From the Editor

I am typically able to attend a few large cattle events every year, like the Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show or Texas A&M University’s Beef Cattle Short Course, where I see several thousand cattlemen and women talking and laughing and carrying on as if they just couldn’t get enough of each other while enjoying all the dinners, concerts and social events that go along with the learning and trade show opportunities.

Remember the horror movies where the pack of kids try escaping some macabre phenomenon, only to end up back in the same corner of the woods?

In a recent Progressive Cattle online reader poll, we asked, “Which issue surrounding the beef industry are you most concerned about?” Of the choices listed, environmental policy changes and fake meat were the most selected at 35.6% and 23.8%. Other options included the beef supply chain, international trade and exports, antibiotic restrictions, tax changes and “other.”

Whoever said ignorance is bliss has never been on the losing end of an idiotic situation that could have been avoided with a little more tact and a lot more education. Ignorance, as defined by Merriam-Webster is a “lack of knowledge, education or awareness.” I don’t know about you, but I have seen a lot of that lately, whether it’s on social media, the news or a conversation with someone who happens to stand on the other side of the fence from me on everything from politics and social issues to the correct doneness of steak – all I’m saying is that you shouldn’t be able to play hockey with it.

As I write this, the world has just welcomed in 2021 with an almost desperate sense of relief, as if flipping the calendar from 2020 to 2021 will magically make everything better. Who knows?

Most ranchers would admit they have a love-hate relationship with calving season, and each year seems to come with its own set of challenges.