May 2022 - National Cattlemen

N A T I O N A L CATTLEMEN

To be the trusted leader and definitive voice of the U.S. cattle and beef industry.

MAY 2022 • Vol. 38, No. 8 • NCBA.org

MARKET SNAPSHOT WEEK OF 4/25/2022

CURRENT VS. LAST YEAR SOUTH CENTRAL 500-600 LB. STEERS

$186.83

$169.09

10.5%

LIVE FED STEERS

$121.36

17.8%

$143.00

CHOICE BOXED BEEF

$280.19

3.8%

$269.58

OMAHA CASH CORN

$6.51

24.3%

$8.09

IN THIS ISSUE

3

LEADERSHIP COMMENTS

6

WESTERN DROUGHT

9

INCREASE CALF VALUE

May is National Beef Month! NCBA’s leadership shares how you can join in the celebrations.

Experts give advice and tips to be proactive rather than reactive for drought in western states.

A quality pre-conditioning program can show significant increase in per-head profits.

12

MARKET REPORT

18

CHECKOFF NEWS

19

FEDERATION

LMIC and CattleFax dissect the impact of market influences to cattle and calf prices and review beef demand growth.

As we celebrate Beef Month, look at these impressive wins for beef through Beef Checkoff efforts.

NATIONAL CATTLEMEN’S BEEF ASSOCIATION 9110 E. NICHOLS AVENUE, SUITE 300 CENTENNIAL, CO 80112

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HATTIESBURG, MS PERMIT 142

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Hamburgers steal the spotlight as many states participate in burger contests to promote beef consumption.

Standing Together: How the Agriculture Community is Addressing Mental Health While farming and ranching is a lifestyle loved by cattle producers across the country, it comes with its fair share of challenges. Whether it is unpredictable and uncontrollable weather, turbulent markets or complex family dynamics, farm and ranch families across the country are balancing the responsibilities of everyday life and maintaining a viable business. These stressors can certainly take a toll on one’s mental health.

However, mental health is a topic that the agricultural community has historically shied away from discussing.

According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, 59% of rural Americans believe there is stigma around having conversations about mental health. As a result, some folks have decided it’s time to start directly tackling this issue.

“We’ve really felt the need [to address mental health] within our communities,” said Marshal Wilson, co-director of New Mexico State University’s Southwest Border Food Protection and Emergency Preparedness Center. “At first, we were careful about how we talked about it, but we need to address it head on.”

Wilson stressed the importance of local support for bringing awareness to mental health resources within communities.

“It’s got to be a culture change. There’s got to be a movement within our communities,” he explained.

Across the country, others are joining Wilson’s cause to combat the stigma of talking about mental health, and they are working to bring resources to typically underserved areas. Whether it’s through open discussions, formal trainings or federally funded programs, the work being done is critical to ensure the health and safety of those who have made it their life mission to conserve the land and feed the world.

Starting the Conversation

“The first thing you have to do is care,” said Warren Symens, a fourth-generation cattleman from Amherst, South Dakota.

Symens believes that the best way to address mental health issues is to openly talk about them. Instead of pretending like the stress of ranching doesn’t bother him, he has decided to be honest about his own experience, even taking to social media to tell his story.

While he recognizes the importance of professional counselors, he questions how many of them truly understand the unique circumstances in rural America.

As someone who understands the lifestyle — because

he lives it — he believes it is important to be open to tough conversations and show empathy to fellow producers when they are navigating challenging circumstances.

“Those of us that have the background have to show empathy,” he said.

Recognizing the Signs

Nathan Lawson, a cattle producer from Spencer County, Kentucky, also understands the need to openly discuss the difficulties that producers experience. In respect to that, he helped spearhead two initiatives that facilitate those conversations.

Lawson participated in a roundtable of leaders representing various sectors of the Kentucky agriculture industry. From that meeting, the group secured funding from the Kentucky Beef Council for a program in which the University of Kentucky’s College of Nursing and College of Agriculture partner to host events that bring awareness to mental health. In addition, members of the group participated in a mental health awareness leader course to provide agriculturists the resources and training to recognize the signs of someone who may need help.

Through the online training program, “QPR – Question, Persuade, Refer,” participants learn the warning signs of mental illness, how to ask potentially life-saving questions, and what resources are available.

Lawson himself went through the training because he has a heart for helping those around him. He understands the devastating impact that ignoring these critical conversations can have on tight-knit, rural communities.

“Suicide is 100% preventable,” he explained.

On the other hand, he recognizes why rural America struggles to address this topic.

“In the agriculture community — whether male or female farmers — we all have somewhat of a John Wayne image, and I think that we apply that to ourselves in such a degree that makes rural people, ag people, the farming community, in particular, a tough nut to crack in terms of willingness to talk about suicide and mental health.”

Lawson believes the QPR method helped teach participants to walk through difficult conversations around mental health in an effective way.

When people are able to have conversations around such a tough topic, it’s statistically proven that those conversations and general awareness decrease the number of instances where someone acts on suicidal thoughts, he explained.

Continued on page 4

B:10.63" T:10.38" S:9.38"

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NATIONAL CATTLEMEN 3

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Our Similarities Are Stronger Than Our Differences

By Don Schiefelbein, NCBA President A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to travel to the United Kingdom to meet with British officials and discuss the importance of bilateral trade between our countries. Great Britain is no longer part of the European Union (EU) and is seeking to establish its economic independence from Europe by pursuing trade agreements with allies like Australia, New Zealand, and Canada — but there is also a desire to strengthen the special relationship with the United States. Unfortunately, talks have lagged over the past year, but recent events in Ukraine have highlighted the need for both countries to work together to strengthen supply chains and address food security concerns through trade.

In our meetings with Members of Parliament and British trade officials, many were surprised to learn that our industry is rooted in family farms and ranches.

The British perception of American agriculture is one of “factory farming,” but the reality is our average herd size is 43 head and more than 96% percent of cattle operations are family-owned and operated.

Similarly, there is also the perception that our cattle spend the majority of their lives on a corn-based diet. While corn has an important role to play in cattle feeding, our calves spend most of their lives on grass just like their British counterparts.

livestock care, while the U.K. teaches their producers through a similar program called “Red Tractor.” The U.S. and U.K. both prioritize sustainable cattle and beef production. As America’s original conservationists, caring for our land is second nature.

Along the way, cattle producers have improved efficiency and now produce 60% more beef per animal while reducing emissions by 40% per pound. Britain’s Ambassador to the U.S. previously highlighted NCBA’s

producer-developed sustainability goals as a particular item of interest.

British consumers also care deeply about the sustainability of their food, and our sustainability story makes us a good fit for the British market.

One of NCBA’s goals for 2022 is increasing producer profitability and an effective way to do that is increasing your customer base abroad. As American cattle producers, we make a unique product. Our beef is the highest quality in the world and presents a unique flavor I share these stories to illustrate that profile that consumers often our similarities are stronger than around the globe desire. our differences. British cattle producers Still, those who have never seen employ many of the same practices we do. our production methods may have false ideas about how we raise our cattle.

I share these stories to illustrate At NCBA, we are breaking down that often our similarities are stronger misconceptions about our industry than our differences. British cattle and forging relationships to expand producers employ many of the same future trade opportunities for you. practices we do. They maintain It was an honor sharing our story in small, family-owned herds with initial the U.K., but it’s only possible because feeding on grass followed by grain of your daily commitment to raising supplements. the highest quality cattle in the world.

Likewise, British producers share Thank you for the dedication you our strong commitment to animal bring to the farming and ranching way welfare. For us, the Beef Quality of life, and thank you for your support Assurance program provides training of NCBA. in low stress animal handling and

2022 NCBA Leadership President Don Schiefelbein President-Elect Todd Wilkinson Vice President Mark Eisele Treasurer Joe Guild Federation Division Chair Brad Hastings Federation Division Vice-Chair Clark Price Policy Division Chair Buck Wehrbein Policy Division Vice-Chair Gene Copenhaver Immediate Past President Jerry Bohn Chief Executive Officer Colin Woodall Senior Editors THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF NCBA

Editor

John Robinson Jill Johnson Sarah Drown

May Is Beef Month!

By Colin Woodall, NCBA CEO out of sheer necessity, it picked up steam during the pandemic. That necessity turned into a desire for the convenience of having somebody else either make their food or pick it out for them.

As a proud contractor to the Beef Checkoff, our team has been working diligently to find ways to capitalize on the online food ordering wave. E-commerce has provided us with several opportunities to promote beef, make life easier for our customer, and increase sales.

You can find one of our strategies on beefitswhatsfordinner.com. When you search the recipe database and find one that is irresistible, you will see a button with a drawing of a shopping cart and the words “Get Ingredients.”

Click that button, and the ingredients for that recipe will load into the website for your local grocery store.

Just a few more clicks to checkout and the makings of an impressive beef eating experience are on their way.

We also found tremendous success with Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. banner ads on store websites like Sam’s Club, Target, Kroger and more. The results of these promotions speak for themselves.

This time last year, we partnered with Sam’s Club for a “Kickoff to Summer Grilling” campaign where every Checkoff dollar we spent Grilling season is when we get in advertising resulted to remind consumers that we in $34.36 worth of beef being sold. In other are in the fun business. From e-commerce promotions, we saw close to 8% of the graduation parties to the 4th of online sales come from July, and on to Labor Day, every customers who had never purchased beef online weekend belongs to us. before. Not only are we selling more beef, but we are helping customers try a new way of buying it.

