Your ad dollars at work

PROMOTING YOUR PRODUCT

Illustrating the best throughout the Intermountain West

By Western Livestock Journal Field Representative Logan Ipsen for the Utah Cattleman

Ten years ago, I was looking for a way to help the breeders in Utah and surrounding states find a way to market their cattle throughout the intermountain region. As I had been traveling this area for both the American Angus Association and Western Livestock Journal, I had become familiar with many of the programs in knew of the quality that was grazing the pastures; however, many of these programs weren’t being recognized for that quality.

I tried to figure out a way to help these programs tell their own story to an audience they could relate to. Working with a national organization and a national publication meant these programs would have to compete against programs from across the country and so we needed something on a more regional and local level. That lead to conversations with Brent Tanner at the Utah Cattlemen’s Association. Ironically, he was looking for a similar way to tell a story of UCA beyond what their monthly newsletter was providing at that time. From there, a collaborative project was born. We spent a lot of time enhancing and building their mailing list and I began to reach out to programs that might be interested in the idea. The 2014 Utah Cattlemen Seedstock Edition was the end result.

In that inaugural year, I had hoped to be between 40 and 50 pages in the magazine but I quickly found out there was a much larger need for something like this as a first edition was 96 pages. That support laid the foundation as this book is now nine years strong. This could not have been accomplished without the support of readers, corporations, programs and individuals that have seen the value year after year.

What a lot of people don’t realize is how important this magazine is to the Utah Cattlemen’s Association. This magazine benefits UCA in many ways by helping spread the word on issues that Utah cattlemen and women are facing and how UCA is working on a daily basis to help ranchers lives. The adversing revenue also helps the association on a financial basis. When issues arise that require a financial commitment from UCA, this magazine assists in the general fund so that UCA can take on opponents of agriculture without membership dues having to bear all the costs.

As we all know, the Beef Checkoff Program, which serves us all in imporant ways, is only able to promote our actual product – beef – to the consuming public through ad campaigns and nutrition research. Checkoff money can not be used for legislator education on ranching issues or on lobbying efforts toward important industry initiatives. For those special purposes other funds within our trade association are needed.

UCA continues to publish their monthly newsletter with advertising opportunities and I encourage you all to subscribe to that in order to keep up with the plethora of the issues UCA takes on throughout the year on your behalf.

Another benefit that I have seen on a personal level is being able to stay involved with many of these advertisers programs and have watched as many have developed their cattle and stayed competitive in today’s changing marketplace. As you flip through this magazine, please note all the quality programs and how they are striving to produce a product that works in so many different environments, have genetics that help drive demand for your calves or have products that help you with

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your bottom line or services that can help you run your business on a daily basis. We encourage you to reach out to these advertisers and support them as they are supporting you and your association.

In the last nine years, we have seen many changes in our marketplace, changes in our yearly precipitation and changes in our political climate. Most importantly though, we have seen the resiliency of beef producers in the intermountain region. This year will provide its own set of challenges, but I remain optimistic as I feel that getting through 2020 and 2021 was an accomplishment in itself. With many of you in the midst of calving season right now, the new genetics in those cattle will be developed throughout the summer and we will see the progress we are making. The bull sales advertised in this publication also provide the opportunity to further push your genetic base forward.

I have been asked by many what to expect at the sales this year. Simply put, supply and demand will be evident at each and every one of these sales. Demand for highquality cattle will not see any difference in their value compared to the last couple of years.

We have already seen the sales around the country through the month of January have been as good as any sale those programs have had. The question lies with each program in how they will supply their customers. Those programs that may try to increase their supply may meet resistance in the marketplace but those programs that have adjusted their supply to the conditions that we have endured, will most likely have an excellent year.

One final note I want to personally think Jim Ekker for his support of this publication each and every year. He has been on the back cover of every issue and as you flip to that ad you will see that he has announced his retirement from selling registered cattle. I’ve known Jim since I was a little kid and I have appreciated the friendship him and I have built. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him in so appreciative of his support throughout that time. It is advertisers like him and make this publication work, but more importantly, it’s friendships and relationships that are built that make this life worth it.

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NCBA BACKS WOTUS RECOMMENDATIONS FROM EPA

On January 14, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) announced support for a report issued by the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Farm, Ranch and Rural Communities Advisory Committee (FRRCC).

“The FRRCC represents a diverse group of stakeholders including academia, industry, nongovernmental organizations, and state, local and tribal governments,” said Scott Yager, NCBA Chief Environmental Counsel. “NCBA strongly supports the committee’s recommendation to develop a clear and limited WOTUS definition and protect key exemptions for common agricultural features. With the EPA’s convoluted approach to soliciting public comments and stakeholder perspectives on WOTUS, NCBA encourages the EPA to listen to its own advisory committee’s recommendation, and the recommendation is clear: farmers and ranchers need clear rules and regulatory certainty to be successful.”

The FRRCC’s recommendations include:

• Ensuring EPA compliance with the Clean Water

Act and Supreme Court precedent limiting federal jurisdiction over bodies of water. • Developing a clear definition of WOTUS that is easily interpreted by farmers and ranchers. • Protecting WOTUS exemptions for common agricultural features, including farm ditches, stock ponds, prairie potholes, prior converted cropland, and other small, isolated water features. • Reconsidering the EPA roundtable process to ensure

that all stakeholders have an opportunity to voice concerns on WOTUS rulemaking.

Background

The FRRCC is a Federal Advisory Committee chartered by the EPA to provide policy advice and recommendations to the EPA Administrator on environmental issues impacting agriculture and rural communities. The committee consists of 32 members from across the United States representing academia, agricultural producers, affiliated industries, non-governmental organizations, and state, local and tribal governments. On Jan, 12, 2022, the FRRCC released a final report containing policy recommendations to EPA Administrator Michael Regan. In addition to the recommendations on WOTUS, NCBA is supportive of the FRRCC’s position on an Ecosystem Management System, pesticide management and food loss and food waste. These recommendations focus on the need for clear, consistent policy positions from the EPA that account for the needs of farmers and ranchers on their individual operations.

In November 2021, the Biden administration released a proposal to repeal the Navigable Waters Protection Rule and propose new regulations on common agricultural features, such as stock ponds, ditches and ephemeral water features that only flow during rain. The rule is currently open for public comment and NCBA is engaging with the EPA to voice concerns on the rule. NCBA encourages the EPA to adopt the FRRCC recommendations, which align with the views of cattle producers and address shortcomings in the proposed rule.