5 minute read
Message from the EVP
All I want for Christmas…
Hint : It’s not world peace, or my two front teeth.
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BY CAMERON MULRONY ICA Executive Vice President
The holiday season is upon us! It’s the time of year where we tend to highlight what we are thankful for, as well as look forward to the gifts of a new year. In this message, I’ve decided to write my list of Christmas wishes for our industry. Maybe I should try to win the next Powerball Jackpot instead, but we can wish, right?
1My first wish is to allow our industry to
operate freely and without unnecessary
regulation. I’ll admit, this is a large gift that even Santa may have a tough time finding. Most of our regulations were initially put in place, once upon a time, to “help” or protect something specific. Maybe it was us, maybe it was another resource, maybe it was a particular group’s agenda. The problem that I see continually is that we are being regulated right out of business: death by a thousand cuts. It’s painful and it’s slow. For example:
aSage Grouse amendments: These are now lengthy, and downright painful. The original intent was to protect the bird! Ok, I can see & agree that we don’t want species to become extinct. However, improper grazing has been determined to be a secondary threat. My question is, over the decades of sage grouse work, who has been regulated? The obvious answer is industry! We need habitat mitigation, who do they call on? Industry! We need to stop the largest threats (fire and invasives) that are affecting habitat, who can make a change? Industry! I have yet to see those NGO’s who are willing to input on regulation for our industry (again, a secondary threat), pick up a shovel or grab a hose to limit fire spread. We see time and again, it’s our producers giving their time and resources to protect the range, to work to protect the bird, and further protect the Idaho cattle industry. As an add on to this wish example, I’d venture to say that most producers are willing to self-regulate on behalf of clean water and green grass. However, layers of policy and regulation at times won’t even allow our producers to make small changes that we know can provide a positive impact on the land.
2My second wish is the gift of unity. I would love to identify a specific topic that our industry is unified on, so that we can push forward and help all the members of the cattle industry. This does not mean I am looking for world peace. I would like to see honest, and frankly hard, conversations throughout all aspects of our industry to find workable solutions to the issue. Our cattle industry family often has discourse on many ideas and often I find myself advocating against issues. I want to find the issue we can all rally behind and push through to ease the burden of producers without conflicting messaging coming from inside the industry itself. For example:
aProduct of the USA labeling: I think we can all agree that the consumer wants to know the history of their food. Many in our industry have taken advantage of this by creating boutique style branded programs, complete with sideboards identifying what their product encompasses. However, on the flip side, producers are also looking across the fence and wanting an implemented “fairness” clause so
they too can realize the pricing benefit, without the history of building a brand and creating their niche. At the end of the day, let’s have these discussions in our house and get it in order and not air our dirty laundry in front of the world.
Do I want an informed consumer to purchase high quality protein produced here in the United States and benefiting the Idaho cattle industry? Absolutely! Do I want a regulation imposed on all members of our industry to require management practices, tracking of cattle, etc.? NO. …But let’s get this sorted on our end and find measures that allow us to operate how we as producers see best for our operation.
3Next on my list, is that I want
producers to be viewed as credible industry experts—specif-
ically on their operations. This one could potentially be granted, it does happen on occasion! Ironically however, this year I’ve personally had an individual comment that ‘without a Ph D. or Masters degree, a certain group of people (reviewing an issue) would not view me as a credible source on the cattle industry’. I can tell you the most credible people are the boots on the ground- the folks that work in the field, day in and day out, regardless of their formal education.
aMy example here is not cattle specific, just animals in general. We all know someone who is an avid hunter—has all the cool gadgets, the best of the best gear, plus the time & ambition to scout, stalk and pursue his game. He is probably one of the most successful of hunters. We also know his ‘cousin’, who has also purchased all the bells and whistles, hunts heavily, but has limited successes. Lastly, we know the neighbor on the ranch where they both hunt—he understands animal movements, works livestock daily, hunts in his cowboy hat and wool flannel shirt. While he likely doesn’t own camo or a rifle with a synthetic stock, he still takes a nice buck annually. The neighbor is an expert on his range: his knowledge, regardless of his degree or tools, has proven he knows the land and animals that inhabit it. He should be considered a credible hunting source, just as much as the first member in this example.
Now, after reading these wishes, you may be inclined to think maybe I should have asked for a genie in a bottle or a unicorn instead. While it may be difficult to view these wishes as achievable in the short term, I really believe that with support they could come to fruition. With that in mind, my true Christmas wish is that each and every reader of this article get involved this year. Encourage your friends to get involved. January will be here soon, and with that, a new legislature—both federally and here at the state level. Let’s identify what we want and take action; it’s going to be great year.
As the seasons change, so do your needs.
We are here to meet them.
dlevans.com