One of my favorite campaigns states and around the globe. That is was one with DoorDash and something we can take pride in.

McDonald’s. DoorDash is a popular Even with today’s economic food delivery app where you can challenges, we are still the premier order from your favorite restaurant protein choice among consumers. and have it delivered to your door.

As those grills warm up, we see the Over the course of just five days, this pandemic-fueled change of cooking campaign increased beef hamburger at home remains strong. Fortunately, sales by 22%. Even more exciting is we are also seeing recovery in the that we drove down chicken sales by restaurant sector, and some of that 5%. That is success no matter how is due to the bridge between home you deliver it. and restaurant in the form of online These are all examples of your meal ordering. Checkoff-funded Checkoff dollars at work, and we research revealed that a staggering 81% of Americans have ordered a are thrilled to be able to show you meal online, with a quarter of them how your Checkoff-funded programs doing it weekly. That is an amazing are changing with the times and statistic, but online ordering is not delivering measurable results. So, as limited to prepared meals. Online you catch that whiff from the grill grocery sales are wildly popular, or the delivery from your favorite and there are many consumers who hamburger joint, remember that have not stepped foot in a brickthe cooking of a boneless, skinless and-mortar grocery store in almost chicken breast does not elicit the two years. The online grocery trend same feeling of fun that beef does. has been around for many years, but All it takes is one whiff of beef on the grill to bring a smile to your face and get those taste buds watering. As the weather starts to warm up, Americans are getting the patio furniture ready and the grills cleaned up, so they can have that very experience. May is Beef Month, and our consumers know that summer grilling season is close at hand. This is a big month for us in the beef business because not only do we own the whole month, but we also celebrate both National Brisket Day and National Beef Burger Day on May 28. While we all need to pause on Memorial Day to remember and honor those who gave their lives to protect this country, we also know that America will be outside that weekend sharing beef with friends and family. Grilling season is when we get to remind consumers that we are in the fun business. From graduation parties to the 4th of July, and on to Labor Day, every weekend belongs to us. For a moment, forget all the serious challenges we are facing and remember that fun is being had cooking beef around the grill in all 50

Contributing Writers

Creative Director Graphic Designer

Wendy White Ashley Willits Hunter Ihrman Don Waite Dancinee Jennings

For ad sales contact Shannon Melcher 303-8503339, Shannon Wilson 303-850-3345, or Jill DeLucero 303-850-3321.

Contact NCBA: 9110 E. Nichols Ave., Suite 300, Centennial, CO 80112 (303-694-0305); Washington D.C.: 1275 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Suite 801, Washington, D.C. 20004 (202-347-0228). National Cattlemen’s Beef Association reserves the right to refuse advertising in any of its publications. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association does not accept political advertising in any of its publications.

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association does not accept any advertising promoting third-party lawsuits that have not been endorsed by the board of directors. ©2022 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. All rights reserved. The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or part, without the prior written consent of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

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NATIONAL CATTLEMEN

Standing Together: How the Agriculture Community is Addressing Mental Health Continued from page 1

Not only did Lawson go through the training himself, he also had the opportunity to train the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Executive Committee and Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association staff on what he had learned. He believes that equipping more people to help their friends and neighbors, or possibly even themselves, when they are dealing with stressful situations is beneficial for the entire industry.

While Lawson believes the training was important, he also stresses that the most effective way to help those around you is to simply be a good friend and listen.

“The best friends are the ones that are selfless, the ones that are willing to stand and listen in spite of the time it may take, and ultimately, I think that when we do that, we hear the triggers. We hear the not-so-apparent comments or subtle cries for help. We give them the opportunity to be vulnerable and share what they are struggling with.”

Bolstering Resources

As the agriculture community works to normalize conversations around mental health, some have found that the problem isn’t the lack of willingness to talk openly, it’s the lack of resources available that facilitate an environment in which farmers and ranchers feel comfortable having a conversation.

“We have a tendency to believe people don’t want to talk about stress or mental health, but what I’m finding is quite the opposite. Given the right circumstances and right atmosphere, they become more comfortable and are more willing to talk,” explained Andrea Bjornestad, an associate professor and extension mental health specialist at South Dakota State University (SDSU).

Through traveling across the state to speak at agriculture events, she has found starting the conversation in a comfortable setting allows farmers to start opening up to each other — sharing their ideas, thoughts and even their struggles.

As a licensed professional counselor with an agricultural background, Bjornestad is working to bring awareness to the importance of providing professional resources to people in rural communities in a way that is compatible with their lifestyle.

“Agriculture is its own culture, and just like any other culture we should seek to understand the values, beliefs and traditions that make up the way of life,” she said.

However, lack of funding — the problem that threatens the continuation of free counseling services and other rural mental health resources in South Dakota — is a problem shared among states across the country.

“There’s a huge discrepancy in access to mental health providers when looking at urban versus rural areas. Somehow, we need to minimize that gap,” Bjornestad said.

At this point, many states are administering programs through the U.S. Department of Agriculture grant funding, but the continuation of that funding is not guaranteed.

Despite that, Bjornestad is committed to advocating for the importance of these programs and finding creative ways to get people the resources they need.

“We have to think outside the box and bring mental health care in a different way,” she said.

When farmers spend hours alone in a tractor, they often want someone to talk to. “Why couldn’t a counselor come to a tractor?” is a question that Bjornestad often asks herself.

After finishing her current mental health research projects at SDSU, Bjornestad will lead the establishment of an assistance network to develop and disseminate resources across South Dakota.

Where to Find Resources As cattle producers, it’s easy to minimize the challenges and stress of everyday life. In reality, farming and ranching is just as much about the health of people as it is the health of livestock and the land. It’s important to be open, have real conversations and take care of each other.

If you, a loved one or a friend need someone to talk to, states across the country have unique programs and hotlines available. Visit farmstateofmind.org to discover resources in your state.

2022 Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting | Reno, Nevada

We are pleased to partner with United Airlines for discounted air travel to our upcoming event.

To make flight reservations online, scan the QR code and use Promotion Code ZM4S592262.

MileagePlus members earn Premier Qualifying Dollars and miles for their travel.

You may also call United Meeting Reservation Desk at 1-800-426-1122, M-F 8am-10pm EST or Weekends 8am-6pm EST

CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY

These are companies that have teamed with NCBA as corporate members, demonstrating their commitment to the beef industry. Their involvement strengthens our future. NCBA members are urged to support these partners in turn by purchasing their products and services. Those who would like to become corporate members with NCBA (securing premium booth placement at the annual convention and trade show as well as other membership benefits), please call the Corporate Relations team at 303-694-0305.

GOLD LEVEL SPONSORS (Minimum $100,000 Investment)

Animal Health International www.animalhealthinternational.com Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Inc. www.bi-vetmedica.com/species/cattle.html Caterpillar www.cat.com Central Life Sciences www.centrallifesciences.com

ALLIED INDUSTRY COUNCIL Bayer Environmental Sciences CHR HANSEN Farm Credit Council Huvepharma, Inc.

Lallemand Animal Nutrition Nationwide Norbrook, Inc. Rabo AgriFinance RAM Trucks

PRODUCT COUNCIL American Foods Group Cargill Meat Solutions Certified Angus Beef Culver’s Darden Restaurants empirical Fareway Stores, Inc. Five Guys

McDonald’s Corporation National Beef Packing Omaha Steaks Performance Food Group Preferred Beef Group Tyson Fresh Meats

Corteva Agriscience™ www.corteva.com Elanco Animal Health www.elanco.com John Deere www.deere.com Masey Ferguson www.agcocorp.com/brands/massey-ferguson.

Merck Animal Health www.merck-animal-health-usa.com Micro Technologies www.microtechnologies.com Moly Manufacturing www.molymfg.com New Holland Agriculture www.newholland.com

Purina Animal Nutrition LLC www.purinamills.com/cattle Ritchie Industries Inc. www.ritchiefount.com Roto-Mix www.rotomix.com Zoetis Animal Health www.zoetis.com

ALLIED INDUSTRY PARTNERS Parker McCrory 44 Farms Tarter Farm and Ranch CEAT Specialty Tires International Stock Food PBS Animal Health ADM Animal Nutrition, Inc. CME Group International Genetic Solutions Equipment Phibro Animal Health Agri-Pro Enterprises of Iowa, Inc. DATAMARS Livestock Jorgensen Land and Cattle The Hartford Livestock Insurance Pneu-Dart AgriWebb Dell Technologies Kent Nutrition Group The Vit-E-Men Co. Inc./Life Priefert Ranch Equipment Alltech, Inc. Diamond V Krone Products QualiTech, Inc American National Insurance ENDOVAC Animal Health Kubota Tractor Corporation Quality Liquid Feeds Arrowquip Farmers Business Network Kunafin “The Insectary” Trans Ova Genetics Red Angus Assoc. of America A.T. Ferrell Company Inc. Fera Diagnostics & Biologicals Corp Laird Manufacturing U.S. Premium Beef R&R Machine Works Bank of America Food Safety Net Services Meat & Livestock Australia, Ltd. Vermeer RFD-TV Barenbrug USA Furst-McNess Company Micronutrients Vitalix Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s Gallagher National Corn Growers Association Roper/Stetson/Tin Haul Apparel and Footwear Behlen Manufacturing Gravely, an Ariens Company Vytelle Neogen Bimeda Greeley Hat Works New Generation Supplements South Dakota State University Westway Feeds Stone Manufacturing BioZyme Grov Technologies Newport Laboratories, A Wild River Vaxxinova Company Superior Livestock Bush Hog Inc. Hayden Outdoors Real Estate Y-Tex Noble Research Institute Supreme International Cargill Animal Nutrition Hyundai Construction Equipment Novus International Syngenta Case IH Zinpro Performance Minerals IMI Global

