They were able to save their home, hay and cattle.

“It pretty much took most everything, pasture-wise, from all of our surrounding neighbors, as it did us,” Wilson explains.

He lost 13,500 acres of grass and all the hay supplies he had allocated to get the ranch through calving, until turnout, and also for some carryover.

“We were able to save our home valley — our main hay meadow,” Wilson says. “We were able to save our two houses — it burned right up next to each of those. Thankfully, we were able to save our structures. Our cattle, thankfully, were safe.”

He describes the cattle’s survival as miraculous as the pasture around them was charred.

The Wilson family’s cow herd found safety under this big sandhill.

(Wilson Family)

“I fully expected to find a great amount of death loss,” Wilson says when he went to check on the cows the next morning. “I was just amazed when I saw they were safe and unharmed. They were able to tuck under one big sandhill and were in one spot under that hill where the fire didn’t burn. There was a halo or arc that remained where it didn’t burn.”

He’s not sure if the cows heard the horn or if they simply relied on their instincts to find safety.

With no grazing for the coming season, Wilson says the biggest need for Sandhills ranchers is hay and feed.

“We’re going to have to supplement these cattle every day for quite some time now. Our hope is that we can keep everything that’s going to calve here.”

(Adam Grabenstein)

Across the Miles, More Acres Burn Due to Wildfire

On the same day, more than 100 miles away, the Cottonwood Fire was burning in Lincoln and Dawson counties south of I-80.

Adam Grabenstein lives 10 miles south of Gothenburg along Highway 47, where the Cottonwood Fire began. Between 8:30 and 9 p.m., the fire crossed Highway 47 and within 45 minutes, it was on his doorstep.

The Cottonwood Fire approacing Adam Grabenstein’s home near Gothenburg.

(Adam Grabenstein)

“The wind was horrible,” he recalls. “Fifty to 60 mph sustained winds. You couldn’t see for the dust or the smoke, extremely, extremely dangerous conditions.”

Thanks to the efforts of local farmers, they were able to stop the fire about 4 miles north of the Highway 23 and 47 junction, east of Farnam.

“A lot of farmers hooked up their tractors and discs and hightailed it over there to help us stop the fire,” he explains. “When the wind switched out of the north, all the valley farmers brought their tractors and discs. When the wind switched again, it was kind of a reversal with guys from the south country going north. That demonstrates the heart and grit of rural America.”

Fighting fires all night, Grabenstein recalls how neighbors were helping neighbors, stressing the loss could have been much worse.

“There were points when you just felt helpless because the conditions were so ripe for fire — it was out of control,” he recalls of the emotions of that night. “You’re doing all you can, but it’s an extremely dangerous environment.”

His farming and ranching headquarters and feedlot are 10 miles south of his house.

The view from Adam Grabenstein’s home after the fire.

(Adam Grabenstein)

“My house is safe, but obviously we had a lot of smoke damage,” he says. “We’ve lost more than 2,500 acres of grazing lands.”

The difference between the Cottonwood and Morrill fire is terrain and fire fuel. Much of the Cottonwood fire included cedar trees and other wooded areas. To date, the Cottonwood Fire has burned more than 129,000 acres.

The Loss of a Neighbor

The Morrill wildfire claimed the life of 86-year-old Rose White of Arthur County.

Both the Hawkins and Wilsons called her a beloved neighbor who loved Halloween and hosting her neighbors and their children.

“Across the hills from where we were gathering cows, she lives about 3.5 miles southwest,” Julie explains.

White got stuck trying to leave her homestead, which had stood for more than 100 years. Reports say they found her about 15 feet from her vehicle. The whole place — the barn, house and vehicle — all burned.

Wilson says White lived 2 miles north of his ranch. Knowing her his entire life, he recalls the devastation he felt when he heard she died when he was still fighting fire on Thursday night.

“She’s a longtime family friend and was a longtime neighbor. We loved Rose,” he says. “She was a sweet, dear lady, always very friendly, happy and had a joyous personality. We’ll definitely miss her.”

When the Adrenaline Fades: The Hidden Toll on Ranchers

With little spring or summer grazing land left and most of their hay inventory burned, numerous Nebraska cow-calf ranchers are leaning on donated feed, disaster aid and tight-knit ranching communities to overcome the tremendous loss due to wildfires. The fires that ignited on March 12 continue to burn at 98% containment.

“We’ve had just terrific response from ranchers in other communities donating hay and fencing supplies or offering to come help with labor,” Wilson says. “The outpour of generosity has been amazing.”

There’s no doubt split-second choices and the grit to fight for their land and livestock defined how producers survived the recent wildfires.

“God is a big God, and he can send rains and heal our land, yet the damage that has been done is going to take time to heal,” Julie summarizes.

Reflecting on past blizzards, droughts and fires, Wilson adds: “There’s always challenges, there’s always loss. But I think the heart of the Sandhills people, and with the grit of the Nebraska Sandhills rancher, we’re going to continue that heritage and tradition, accept this head on and rebuild what we can and keep moving forward.”

Your Next Reads:
Ranchers Rally as Nebraska Faces Historic Wildfires
Historic Wildfires Continue to Scorch Western and Central Nebraska
After Wildfire: Livestock Care, Documentation and Recovery
Using the D.A.R.T. Method to Identify Smoke-Stressed Calves

Ranchers Rally as Nebraska Faces Historic Wildfires

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 20:01:48 GMT

With more than 800,000 acres of Nebraska scorched, ranchers are rallying together to overcome loss and support one another. From grass to hay to structures and water tanks, the loss across the state is monumental.

