CALIFORNIA CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION ______________ Since 1917
1221 H Street Sacramento CA 95814 (916) 444-0845
YOUR ASSOCIATION ALWAYS AIMED AT SUCCESS by CCA Second Vice President Trevor Freitas Having lived in the Central Valley my entire life I’ve always considered myself well-versed in California cattle production. Now in my sixth year as a CCA officer I can say my knowledge of California agriculture has increased exponentially. My time as a CCA officer has shown me how unique our state is in terms of cattle production. The climates, grass seasons, cattle breeds and regulations are just a few of the things that make my cattle background different from producers in every other area of our incredibly large, diverse state. Though there are many things that separate us and make each of our business operations different from one another, I am often reminded that the issues that concern us and the reasons we love our way of life are very similar. Because of this it is imperative that we work together to help our livelihoods continue. From the cow-calf sector to the feedyard we each face our unique trials and challenges but something that impacts us all is water and though there are no easy solutions as we enter our third year of severe drought, it is a harsh reminder that we have got to do something to fix the ongoing dilemma of water shortage. As SGMA becomes a reality in the Central Valley changes in production practices have already had drastic effects on forage markets and those shockwaves can be felt throughout the western U.S. growing regions. As a CCA officer team water is something I hope we can all put our heads together on to enact new ideas, see change and ensure a better future for our operations and the next generation. As a cattle feeder, I am pleased by the discussions that took place at our recent California and Arizona Feeder Meeting in San Diego. The speakers were on point and the messages were well-received. I would also like to convey my greatest appreciation on behalf of the feeder industry in our state for our CCA lobbyists Kirk Wilbur and Jason Bryant. They recently took
the lead on killing AB 2764, known as the Anti-CAFO Bill. It didn’t make it through the assembly, which was a major win for CCA and the California cattle business. That said, I suspect we will see a similar bill in the works again soon. Though we don’t know where, when or how the issue will arise again, I am confident we have the right team in place to face similar legislative proposals when they come about. Another feeder issue I want to mention and make our membership aware of is one that is not new to West Coast feeders but has been compounded in the last year as the labor shortage has escalated. Getting commodities from the Midwest to California via our traditional rail system has created dire problems for those of us in the feeder business. Though cow-calf producers may not have been immediately impacted, it is a stark reminder that when one sector is impacted, we will all eventually be impacted in some way. I would like to assure my fellow feeders and even cowcalf producers that we are committed to seeing action on the state and even federal level to alleviate the problems we are currently seeing. As I prepare to attend the annual CCA and CCW Midyear Meeting near Sacramento this month, I ask that you please let your CCA leadership team know how you feel about these and other pressing issues. I always appreciate hearing from members whether it’s a current issue we are dealing with or something that has arisen that may be specific to their operation. As an officer I am always looking any input that will help guide the direction of the association. There is definitely no shortage of issues that cause frustration among producers so as an officer I always welcome your perspectives. Your ideas and insights might be exactly what we need to hear. The energy and input of our membership is essential in driving this association toward success on behalf of us all.