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NATIONAL CATTLEMEN

Drought Across the West: A California Perspective

By Grace Woodmansee, UC Cooperative Extension Livestock and Natural Resources Advisor, Siskiyou County Dan Macon, UC Cooperative Extension Livestock and Natural Resources Adviser, Placer-Nevada-Yuba-Sutter Counties Pedro Carvalho, Assistant Cooperative Extension Specialist in Feedlot Management, UC Davis Leslie Roche, Associate Cooperative Extension Specialist in Rangeland Science and Management, UC Davis California rangelands are incredibly diverse, spanning warm desert rangelands to Mediterranean grasslands to cold desert steppe.1 Annual grasslands are particularly important to the economic sustainability of California’s rangeland livestock production systems — they cover 10 million acres and produce nearly 70% of the forage base for the California’s livestock herd.2 The productivity of annual grasslands is strongly determined by precipitation amount, timing and distribution. For example, plant growth requires sufficient available water at critical time points, specifically the autumn (germination) and spring (rapid growth stage) seasons. Because of these dynamic linkages between plant growth and seasonal weather patterns, forage productivity is extremely variable within and between years across annual rangelands. For these reasons, California’s ranching communities are among the first to be impacted by drought and, therefore, coping with and adapting to drought has always been critical to operation sustainability. Now in our third year of extreme drought, California’s rangeland drought crisis is growing with continuing rainfall deficits, rapidly dwindling snowpack, and increasing soil moisture shortages essential to forage productivity.3-5

Drought Management Decisions: Proactive vs. Reactive

Broadly, drought management practices that build flexibility are typically categorized as proactive or reactive practices. Proactive practices are implemented in anticipation of potential future droughts (before impacts are experienced), and reactive practices are implemented during a drought to aid adaptation and mitigation at critical periods.6-7 Reactive strategies, such as selling livestock and purchasing feed, are traditionally the most relied upon drought strategies.8 However, reactive practices can have particularly far-reaching consequences compared to proactive practices; for example, rebuilding quality cow herds following drought-initiated culling is both expensive and time consuming. As drought intensity and frequency continues to increase across the Western U.S., integrating active drought planning into general ranch planning will be critical to ranch sustainability and increasing drought resilience in particular.9 Creating a drought management plan, with both proactive and reactive strategies, does three key things: 1. sets deadlines — or “critical dates” — for making important decisions, which may be unique to an operation; 2. helps prioritize intentional (rather than emotional) decision making during a time when difficult decisions must be made; and 3. pairs proactive and reactive strategies to help circumvent sunk costs (i.e., investments that cannot be recovered).

Just as a budget is a tool for personal finance, a drought plan is a tool to enhance a ranch’s business strategy. A drought decision support tool to supplement planning efforts is available by visiting ucanr.edu/sites/Livestock/files/352215.pdf or scanning the QR code.

Reactive Practices to Consider

Given that most Western ranchers are experiencing a third year of severe or extreme drought, focus has shifted to implementing reactive drought management practices that can help balance the forage supply/demand equation. Here, we present two examples of reactive drought management strategies, early weaning and feeding byproducts, based on recent research and extension efforts. These practices are two of many options that ranchers can consider — we recommend that a cost-benefit analysis be conducted before implementing any drought management strategy.

Early weaning While early weaning strategies have been studied in perennial rangeland systems, real-world examples of early weaning in fall calving operations on California’s annual rangelands are not readily available; early weaning can be a way to reduce forage demand and save grass for later in the year. In 2019 and 2020 at the Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center, we studied tradeoffs (i.e., calf performance, cow performance and forage performance) of

2019

2020

Treatment/Class

n

Dec 2018

3/19/19 5/30/19

n

Dec 2019

3/20/20

6/5/20

Early Wean Cows

42

5.0

5.1

6.4

42

4.9

4.8

6.3

Trad. Wean Cows

42

5.0

5.0

6.2

42

5.1

4.7

5.6

Trad Wean – Steers

23

-

623

23

-

597

Trad Wean – Heifers

19

-

596

19

-

569

Table 2: Cow BCS

Early Weaning Traditional Weaning

Year

Total Production

% Harvested

Forage Remaining (Jun 1)

2019

2373 lbs/ac

38%

1470 lbs/ac

2020

2724 lbs/ac

47%

1455 lbs/ac

2019

2224 lbs/ac

51%

1101 lbs/ac

2020

2510 lbs/ac

42%

1461 lbs/ac

Table 3: Forage production (2019-2020) 2019

2020

Treatment/Class

n

3/19 Wt

5/30 Wt

n

3/20 Wt

6/5 Wt

Early Wean – Steers

21

403

529

26

372

474

Early Wean – Heifers

21

388

500

16

381

484

Trad Wean – Steers

23

-

623

23

-

597

Trad Wean – Heifers

19

-

596

19

-

569

Table 1: Calf Weights (2019-2020) early weaning in order to begin answering two key questions from a California perspective: 1. How much will this strategy cost (i.e., how much income is given up by weaning early)?

2. How much will it save in the future (i.e., what would it cost to replace sold cows or buy feed if calves weren’t weaned early)?

Key Results

The full report available by visiting ucanr.edu/sites/Livestock/ files/365438.pdf or by scanning the QR code.

• Calf performance (Table 1): Early weaned calves were significantly lighter than traditionally weaned calves in both 2019 and 2020. Once weaned, calves in the early weaning treatment group did not gain as rapidly as non-weaned calves.

• Cow performance (Table 2): Early weaned cows recovered body condition score more rapidly than traditionally weaned cows on similar forages.

• Forage performance (Table 3): In 2019, early-weaned pastures had more forage remaining in early June than traditional weaned pastures, suggesting that early weaning may conserve dry forage for use later in the season. However, results were seemingly contradictory in 2020; a wet January, record dry February, and near-normal precipitation March through May resulted in minimal differences between early weaning and traditionally weaning pastures. We suspect that grazing by the traditionally weaned calves may have slowed the opportunity for forage to mature, resulting in continued growth in March to May once soil moisture increased.

Take Home

Early weaning can be an effective drought management strategy — however, the factors influencing the success of this practice, including precipitation and market conditions, are inherently uncertain. If considering early weaning, several factors can help with decision making: 1. Check soil moisture (even if it requires digging into the soil profile manually) and check the forecast. Although a forecast may be an

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2.

3.

4.

educated guess when looking more than a week into the future, it’s the best resource we have — several forecast tools can be found by visiting rangelands.ucdavis.edu/drought. If soil moisture is depleted and the forecast looks dry, it certainly suggests that fall-calving operations should strongly consider early weaning.

Talk to a marketing representative and check local sale barn prices. Early spring prices for calves are often higher than late spring/early summer. For California, marketing calves in the spring is advantageous because calves can be shipped across the U.S., where unlike California, a summer growing season is normal.

Run the numbers for your operation. A calculator tool (e.g., ucanr.edu/sites/ Livestock/Drought) can help. You can use information from points 1-3 to make an informed decision and refine your drought plan.

Write down your drought plan and stick to it. Be sure to include critical dates for implementing each step to help keep you accountable to your plan (e.g., ucanr.edu/sites/Livestock/files/352215.pdf) and remove some of the emotion from these difficult decisions.

NATIONAL CATTLEMEN 7 Feeding byproducts Feeding byproducts to beef cows may become a sound alternative during drought when forage availability is limited or supplemental forage prices are high. California’s agricultural industry is well known for its vast variety of grains, vegetables and fruits, which results in high availability of byproducts. Even though hay is the most traditional roughage supplementation source during periods of limited grass production, the current cost of hay makes roughage byproducts a good alternative low-quality forage source for beef cows. California is the second largest rice producer in the country; therefore, rice straw is one of the most common roughage byproducts found.

To ensure byproduct supplementation will meet herd needs, we recommend sending samples to a laboratory for nutritional analysis. For example, even a good quality rice straw with close to 7% crude protein will fail to meet beef cow nutritional requirements, and a minimum amount of the most nutritional and expensive feedstuff such as corn grain will be required to meet the cow’s needs. But it could be worse — if a low-quality rice straw with less than 3.5% (which is not rare) is fed to the same beef cows, the amount of supplemental grain required will be twice as much as the good-quality straw. Therefore, supplemental roughage byproducts during drought, such as rice straw, corn stover and almond hulls, might be a feasible option to avoid herd liquidation. However, in addition to testing for the quality of the product, which will allow ranchers to know how much they are paying per pound of nutrients, it is important to remember factors such as how practical it is to feed, store and transport this byproduct. Therefore, when considering supplementing your herd with byproducts, seek guidance from those with expertise in feeding the products, such as a cattle nutritionist or a farm adviser from your county, or even a neighboring ranch that has fed the product in the past.

