Board Commentary
RAAA Board of Directors President Johnny Rogers Roxboro, North Carolina jrrogers1968@gmail.com First Vice President/ Area 1 Director - West Sam Lorenzen Bend, Oregon lorenzensam@gmail.com Second Vice President/ Region A Director Chuck Feddes Manhattan, Montana feddesredangus@gmail.com Region B Director Connie Mushrush Strong City, Kansas redcows@mushrushredangus.com Region C Director Jeff Pettit Sebree, Kentucky jp@noashconstruction.com Area 2 Director - Montana/ Board Secretary Kay Klompien Manhattan, Montana klmpnra@gmail.com Area 3 Director - Rocky Mountain Aaron Kravig Karval, Colorado akravig@kravigredangus.com Area 4 Director - Southwest Tony Ballinger Morgan Mills, Texas anthony.ballinger@adm.com Area 5 Director - Northern Plains Steve Koester Steele, North Dakota koesterredangus@gmail.com Area 6 Director - Great Plains Newley Hutchison Canton, Oklahoma newley@chainranch.com
by Rob Hess, Area 7 – Northeast Director
Stewardship is All-Encompassing Hello from Pennsylvania, If you’re reading the Red Angus Magazine, it’s likely you are passionate about the success of the beef industry and want to be a good steward of the cattle and beef industries. I’m excited to share my take on stewardship in this issue. I believe no matter how big or small your ranch or cattle operation is, we all have the same opportunity & obligation to be good stewards of our industry. Stewardship may look different to all of us, some of us may think of stewardship of land or the environment. Some of us might think of being stewards of cattle management, to the economic viability of our ranches or even stewards of the breed association. I believe it’s all these things. Some topics may seem more important to certain members, or commercial cattlemen, but all variables are equally important, and none should be dismissed by any one of us. We may have differences based on where we fit into this industry and the supply chain but every member and ranch is equally important in influencing the consumer’s perception of how beef is produced.
Area 8 Director - Southeast Jim Yance Columbia, Alabama jim@jyjredangus.com
Ultimately, the consumer’s perception of the sustainability, nutritional value, quality and safety of beef will determine the success of our industry, our farms, our ranches and our communities. As producers, we need to tell the story of how beef is really produced. We don’t want others telling that story for us.
Area 9 Director - Midwest Stuart Gilbert Stockport, Iowa redcowrelocators@gmail.com
Geographic location and the type of operation each of us has may play a role in the specifics of how we tell
Area 7 Director - Northeast Rob Hess Hershey, Pennsylvania hessfarm@verizon.net
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RED ANGUS Magazine n May/June 2021
our part of the beef lifecycle. There are factors that may rank higher in importance in certain locations but it is our obligation to share with consumers what we’re doing individually to care for the land and cattle and improve sustainability. To some producers, this might be data collection and improving genetics. To others it might be conveying information about animal welfare, the environment and land management. There isn’t necessarily a right or wrong topic. All facets are important to the consumer and will influence the success of our industry moving forward. We need to share with the American people all the things we do to produce beef in the most efficient and humane manner. As a Pennsylvanian with around 100 head of cattle that operates on several hundred acres, I used to question how I could have a positive impact on the overall beef industry. It wasn’t until the past several years that I realized, what I thought was an obstacle could be an advantage. Approximately 75 million people reside in Area 7 and upwards of 25% of US beef is consumed in the northeast. As a producer that markets beef directly from the farm, I’m fortunate to have weekly interaction with numerous culinary professionals, chefs and dozens of consumers. Each of these interactions offers me the opportunity to instill confidence and pride in American beef by highlighting the work and advancements producers all across the country make to improve quality and to ensure our beef is the most efficient, nutritious and the safest in the world.
