The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) concluded its virtual Winter Business Meeting with the election of Jerry Bohn, a cattle producer from Wichita, KS, as NCBA president.
Bohn, a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves, has been a part of the cattle industry his entire life. Bohn has had an expansive career in the cattle industry since his early days of custom grazing cattle with his family in Flint Hills, to his time on Kansas State University’s award-winning livestock judging team, and eventually serving 34 years as the manager of Pratt Feeders, a commercial cattle-feeding operation in his home state of Kansas. He has also dedicated his time as a leader for several state-level associations, using his expertise and experiences to mentor the next generation of industry advocates.
“As I look forward to this year as NCBA president, I have immense pride for the cattle industry and our dues-paying members who help to make this the leading cattle organization representing U.S. producers,” said Bohn.
Bohn’s term as president along with a new officer team was approved by NCBA’s board of directors. Don Schiefelbein of Minnesota was named president-elect, Todd Wilkinson of South Dakota was elected vice president. Wyoming rancher Mark Eisele was elected chair of the NCBA Policy Division and Nebraska cattle producer Buck Wehrbein was elected policy vice chair. Clay Burtrum of Oklahoma and Brad Hastings of Texas were elected as chair and vice chair of the NCBA Federation Division, respectively.
“I have heard quite a few producers in the past year say if you want to get something done in Washington, D.C., in agriculture, you better do it with the NCBA, or it is not going to get done,” Bohn said.
“This is the greatest testament to the grassroots power of our members and state affiliates. It is why I am so proud to represent NCBA as president and it is the reason I get up every day, ready to fight for the American producer.”
Bohn told WLJ one of the top priorities NCBA has moving forward is forming stronger bonds between NCBA, state and breed associations.
“The state associations represent the place where the rubber meets the road,” he said in an email. “All the work we do to protect cattle and beef producers from government overreach, open new markets and protect our industry is driven by grassroots cattle producers and brought to NCBA as policy recommendations by the state cattlemen’s associations.”
Bohn also emphasized NCBA’s commitment to share beef’s positive and sustainable impact on the environment. He added that the U.S. is a model for the world—from genetics to feeding and processing—and we produce beef in the best, most sustainable way possible.
“We know consumers want our product and our goal is to protect cattle and beef producers from the effects of overreach from Washington and make sure nothing gets in the way of consumers buying beef or our members producing it,” he said.
Schiefelbein told WLJ he sees predator issues being a policy priority, adding “NCBA will fight for however long it takes to ensure science and common sense guide policy.” He noted that all producers are affected by federal regulations in one way or another, and NCBA was successful in repealing and replacing Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) as well as updating the National Environmental Policy Act.
“Now we have to defend our wins and constantly engage with the Biden administration to let them know our needs as producers and show them that we are all good stewards of the land,” he said. “NCBA has a long history of bipartisan work and delivering wins for America’s cattle producers.”
Wilkinson told WLJ another policy priority for NCBA is advocating for additional beef processing capacity. The COVID-19 pandemic increased the need for beef processing facilities, and Wilkinson said for many producers, “even though their state-inspected facilities are equal to federal standards, they were not able to access interstate meat markets.”
“This is a shame and leaves a lot on the table for producers,” he said. NCBA plans to aggressively push the bill, Direct Interstate Retail Exemption for Certain Transactions (DIRECT) Act, to allow state-inspected facilities to ship product across state lines under certain conditions.
Wilkinson also stressed the importance of growing opportunities for cattle producers to increase their bottom line.
“There has been a lot of focus on the multiple rounds of CFAP [Coronavirus Food Assistance Program] payments that we received, but we aren’t stopping there,” he said. “NCBA has always been a proactive association that works with administrations of both parties to fix everyday issues that face ranchers and farmers, while protecting the legacy of the U.S. cattle industry.”
PLC committee structure
The Public Lands Council (PLC) recently announced a new policy committee structure for public lands ranchers to develop and shape policy. The announcement also includes identification of new chairs and vice chairs who will be vital to advancing policy for public lands ranchers in Washington, D.C.
“PLC has always been known for advancing creative policy solutions to difficult and complex problems. With this newly assembled committee leadership team, we have over 200 years of collective public lands management and policymaking experience, with everyone ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work,” said PLC President Niels Hansen. “Our team is dedicated to highlighting the heritage and long history of strong stewardship of public lands ranchers, while also working for a strong future for the next generation of livestock producers.”
Grazing —Chair: Matt McElligott, Oregon.Vice chair: Dan Anderson, South Dakota.
Wildlife — Chair: Robbie LeValley, Colorado. Vice chair: Jordan Willis, Utah.
Multiple Use —Chair: Dr. J.J. Goicoechea, Nevada. Vice chair: Tim Canterbury, Colorado.
Industry Issues —Chair: Shaun Sims, Wyoming.
Ecosystem & Environment —Chair: Dr. Dave Daley, California.Vice chair: Darcy Helmick, Idaho. — WLJ