While these statistics and the research performed primarily covers California rangelands, these strategies should be taken into consideration for herd managers across the West since many of the challenges faced here are also addressed in other states facing droughts. For more information on drought planning for California ranchers and those in the West, visit the UC Rangelands Drought Hub visit rangelands. ucdavis.edu/drought or scan the QR code.

Sources 1. Roche et al., 2015 2. https://rangelands.ucdavis.edu/annual-grasslands-as-working-landscapes 3. https://www.npr.org/2022/04/01/1090342138/california-drought-dry-spring 4. https://calmatters.org/environment/2022/04/california-sierra-snowpack/ 5. https://nasagrace.unl.edu/data/20220411/GRACE_RTZSM_20220411.png 6. Grothmann & Patt, 2005 7. Kachergis et al., 2014 8. Woodmansee et al., 2021 9. Griffin and Anchukaitis, 2014

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NATIONAL CATTLEMEN

Drought Across the West: A Kansas Perspective Drought has affected most of the country and cattle producers everywhere are feeling squeezed by soaring prices. Whether you are a cattle producer feeling the sting of increased feed substitute costs, the pressure to decrease your herd size, or are considering ways to make your cattle more drought tolerant, you are one of many producers in the U.S. who want to plan for the dry season.

Frank Harper, a central Kansas farmer and rancher, shared some strategies for his operation when planning for drought and adjustments he has had to make.

What does the drought cycle look like in your area?

Harper: Our farming and ranching operation is located in south central Kansas. Our annual average rainfall is about 28 inches, so although we almost always go through dry periods, significant widespread drought is something we would normally expect in an 8-to-10-year cycle. Localized drought is something that we would expect on a more regular basis.

Our cattle operation utilizes the Flint Hills region which is native tallgrass prairie.

Generally, summer stocking rates on pasture aren’t altered significantly unless extremely unusual dry conditions persist throughout spring. Normal grass season is mid to late April through the end of October, however, the primary grazing season for yearling cattle is May 1 through August 1.

Often, even though adequate rains may come to sustain the grass, lack of runoff events to freshen and fill ponds for livestock happens more often. Many of our ponds are shallow and quality of the water becomes a big concern, even before lack of vegetation.

What tools or resources do you utilize when drought planning?

Harper: Usually, a percentage of carry-over hay is maintained to allow for some buffer. Over the years we have improved our water resources, either by cleaning/ maintaining ponds or improving fresh water from wells supplied by windmills or solar pumping systems. We have also added underground water lines in a couple of areas to service several pastures, should more severe drought conditions persist.

An advantage our operation as compared to some is the crop farming portion of our operation. We raise corn, soybeans and wheat along with grass and alfalfa hay. We also have a small percentage of our acres that are irrigated. When drought is evident, baling of corn stover is a common practice. Even though yields may be significantly reduced, often residue from the crops can provide additional roughage to bridge the gap. The challenge with this, however, remains the fact that most of our cropping is 40 miles away from the ranching operation, therefore, transportation of the baled feed is a necessity. Also, the ability to deliver alternative feed is a challenge.

That’s why, approximately 10 years ago, we built a feeding infrastructure that would allow for fence line feeding of cows during drought conditions. We built a central feeding facility with approximately 2,000 feet of bunks and grass traps that would provide the ability to deliver feed to the cattle in an efficient manner as well as better access to an adequate and safe water supply.

We have a record number of cattle on feed because of the drought. Kansas is a cow/ calf, feeding, and packer state; given this dynamic, what do you think will happen to states similar to Kansas?

Harper: As Kansas is home to cow/calf, stockers and a significant feeding sector, normally that means efficiency in the system. However, during times of limited resources, it presents challenges as competition for the same resources becomes evident. Ultimately, transportation of feed just comes from a longer radius and increased costs are the result.

How is this current drought season different with the COVID-19 remaining effects, fertilizer prices, fuel prices and uncertainty with railroads delivering agriculture commodities?

Harper: It seems that a perfect storm has been building for quite some time.

With COVID-19 came supply chain challenges along with many people leaving the workforce not just for a short-term, but seemingly for the long-term to possibly never return. And with increased world unrest — with the conflict between Ukraine and Russia — agriculture becomes front and center.

Growing up with the existence of the Soviet Union, I always knew that Ukraine was the breadbasket for nearby countries like China and Russia. I recall stories of how enormous amounts of crops would be produced in that region but they wouldn’t make it to market due to poor infrastructure and societal systems. Little did I know, Ukraine was even more of an influential country than I thought when I was younger. When I was thinking about the importance of wheat, I should have also been thinking corn, fertilizer, energy, etc. And then you consider the damaged infrastructure of roads, railways and ports in that part of the world and the impact becomes more concerning. Even the challenges with ports in the U.S. have become more obvious in the past couple years.

COVID-19 showed us how efficient our system in place was, and how changing things abruptly is very hard to do. Also worth mentioning is the impact of legislation passed by leaders who are disconnected from agriculture and this negatively impacts mainstreet America and the people that make this country the most blessed in the world.

What production practices do you focus on when drought planning?

Harper: Short-term production practices don’t change much during the onset of a drought, however, several years ago we downsized our cowherd and increased our utilization of a yearling program. This program allowed us to utilize our bunk/trap system better — rather than just for drought and calving — by being able to bring grazing cattle in from January through April to stage for the summer grazing season (May 1 through August 1). Also, by removing the yearlings from grass in mid-summer, re-growth is allowed and allows for stockpiling of grass for winter, should hay and other feed be in short supply.

What advice would you share with a producer that is at the beginning stages of creating a drought plan?

Harper: The important thing is simply to have a plan in place, ahead of time. For us, being able to put things in place that could mitigate the impacts of drought have allowed us to utilize those same improvements for economic benefit in times of normal weather patterns.

NCBA has a library of tools and resources for cattlemen and women to find help during drought. To find and take advantage of these resources and to mitigate your risk, visit NCBA.org and click “Risk Management” under the “Producers” tab.

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NATIONAL CATTLEMEN 9

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An Idaho Ranch Increases the Value of Every Calf In today’s cattle operations, every dollar per head can make a difference, so why not aim to increase profitability one calf at a time? At least, that’s what owners Terri and Moody Gross think.

“We have been told you either get on the bus or you get off. And so, last year, we weaned and pre-conditioned, and we saw the difference in our prices,” Terri said.

Terri and Moody own and operate MT Ranch in New Plymouth, Idaho, about 50 miles from Boise. They begin their calving season in February and send calves to the sale yard in the beginning of September. Ever since they began working with an animal health company to establish a preconditioning program for their calves, they have noticed increased interest at the sale barn and increased profit.

According to Chris Schneider, DVM with Merck Animal Health, preconditioning is a practice which vaccinates and pre-weans calves before shipping or selling them. While not a new process, it is an effective one.

It is not only an added benefit to the producer, but it is also best for the cattle, he said.

“The game changer, I think in our industry, has been that the cattle buyers at the next level are starting to recognize the value, the true economic value of buying pre-conditioned animals,” Schneider said. “They’re starting to compensate the cattle producers down to the cow-calf level for that value.”

For many producers, especially those who have been in the business a long time, it is hard to make the dive into a pre-conditioning program, even Terri admitted he was hesitant. They did not feel like they had the facilities and capability to pre-condition their calves. But after hearing from peers in the feedlots and managers at the sale barn, they were convinced it was the right step to increase their competitiveness.

After implementing the program, Terri said he heard positive feedback that his cattle seldom needed to be vaccinated and are quiet and safe for workers to handle in the feedyard.

Whether it is the improvement of vaccines and medicine, animal husbandry, or stockmanship and handling, cattle production has evolved over the last 30 years, according to Schneider. Uniting and practicing better management and animal care changes the industry as a whole for the better, he said.

At birth or within 24 hours, Terri vaccinates his calves and bands them.

They are given additional vaccinations at two months.

“An excellent management practice would be, for example to pre-vaccinate your calves, put them back with their moms, allow them to get settled for 20-30 days before you wean them, and then move them on,” Schneider said.

“So, allowing these calves to be weaned on the farm 30 days or so before you sell them ensures animal health will be at its highest.”

He added that this ensures the vaccines and products will be maximally effective.

This turns into real dollars returned to the producer. Superior Livestock and Merck Animal Health looked at data from 2019 and 2022, and it showed, on average, a producer could earn $15 to $45 more per head by using a vaccination and pre-conditioning program, Schneider explained.

Schneider especially encourages younger producers, those trying to create a sustainable business that will last 10 to 20 years from now, to practice pre-conditioning to make their calves prominent in a highly competitive market.

Pre-conditioning isn’t just about creating a more valuable animal in the sale barn. As consumers increasingly seek information about the welfare of animals and the safety of their food, sharing that cattle are handled carefully and under low-stress environments is crucial.

“What I would encourage all of us in animal health and animal agriculture to remember is that we’ve got a story to tell,” he said.

We should be the ones to tell that

and therefore, decreases their risk for disease and illness. Coupled with good vaccination protocols, calves handled quietly and calmly gain the best and stay healthy.

The game changer, I think in our industry, has been that the cattle buyers at the next level are starting to recognize the value, the true economic value of buying pre-conditioned animals.

story and continue to raise consumer confidence in beef production practices, he added.