The rally of ranchers began when the fires sparked a week ago, as neighbors helped neighbors working to slow down the tornado-like wildfires as they tore across the Sandhills in the Morrill Fire and through the canyons of the Cottonwood Fire .

There are multiple stories of local fire departments, neighbors and family members creating fire breaks and helping move livestock and equipment out of danger zones.

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Van Newkirk Herefords

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Van Newkirk Herefords

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Van Newkirk Herefords

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Van Newkirk Herefords

“We’ve had a remarkable, unprecedented response to stop this fire and we will come up with an equally innovative solution for recovery,” says Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) Director Sherry Vinton.

Vinton had a chance to fly over the fire-charred area Tuesday.

“It was blowing sand,” she says. “It looks like the Sahara.”

Nebraska Sanhills after the Morrill Fire.

(Hawkins Family)

Oshkosh, Neb., rancher Joe Van Newkirk of Van Newkirk Herefords describes the former lush Nebraska Sandhills like a moonscape.

While no official livestock death losses have been reported, NDA says the scale of the impact is significant. Vinton explains the burned acreage represents a major hit to the state’s cattle capacity, particularly in the area of the Morrill Fire.

“If we say it’s roughly 600,000 acres, that’s a grazing resource for 35,000 cows,” Vinton says.

Vinton frames the recovery as a statewide promise to keep multigenerational ranches and their herds together even after hundreds of thousands of acres of rangeland have burned, plus the loss of hay, fence, structures and so much more.

Containment Improves, Yet 4 Fires Continue

Crews made a lot of progress containing the fires Wednesday. As of Friday morning, the approximate acres burned and current containment (according to Watch Duty ) include:

Morrill Fire (Keith, Arthur, Grant, Garden and Morrill counties, near Lake McConaughy)
- Acres burned — 643,361
- Containment — 98%
- Origin — downed power pole and line in gusty winds near Angora on Thursday, March 12
- Watch Duty link
- This is the largest fire in Nebraska history.
Cottonwood Fire (Dawson, Lincoln and Frontier counties, south of Interstate 80, near Brady and Gothenburg)
- Acres burned — 128,036
- Containment — 80%
- Watch Duty link
The Road 203 Fire (Thomas, Custer, Logan and Blaine counties, south of the communities of Halsey and Dunning within the Nebraska National Forest)
- Acres burned — 35,912.6
- Containment — 80%
- Watch Duty link
The Anderson Bridge Fire (Cherry County, in the northeast portion of the Samuel McKelvie National Forest southwest of Valentine)
- Acres burned — 17,400
- Containment — 60%
- Watch Duty link

A warming and drying trend will peak on Saturday, with 90-degree temperatures and single-digit relative humidity expected. The Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team managing the fires reports that these extreme weather conditions have potential to increase fire activity within fire perimeters as unburned vegetation ignites and readily burns. The team stressed in its Thursday morning update any new fires would likely spread rapidly.

Last week, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen issued a statewide burn ban prohibiting burning until 11:59 p.m. March 27 to help reduce the potential for additional wildfires in Nebraska.

Ranchers Helping Ranchers

While the stories of ranchers helping each other during the intense fire danger on Thursday and Friday are moving, that commitment to helping one another continues long after the smoke cleared.

“That’s what ranchers do, right? They help each other,” says Sara Cover. “It’s too hard to do it alone ... that’s how they have functioned in this area for hundreds of years.”

Cover is one of the Sandhills ranchers who is helping with recovery efforts and the Nebraska Sandhills Rancher Fire Relief group, which is providing boots-on-the-ground assistance in coordinating donations of hay, supplies and financial support.

“Half these firefighters are volunteer firefighters that also had cows calving at home,” Cover explains. “So, it’s also the self-sacrifice of leaving your ranch during the busiest time of year to go help others.”

Many Sandhills ranchers have their own fire rig, so Cover explains in many cases the husbands would leave and go fight fire, leaving their wives and kids home calving cows. There are other examples of multiple generations — grandparents, parents and kids — all working together to fight the fires.

“It just takes everybody,” Cover says.

More than 150 truckloads of hay have arrived for ranchers who lost hay and grass due to the Morrill Fire.

(Provided by Van Newkirk Herefords)

Paul Cleveland is coordinating hay donations for the group.

As of Wednesday, Cleveland estimates the group has received 150 loads of hay and have four times that committed. The group’s goal is to get at least enough hay to get through calving season.

“The outpouring of support is phenomenal,” Cleveland says. “Hay is the immediate concern. We’re in the heart of calving season here, and the stress on these cows is off the charts. They truly know what it’s like to go through hell.”

He says the main challenge right now is not a lack of goodwill but rather information overload and logistics; he says he is “100 messages behind” responding to those who have reached out to support.

“Processing all the information is the biggest battle we have right now, and we need a lot of patience from people,” he stresses. “We’re not ignoring them, we’re trying to get back to them as fast as we can.”

The Nebraska fires follow February wildfires that burned more than 283,000 acres in northern Oklahoma and southern Kansas .

Cleveland says a rancher from Kansas, who was in the same role as he is now about a month earlier when fires hit that area, reached out to him and has been a strong emotional support and source of knowledge. Other ranchers report wildfire survivors, who have benefited from fellow ranchers donating hay and supplies, have reached out and offered to donate and pay the support forward.

