ALLIED INDUSTRIES
Idaho is tops in cattle, but we must continue striving for growth
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weat stains the soil of ranches across the state. Planning, hard work and a little luck keeps these ranchers raising protein for a growing nation for more than 100 years in Idaho. Challenges have always been a part of the game: the Spanish flu of 1918, the collapse of the stock market in 1929, the dairy buyout of the 80’s, and the challenges of COVID for the past three years, have all been hurdles multi-generational ranches have had to face. When I was younger, talking to
Cattle ranching is woven into the fabric of Idaho as much as the famous potato. But being in cattle is not always green pastures and sunny morning cattle drives, it is always faced with new challenges. my grandfather about the challenges of ranching and what the depression was like, he (being a second generation rancher in Eastern Idaho) said, “to tell you the truth, we were already so poor we didn’t notice anything different. We were in a lot better shape than the people in the cities, we had food, and we were used to being broke.” Even as Idaho changes with the influx of new Idahoans, it is our job as producers and allied businesses to remind the state population the importance of ranching and what it brings to the table. 14 LINE RIDER JUNE 2022
BY KELTON HATCH
Allied Board Representative
If you are like me, sometimes you don’t always remember the facts, you just know you believe in it. So, in preparation for this article, I did some quick research to provide readers with a a little cheat sheet that includes some fast facts to lay on your friends when the opportunity arises to remind them of the importance of beef to this state. According to the Idaho State Department of Agriculture, Idaho ranks 13th in the U.S. for cattle and calves’ inventory, with more than 2.1 million animals raised by 7,500 beef cattle operations. Our state is also is home to: ● 3 of the top 15 seedstock operations in the U.S. ● the 2nd largest cow/calf operation in the country with more than 30,000 mother cows ● two of the top 10 feeding operations in the U.S ● the 10th largest beef processing operation in the U.S is headquartered in Boise, Idaho To boot, we will also have two more processing operations online this fall. One has already opened in Idaho Falls; with the other opening this fall in Jerome. Cattle ranching is woven into the fabric of Idaho as much as the famous potato. But being in cattle is not always green pastures and sunny morning cattle drives, it is always faced with new challenges. As always, there are ebbs and flows in the cattle business and for the past couple years margins have narrowed and costs have increased across the board. Smart planning and using connections in the industry become more important. The fact of the matter is that ranchers cannot continue to operate the way Grandpa did. Finding new, innovating ways to market livestock, and educating ourselves with the help of the Idaho Cattle Association (ICA) and the National Cattle Association (NCBA) can help producers plan and increase profits in difficult years. With just under 1,000 members and 7,500 operations raising calves in the state, we have need to grow our www.idahocattle.org