Part of a quality pre-conditioning process is handling calves in a way that doesn’t increase their stress levels,

“The less stress they experience, the easier they are to handle. Low-stress handling decreases the likelihood of sickness and increases the likelihood of those vaccinations doing their job and working properly. And it goes on and

creates a better product for that buyer,” said Eric Drees, lead auctioneer, field representative and assistant manager at Seven Rivers Livestock Commission.

The Grosses have built a strong relationship not only with their veterinarian, Schneider, but also with the managers of Seven Rivers Livestock Commission, where they sell their calves. This has allowed them to learn how they can create more value in their cattle, work closely with repeat buyers, and establish a personalized preconditioning program for their calves that works for their business.

Terri and Moody have worked hard to ensure the calves they sell are healthy, safe to handle and ready to move to the next stage of the supply chain. “[The Grosses] are folks that a lot of the other producers in this area look to, and they’ve really got the bar set high for a lot of the producers in this area,” Drees said.

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First Line of Defense: The Role of Your State Veterinarian Every day, the health of your cattle herd is being protected by our nation’s state animal health authorities. State veterinarians are the primary animal health authorities in each state, keeping a watchful eye on diseases that may threaten not only livestock, but companion animals as well.

“State veterinarians have both animal and public health responsibilities and face vastly different issues depending on the state or region of the country,” said Dr. Kathy Simmons, chief veterinarian at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. “Together, producers, local veterinarians and state veterinarians are responsible for protecting the U.S. cattle herd from disease and other health risks.”

For Dr. Marty Zaluski, Montana’s state veterinarian, the range of responsibilities is an exciting part of the job.

“One of the things I like about this profession is the variety of issues we have come across our desk,” Zaluski said. “It can vary by day and certainly by season.”

A state veterinarian’s most critical responsibility is leading the statewide response to any type of animal disease outbreak. For especially contagious diseases, like Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), a veterinarian might be leading an incident command center and coordinating vaccine distribution, issuing permitted movement orders, and directing other activities between individual producers, local health officers and U.S. Department of Agriculture officials.

According to Texas State Veterinarian Dr. Andy Schwartz, early planning is essential for mitigating a disease outbreak.

Dr. Marty Zaluski is the state vet for Montana. Photo provided by Montana Department “We need to have a plan; we need to exercise the plan; and we need of Livestock. to involve industry in those exercises and in the plan development so that we’re better prepared to respond should there be a foreign animal disease NCBA members, and NCBA staff work closely with state animal health authorities outbreak,” Schwartz said. to protect the U.S. herd. NCBA’s chief veterinarian represents the cattle industry Recently, Texas animal health authorities participated in an exercise with the on the Board of Directors for the U.S. Animal Health Association (USAHA) — the Southern Animal Health Association to simulate a response to an FMD outbreak. animal health forum representing state and federal animal health officials, national State veterinarians across the country regularly engage in these types of trainings allied organizations, regional representatives and others involved in agriculture. to be prepared in the event of an actual disease outbreak.

USAHA has been operating since 1897 and currently represents 50 states, four While not directly a threat to the cattle industry, the spread of High Path Avian foreign countries and 34 allied groups.

Influenza (HPAI) poses the latest challenge for state veterinarians.

Like NCBA, USAHA adopts policy and works with regulators and lawmakers in “What comes across my desk is coordinating some surveillance teams that are Washington, D.C., to support animal health and disease prevention. going around the country to canvass and find out if there are other incidents of “NCBA participates in more than 15 USAHA committees to advance policies [avian influenza] that we haven’t heard about,” Zaluski said. that strengthen the security of the cattle industry,” Simmons said. “Our strong This assignment is one of many impacting state veterinarians, in addition to partnership helped develop a USAHA policy resolution submitted to USDA that the regular workload of testing imported animals, hearing from agricultural and directed the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to aggressively community groups, and weighing in on state policies impacting animal health. fund the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures bank for the FMD vaccine, created in the 2018 Farm Bill.”

State veterinarians also rely on industry organizations to support decisions On the farm and ranch level, early investments in biosecurity go a long way that strengthen animal health. Cattle health and well-being is a top priority for

Rancher Resilience Grant The Rancher Resilience Grant is designed to support cattle producer attendance at impactful education events. This program awards funds for registration and hotel costs for educational cattle industry events across the country via reimbursement.

To receive funds, you can head to NCBA. org, under the “Producers” tab and click “Rancher Resilience Grant”. There is a short application and some additional steps to complete.

We hope it’s an opportunity you take advantage of!

The grant is made possible by a partnership between the National Cattlemen’s Foundation and Cargill Protein and is administered by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

Animal Activist Group Monitoring About the Groups Animal activist groups remain a persistent and constant threat in 2022. In fact, these groups continue to exploit the industry to further their own agenda to end animal agriculture and promote plantbased diets. NCBA follows action group activity to gain insight on their tactics and claims about beef and to provide support to members and affiliates.

Recent Tactics

Recently, animal activist groups continued their attention toward influencing local governments. For example, they have petitioned city governments to remove meat from publicly funded programs like jails and hospitals and urged state governments to pass bills that would create moratoriums on new animal agriculture operations.

Following the release of USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service slaughter data, action groups have filed lawsuits against companies included in the data reports to draw attention to their cause.

Activist groups have also purchased company shares and even became board members to pressure major companies into divesting from animal agriculture.

Activist groups have also attempted to spread their message by gaining access to cattle operations and beef packing plants, performing “open rescues” of animals and capturing graphic, undercover video. Often, this requires trespassing onto property. These incidents are part of their larger campaigns against animal agriculture, which also include public protests and rallies.

Farm Security

As always, farm security is paramount. It is not recommended to engage with animal activist groups in-person or online.

Doing so would likely only further spread the group’s message and bring greater attention to their platforms, elevating the issue to consumers who otherwise would not

have seen it.

If someone tries to gain access to your operation, alert local law enforcement.

Additionally, the groups rely heavily on the use of Wi-Fi-dependent video and audio recorders to acquire footage of animal agriculture operations for their campaigns.

If a new or unrecognized Wi-Fi network has become recently available, it may be a sign that a device has been installed. If you suspect a threat to your operation, reach out to NCBA for guidance; we are here to help navigate such issues.

NCBA will continue to monitor and alert those who may be impacted by protests or other activist tactics. And of course, we will continue to proactively share the great work of beef farmers and ranchers.

Proactive Monitoring

NCBA proactively monitors activist group activity in a variety of ways: • NCBA is an active member of Animal Agriculture Alliance, a nonprofit whose goal is to share information and resources among animal agriculture organizations. Through this work, NCBA receives regular updates about planned animal activist group activity, which allows us to alert stakeholders who may be impacted, as well as proactively share the positive stories of the beef industry.

• Additionally, the Digital Command Center is used to monitor print, online and social media for articles, trends, themes and hashtags about activist groups.

NATIONAL CATTLEMEN 11

www.NCBA.org towards limiting the spread of sickness and disease.

“The single best thing we would recommend is to have a Secure Beef Supply (SBS) plan in place,” Schwartz said.

Biosecurity plans not only help producers increase their awareness of disease threats, but support producers recovering from an outbreak. When outbreaks first appear, animal health authorities implement stop-movement orders to limit the spread of disease. Operations that have a Secure Beef Supply plan in place will be more readily prepared to return to normal operations.

“That way, we can assure ourselves and the receiving state that cattle moving from that area would be free of disease or have a very low risk of disease,” Schwartz said.

Resources like those provided by the Checkoff-funded Beef Quality Assurance program provide producers with templates to craft individual biosecurity plans. To take steps toward strengthening your herd, visit bqa.org.

PRODUCER EDUCATION

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Dr. Andy Schwartz speaks on issues impacting animal health. Photo provided

by Texas Animal Health Commission.

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NATIONAL CATTLEMEN

Cull Cow Values Highest in Five Years

By Katelyn McCullock, Director of Livestock Marketing Information Center National cutter cow values continued to escalate into the second quarter of 2022. At the time of this writing, prices had culminated a near vertical run since the beginning of 2022 to $75 per cwt. This is the highest value since late 2015. The fiveyear average of 2016 to 2020 averaged a cutter cow price of $55 per cwt nationally across all weights. Comparatively, 2022 has averaged $63 per cwt in the first quarter.

Ground 90% lean beef has helped support cutter values, as the majority of that carcass is destined for the grinder. Ground 90% lean beef prices have been higher since the summer of 2021 and has averaged $363 per cwt compared to the five-year average of $222 per cwt.

However, cutter cows have not been the only cow price to see a significant increase in the first quarter of 2022. Premium white cows, or those fed a concentrated diet before heading to slaughter, has seen a 25% increase in prices compared to last year. Breakers (75% lean) are up 29%, and boners (85% lean) are up 14%. These prices are explained by the strong boxed-cow cutout which is hovering about $230 per cwt the last week of March; 31% ahead of the five-year average, and 21% higher than last year.

These price increases have come when cow slaughter is running at very high levels. First quarter 2022 beef cow slaughter is up 16% over 2021. This extremely aggressive pace is faster than expected but is likely being encouraged by the high cull prices cow-calf producers can receive. Most regions are reporting higher volumes of cows moving to slaughter houses. Region 6 (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas), however, is by far the highest — up 38% — followed by Region 7 (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska) up 30% from last year. These are the areas where drought has intensified relative to last year at this time.