It is those examples of care and concern from across the country that makes the beef industry so special.

Resources and Services Available

NDA is concentrating efforts on assisting farm and ranch families and their livestock. On the NDA website are lists of individuals requesting assistance and those offering donations.

Vinton shares her deep appreciation for what Nebraska ranchers do and says local, state and federal partners are actively working on solutions. She welcomes innovative ideas and invites producers to share their unmet needs directly with her team at NDA.

Those impacted by the fire are encouraged, before starting to repair or rebuild fence lines, to review federal aid requirements that could impact eligibility for assistance. Contact the local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office to understand qualification rules.

A portal to match grass and pen space with those in need has been developed. The platform was designed to help connect those needing to relocate livestock with those who have extra capacity.

There are numerous resources available as producers evaluate livestock after a wildfire. The danger to livestock doesn’t end when the flames are extinguished. While the immediate destruction is visible, the microscopic threat of wildfire smoke can linger in a calf’s lungs for weeks, triggering a cascade of physiological stress and immune suppression.

Craig Uden, Nebraska Cattlemen Association (NCA) president, was a guest on AgriTalk Thursday, sharing an update on the wildfires and how NCA is helping coordinate resources for ranchers in need.

How to Help

Nebraska Cattlemen Disaster Relief Fund

Mail monetary donations to: 4611 Cattle Dr., Lincoln, NE 68521-4309
Online donations: nebraskacattlemen.org/disaster-relief-fund

Nebraska Sandhills Rancher Fire Relief

Mail monetary donations to: P.O. Box 291, Oshkosh, NE 69154
Online donations: kearneyfoundation.fcsuite.com/.../create/fund...

Volunteer fire departments were central to the response, often stretched thin, needing more funds and equipment maintenance support after days of nonstop firefighting. Nebraska Athletics announced Tuesday it will donate all ticket proceeds from Nebraska’s spring football game on March 28 to aid Nebraska wildfire relief efforts to help provide support to Nebraska’s volunteer firefighters for equipment, resources and recovery efforts.

“Nebraskans always step up in times of need, and we want to do our part to help our fellow Nebraskans affected by these wildfires,” says Nebraska Athletic Director Troy Dannen.

Their Simple Request: Prayers and Hope

As individual ranchers report losing thousands of acres of grazing land, plus extensive fence and water system damage, they continue to speak of hope and optimism. They ask for prayers for snow or rain to help the Sandhills repair from the devastation. They all seem to share the determination to persevere.

“They’re the toughest, truest form of an American there is, and they’ll be fine,” Cleveland says about the Sandhills rancher. “They’ll persevere, but it’s going to be a long year for this area.”

Watch for rancher stories of resilience through the fires next week on Drovers.com, as we continue to cover this unprecedented wildfire season.

Your Next Reads:

Mystery Respiratory Virus in Texas Panhandle Feedlots Is Fake News

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 15:03:45 GMT

Tuesday morning, false information about a mystery respiratory virus in Texas Panhandle feedlots was circulating online. According to the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) and Texas Cattle Feeders Association (TCFA), these claims are false.

Dr. Bud Dinges, TAHC executive director and Texas state veterinarian, says, “Texas animal health officials have confirmed with Amarillo region staff and partners at USDA Animal Plant and Health Inspection, Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory and Texas Cattle Feeders Association that no reports of cattle with an ‘unknown’ respiratory virus in the Texas Panhandle have been received and no regulatory action is being taken at this time.”

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association CEO Colin Woodall addressed the rumors issuing a strongly worded release:

“Spreading unverified information like this is not only irresponsible, it is harmful to cattle producers, the beef supply chain and consumer confidence in a safe and wholesome product. Our industry depends on transparency, science-based animal health protocols, and strong collaboration with state and federal animal health authorities. We encourage everyone — producers, media and the public — to rely on credible sources and verified information. NCBA and state affiliate partners will continue working closely with animal health officials to monitor any legitimate concerns and ensure the continued health of the U.S. cattle herd.”

Historic Wildfires Continue to Scorch Western and Central Nebraska

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 15:26:27 GMT

Four active wildfires in Nebraska — including the largest ever recorded in the state — continue to burn out of control. With containment efforts hampered by volatile weather, the fires grew beyond the capacity of local fire responders and firefighters; Saturday, the Rocky Mountain Complex incident management team, run by the federal National Interagency Fire ⁠Center, assumed management of the two largest fires, the Morrill Fire and the Cottonwood Fire.

High winds, low humidity and dry conditions triggered the wildfires Thursday, March 12. On Friday, the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) received 24 reports of wildfires in 24 hours. Crews have worked through the weekend to battle the four fires, but the weather hampered suppression efforts.

As of Tuesday evening, the approximate acres burned and current containment (according to Watch Duty ) include:

Morrill Fire (Keith, Arthur, Grant, Garden and Morrill counties)
- Acres burned — 643,360 acres
- Containment — 18%
- Origin — downed power pole and line in gusty winds near Angora on Thursday, March 12
- Watch Duty link
- This is the largest fire in Nebraska history.
  
