CALIFORNIA CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION ______________ Since 1917
1221 H Street Sacramento CA 95814 (916) 444-0845
Better Days Lie Ahead
by CCA Second Vice President John Hammon
I was elected to serve as one of the CCA Second Vice Presidents in December of 2019. I was honored and humbled to be selected by my fellow cattlemen to help contribute to this great organization. Who knew that a short three months later, our world would change forever? It seems like a lifetime ago. So much has changed in the last twenty months. Sometimes it doesn’t even feel real. I feel it is safe to say that we were all caught off guard when the pandemic hit in early 2020. None of us had ever experienced anything like it before. We found ourselves faced with a new threat that affected us everywhere from the local level to an international level. We had to learn a whole new way of life while continuing to try and persevere. How could things possibly get worse? Then the fires hit and it seemed like all of California was set ablaze. If it wasn’t our ranch, then it was our friend’s ranch or our neighbor’s ranch. We were all personally affected in one way or another. We watched helplessly as forests and ranches burned. We watched in horror as entire towns burned to the ground. Our hearts ached as we thought of all of the livestock and wildlife that needlessly lost their lives in these fires. We came together as a community and we held out hope that next year would be better. None of us would guess that 2021 come along and tell 2020, “hold my beer.” But things haven’t gotten any better. The pandemic continues to rage on and at times it seems like it will never go away. Maybe it is just here to stay and this really is the new normal. I hate the thought of that and long for the way life used to be. The pandemic has wreaked havoc on our society in a multitude of ways. Beyond the health and medical implications, it seems to have divided our nation politically and taken a huge toll on businesses, families and relationships. This year we have faced social and political upheaval, market instability and record drought across the state. As if
this wasn’t enough, the fires are back. Again, we watch as our fellow ranchers are burned out. We watch as towns are incinerated. Livestock and wildlife are again losing their lives and it all seems so pointless. We can prevent these massive fires, or at least limit them and yet we seem to be gridlocked in our attempts to solve the problem. Prescribed burns, controlled grazing and a policy of fire suppression could alleviate most of this, yet we are locked in a vicious cycle of endless studies and committees that never really come up with a solution. Through all of this, we as ranchers continue to believe that next year will be better. Why do we do what we do? Why do we continue to think that next year will be better? Why do we continue to be optimistic? There must be something in our DNA that gives us hope for the future. When faced with unimaginable obstacles, there is a common thread amongst us that tells us that we have survived the hard times in the past and we will survive the hard times that face us now and in the future. The world around us is constantly changing and we find ourselves in situations where we must learn to adapt to those changes. We are a strong community that pulls together to help each other in times of need. I am proud to be a part of this community. As I near the end of my two-year term, I would like to thank my fellow officers that I have served with. It has been a pleasure and an honor to work alongside all of you. I would also like to thank our wonderful staff in Sacramento. They do a tremendous job of keeping this organization moving forward and I’m forever grateful for all that they do. As we head into the fall with winter soon approaching, let’s pray for rain and continue to hope that next year will be better.
SERVING CALIFORNIA BEEF PRODUCERS SINCE 1917 Bolded names and businesses in editorial represent only current members of the California Cattlmen’s Association or California CattleWomen, Inc. For questions about your membership status, contact the CCA office at (916) 444-0845. The California Cattleman (Publication # 8-3600) is published monthly except July/August is combined by the California Cattlemen’s Association, 1221 H Street, Sacramento, CA 95814, for $20/year, or as part of the annual membership dues. All material and photos within may not be reproduced without permission from publisher.
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