Regionally, the influx of slaughter cows has impeded cull cow values from rising relative to the national level. Southern Plains (part of Region 6) cow prices have been trailing off at the end of March, falling about $3 per head. Expectations are that cull cow values will remain elevated compared to the five-year average, but spikes in cow slaughter related to drought liquidation could weaken prices. Drought remains a primary concern in the U.S. cow herd, particularly given it’s the third consecutive year for large parts of the U.S. Hay prices are expected to be high this year which may

BEEF COW SLAUGHTER Federally Inspected, Weekly

Thou. Head 85

SLAUGHTER COW PRICES Southern Plains Auction, 85-90% Lean, Weekly

$ Per Cwt. 80 70 60 50 40 30

JAN

APR

JUL

Avg. 2016-20

OCT

2021

2022

Data Source: USDA-AMS

C-P-35 04/04/22

Livestock Marketing Information Center

make supplemental feeding unrealistic.

Cyclically, cull cow values are expected to continue to increase in coming years as the U.S. hits the bottom of this cattle cycle. In the last cattle cycle, drought years of 2011 and 2012 saw Southern Plains cull cow values peak in spring within the year, but annually climbed higher until 2015. Incremental annual increases have been smaller in 2020 and 2021 than in those years, but if the pattern holds, cull cow values will likely not see an annual peak in value until 2023, 2024 or possibly later. The LMIC has penciled in another 1 to 1.5% decline in the beef cow herd in 2022, and stable to slightly lower numbers in 2023.

CUTTER COW PRICES National Direct, Live, Weekly

$ Per Cwt. 80

80 75

70

70 65

60

60 55

50

50 45 40

JAN

APR

JUL

Avg. 2016-20

40

OCT

2021

Data Source: USDA-AMS & USDA-NASS

JUL

Data Source: USDA-AMS Livestock Marketing Information Center

Fundamentally Unfazed As the cutout declined from its January highs, buyers and sellers committed to more out-front beef sales. Within the last eight weeks, wholesale beef sales for delivery 22 days or later increased 339 loads per week (21%) on average. That could lead to more specials and limited time offers during the spring and summer grilling season.

Middle meat demand is seasonally increasing and has been a driving factor behind the $19 per cwt March cutout rally. The USDA composite cutout remains on track to meet the 2022 expectation and average $280 per cwt for the year. That would be a $6 increase compared to 2021.

Perhaps the biggest fundamental surprise to start the year has been the continued strength in beef cow slaughter. It is up 17% compared to first quarter 2021, and this year’s beef cow culling rate could average near the highs of the last few cattle cycle liquidations at 12.5%.

Seasonally, cow and bull slaughter will decline to spring or summer lows, and that remains the expectation this year. However, continued drought will necessitate reducing breeding inventory throughout the year.

Aggressive slaughter and larger carcass weights produced what should

70

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2021

2022 C-P-35 04/04/22

Per Capita Net Beef Consumption

68 66

2021 58.9 lbs. +0.8 lbs.

F2022 58.4 lbs. -0.5 lbs.

64 Pounds

By Lance Zimmerman Director of Research and Protein Market Analysis, CattleFax Early 2022 has offered cattle producers plenty of uncertainty. The Omicron variant of COVID-19 ushered in the first quarter, and the RussiaUkraine conflict has transitioned the markets into spring. But even amid the chaos, market fundamentals remain on a solid foundation.

Year-to-date steer and heifer slaughter is within 25,000 head of CattleFax’s forecast to start the year, and the seasonal uptrend in fed cattle slaughter is starting now. Expect a slaughter pace like last year throughout the spring and summer — pushing toward an annual high near 525,000 head per week.

Aggressive feedyard placements throughout most of the last six months have provided plenty of cattle to process, and adequate demand for beef should motivate packers to maintain strong slaughter levels into the summer.

Beef demand growth has slowed from the exceptionally strong 2021 levels, but less volatility in wholesale prices and more certainty in production capabilities has renewed interest in forward beef sales.

APR

Avg. 2016-20 C-S-34 04/01/22

Livestock Marketing Information Center

JAN

2022

62

60 58 56 54 52

50

90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 YEARS

Source: USDA CattleFax Projection 2022

be the largest weekly commercial beef production of the year in February at 563 million pounds. Commercial carcass weights are on pace to be record large near 830 pounds and will be supportive to beef production, but slaughter declines will be more prevalent in second half 2022.

Those slaughter declines, combined with U.S. beef export growth near 5% for 2022 and steady beef imports,

should produce a half-pound decline in per capita net beef supply for the year.

Bottom Line: The markets will continue to interpret the uncertainty created by pandemic policies, processing limitations, higher grain prices and weather-related setbacks, but the 2022 supply and demand assumptions CattleFax outlined to start the year remain similar.

NATIONAL CATTLEMEN 13

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NCBA Region VII Report (North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas) through complex regulatory issues

By Barb Cooksley, Region VII Vice and has been actively involved in the President legislative process. Runyan and her State legislatures have been busy husband Jeff are parents to three across the region — looking at tax active young boys — Jack, Henry and proposals, expanded authority for Gus. departments of agriculture to respond SDCA has focused this year on to foreign animal diseases and other membership recruitment and retention threats to livestock, fake meat labeling and the Beef Checkoff. Meanwhile, each and growing NCBA membership. The membership drive kicks off in June state in Region VII continues to focus with an event in Sioux Falls, held in on members and membership. conjunction with the South Dakota To quote a Nebraska Cattlemen Cattlemen Foundation’s Prime Time lobbyist, “This was a year of procedural Gala, featuring Hank Williams Jr.! gymnastics to better navigate the Kansas Livestock Association (KLA) political shenanigans…” Nebraska will be hosting a Waters of the United Cattlemen worked with senators over States (WOTUS) Roundtable in May the interim to draft a bill that would or June of this year. KLA developed a make adjustments to the Property proposal with assistance from NCBA, Tax Credit Act, developed in part by submitted it to the Environmental Nebraska Cattlemen in 2020, to place Protection Agency and was selected as a floor under the current $548 million a host site. dollar fund. The bill also utilizes a KLA’s top legislative priority this portion of the state’s budget surplus session is passage of a bill that would to expand the refundable income tax require accurate labeling of fake meat fund to include property taxes paid products. The bill allows manufacturers to community colleges — further to use meat terms on product labels if expanding property tax relief. disclaimers such as “meatless”, “meatNebraska Cattlemen staff met with free” or “veggie” are placed in close the Governor’s office and senators to proximity to the meat term on the label. carve out a portion of American Rescue KLA joined with Kansas Farm Plan Act (ARPA) dollars for agriculture Bureau and the Kansas Department of infrastructure and programs. Provisions Agriculture to coordinate relief efforts include $30 million to expand meat processing capacity; $4 million for water after extensive wildfires in December impacted livestock producers. Losses quality programming; $84 million for included cattle, feed, forage, barns and workforce housing grants, address labor homes. The groups organized a local shortages, and attract workers; and $60 meeting with USDA officials to outline million to be divided equally among the disaster programs available to Nebraska’s six community college areas assist in rebuilding after the fires. KLA for capital improvement or programs coordinated hay and fence supplies that support workforce development. donations, and the Kansas Livestock Region VII welcomes Taya Runyan, Foundation established a fire relief executive director for South Dakota fund that connected more than 2,300 Cattlemen’s Association (SDCA). donors and $2.1 million with farmers Runyan joined the staff Oct. 1, 2021. and ranchers in need of assistance.

With more than 10 years of experience in public service, Runyan has worked B:5.125" North Dakota Stockmen’s Association (NDSA) was successful with numerous agriculture industry T:5.125" in obtaining a more than $400,000 leaders across the state to work S:4.625"

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American Rescue Plan Act grant to modernize its inspection program. The grant was authorized by the North Dakota legislature, which was tasked with allocating the funds the state received through a special session in late 2021.

NDSA has pledged its support to a proposed Constitutional amendment led by a sponsoring committee known as “Protect North Dakota’s Constitution.” Over the last decade, the North Dakota Constitution has faced a proposed amendment by initiated measure in every election cycle. Changing the state Constitution should have a higher threshold because of the ramifications of modifying the foundational framework, and a Constitutional change should require more support from the state’s citizens, providing the Constitution the respect it deserves. The sponsoring committee, which includes several NDSA members, is proposing that a Constitutional measure clearly addresses only a

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single issue and that at least 60% of North Dakota citizens vote ‘yes’ to the proposed change for it to be approved.

The North Dakota Legislature is in the heart of its interim committee work. Among other work, the Interim Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee is studying the Beef Checkoff and the makeup of the North Dakota Beef Commission. The Independent Beef Association of North Dakota, an affiliate of R-CALF USA and the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association, has requested the legislature change the way North Dakota Beef Commission members are seated and to allow those who refund their state Beef Checkoff (valued at $1 per head in North Dakota) to be able to serve on the Commission.

That is prohibited currently. No action has been taken by the committee at this time.

All four states in Region VII are busy with policy and promotional work to safeguard U.S. cattle producers.

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NATIONAL CATTLEMEN

Sourcing Feed – and Managing Margins – Gets Complicated The job of feedlot managers is more complicated now than what has been the last couple years. Feed prices will be up, and margins will be pressured. Uncertainty breeds volatility. Take advantage of the opportunities volatility provides.

