Message from the President

The importance of lifelong learning

BY MARK PRATT ICA President

Education comes in a variety of ways, it’s up to us to absorb it.

We’ve all had those people that made an impact on us. Those folks that you respected, not out of fear, but admiration. They make a difference in people’s lives. Some are intentional about it; others accomplish it simply by being who they are in real life. As I think back, I can remember a list of people who have had that kind of impact on my decisions.

As a senior in high school, I remember 4-H leader, friend and fellow rancher, Chet Adams, taking me aside and saying, “You know, Mark, you should really think about going to college if for no other reason than to give yourself some options.”

I did go to college and that decision lead me to Dr. John Mundt, my student teacher advisor, who instilled in his students the importance of lifelong learning. This practice enables us to continue to question and search. After our formal education, continued learning comes to us in a variety of ways, mostly through experience and the school of hard knocks. I’ve always told people that after I got out of college my education really got underway. Wendy and I have attended a variety of schools including Lost River Grazing Academy, Ranching for Profit, and the Soil Health Academy. I heard someone say recently, “it’s not rocket science, it’s range science and it’s much more difficult.”

As input costs continue to rise, how do we best optimize the freebies like sun and rain? When the reporter is standing on the edge of raging water, I have to wonder if any landowner in that watershed is able to absorb that much rain. That’s where the story is, not on the bank of a waterway running half soil . But I digress. That’s a topic for another time.

I say all of this to encourage you to attend this year’s ICA Convention to be held in Sun Valley on November 14-16. Our opening speaker will be Hugh Aljoe, Director of Producer Relations for the Noble Research Institute in Ardmore, Oklahoma. We first met Hugh several years ago when our son Seth worked for the Institute for a summer as an intern. We crossed paths again this past February when Hugh was presenting at the Cattleman’s College during the NCBA Convention. His presentation and breakout session will be informative and thought provoking. If you’ve ever wondered what all the buzz is around regenerative grazing, Hugh will have some answers.

Convention is not just for members - invite your neighbors! We claim to be the voice of the Idaho cattle industry, so we want input from the entire scope of our business. If you’re new to the industry, you just might find a mentor in the crowd. And if you’re a veteran producer, please come and be that role model to the younger folks.

We claim to be the voice of the Idaho cattle industry so we want input from the entire scope of our business.