Q&A With Outgoing TCA President, Jay Yeargin

Yeargin finished his term as president earlier this month at TCA’s Winter Meeting in Lebanon.

TCA: What did you enjoy most about your time as TCA president?

JY: Meeting new people at the meetings and national conferences. Also, learning more about the cattle industry across the nation and a more in depth look at the cattle industry in our state.

TCA: What are some of your accomplishments?

JY: Maintaining an organization through Covid. I feel like I was able to keep the committee system working well to streamline our Board meetings and keep them on track.

TCA: What are your hopes for the future of TCA?

JY: New and changing youth programs to stay with times and reach a broad audience. More interaction with members at future regional meetings. And for TCA to stay relevant when issues/policies arise.

TCA: What advice can you give to others looking to get involved or take leadership positions?

JY: Stay/get active in your local chapter. Attend all district and state wide events. Get to know others in the organization. Be prepared to work with others and listen to what others want and be able to understand their viewpoint.

TCA: What are some things you see happening in the cattle industry that could affect/are affecting Tennessee cattle producers? Do you have any advice on how to handle them?

JY: One of the major hurdles I see is supply chain related. Covid has taught us many things. One of which is that our supply chain (our inputs and selling our product) can break down at any time. The other hurdles I see are diseases and traceability. We are raising one of the only products that does not have a good system to trace our products. This puts us behind in consumers’ eyes and also, if we are facing a disease outbreak, it will be hard to trace back to where it started and to quarantine the right animals.

TCA: What would you say to a young person looking to enter the industry?

JY: Hang on and buckle up. Every day in the cattle industry is a new adventure. You never know what problem you are going to be faced with. I am positive about the outlook for the industry, but the cattle business is something that you have to commit yourself to and be in it for the long haul.

TCA: Why should someone be a member of TCA?

JY: TCA is a great organization to be a part of from our youth supporting activities to our monitoring of things coming up in the legislature, and with our great regional education programs geared to teach the producer ways to be more profitable and raise better cattle.

TCA: Anything else you would like to add?

JY: I have really enjoyed my time as president of TCA… even though part of my term was dealing directly with Covid issues/changes. It really changed the landscape of how things were done, especially at a national level. I have also enjoyed meeting new people and making new friends. I am really glad that I get to remain on the board of directors as past president for two more years to see more of our work completed.

the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) opened the application for public policy internships for the fall 2023 semester. This internship program is conducted in conjunction with the Public Lands Council (PLC) and offers interns an opportunity to support the advocacy work of NCBA and PLC in Washington, D.C.

“This is a unique internship experience for students who are interested in learning how NCBA and PLC represent livestock producers in our nation’s capital,” said NCBA and PLC Associate Director of Operations Justyn Tedder, manager of the internship program. “Interns work directly alongside NCBA and PLC staff to advocate for producers, attend meetings on Capitol Hill, communicate updates to our members, and conduct research to further our policy priorities. Interns become a part of our team and many of our past interns have gone on to successful careers in the beef industry or government.”

Interns will have the opportunity to engage with NCBA and PLC staff on several fronts including policy, communications, and membership, and will work closely with the lobbying and regulatory teams to advance policies important to the beef and sheep industries. Duties may include participating in lobbying efforts, reviewing Federal Register notices, participating in meetings with government agencies, collaborating with congressional and agency staff, and performing other duties as assigned.

Successful applicants have a minimum GPA of 3.0, be available for the duration of the internship (September 2023 – December 2023) in Washington, D.C., and have excellent research, writing, and communication skills. Applications are available on NCBA’s website and are due by Friday, March 24, 2023. Questions about the internship program may be directed to Justyn Tedder.

March Through NCBA Trade Show in the Crescent City

New Orleans has a lot of nicknames, including The Big Easy, Crescent City, NOLA and Paris of the South, but no matter what you call it, the Birthplace of Jazz will host the NCBA Trade Show as part of the 2023 Cattle Industry Convention. More than eight acres of exhibitors, displays and educational experiences will welcome attendees, Feb. 1-3.

