From the Editor

Watching the California wildfires of 2020 has, for our family, been nearly as disheartening as following and enduring COVID-19 outbreaks.

“Go to the ball. Don’t wait for it to come to you.”

Hearing those words were a common occurrence in my high school basketball days, and my team’s lack of implementation (myself included) could very well be the reason those days never amounted to a state title.

Sending a high school graduate out into the world, and through the ever-widening wake of the coronavirus, you quickly realize traditions must be broken.

If I had a dollar for every time I heard “these uncertain times” when talking about the current state of the beef industry, I could probably help fund the USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program.

All the experience and knowledge gained by producers through a lifetime in the beef industry is now being put to the test. Stunningly, it may not be enough to fully grasp the economic impact felt by producers in the supply chain.

Before a nation troubled with an impending pandemic, headlines of fake meat and climate-killing “cow farts” circulated the internet. Toilet paper and hand sanitizer sat neatly on store shelves, and basketball fans were eager to fill out this year’s bracket.