View From the Backside

source of those troubles to mistakes that Easterday made in trading commodity futures contracts, which he tried to cover up by stealing from Tyson.

Easterday Ranches had worked with Tyson for 30 years, doing more than $2 billion in business in the last 10 years alone. By 2020, the overarching family business, Easterday Farms, farmed more than 22,000 acres of potatoes, onions, corn and wheat, earning more than $250 million in annual revenue.

The DOJ noted in its memo, however, that Easterday has taken responsibility for his actions. He has raised money for his creditors by liquidating assets (though $170 million is still owed to Tyson). Otherwise, the agency would have recommended four to six more years, or a total of about 14 to 16 years. Easterday’s sentencing is now scheduled for October 4. ▫

VIEW FROM THE BACKSIDE

by Barry Denton

Things We Need to Take Care of

(The views expressed in this column are not necessarily those of the New Mexico Cattle Growers’ Association or this publication.)

Get this, according to television station KOB in Albuquerque, New Mexico, illegal immigration is up 267 percent over last year. Many are calling upon New Mexico’s Governor Grisham to help with the border situation, but their calls are unanswered.

According to Breitbart, Hildago County Sheriff, Warren Walter pleaded for help. “The citizens aren’t protected,” he said. “We need to have more manpower.”

“While I’ve been to this area of the border many times,” the governor stated. “I haven’t seen anything that indicates that we have an emergency crisis here at the border and that’s important to talk to New Mexicans about. I also think it is important to talk to the nation about.”

Instead, Governor Grisham commits $10 million to build an abortion clinic near the southern Texas border. Am I to surmise that killing people is more important than saving them?

In Arizona illegal immigration is up almost 10 times that of New Mexico, at 4005 percent. During the month of August, Arizona governor Doug Ducey filled in 3,820 feet of open border areas near businesses in Yuma with double stacked shipping containers.

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“On the day that President Biden was sworn into office, he issued a proclamation ordering a pause in the construction of the border wall going up on our southern border,” Governor Ducey said. “Since then, illegal activity in Yuma and other border communities have skyrocketed. Arizona could not just stand by and allow this situation to continue.”

While I commend Governor Ducey and the legislature for getting this accomplished, it is quite evident that much more needs to be done. However, recently our Vice President Kamala Harris told us that the southern border was secure.

Sheriffs from the southwest states, such as Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, and California are hosting a meeting in Cochise County, Arizona in September to discuss illegal human smuggling, kidnapping, and the increasing drug problem.

I would say that they are not buying Ms. Harris’s proclamation that the border is secure.

On a positive note, here is a statistic that you will find interesting, and I suspect that it is probably similar in your state.

According to Dr. Jim Lytle DVM, Wickenburg, Arizona, “two thirds of those of us that do ranch and food animal work are over 50 years of age with the majority being over 70 years old.”

One thing about it, we have some damn tough old vets helping our ranchers in Arizona, but the problem is that there will not be too many of them left to work in the near future.

Dr. Lytle’s objective is to create a self-sustaining fund to help disadvantaged ranch kids to receive a higher education after high school. He related that the cost of a veterinarian’s education is currently $180,000.

His thought is that if the fund could help defray the cost, then students might be more willing to come back to a rural area to practice. I think he is on to something here. If you care to find out more or help, you can contact Dr. Lytle at cowdoc52@ gmail.com.

In Yavapai County, Arizona, we have the country’s largest copper mine at Bagdad known as Freeport McMoRan. It has proposed to double in size, and it will need about 2800 transient workers for that expansion.

They want to build apartment buildings for them in rural Kirkland, Arizona, which has a population of 1600. Then they would bus them to the mine that is 38 miles away.

They also want to add a store, gas station, sewer plant, parking, and so on, all on 100 acres. Essentially, they will be urbanizing a rural area overnight if allowed to proceed.

The fight is on to try and save this beautiful and peaceful ranching area. I will keep you posted on this one. . ▫

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philharveyjr@comcast.com

Jim Bob Burnett Cell 575-365-8291

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February 23, 2023

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