A Reno Reunion Year’s End Brings members to the 107th Annual CCA/CCW Convention and California Cattle Industry Tradeshow by CCA Associate Director of Communications Maureen LaGrande
Once a year cattlemen and cattlewomen make their way to the annual CCA and CCW Convention held in conjunction with the California Cattle Industry Tradeshow. This year’s 107th convention, held Nov. 29 – Dec. 1, 2023 took place at the Nugget Casino Resort in Sparks, Nev. Over the course of three days, members reacquainted with old friends, listened to industry professionals at CCA policy committee meetings, heard from general session speakers on beef industry related topics, attended the CCA and CCW Awards Banquet and strolled through the California Cattle Industry Tradeshow. While the convention serves as a time for members to learn of issues the California cattle industry is facing and hear from CCA staff, it is also a time for networking and camaraderie amongst one another. Wednesday afternoon’s opening general session brought CCA President Steve Arnold, Arnold, Santa Margarita, to the stage welcoming members to the Nugget and providing an overview of what was in store over the next few days. Immediately following, the Allied Industry wine and cheese mixer and CCA Tradeshow Welcome Party kicked off the official start of convention. Members had the opportunity to walk around visiting tradeshow booths, snack on light appetizers, drink cocktails, have their boots shined at the Merck Animal Health and Allflex sponsored shoe shining booth and dance the night away to music from the Buck Ford Band. CCA General Session speakers included Emily Ellis, manager of communication and content for the Animal Agriculture Alliance, who spoke in the first general session. She was followed by 20 California Cattleman January 2024
Patrick Linnell, director of cattle market research and analysis for CattleFax and Ethan Lane, vice president of government affairs for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) who both spoke on Thursday. During the general sessions members also heard from the California Cattle Council’s Executive Director Justin Oldfield, Oldfield, Elk Grove, and California Rangeland Trust’s Michael Delbar,, Potter Valley. Delbar Thursday’s events also included CCA Policy Committee meetings. CCA Cattle Health and Well Being heard from John Angelos, DVM, Deptartment Chair of Medicine and Epidemiology, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine on the pinkeye vaccine. CCA Federal Lands heard from Mark Roeber, Public Lands Council President. CCA Cattle Marketing and International Trade, CCA Property Rights and Environmental Management and CCA Agriculture and Food Policy/Tax and Credit also had a great line up of industry speakers. CCW hosted a workshop where guest speaker Michelle Miller (known as Farm Babe) spoke, followed by the 7th Annual Cattlemen’s Poster Session sponsored by the Russell L. Rustici Rangeland and Cattle Research Endowment and was a busy production with 22 research posters. Members, professors and students made their way through the rows to read the posters and converse with the student researchers presenting them. At the CattleWoman of the Year Luncheon on Thursday, each unit recognized their selected “CattleWoman of the Year” and the ...CONTINUED ON PAGE 22