Special Report
Cattlemen work to move past disputes
If you’re fascinated by the internal workings of ag organizations, then Friday’s events at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference in Denver would have been right up your alley. Two big meetings were on the agenda—a forum of the Federation of State Beef Councils and a Cattlemen’s Beef Board Update Session. Both meetings were standing room only as members of NCBA, the Federation and the Cattlemen’s Beef Board debated the issues that have divided the organizations and caused so much controversy in recent weeks.
When the dust finally settled on Friday, here’s where things stood.
Directors of the Federation of State Beef Councils overwhelmingly passed (59-3) a “straw poll” resolution that reads as follows:
“…the Federation should operate in a more independent structure while maintaining the synergies and efficiencies of the current relationship with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association—and strongly opposes the recent actions of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board Executive Committee, including the separation recommendation.”
AUDIO: Excerpts from Federation of State Beef Councils forum (10 min MP3)
The directors then passed a separate resolution calling on the chairman and vice-chairman of the Federation to form a committee to develop recommendations on how to build “a more independent structure” for the Federation. Both “straw poll” resolutions will be considered by Federation directors at their Saturday business meeting.
Later in the day, members of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board voted 62-30 to disapprove of the recommendation from the Cattlemen’s Beef Board Executive Committee that the Federation of State Beef Councils be separated from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
Earlier in the day Friday, we discussed the issues with Tom Jones of Arkansas, vice chair of the Beef Board.
Another big meeting will take place Saturday afternoon when the NCBA Board of Directors and the CBB hold their “official” business meetings here in Denver.
Cattle rancher Dave Hamilton of Thedford, Nebraska has been actively involved in the various cattle organizations over the years. He served on the CBB Executive Committee in the early 90’s. He currently serves on the board of NCBA’s Federation Division and is on the NCBA Executive Committee. He is also chair of the Nebraska Beef Council. Following the big meetings on Friday, we asked Hamilton to give us his perspective on what has taken place so far.
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