From the Editor

Sustainability in beef. OK, I know what you’re thinking. What does that even mean? For most ranchers, sustainability is defined as having grandkids ready to take over the ranch, and tires that last four years on the pickup.

Ropers use “horn wraps,” which are strips of leather or rubber wrapped around the saddle horn to provide protection and give the rope a little grip after a dally.

The law of the harvest is one of history’s simplest proverbs. It’s also one of the most misunderstood.

The life of an ag magazine editor is not a life of danger. Nonetheless, there are moments of dread and some mental anguish.

“It looks like you’re not having fun,” one father said watching his son go about his day-to-day tasks. “I’m really not,” replied the son.

That was the moment 85-year-old J.W. “Bill” Marriott Jr. knew his son wouldn’t take over the family business. And it was tough.

Each year, we at Progressive Cattleman release our annual beef statistics poster. And each year, the data tells a different story about the work of our cattlemen and the U.S. industry. Here are a few of the highlights worth remembering in the 2017 version.