EVENT COVERAGE

If the thought of seeing more than 22 different cattle breeds in one place makes you want to jump in your truck or board a plane for Denver, then you won’t want to miss the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo (NWSS).

“There are no new customers,” Rick Cozzitorto, president of Angus Media, warned National Angus Convention attendees in November. “The only way you get them is to steal them.”

How much responsibility does the beef cattle industry carry for greenhouse gas emissions on a global scale?

That question is fraught with a mixture of concern, pride and defensiveness for the beef industry. Ever since a 1996 United Nations report tagged the livestock industry as a culprit belching 18 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas (GHG), producers have fought back to refute the study with data showing greater efficiencies.

Beef packers bridge the gap between producers and consumers, but even “the largest packer in the world” is nothing without its suppliers, John Gerber said.

Where is the beef industry headed in the next decade? That question is at the forefront of producer concerns as the global beef market expands and changes at a rapid pace, and for a forward-thinking producer, staying tuned for those changes is a must.

Everyone’s road to ranch succession is a little different. Some may get a flat tire along the way; some may cruise down a dirt road only hitting a few minor bumps; and others, well, they totally neglect to fill up the tank.