Guest Blog

What is it about election years that makes everyone dread them? If you ask most people, they will say they get tired of the politicians slinging mud at each other.

Haying has lasted unusually long for us this year. Thanks to a cool, long spring and some well-timed rains in May and June, we ended up with a bumper crop of grass-alfalfa hay this year.

Last year, my brother-in-law took a cowboy job with a ranch in northern Utah. It’s his dream job, no two ways about that. The guy spends his days on the back of a horse and can train as many cow dogs as he pleases. His rope is never far from his hand, and his cowboy hat doesn’t leave his head. He makes as good a cowboy as Marlboro Man.

“Low-stress livestock handling” (LSLH) is currently a popular subject and is getting significant press. However, as evidenced by many articles published by agricultural periodicals, there is a great deal of confusion, misunderstanding and misinformation regarding the topic.

As a young girl, I remember looking forward to this day for months. I could hardly sleep because I was afraid I wouldn’t hear him downstairs and miss him. Santa was not who I was anticipating; I am talking about my dad and those special days when we would take cows to the sale barn.

Congrats on what may be the most practical/applied beef/ranching industry publication available.

I appreciate the timeliness of your articles and in particular the editor’s column on the GMO debate in the April issue. I applaud your encouragement of greater transparency across our industry. Such counsel is spot on.