CATTLEMEN’S COLUMN ANNUAL MEETING PRESENTS EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ROBUST CATTLE FEEDER COMMUNITY

by CCA Feeder Chair Joe Dan Cameron

As we come into May every year, something that myself and many California cattle producers and feeders from all over the state look forward to is our annual California Cattlemen’s Association Feeder Council Meeting. The Feeder Council consists of producers who feed and finish cattle throughout the state of California. While California is no longer one of the top cattle feeding states in the nation, we still have a vibrant industry located throughout the central part of the state and Imperial Valley. It is still a great place to feed cattle due to our temperate climate, ample cattle supply and proximity to beef packers.

As cattle feeders in California, it can feel like there is a continuous target on our backs be it environmental issues, state policy, animal rights activism, and the high cost of doing business. Feeder Council staff and board work diligently to fight for our feeder members and hit these challenges we face every day as producers head on. The Feeder Council is always working for its members in their local areas on issues that are county driven as well as issues that affect the whole state of California. Some of the more current issues the Feeder Council has helped producers with are rail disruptions throughout the state with the Union Pacific, new groundwater monitoring rules in the Imperial Valley and fighting for or against different legislation that will have significant impact on feeders in this state, just to name a few.

This year’s Feeder Council meeting will take place May 24 to 26 at the Marriot Marquis in San Diego. During the meeting we will hear from a wide range of speakers who will share their views on the cattle industry, markets, current research and government policy.

The Feeder Council meeting gives cattle feeders and producers from all over the state a chance to network with fellow producers, allied industry affiliates, researchers and to hear from a group of presenters covering a wide range of topics that are important to our industry. We start off Wednesday night with a great welcome reception, presentations all day Thursday, then a cocktail reception and dinner. Friday morning the Feeder Council will have our annual business meeting where we will develop policy needed on issues affecting California Cattle Feeders.

There will be feed yard and cattle feeder attendees from all over the state at the meeting as well as many feeders from Arizona. Allied industry associates, including pharmaceutical reps, commodity brokers, veterinarians, nutritionists and sale barn representatives all attend this meeting. It is a great place to network and meet people from all sectors of the cattle industry.

Included on the meeting agenda are: Patrick Linnell the director of cattle market research from Cattle-Fax giving his outlook on the cattle, beef and commodity markets throughout the world. Kori Dover a registered dietician with the California Beef Council giving us a presentation on what the Beef Council is working on. Brad Johnson, Ph.D., from Texas Tech University will be presenting on implant changes coming in June from the FDA. Spencer Prosser from MP Agrilytics will be giving us a cattle market analysis focused on the West Coast. Tracey Erickson from Certified Angus Beef will be presenting on Beef x Dairy cross cattle supplying CAB brands. Michelle CalvoLorenzo, DVM, from Elanco will be presenting on Livestock welfare: A different perspective to address issues and prevent activist threats. Rob Atwill, DVM, from the Western Center for Food Safety at UC Davis will let the feeders know about the completion of a study that was published on airborne pathogens in proximity to beef cattle feedlots in the Imperial Valley. Gregg Doud, the vice president of global situational awareness & chief economist for Aimpoint research will be presenting on geopolitics, trade, and global markets.

Every year after the Feeder Meeting, I get comments from attendees who say it’s one of the best meetings they attend because of the wide variety of topics discussed. Whether you’re a rancher who feeds cattle, a calf raiser who is selling calves to go on feed, a backgroundergrower who starts cattle here on feed in California that will be finished out of state, I highly encourage you to get involved in the Feeder Council and to attend our annual meeting.