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  Photos courtesy by Morrill Fire Nebraska Facebook page
  
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  Photos courtesy by Morrill Fire Nebraska Facebook page
  
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  Photos courtesy by Morrill Fire Nebraska Facebook page
Cottonwood Fire (Dawson, Lincoln and Frontier counties, south of Interstate 80, near Brady and Gothenburg)
- Acres burned — 131,259 acres
- Containment — 40%
- Watch Duty link
The Road 203 Fire (Thomas, Custer, Logan and Blaine counties, south of the communities of Halsey and Dunning within the Nebraska National Forest)
- Acres burned — 35,912.6 acres
- Containment — 76%
- Watch Duty link
The Anderson Bridge Fire (Cherry County, west of Valentine)
- Acres burned — 17,400
- Containment — 60%
- Watch Duty link

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen on Friday issued an emergency proclamation to unlock state resources and support the response to multiple wildfires in central and western Nebraska . He also issued a statewide burn ban prohibiting burning until 11:59 p.m. March 27 to help reduce the potential for additional wildfires in Nebraska.

A high wind warning is in effect until 6 p.m. MDT Monday. High rates of fire spread are possible with northwest wind gusts in excess of 50 mph expected. It has snowed on the northwest side of the Morrill Fire, but with the strong winds it may not mitigate fire behavior. With low temperatures forecast to be under 10°F tonight, firefighters must take special precautions to protect their engines and equipment, such as draining water, parking inside and using antifreeze.

While temperatures are cold today, hot and dry weather is forecast later in the week with record temperatures possible. The area is experiencing significant drought, and fuels are cured and receptive to fire.

Resources Available

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) is concentrating efforts on assisting farm and ranch families and their livestock.

Producers who have been impacted by the wildfire and need hay, feedstuffs, fencing materials, volunteer help or equipment, should call the Nebraska Department of Agriculture at 1-800-831-0550. Be prepared to share your name, contact information, location (including county), what assistance you are seeking and how urgent your need is.

A list of disaster relief resources for Nebraska farmers and ranchers is also available online at: https://nda.nebraska.gov/disasterresources . This website includes links to USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) programs including the Livestock Indemnity Program and information from the Nebraska Extension.

(Midwest Media by Melanie)

How Can Others Help?

According to NDA, Nebraska has been overwhelmed with the outpouring of support for its producers. If you have hay, feed, fencing materials, equipment or household supplies you are willing to donate, please contact the Nebraska Department of Agriculture at 1-800-831-0550. Be prepared to share your name, contact information and what you have that you are willing to donate and the amount, along with your location.

NDA staff will be gathering this information, identifying needs and sharing where resources can be obtained.

The Nebraska Cattlemen’s Association is also working to coordinate and gather resources for producers.

A Facebook page, Nebraska Sandhills Rancher Fire Relief , was created to support the ranching families affected by the wildfire.

Your Next Read: Tips for Care Following Wildfire

What Does the JBS Strike Mean to Beef Producers?

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 14:25:46 GMT

Union workers at the JBS packing plant in Greeley, Colo., have gone on strike Monday morning. This is the first walkout at a U.S. beef slaughterhouse since the 1980s.

According to The Colorado Sun and the UFCW Local 7 , union workers were picketing early this morning. The workers are calling for higher wages, safer working conditions and respect on the job .

After months of disrespect and unfair labor practices, the workers at JBS Greeley are done waiting.

The line is drawn. The strike has begun.

UFCW Local 7 members are standing up for dignity, safety, and the contract they deserve. ✊#jbsulpstrike #greeleyco #ufcw7 #unionstrong pic.twitter.com/nBPsazGyF8
— UFCW Local 7 (@UFCW_7) March 16, 2026

According to a union press release , the unfair labor practice (ULP) strike at the JBS-owned Swift Beef plant was set to start at 5:30 a.m. Monday, March 16.

JBS spokesperson Nikki Richardson says, “This morning, many JBS Greeley team members chose to report to work rather than participate in the strike called by UFCW Local 7, and we expect that number to continue increasing in the days ahead. Our team members want stability, they want to support their families, and they deserved the opportunity to vote on the company’s historic offer — an opportunity the union leadership has denied them. We are paying all team members who come to work, and we are operating the facility to the best of our ability this week.”

The union says workers hoped a recent bargaining session would have led to a breakthrough in negotiations with JBS, but instead JBS sent the workers a clear message that the company is putting profits ahead of its people.

“The Union’s member-led bargaining committee has met more than two dozen times with the company in an effort to reach a mutually agreeable contract. JBS is failing to listen to the 99% of its workers who authorized a ULP strike,” the union says in the release. “The Company needs to give them an offer that takes life saving safety equipment seriously, provides wages which meet the rising cost of living in Colorado and ensures rising health care costs do not consume workers’ wages. The Company committed numerous Unfair Labor Practices which are preventing an agreement. The Company continues to threaten to withhold both a proposed bonus and lump-sum pension payment if workers strike. The Company also retaliated against workers who have stood up for their rights and co-workers.”

The union represents 3,800 workers at the plant.

The Greeley plant did not harvest cattle the week of March 9.

“To ensure continuity for our customers and partners, we are temporarily adjusting production across our network as needed,” Richardson explains. “By utilizing available capacity at other JBS facilities, we can maintain supply, protect the long‑term stability of the beef chain and minimize disruption for consumers and retailers. Our priority is to keep product moving while we work toward a resolution in Greeley.”

She summarizes, “We remain focused on supporting our team members, and any employee who reports for their scheduled shift will have work available and will be paid. We will continue scaling operations this week as more team members return.”