If you are interested in additional insights into the beef industry, find the closest Rabo AgriFinance office on www.RaboAg.com.

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By Andrick Payen, Rabo AgriFinance Grain and Oilseed Analyst The world got more complicated. So did feed purchasing plans.

Starting with COVID-19 shutdowns, logistics and shipping products have been and will continue to be a challenge and a more expensive one, at that. That’s somewhat predictable for the short term. However, other factors that continue to surprise the market are geo-politics and weather. They will drive volatility for the feed industry in the near and medium term.

The importance of Ukraine and Russia to world commodity markets has meant their planting and shipping disruptions are sending ripple effects around the world. RaboResearch expects that, if there is a shortfall of corn and wheat in the global market for 2022 and 2023 due to the war in Ukraine and the sanctions on Russia, the U.S. will export more of these commodities. An increase in exports of 200 million bushels — a realistic amount — of each would increase onfarm prices for corn by approximately 13% and wheat by approximately 50%.

That would make the national average on-farm price, which takes local basis into account, $5.77 for corn and $10.50 for wheat, according to RaboResearch analysis.

The wildcard for the coming months will be weather. Starting in the spring, much of the Great Plains looked dry with severe or extreme drought conditions. All the major U.S. wheat-growing regions are under some degree of drought condition. In our analysis, if the 200 million extra bushels are exported and drought conditions affect yield conditions, farm prices for wheat could reach nearrecord levels. Any headlines about exports or weather will likely cause drastic market reactions.

Corn markets will likely be just as volatile if acres planted of corn max at USDA’s 89-million acre estimate.

With lower inventories after the 2022 harvest, next year’s prices would be even higher than this year’s. The potential for a tight U.S. corn balance sheet in the 2022 and 2023 marketing year is already taking shape in the futures market; the forward curve is flattening, and the back end of the contracts is narrowing the spread from July’s 2022 contract.

Prices for alternative feed ingredients will likely be pressured higher as well, as demand for substitutes increases. DDGs could be a purchasing opportunity for rations.

Ethanol plants should stay active with the higher oil prices.

The hay outlook is just as challenging as the grain outlook.

Hay production declined last year, according to the latest numbers from the USDA. That is no surprise given that most producing states were under drought. Ending stocks for hay were also down. According to the Dec. 1, 2021, numbers reported by the USDA, hay stocks are at the same level as 2018 at about 79 million tons, the last low spot. If hay yields are low again this year, hay stocks could dip down to 2013’s drought level.

portfolio of services that gives and strongest banks. Rabo AgriFinance is an equal opportunity provider. producers the right products to prepare for and take advantage of market opportunities.

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Preparing for the Summer

By Matt Makens, Atmospheric Scientist The 2021-2022 La Niña has weakened since early spring in terms of the sea surface conditions. However, the storm pattern is still in a La Niña phase, and projections show that the atmosphere will stay in varying strengths of a La Niña-like setup through summer. The probability of El Niño taking over late this summer and fall is still less than the odds of either a neutral pattern or a La Niña return for a third year in a row.

For now, a La Niña-like atmosphere is in place, and because of that, three summer impacts come to mind. Consider, however, the effect of La Niña and El Niño patterns is far more significant in the cool seasons and has a lower impact during the warm months. Even still, there are differences between patterns during the summer. A detailed forecast by region is below and includes the following conditions that will be prominent this year.

First, be prepared for more dryness across much of the country. The La Niña influenced pattern implies that the drought conditions across the West and Southwest will continue.

For a quick comparison between La Niña and El Niño summers, I am showing you the frequency of wetter than normal seasons between the two patterns.

On the top image representing La Niña, notice that the frequency of wet summers is low across the Western U.S. — well below 40%; translate that to mean a wet summer happens fewer than four out of 10 years during La Niña. Yet, looking at the El Niño bottom image, you see an increase in the frequency of wet summers across the west — across most of the country.

No two years are identical, but this climatology helps visualize the common dryness of La Niña patterns.

Second, the country may see more severe weather this year. In recent decades, La Niña years typically see an increased frequency of damaging thunderstorm events; this is particularly true for the number of winter and spring tornado events. The increased number of storm reports does continue into the summer months to some extent, too. I charted data for years since 1990 and how the storm reports varied between La Niña and El Niño summers.

Third, hurricane activity may increase this year. El Niño helps suppress development during the hurricane season, which runs from June through November. With neutral to La Niña conditions, this year could be more active. This may lead to hurricane-related impacts along the Gulf Coast and Eastern U.S. from summer through fall.

With those elements discussed included, let us get to a regional outlook for this summer.

Summer 2022 Northwest: The extreme western areas of Oregon and Washington are most likely to be colder than average this summer, with neutral temperatures in the eastern sections of those states, and Idaho to be warmer than average. With that, drier than average conditions are likely for Idaho, eastern Washington and Oregon, and the wetter-than-normal conditions for the cooler spots of the far west.

West: The drought here will persist and enhance the drier and hotter conditions for the summer. Periodically, the monsoon may deliver precipitation that will favor far southern California and southern Nevada. Cooler conditions may come through with the monsoon for those same areas but only briefly. The longterm average remains in a drought with related high heat, leading to a high fire danger again this year.

Southwest: Like the West, this region will stay warmer and drier than normal overall; however, there will be periods of monsoonal moisture that will favor parts of Arizona, Utah and New Mexico. The driest areas will be those of the high plains east of the Rocky Mountains. Ultimately, the drought is expected to persist. For many in this region, the wettest months of the year are July and August, and as it appears right now, July will supply the best chance of moisture this year.

Northern Rockies: The low soil moisture amount from the spring continues for this region this summer. More than 95% of Montana and 81% of Nebraska reported topsoil moisture as very short to short in early April. Although there will be isolated spots that catch enough rainfall to overcome dry ground at times during May through the summer, temperatures will likely remain warmer-than-average to keep drought conditions for most locations. So, the bottom line is temperatures will be warm, and with dry conditions overall, it will come down to the timing of rainfall.

South: Indications for the best moisture come from the east for Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. At times, moisture may move into eastern Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. By in large, though, the western half of this region remains warm and mostly dry; meanwhile, the eastern half is to be wetter and cooler. The soil moisture shortages for the western parts of this region will continue, as will the fire danger.

Upper Midwest: Precipitation will favor areas near the Great Lakes southward into the Ohio Valley. Expect periodic moisture in Iowa and Minnesota; still, like last year, these parts of the Corn Belt will rely on the timing of precipitation rather than having a wet season. Temperatures will be warmest in Minnesota and Iowa — potentially several degrees warmer-than-average.

Ohio Valley: Moisture will favor places in the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys more than along and west of the Mississippi River. The same will be true for the temperatures, which will be coolest farther east and normal to warmer than normal for the western spots. At times, the soil may become so saturated that some areas will have a flood risk.

Southeast: Moisture will favor those to the north and west within this region.

Temperatures will be warmest for the southern spots and cooler-than-normal in the rainier sections to the north. Without a developing El Niño, the hurricane activity may increase this summer through fall, and this region is subject to any related damaging weather.

Northeast: This zone is to be cooler and wetter than average this summer. It is normal to see troughing (implying stormy weather) around this region every summer, and this year is no different. However, if the expected strength of that troughing changes from now through summer (gets weaker in this case), the region may be considerably warmer and drier than this outlook.

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NEWS Beef Industry Safety Summit Celebrates 20th Anniversary The Beef Industry Safety Summit celebrated its 20th anniversary, Feb. 28 to March 2, 2022, in Denver, Colorado.

The collaboration from industry-wide stakeholders was comprehensive, and the event brought together more than 200 attendees representing all sectors of the beef supply chain including producers, feedlot operators, packers, further processors, retail, foodservice, academic and government research scientists, and students all focused on improving beef safety.

Conducted by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, in partnership with the Beef Industry Food Safety Council (BIFSCo), the annual summit brings industry safety leaders and scientists together to hear the latest research results, learn about advancements in food safety monitoring and testing methodology, and openly converse with competitors seeking solutions that benefit the entire industry.

During the three-day event stakeholders came together to: • Discuss current safety issues with representatives from all sectors of the beef industry during technical sessions.

• Gain a better understanding of beef-chain challenges, pathogens and interventions during research results presentations.

• Network with colleagues, representatives from all industry sectors, government agency staff and the research community.

•

Determine future courses of action to help each sector enhance the safety of U.S. beef products.

Topics for this year’s event included everything from Salmonella research, tools and mitigation strategies currently used in the industry to the basics and current trends of recalls. The meeting also provided an opportunity to better understand how to engage students and future leaders in food safety, action items attendees could take back to their own facilities to strengthen the supply chain, and so much more.

Attendees stated that “even after 20 years, I still walk away having learned something from this meeting” and that it is “essential to be able to gather in a noncompetitive format to discuss current food safety issues in the industry.”

Mark your calendars now for the 2023 event, which will be held in Kansas City, April 3-5. Visit www.bifsco.org/safetysummit for more information.

TRENDING IN FOOD & MEDIA PLANT-BASED DIETS & MEAT ALTERNATIVES Cell-based (or cultured) meat alternative products experienced an 80% increase in traditional media mentions.1 Outlets like MarketWatch and Thrillist reported on Beyond Meat’s new jerky product, which was created as part of a partnership with PepsiCo.1

GOOD NEWS FOR BEEF

Beef is a Winner On and Off the Track

For the second year in a row, the Federation of State Beef Councils, on behalf of the Beef Checkoff, partnered with the Daytona International Speedway to sponsor the seasonopening race for the NASCAR Xfinity Series - the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.® 300. Additional support from state beef councils extended consumer outreach to the more than 60,000 fans at the Speedway on race day, Feb. 19, 2022.