The NCBA Trade Show offers cattle producers opportunities to network, learn, shop, dine and connect with friends, both old and new. It is a solutions center featuring more than 350 exhibitors that can help producers with animal health products, equipment, irrigation technology, software, trailers and so much more. In addition to finding the right product or service to solve any problem, there are a variety of educational opportunities within the show.

New in 2023, Cattle Chats will feature 20-minute beef industry educational sessions, with special spotlight sessions focusing on sustainability. Attendees can also stop in the Learning Lounge to enjoy informal, face-toface talks in an intimate setting right on the trade show 22

floor. Industry leaders will tackle topics such as ranch succession, effective probiotics, deworming protocols, animal welfare and tax trends.

The popular Stockmanship & Stewardship Demonstration Arena returns with stockmanship experts Dr. Ron Gill and Curt Pate providing low-stress cattle handling demonstrations, Beef Quality Assurance educational sessions, industry updates and facility design sessions. Interactive discussions will show how producers can shape consumer perceptions of beef and how the principles presented have significant economic and “quality of life” benefits when applied in a cattle enterprise.

The Chutes and Scales Showdown offers a side-by-side comparison of equipment where producers can watch cattle run through chutes then get hands-on experience. This is an opportunity to get up close and personal with some of the top manufacturers in the industry, learn about new technology on both manual and hydraulic chutes and find the right piece of equipment to fit your ranch needs.

The trade show experience continues each afternoon with food and fun. Wednesday’s welcome reception will celebrate 125 years of NCBA, Thursday’s Sippin’ in the Big Easy reception will feature Louisiana-inspired whiskey and foods, and Friday’s Pups & Suds Yappy Hour will help attendees wind down with some furry friends.

Recognized by Trade Show Executive magazine as one of the top 100 trade shows in the United States, the NCBA Trade Show is the largest of its kind for the cattle industry. A variety of registration options are available including trade show only and single day tickets, which include show access, lunch, receptions and educational activities. For more information and to register and reserve housing, visit convention.ncba.org.

NCBA Pleased with Changes in Cattle Contract Library Final Rule

NCBA welcomed the release of a final rule from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to stand up the Cattle Contract Library Pilot Program. This program was authorized following NCBA’s engagement with Congress on the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022.

“We are pleased that USDA listened to feedback from stakeholders like NCBA while crafting the final rule on the Cattle Contract Library Pilot Program. We are hopeful that this pilot program will strike an appropriate balance between offering cattle producers additional insight into the market while also protecting their proprietary business information,” said NCBA Senior Director of Government Affairs Tanner Beymer.

The rule requires packers that slaughtered an average of not less than five percent of the number of fed cattle slaughtered nationally during the immediately preceding five calendar years to submit contractual information for the purchase of cattle.

UTIA Research Seeks to Improve Price Discovery and Market Transparency in Hay Markets

A team of researchers from the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is launching a study to improve price discovery and market transparency in hay markets. These improvements will help create a more efficient market and provide valuable information that benefits buyers and sellers of hay.

While hay constitutes a major feed source for many livestock operations, market values for hay have rarely been studied. Existing research focuses on hay auctions; however, most hay produced in the U.S. is not marketed through auctions. Rather it is grown and fed on the same farm or is sold through private transactions, which means no publicly available transaction information is recorded.

This lack of hay market information helped prompt the latest UTIA study, where researchers will conduct experiments to determine what hay attributes are valued by buyers and the value placed on those attributes given a variety of factors. Understanding the valued attributes can help provide guidelines to creating additional transparency, allowing producers to make more informed purchasing and selling decisions.