Markets Lack Reaction

Live and feeder cattle futures opened higher on Monday morning. Brad Kooima with Kooima Kooima Varilek says there are a couple of reasons why the market ignored the strike and the biggest are the higher equity markets and lower crude oil. However, he says it is also tied to the fact the strike news was already priced into the market.

Don Close, senior animal protein analyst at Terrain Ag, joined Chip Flory on AgriTalk Thursday, summarizing the strike will increase packer leverage and help reduce negative margins.

He says even with Greeley down, the industry still has excess slaughter capacity.

“Even with Greeley, with the limited cattle supply we’re dealing with, we still have excess slaughter capacity,” he stresses. “It’s going to give way more leverage to the packers, but it will help them shore up their negative margins.”

Close adds the biggest headache to the industry will be additional freight and added shrink from the extra haul to a different plant.

Glynn Tonsor, Kansas State University professor of agricultural economics, agrees with Close. “Any disruption in labor availability has largest impacts on producers operating closest to involved plants. In aggregate, I do not expect large fed cattle price impacts as the industry is operating with excess physical capacity, relative to available cattle supplies.”

From an industrywide standpoint, Close downplays the potential disruption to supply.

“From the industry as a whole, the supply of product going out to meet our demand side of the market should be fine,” he says.

John Nalivka, Sterling Marketing Inc. president, says it is hard to predict the impact on the market.

“We have had Tyson’s closure of Lexington [in Nebraska] and a shift taken off the Amarillo plant [in Texas], tariffs, the current Iran situation and oil back to $100/barrel with little to no impact on the market,” he summarizes. “Supplies are tight and demand is strong. These are the overriding factors impacting this beef market. I would not be comfortable with predicting the impact of an impending strike.”

Hyrum Egbert, Riverbend Meats vice president of strategy, sales, accounting, HR, FSQA, logistics, purchasing and warehousing — who authors the biweekly The Big Bad Beef Packer newsletter, which takes a look at packinghouse truths, trends and tough questions — predicts if Greeley goes dark, even temporarily, the immediate reaction is cattle backup fear.

“A potential strike at JBS Greeley is loud ... but it’s not automatically structural,” he says. “Yes, it’s a big plant. But in 2026, cattle availability is the governor, and packers have already been living in ‘under-utilized capacity’ land for a while.”

Egbert summarizes, “This is likely more of a pricing/psychology event than a true supply collapse ... unless it turns into a long, messy, multi-plant labor domino.”

Your Next Read: Can Cattle Recover and is the Greeley Strike Priced In? Row Crops Follow Oil

CarVe: Transforming Efficiency, Safety and Coaching at Cargill

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 14:08:20 GMT

With the U.S. cattle supply at its lowest level in years, every ounce matters. Cargill’s CarVe program is one way the company is working to get more from every animal, reduce waste and make protein production more efficient and sustainable from start to finish.

What is CarVe?

CarVe is Cargill’s proprietary, patent-pending computer vision and artificial intelligence (AI) system used to maximize red meat yield in real time while reducing waste and helping refine cutting techniques.

The CarVe system uses a network of cameras and data analytics positioned on the fabrication floors, collecting fine-grained metrics on every aspect of the production line.

According to Leon Fletcher, Cargill’s vice president of operations for North America beef, the philosophy behind the system is to harness AI’s capacity for real-time, actionable insights.

Currently, CarVe technology has been implemented in two Cargill facilities: Friona, Texas, and Fort Morgan, Colo.

“As we start to build out our CarVe program, the focus is on yield improvements,” Fletcher says. “We are using cameras on our production floors to provide us real-time insights.”

The Benefits

“Before CarVe, yield data was always yesterday’s news,” explains Jarrod Gillig, senior vice president of Cargill’s North American beef business. “Now, we’re making decisions in the moment and saving product that would’ve been lost.”

Even a 1% improvement in yields could save hundreds of millions of pounds of beef annually. Fletcher explains incremental gains of even one ounce, applied at scale, can equate to roughly 1.2 million quarter-pound servings.

“So, it’s a huge impact to the supply chain,” he says.

To summarize the potential of CarVe’s financial impact:

Consider the chuck roll market value of approximately $6.49 per lb.
If the plant can pick up just 0.1 lb. per head more through CarVe
A plant running about 1.2 million head per year could generate roughly $778,000 in incremental product value, based on prevailing market conditions

Gillig adds Cargill is actually targeting about 0.25 lb. per carcass, especially around the neck bones, which could equate to about a $2 million gain at a single site. When you multiply that across multiple facilities, the potential impact “gets exponentially large extremely quickly.”

“This is about maximizing yield, making sure more beef is available to help meet demand, and strengthening value across the entire supply chain,” Gillig adds.

CarVe is also changing plant culture by providing individualized, actionable feedback. It provides real-time coaching capabilities with details for the stakeholder to see.

“The other piece of it is a training device, so obviously there’s a lot of training that goes on when you have 2,500 team members in each facility,” Fletcher explains. “With our CarVe system, we’re able to use video technology to show our employees where they’re at, how they’re performing and things we can do better again in real time.”

Time is money, and a little piece of product adds up to so much in the packing industry.

“It’s a huge tool for our supervisors,” Fletcher says. “We are able to do some great coaching, whether it’s pacing, whether it’s knife work or whether it’s safety and food safety opportunities.”

He adds: “We can actually see the results for each individual. The employees, as they started to see the scoring, actually got more engaged with the process and realized, ‘How can I get better?” and actually soliciting that feedback from the supervisor.”

