From the Editor

The good times didn’t always roll in 2018, but there was some nice music playing in the background. Prices were relatively stable on many commodities, production of beef escalated throughout the year, and demand held steady while energy prices began to taper off toward winter.

A few years ago, my wife asked me what I needed for Christmas. I racked my brain and offered some vain ideas. But in my heart, I knew the answer. I didn’t really need anything.

The summer before my first semester of college, I took a job as a cashier at a mountain resort convenience store. Nestled in the Utah mountains, the winding roads and mountain air attracted cyclists like mosquitoes to a stagnant water trough.

As the country continues its vicious cycle over immigration and labor needs, including its impact on agricultural industries, it seems many in the beef industry continue to look away.

If you’re tired of defending the ranching profession to the non-meat-eating masses, fear not. There’s a vast throng of meat eaters building in your corner.

My father-in-law is famous for saying “he’s not progressing; he’s degressing.” In fact, for his birthday last year, I gave him one of our spiffy Progressive Cattleman hats.