“From the shared emphasis on family values and legacies in both racing and cattle farming and ranching, to the love of beef on the grill, beef and NASCAR just make sense,” said Brad Hastings, 2022 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Federation Division Chair. “The partnership also provided an opportunity for the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. brand to be back on TV, reaching younger and increasingly diverse NASCAR fans across the nation.”

The race provided a unique opportunity to engage with consumers and share information about beef’s nutrition, versatility and sustainability both at the track and across the country. The Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.® 300 was the most viewed telecast on Fox Sports 1 so far this year.

And the race wasn’t the only competition that got fans excited about beef. Chefs Lamar Moore, Jennifer Carroll and Ryan Clark battled it out on the grill during the Checkoff-funded Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.® 300 cookoff judged by Chef Josh Capon and World Champion Pitmaster Lee Ann Whippen. While Chef Jennifer Carroll took the checkered flag, edging out her fellow competitors, beef was a

winner too. Beyond the in-person competition, the chefs shared their passion for beef, along with recipes, on their social media channels reaching thousands of consumers from coast to coast.

Throughout the week, the Beef.

It’s What’s For Dinner. midway tent was a fan favorite where 3,000 beef sliders were served to hungry fans and more than 24,000 beef promotional items were given away. Visitors also tested their skills on roping dummies, and an interactive social media photo booth provided the ultimate beef experience.

Beef was the protein of choice in the infield with campers and tailgaters sporting signs showing they were grilling beef and in return, were surprised with beef merchandise such as hats, shirts and bags. The Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. brand was also featured in advertising during the race on Fox Sports 1, on the racetrack big screen and on signage throughout the Daytona International Speedway property.

You didn’t have to be a NASCAR fan or watch the race to be exposed to beef’s positive message. Activities surrounding the race generated news stories in local markets, reaching a broader audience beyond NASCAR watchers. Days before drivers started their engines, beef was in the spotlight on local television and radio stations with seven-time burger bash champion and celebrity chef Josh Capon sharing race day recipes. Chef Capon conducted 26 media interviews resulting in 1,838 television and radio airings nationwide.

In addition to race-themed promotional efforts, funding provided by 13 state beef councils made an e-commerce campaign with Kroger possible, which drove the beef message home for families while they were shopping for groceries online.

At the end of race day, when the checkered flag waved and a cooler of Tomahawk Steaks was presented to race winner Austin Hill, beef joined in for a victory lap.

Food & Wine, among other outlets, questioned the longevity of the plant-based meat industry.1

BEEF SUSTAINABILITY The Washington Post and PBS featured negative climate impacts from cattle and beef production.1 Bloomberg and MSN discussed changing diets to become more environmentally sustainable.1

GOOD NEWS FOR BEEF CNBC, Axios and Southern Living discussed the positive climate impacts of beef production.1

SUPPLY CHAIN & PRICES Coverage of elevated meat costs slowed down in March, though outlets like The New York Times and Bloomberg continued to cover the issue.1 The Wall Street Journal and POLITICO covered supply chain issues that have further impacted beef prices.1

IT’S ALSO A WAY OF LIFE. This BEEF MONTH, remember that beef farmers and ranchers care deeply for the environment and have a vested interest in sustainability. They want to care for the land that was

passed on from their ancestors and leave it better for future generations, and they know that without careful, sustainable management, there’s no land to pass on.

GOOD NEWS FOR BEEF St. Patrick’s Day drove a 10% increase in beef recipe and cooking mentions in traditional media.1

For more information about how beef is sustainable visit 1.

#041222-08 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. (2022). Traditional and social media listening dashboards. Retrieved from Meltwater: www.meltwater.com

BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com

Teague et al. 2016. The role of ruminants in reducing agriculture’s carbon footprint in North America. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 71(2).

Found on: The role of ruminants in reducing agriculture’s carbon footprint in North America (jswconline.org)

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T H E F E D E R AT I O N O F S TAT E B E E F C O U N C I L S Building beef demand by inspiring, unifying and supporting an effective state/national Checkoff partnership.

Searching for the Best Burger It’s time to fire up those grills! May brings the unofficial start of summer as well as National Beef Burger Day (May 28). As families gather to enjoy warm weather and good food, the question always comes up, “Who’s got the best burger?” Whether it’s a local tavern, favorite diner, fine dining restaurant or the backyard, the burger is the star of any menu. Check out how these state beef councils celebrate the best burgers in their states.

State Pride on the Line Every year, the Mississippi Beef Council and Mississippi Cattlemen’s Association recognize a Mississippi restaurant offering superior burgers using the beef products produced by the state’s cattlemen and women. The annual award is given following a social media contest, which allows the public to vote for their top picks. A panel of

three anonymous judges then visits five finalists, with the winner announced at the Dixie National Rodeo. Zip’s Café in Magee won their second Mississippi’s Best Burger title in 2022 with their famous “Zip Burger.”

The online voting process creates an opportunity for dialogue among consumers about their favorite beef burgers, and past winners have indicated that the honor of “best burger” has increased their sales, with some winners hiring additional staff to keep up with increased business.

For more information, visit www.msbeef.org.

Rock City Burger Week

The Arkansas Beef Council sponsored Rock City Burger Week in Little Rock to pay tribute to the hamburger. The event in August attracted hardcore burger fanatics and people who appreciate a good hearty meal. From gourmet blends to off-menu

specialties and even beer pairings, chefs prepared their unique take on the burger or a fan-favorite already on the menu to get people to embrace the food and culture of Rock City while getting them out to eat, drink and try new places. Eighteen restaurants offered $7 burgers, and more than 1,000 burgers were sold in 2021.

Passports guided burger fans as they tasted their way through the city.

Participants collected stamps throughout the week, and those who had at least four stamps were eligible for a grand prize featuring an Ultimate Grill Out package.

Rock City Burger Week also supported the local community, with $1 donated to the Arkansas Food Bank for each of the first 1,000 burgers sold.

For more information, visit www.arkansasbeef.org.

Macon Burger Week The Georgia Beef Board partners with Visit Macon to present the annual Macon Burger Week each November, when participating restaurants offer $10 burgers to the masses. In 2021, Macon Beer Company sold more than 2,000 of their “High on the Hog” burger, moving 1,044 pounds of beef during the week and taking home the honor of Most Beef Sales. The Angry Cow from Cashman’s Pub earned the Cleverly Created Award that was chosen by Georgia beef producers.

The event has become so popular that waits of up to an hour and a half are not unusual at the 15 participating restaurants. Passports also guided burger fans to locations, collecting stamps for the chance to win prizes from the Georgia Beef Board.

For more information, visit www.georgiabeef.org.

Order. Eat. Vote!

Order. Eat. Vote! Three simple steps to participate in the 13th annual Iowa’s Best Burger Contest sponsored by the Iowa Beef Industry Council and the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association. Iowans nominate their favorite 100% beef burgers at restaurants across the state, then a panel of judges secretly visits the top 10 finalists to select the winner. Judges determine the winner based on taste of the burger patty, appearance and presentation, proper cooking temperature, and overall impression.

The 2022 contest generated more than 5,400 votes/nominations for restaurants in 265 Iowa cities and towns. This year’s top 10 finalists have been selected, and the winner will be announced this month. Best Burger

Contest promotions highlight some of Iowa’s most esteemed restaurants (and their burgers) which have resulted in a 70% increase in burger sales for previous winners.

For more information, visit www.iabeef.org.

Repeat Champion Enjoys Burger Top Honors The New York Beef Council (NYBC) is always on the hunt for the best burger, and for four years has hosted a contest to celebrate the best of the best across the state.

NYBC uses the contest as a way to celebrate the beef produced by the state’s more than 13,000 beef and dairy producers, and the impact they have on New York’s economy.

To qualify, burgers must be a 100% beef patty or patties, and burgers may include any combination of condiments, sauces, cheese or toppings. The in-depth selection process begins with consumers nominating their favorite burgers online. The top 10 are selected; then consumers once again have an opportunity to vote, selecting the top four. Finally, judges including beef producers, media and foodservice representatives judge the burgers on taste.

The 2021 winner was no stranger to the podium as Ale `n Angus Pub in Syracuse won a third title

with their “Hot `n Smokey Candied Bacon Burger.” The 5th annual event is currently underway, and the 2022 winner will be announced later this month.

For more information, visit www. nybeef.org.

Derby Burger Challenge Kentucky’s Derby Burger Challenge takes a different spin on the burger contest and encourages home cooks and professional chefs alike to create burger recipes that make mouths water.

The Kentucky Beef Council (KBC) partnered with the Kentucky Derby Festival to promote the contest, which was held online in 2021.

Recipes were judged on creativity, taste, appearance and ease of preparation. Brian Capps from Louisville was chosen as the 2021 Derby Burger Champion with his “Bourbon, Blueberry & Brie Bacon Cheeseburger.” The winner not only received bragging rights and a KBC grilling prize pack, but his recipe was also featured in Louisville Kroger grocery stores.

For more information, visit www.kybeef.com.