Gillig says the CarVe system “gamifies” performance with ranking systems, turning improvement into a friendly competition among employees. This makes feedback immediate and engaging for employees, enhancing motivation and job satisfaction.

“I started out on the processing floor,” adds Steve Rodriguez, fabrication floor manager at the Fort Morgan plant. “CarVe is a game changer. I wish we’d had it 20 years ago.”

Together, Cargill’s investments in people, technology and community partnerships reflect its long-term commitment to Fort Morgan and the broader food system.

Cargill uses auto-packaging systems to streamline the handling of products at both the front and back ends of its operations.

(Cargill)

Additional Technologies

CarVe is just one strategy within Cargill’s Factory of the Future initiative , aimed at improving operational efficiency, yield and worker safety.

“We’re just at the tip of this from a technology standpoint,” Gillig summarizes.

He explains during his 27 years with Cargill, he has watched how technology has increased rapidly in the meatpacking industry. From the use of cameras, AI and auto saws, technology is helping the industry better use the carcass and improve decision-making in the meat industry.

Beyond CarVe, the company has implemented a variety of technology tools in its packing plants to improve efficiency, safety and productivity in its beef facilities, including:

1. Automation (Packaging and Palletizing): Cargill uses auto-packaging systems to streamline the handling of products at both the front and back ends of its operations. Palletizing robotics perform repetitive “pick-and-place” tasks, reducing manual labor and increasing throughput.

Safety saws equipped with advanced sensors and vision technology are in place to minimize direct human interaction with large cutting equipment.

(Angie Stump Denton)

2. Safety Saws & Vision Technology: Safety saws equipped with advanced sensors and vision technology are in place to minimize direct human interaction with large cutting equipment. Fletcher says implementing the saws has greatly improved worker safety.

For example, in the Dodge City, Kan., facility, two chinesaw (spinal process or chine bone saws) lines are changing the game, helping separate meat from bone. Previously, two product line workers per shift pushed a large cut of beef into a bandsaw. They did this up to 3,000 times a day by hand.

Now a 3D vision system handles this product process in real time. It scans the meat to find the best cutting path after loading it into a cradle. The meat travels on a conveyor belt through a bandsaw that adjusts for the best cut.

Cargill employees only need to load the cradle, which minimizes the risk of injury from the blade.

3. Robotics: Robotic arms and automation are used to handle heavy or repetitive tasks, lessening labor strain and injury risk.

4. Process Optimization Technology: Cargill continually upgrades older facilities by integrating the new tech infrastructure, helping make operations more structured and efficient.

Together, these technologies drive efficiency, reduce risk, improve safety and enhance product quality — all while supporting Cargill’s focus on making jobs better for their employees.

Gillig stresses CarVe and related technologies are not about replacing employees but enhancing and supporting their work.

“With CarVe, we are not replacing employees. It is empowering them to work more efficiently and effectively and helping us optimize yield,” Gillig summarizes. “It’s actually making their jobs better and enhancing what they’re able to do.”

Through technology implementation, Cargill is not only improving operational metrics but reshaping how employees experience their work — through real-time feedback and improved safety.

Your Next Reads:
Cargill Invests in Beef Business and Employees
Investing in the Future: Cargill Announces $90-Million Investment in Automation and Technology

Why Are BBs Found in Beef? A Hidden Problem Costing the Industry Millions

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 20:13:59 GMT

According to the latest National Beef Quality Audit (NBQA), 100% of U.S. processing plants now report challenges with foreign materials, specifically BBs and metal shot embedded deep in muscle tissue. This hidden threat causes a 1% loss in total ground beef production annually, effectively robbing 89% of American consumers of one serving of beef per year.

Jessica Lancaster, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) senior director of product quality and safety research, warns because these materials are classified as regulatory adulterants, a single BB can lead to the condemnation of thousands of pounds of beef.

“That’s really challenging, because that’s not something we see on the surface of a carcass,” Lancaster explains. “Often that’s getting embedded deep into the muscle and sometimes even to the bone.”

She summarizes the issue is both widespread and expensive — and it starts long before cattle reach the packing plant. It’s present across the country, in both the fed beef supply and the cull cow and bull plants.

(Photos: West Texas A&M University, USDA)

BBs aren’t the only problem. Lancaster has received documentation of numerous incidences when remote drug delivery devices (darts) were lodged in places like lungs and deep muscles. Critically, these issues originate in the pre-harvest segment — the production side that producers can control — but often aren’t discovered until post-harvest, during further processing.

What Happens When a BB is Found in Ground Beef?

The consequences reach far beyond a single affected carcass. When trimmings from multiple animals are combined into combos for ground beef, foreign materials often go unnoticed until it’s too late.

“The challenge is we don’t find that product until it hits the grinder blade,” Lancaster says. “And at that point there is thousands of pounds that are then impacted, and there’s no way to know if there was one BB or 40 BBs in that load.”

Because there is no practical way to isolate only the contaminated portion, entire lots must be condemned. That means even producers who have done everything right can see products from their cattle included in a load that ends up discarded because of a few bad producers somewhere upstream.

“It’s not only the cattle who are contaminated with the foreign material that are impacted,” Lancaster stresses, “All of our producers who are doing the right thing also are facing loss of product because of the bad actors.”

How Much Money Does the Beef Industry Lose to Foreign Materials?