“We expect this project will result in buyers and sellers using information such as bale weight and nutritive assessment to determine the value of hay rather than relying solely on visual attributes,” said lead researcher Andrew Griffith, an associate professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. “Hay buyers will benefit by knowing the exact quantity and nutritive value of hay they are purchasing, which in turn should assist with managing livestock feed cost and nutrition. Sellers will also benefit by knowing the attributes hay buyers value, so they can package and market their hay appropriately.” Tennessee livestock producers averaged 143 days of feeding hay in 2017, which emphasizes the importance of hay on regional cattle operations.

“While this research will influence operations of all sizes, it can have a pronounced influence on producers with small- and medium-sized operations who trade relatively small quantities of hay and are less familiar with market dynamics and pricing,” said Griffith.

The study will be conducted by Andrew Griffith, Karen DeLong, Chris Boyer, Charley Martinez and Jon Walton, all from the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. The researchers are partnering with the Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture on this three-year grant study, funded by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service.

The White/Van Buren Cattlemen’s Association held their annual meeting on Dec. 1 with 165 attendees. The highlight was a ribeye steak meal cooked over an open fire by Town Creek Chuckwagon, caterers from Sparta, TN. They used their 1890s Owensboro chuckwagon to cook over an open fire using Dutch ovens.

After the meal, UT Extension agents Chris Hicks and Katie Martin talked about their media series “Telling Your Ag Story” which is an impressive way to reach consumers. Officer elections were followed with an annual fundraiser event that included many door prizes. Board members sold raffle tickets to association members to win those prizes. This year’s grand prize was a registered Gelbvieh bull donated by Dolittle Farms (Thurman Mason).

Johnson County

Johnson Co. Cattlemen’s held its fall meeting in November where they elected new officers and president, Dustin Pearson, gave updates on local and state issues.

District 1 Maury County

The Maury Co. Cattlemen’s Association awarded the winners of its $500 scholarships. These are given out annually to high school seniors who are pursuing a degree in agriculture. First row: Canton Grace Prentice and Lily Pearl Demastus.

Amonett Anderson Angus Clemson U Clinch Mtn Creek Insurance Farmington Five Oaks Flat Creek Gilreath Hagler II Hunt’s Jackson JM Cattle Kubota Chatt Ligon Mid South Ag Mid Tn Hereford MLS Mountain Breeze Nufarm Ragland Riverbend Smoky Mtn TBIC TN Farmers Wagyu White Hawk Woodard Yon

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2023 CALENDAR

JANUARY JAN. 2-3: TCA Convention & Trade Show - Lebanon, TN JAN. 12: UT’s Bull Development & Evaluation Program Sale - Spring Hill, TN

FEBRUARY FEB. 1-3: Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show - New Orleans, LA FEB. 4: Clemson Extension Bull Test Sale - Garrison Livestock Arena, Pendleton, SC FEB. 4: JM Cattle Co. Bull Sale - Lawrenceburg, TN FEB. 17: White Hawk Ranch Beefmaker Bull Sale - Buchanan, GA FEB. 18: Yon Family Farms Spring Sale - Ridge Spring, SC FEB. 18: MTSU B&B Preview Show - Murfreesboro, TN FEB. 24: Tennessee Grazing Conference - Ward Ag Center, Lebanon, TN FEB. 25: Hunt’s H+ Brangus Bull + Female Sale - Calhoun, GA FEB. 27: Robert Elliott & Sons Production Sale - Adams, TN

MARCH MARCH 7: Ag Day on the Hill - Nashville, TN MARCH 11-12: Tennessee Agribition Show and Sales - Lebanon, TN MARCH 18: West TN Spring Classic Cattle Show - Trenton, TN MARCH 18: Red Hill Farms More Than A Bull Sale XVIII - Lafayette, TN

APRIL APRIL 14: Farmington Angus + Friends Inaugural Anniversary Sale - Normandy, TN APRIL 29: Cumberland Mountain Showdown - Pikeville, TN

MAY MAY 29: White Hawk Ranch Beefmaker Female Sale - Buchanan, GA