Convention recap: What the experts shared about animal health, tech, politics and more

ANNUAL CONVENTION & Trade Show

EVENT RECAP

Producers hear from experts, get updates on animal health, technology, politics and marketing

CONTRIBUTORS: Zane Barckholtz, College of Southern Idaho Anna DeVries, University of Idaho Lauren DeVries, University of Idaho Melissa Hardy, College of Southern Idaho Regann Skinner, University of Idaho Shalani Wilcox, College of Southern Idaho CONTINUED, PAGE 30

After the pandemic forced a virtual gathering in 2020, ICA members were excited to reconvene for the 2021 annual convention in person in Sun Valley last month to discuss multiple topics and explore ways to move the association forward in support of our industry. Members were joined by interns from the University of Idaho and the College of Southern Idaho, who assisted with operations and provided recaps of sessions.

Shawn Williams, cowboy poet and star of Pearl Snap Fever online, opened the event with a selection of humorous poems and tales for attendees. As a “highly trained cowboy fashion reporter,” Williams shared thoughts on the fashion at the convention halls as well as his insights into the backbone of any Western ensemble: the pearl snap shirt.

GENERAL SESSION: THE BEEF INDUSTRY & SUSTAINABILITY

Ethan Lane of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association moderated a panel titled “America the Beautiful,”

referring to the conservation initiative of the same name from the Biden administration. Kim Brackett, ICA vice president; Peter Ditton, acting Bureau of Land Management director for Idaho; and David Rosenkrance, deputy regional forester for the U.S. Forest Service, all provided insight.

Lane, who serves as the vice president of government affairs for NCBA, talked about the conservation plan and relied on the panelists to try to clear the air about its effects. “America the Beautiful” is also known as 30 X 30, a reflection of the administration’s desire to conserve 30% of United States land and water by the year 2030.

The guidance that has been received thus far was defined as “hugely vague” by Ditton. There are no plans for upcoming rules for those using federal lands, but they are expected to get things started as instruction is detailed. Grazing already is recognized as a form of conservation in the Western states, and many ranchers showed little to no worry about this implementation in the plan, as data information is being monitored when they let herds out to roam.

Rosenkrance said a key point was to “encourage producers to get data and work with your agency representative,” because conservation efforts will play in the industry’s favor as long as there is good record keeping on grazing throughout the season.

The agency representatives emphasized the need to collaborate, build value in products and sustain industry practices. There also was talk of sharing conservation practices and of labeling products to show they are high-quality and increase profitability. With the implementation of “America the Beautiful,” there might be opportunities to label products showing conservation procedures and benefits.

Lane reiterated that “the larger goal here is profitability,” so anything the

PHOTO BY MAGGIE MALSON Outgoing ICA board members Maddee Moore, Shawna Gill, Josh Malson, Scott Rigby, Gwenna Prescott and Dawn Anderson.

industry can do to increase the profit for producers might mean small adjustments to please consumers.

CATTLEMEN’S COLLEGE

The Zoetis-sponsored Cattlemen’s College featured two speakers who talked about cow/calf reproduction and vaccination, among other topics.

Dr. Gary Sides provided information about pre- and post-calving nutrition, and also discussed the numbers ranchers should be looking for when breeding back their cattle herds. Sides noted that for the first 21 days, 70% should be cycling — if supplements and protein in your program are being regulated and fed the way the cattle need them.

He also touched on how important meat is in a healthy human diet. Two books he strongly recommended regarding nutrition were “Good Calories, Bad Calories” and “The Big Fat Surprise.”

Catherine Maguire spoke for Zoetis about vaccines for calves, specifically via Nasalgen, and focused on the animals’ nasal cavity and temperature-sensitive vaccines. She impressed upon the group that a healthy calf herd starts with a healthy cow herd and continues to build.

NCBA UPDATE BREAKFAST

Ethan Lane, the vice president of government affairs for NCBA, updated the convention about many beef industry issues and what is being done in Washington to address them. He touched on the importance of building relationships with moderate (or Blue Dog) Democrats. And he also said the NCBA has a solid line of communication with the Biden administration and is talking with them regularly.

Other topics included the infrastructure package that passed recently; inflation caused by a mass cash infusion in the economy; and the climate conversation. Lane stressed that the beef industry is part of the solution to the carbon issue, not the problem, and that the biggest task is to demonstrate climate neutrality to consumers so they can be educated.