The economic impact is substantial. Lancaster’s team estimates that about 1% of ground beef is lost due to foreign material contamination. On the consumer side, that translates into over 89% of U.S. consumers getting one less serving of beef per year. In a market environment where beef demand is tight and every pound matters, those lost servings add up quickly.

“Product from one animal could tank product from eight animals,” Lancaster explains. “When we’re making a batch of that, we’re impacting 51 head of cattle. And every time an event happens, it costs the industry $75,000, and in most facilities, we’re seeing 140 events of this per year at each facility.”

Add that up across the industry and the bill comes to roughly $476 million annually.

Is Foreign Material in Beef a New Issue?

Beyond the economic cost, foreign materials in beef are a regulatory and food safety concern.

While finding foreign materials in beef is not a new challenge — it was first noted in the early ’90s — changing regulations have redefined foreign objects to be adulterants regardless of physical characteristics.

“Foreign material is an adulterant today,” Lancaster emphasizes. “Anytime we see that, there’s regulatory action that takes place. Any objects that are not inherent to the animal are considered foreign material and we should never have foreign material in our animals as they’re entering the processing facility.”

In other words, if BBs or other foreign objects are present, the product is no longer acceptable for the food supply.

Is Foreign Material in Beef an Animal Welfare Issue?

There is also an animal welfare dimension. For a BB or metal shot to end up lodged deep within tissue, it must be propelled there with significant force. Lancaster points out this is not just a product quality issue — it raises serious questions about how and why animals are being exposed to these projectiles in the first place.

What is the Industry Doing About It?

While all modern plants use metal detectors and other detection systems, they have physical and technological limits.

“If we think about these BBs, they’re so small,” Lancaster summarizes.

Just as airport detectors can miss very small items, plant systems may not reliably catch tiny shot deeply embedded in muscle or near bone.

Lancaster says she sees a two-pronged path forward: education and technology.

First, there’s a clear need for producer education. Many in the production segment still believe foreign objects are primarily a plant problem. Lancaster’s data tells a different story, showing a significant share of contamination originating on-farm or in the field. Education efforts aim to change behaviors like moving cattle with shotguns and to raise awareness of how even small lapses can snowball into costly food safety and economic events downstream.

Second, NCBA, as a contractor to the beef checkoff, and its research partners are exploring new detection and tracing tools. One major research direction is investigating whether foreign objects can be detected in live animals or more effectively at harvest and then traced back to their source. If successful, this could support enforcement mechanisms and targeted interventions, discourage risky practices and prevent adulterated animals from entering the supply chain unnoticed.

The goal is to scan animals as they move through chutes or other handling systems, identifying BBs or metal fragments before they enter the processing chain. She explains this could mean using imaging or scanning technologies to flag animals that pose a risk, allowing them to be diverted or more closely evaluated before they are combined into large ground beef lots.

Lancaster also stresses the industry can’t treat foreign materials as a side issue. For years, food safety conversations have centered primarily on biological hazards such as bacteria and pathogens. Those remain critical priorities, but today, foreign materials carry similar weight.

“I think we not only have to think about those biological hazards we always talk about with food safety,” she says, “but as we’ve seen foreign material become an adulterant, we truly have to take some actions to help prevent this impacting our beef demand.”

Ultimately, solving the foreign material challenge will require a combination of producer responsibility, better on-farm and field practices, new detection technologies and strong communication across the supply chain. By tackling the issue where it starts — and not just where it’s discovered — the industry can protect animal welfare, reduce costly product losses and ensure more safe, high‑quality beef makes it to consumers’ tables.

Your Next Read:
Hidden Hazards: Now is the Time to Rethink Gun Use in Cattle Handling

Dakota Ranchers: New Program Available To Promote Data-Backed Grazing Management

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 17:36:10 GMT

Ducks Unlimited and AgriWebb are joining forces and taking aim at addressing the challenges of grazing on public lands in North and South Dakota.

Supported by a grant through National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), the program provides livestock producers in cow-calf or stocker operations with digital tools and infrastructure to manage their public land, livestock and profitability more effectively. Ranchers enrolled in the program benefit from AgriWebb software combined with temporary and virtual fencing to holistically manage their livestock and land.

“Keeping grasslands intact is essential to the long-term sustainability of waterfowl and other wildlife,” notes Billy Gascoigne, DU senior director of agriculture & strategic partnerships. “Ranchers are the primary stewards of these landscapes, and it’s imperative that we develop solutions that help them implement adaptive, profitable grazing practices while ensuring the next generation can continue this important work.”

According to the organizations, the partnership will provide a streamlined way to report livestock numbers and managed acreage to NFWF. By capturing this data, the partnership is tackling some of the industry’s biggest challenges, including:

● Enhance grassland health: Promoting vibrant nesting cover for waterfowl through ample rest and rotation.
● Empower producers: Providing the “productivity-driving” insights needed to manage herds more effectively on complex public lands.
● Strengthen the food chain: Ensuring long-term land fertility to support a growing global population.

“Producers wear many hats, but none are more critical than feeding the world while stewarding the land,” says Campbell Mauchan, AgriWebb vice president of partnerships. “By combining DU’s conservation expertise with AgriWebb’s ability to turn simple data collection into actionable insights, we are helping ranchers nurture the ecosystems we all rely on. When a rancher is equipped to not just record their data, but use it, they are able to make decisions that help them nurture the ecosystems that support their legacies.”

According to the organizations, the initial roll out focused on Dakotas state trust lands is being considered a pilot for a scalable model in how technology and conservation can work to support ranchers across North America.

For more information, ranchers can visit ag.ducks.org .

98% of U.S. Households Are Buying Meat: New Report Shows Record Sales

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 18:02:01 GMT

Meat sales hit a record high of $112 billion in 2025, with a pound increase of 2%. Millennials and Gen Z were a driving force behind the growth, according to the 21st annual Power of Meat report released today at the Annual Meat Conference by the Meat Institute and FMI — The Food Industry Association .

According to Circana, more than 98% of American households purchase meat, and 45% of shoppers are actively trying to prepare more meals containing meat or poultry. According to 210 Analytics, of the five dinners shoppers prepare at home per week on average, 90% already contain a portion of meat or poultry.

“The meat department is outperforming because it delivers what shoppers want right now: protein, flexibility, value and taste,” says Rick Stein, FMI vice president of fresh foods. “Retailers that balance convenient ground options with premium, indulgent cuts will be best positioned to capture both budget-conscious and experience-driven shoppers.”

Which Generations Are Driving Meat Sales Growth?

Millennials and Gen Z shoppers accounted for 67% of unit growth. They are more likely than other shoppers to be actively trying to prepare more meals containing meat or poultry — Gen Z 50% and Millennials 57%. In 81% of households with children, kids have some level of influence on meat and poultry purchase decisions. Seventy-two percent of shoppers with teens at home say their teens request meat and poultry, far ahead of requests for protein bars, shakes and powders.

How is AI Changing How Consumers Buy Meat?

Younger generations also lead the way in using social media and artificial intelligence (AI) platforms for meal inspiration. Twenty-four percent of Gen Z and Millennial shoppers use AI tools, compared to 10% of Gen X and 4% of Boomers. Overall, 15% of shoppers use AI tools, a 650% increase compared to just two years ago.

Is Meat Still Considered Part of a Healthy Diet?

Meat and poultry continue to feature positively in shoppers’ health and nutrition perceptions, with 77% of shoppers agreeing that meat and poultry are part of a healthy diet, up more than 20% since 2020. GLP-1 users over-index versus non-users for eating somewhat or a lot more meat than last year (161) and for frequently including meat and poultry in snacking occasions (171).

“Americans are more focused on making smart food choices than ever before, and this latest Power of Meat report reinforces meat’s clear and irreplaceable role at the center of healthy, convenient, affordable meals today and for generations to come,” summarizes Julie Anna Potts, Meat Institute president.

Read more about how the food pyramid puts protein back on top:

New Dietary Guidelines Move Food Pyramid Closer to the Farm

The New Food Pyramid Flips the Script

The Power of Meat study was conducted by 210 Analytics on behalf of FMI and the Meat Foundation and sponsored by Cryovac Brand Food Packaging. Sales and purchase dynamics data are provided by Circana for the 52 weeks ending Dec. 28, 2025.

Your Next Read:
Consumer Craze for Protein Drives Beef Demand
Why Aren’t High Beef Prices Causing Sticker Shock With Consumers?
What Do Consumers Buy in the Meat Aisle When Money is Tight?
Global Protein Demand Surges 2% Annually as Producers Navigate Volatile Markets

JBS USA Breaks Ground on $150 Million Expansion at Cactus Beef Production Facility

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 14:28:13 GMT

JBS USA broke ground Friday on a $150 million expansion project at its beef production facility in Cactus, Texas. The project includes construction of a new, state-of-the-art fabrication floor and an expanded ground beef room, strengthening the long-term competitiveness of one of the company’s largest and most important beef plants.

This major investment is designed to increase operational efficiency, enhance production capacity, and create new opportunities for cattle producers, customers, team members, and the surrounding rural communities. Construction is underway, with expectation of being completed by early 2027.

“This groundbreaking marks an exciting moment for JBS USA, our team in Cactus, and cattle producers,” says Wesley Batista Filho, JBS USA CEO. “The investment reflects our long-term commitment to the U.S. beef industry and the rural communities where we live and work. By modernizing and expanding our Cactus facility, we are ensuring that our business, and the thousands of families who depend on it, remain positioned for success now and in the future.”

The Cactus facility, located in the Texas Panhandle, currently employs more than 3,600 team members and partners with local cattle producers, purchasing approximately $3.3 billion in livestock annually.

The reinvestment marks a major step forward for the region, highlighting its economic significance and benefits for Texas producers.

“I commend JBS for their investment right here in Cactus,” says state Rep. Caroline Fairly. “This transformational project sends a clear message that they believe in the Texas Panhandle, in our workforce, and in the long-term future of this area. We are proud to see JBS continue investing in our community and in American agriculture.”

Moore County Judge Rowdy Rhoades applauds JBS’s investment in the local community and its ongoing impact on Cactus residents. “The investment is about more than just expanded production capacity, it reinforces JBS’s longstanding commitment to the people who call this community home. Through their Hometown Strong and Better Futures programs, they’ve partnered directly with community leaders to fund numerous local projects that our residents enjoy and benefit from, along with education opportunities for their employees and their families. This expansion builds on that momentum, ensuring that Cactus continues to thrive and remains a vibrant, resilient place.”

Beyond its facility upgrades, JBS USA continues to invest in rural communities like Cactus through its Hometown Strong and Better Futures programs. Since 2020, JBS has invested more than $11 million in Cactus community projects — including parks, enhanced local facilities, nonprofit support, and affordable housing—while enabling more than 259 team members and their children to pursue tuition-free community college.