Lane verified that there is no “cow tax” in the Build Back Better infra-

structure bill, and also discussed the Cattle Market Transparency Act of 2021 and international trade.

U.S. trade to China increased 700% in the last year. China’s middle class is bigger than our entire country, and Lane pointed out it’s a great place to continue expanding our markets. He also mentioned Korea and Japan, as well as some European countries, as good targets.

BREAKOUT SESSION: IDAHO POLITICS

Redistricting throughout Idaho was on the minds of many cattlemen, and Idahoans in general, after the U.S. Census Bureau numbers came in this year. Phil McGrane, Ada County’s clerk, laid out some of the procedures and rules that govern the bipartisan redistricting committee, which has to come up with balance when drawing boundaries. McGrane guaranteed that the “one person, one vote” rule comes before anything else.

The Commission for Reapportionment, made up of three Republicans and three Democrats, voted in favor of the LO3 boundary plan. Some opposition has formed, with lawsuits already filed. Many counties are split, including fast-growing Madison County in eastern Idaho and the Treasure Valley’s counties. As McGrane pointed out, Idaho is a big state with lots of land, yet people are converging to just certain areas to live.

BREAKOUT SESSION: PUBLIC LANDS

On Tuesday afternoon, the ICA was happy to welcome the Public Lands Council. Kelsea Donahue, a third-year law student who attended both Boise State and the University of Idaho, was the 2021 intern for the PLC and shared details about her work for PLC & ICA.

The Public Lands Council also brought in Jerald Raymond to talk about the proposed grazing improvement program for Idaho. He indicated that it’s a way to improve the health and productivity of Idaho rangelands, and said the state is looking to Utah for guidance, because it has a similar program that’s been successful.

BREAKOUT SESSION: ANIMAL HEALTH

Dr. Scott Leibsle, Idaho state veterinarian, addressed three main areas of animal health: trichomoniasis, brucellosis and traceability with RFID tagging.

Leibsle commended Idaho ranchers for their compliance with Idaho’s trich law. He noted that Idaho was the first state to implement a testing program, and his estimate of compliance was

CONTINUED, PAGE 32

Special Feeder Cattle Sales

Saturdays 11:00 AM Jerome, Idaho

December 18, 2021 February 26, 2022 January 29, 2022 March 26, 2022

Dan Schiffler 208-539-4933 Steven Taylor 208-358-2930 Todd Rice 208-308-2505 YOUR TRUE

AG PARTNER

Governor Brad Little addresses attendees during the ICA annual convention.

PHOTO BY MAGGIE MALSON

above 90 percent for Idaho ranchers. In the past year, 29,000 bulls were tested in Idaho, and only one came back positive — a bull tested from across state lines in Nevada. Leibsle also shared a cost-saving feature of testing five bulls at one time, and resources available to ranchers, such as the state Department of Agriculture website.

Attendees took a poll to discover the level of risk concerning brucellosis. Many ranchers in the western side of the state don’t have the same risks as those in the eastern side, near Yellowstone. Leibsle said he thought the issue was “managed well because we’ve been doing it a long time.” He warned, however, to not ease up on testing and preventative measures.

The brucellosis discussion transitioned into traceability and the importance of RFID tagging in ranchers’ operations. Leibsle informed producers of the 300,000 free RFID tags Idaho’s Department of Agriculture has. Ranchers can use that resource by calling their veterinarian or calling the ISDA directly to request tags.

In response to a privacy question, he assured people that the data is safe and accessible only by the federal government in the case of a disease outbreak. He said veterinarians have access only to their own records. The fundamental reason for utilizing this technology is to track animals as soon as possible in the case of a disease outbreak.

BREAKOUT SESSION: MARKETING AND POLICY

The marketing breakout session was presented by Performix. It featured Tanner Beymer and Cole Lickley as speakers, with former ICA President Dawn Anderson as a moderator.

Lickley gave a general beef economic update, stating that overall U.S. cattle inventory is down, something Beymer referred to as a drought-induced herd reduction. As producers know, the rising cost of feed isn’t helping.

However, even though the inventory is down, the weekly slaughter capacity of 575,000 head is being reached on average. Within this slaughter capacity, there is an increase in heifers and a decrease in steers. So overall slaughter is not down, but the percentage between the two is shifting.

The feeder cattle market is trending positively. Corn and hay prices are pushing feeders. However, 60% of feeder producers are the cattle themselves, so feed prices are not solely to blame. Overall, the feeder market is trending in a good direction for the future, Lickley said.

He finished by talking about rising inflation. With inflation at 6%, the dollar is weakened, which could lead to a decrease in the ability to pay for beef.

Beymer gave an update on the Cattle Contract Library Act of 2021. It is designed to give transparency and explain what is going on in formula transactions regarding cattle trades. Formula transactions make up roughly 80% of cattle trades, and they are typically very vague in language. This new act is designed to be more favorable for producers when negotiating cash trades with packers.

There will be confidentiality under this legislation. Rather than giving out specific prices, it will use weighted averages.

Beymer also talked about the Fed Cattle Price Discovery policy, and said the NCBA will begin pursuing legislation regarding price discovery. He said the association will not support the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act because it has a regional mandatory minimum system for negotiated cash trades. It creates a floor of the 18-month average percentage of negotiated trade, and also would institute a ceiling of 300% of the lowest region’s mandatory minimum.

BREAKOUT SESSION: IDAHO RECREATION GROWTH

The panel featured Kent Oliver of the Magic Valley ATV Association; public relations professional Steve Stuebner; and Mark Pratt, Idaho Cattle Association president-elect. Gretchen Hyde, Idaho Rangeland Resource Commission executive director, moderated the discussion.

Pratt shared his experience with recreationists on both private and public land, including hunters, ATV users and campers. He talked about land that previously had no trails and is now covered in ruts, and therefore is prone to erosion. Pratt said it’s vital to start teaching young students about the rangeland system and continue that education through high school.

Oliver said his ATV group is not happy with the misuse of rangelands. Idaho has very few areas where ATVs can be driven off-trail, and it is common to see videos and marketing campaigns of recreational vehicles — many of which are filmed on private land or outside the United States, sending a bad message to young recreationists that it is OK to drive wherever they please.

Stuebner promoted the Life on the Range website, which has videos and resources about the proper use of rangelands. He stated that the main issue he sees is a lack of courtesy and civility from the public, but said those people recreating responsibly should be rewarded for their efforts.

Producers attending this session took part in a poll on what is most important for new recreationists to know. The top response was to know where to go, followed by disposal of garbage, gates and fences, and fire prevention.

In today’s modern world, the excuse of not knowing what land you are on or where you can go is not really a valid excuse, Stuebner said.

“We have to take an active part (and tell recreationists) there’s some etiquette out here,” Stuebner said.

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

The meeting included voting on the amendment or sunsetting of a variety of resolutions. These can all be made available to current members by contacting the ICA office, as there were many up for approval.

Additionally, the installation of a new board and executive committee members was approved following recommendation by the nominating committee. These included renewal of Treasurer Cody Hendrix’s term, Jerry Wroten in the vice president position, Brayden Eliason as Cow-Calf Council chair, Kelton Hatch as Allied representative, Maggie Malson as Cattlewomen Council chair, Tay Brackett as Cattlewomen representative, Lori Ireland as District 2 representative, Arnold Callison as District 5 representative and Adrian Myers as director at large.

CLOSING SESSION: SMALL UNMANNED AIRCRAFTS

The convention wrapped up with Dr. John Church from Thompson River University in Canada. A fifth-generation cattleman, Church shared how much he loves using drones in the industry.

The cattle industry was ranked No. 1 for interesting drone applications on two different websites, and Church went on to explain the impact they could have. They can fly low and slowly, and they can hover. Drones also are economical and multifunctional, he said.

Church explained a situation in which a $2,000 drone saved a $4,000 newborn bison heifer calf because she had her leg stuck in a badger hole, and there were two coyotes stalking her. The drone spotted the problem so ranchers could get to the calf.

Drones can also be used to locate and identify sick cattle. The thermal capabilities, in fact, can help identify sick cattle up to 10 days before a human could, Church said. It allows for the drone to be able to take the temperature from the eye duct, a stable and reliable area. This works because after three days, if it takes that long, most cattle are desensitized to the quiet sound of the drone.

Another great way to apply drones to the daily operations is finding cattle in brush or timber using the thermal camera.

As stewards of the land, it is crucial that we are observant of the health of the forage on the range; drones can measure the biome and assist in measuring how much feed is left or how well your crops are growing.

Drones also have endless applications as herding or observation tools, Church said, and he talked about technology such as wireless fencing collars and satellite ear tags that can be beneficial, too.

CONCLUSION

With well over 400 attendees and over 50 trade show booths, the 2021 annual convention served its purpose as a platform for education and connection. We hope to see you next year!