2nd aNNuaL PNW YounG CaTTLemen's ConferencE

Excitin' news Y'all...the grand inauguration of the Pacific Northwest Young Cattlemen's Conference was such a thriving hit last year.....we are bringin' it BacK!

Save the Date(s)! ...Friday, January 21, 2011 and Saturday, January 22, 2011, be in Pendleton, Oregon Friday mornin' and soon you'll be bound for Boardman & Baker City, OR. See the links below for more tour details which includes stops at Pacific Ethanol, Beef Northwest Boardman Feedlot, Port of Morrow, McKenzie Ranch, and more.

Please find further details below or at Young WA Cattlemen and be sure to register prior to January 14th!



2010 PNW YCC Attendees

RFD-TV short segment feauturing interviews from last year's attendees: Ben Carpenter, Ryan Rademacher, & Jenna Feusner as well as highlights of the two days!

GoD is fOr YoU

The following was taken from a daily Purpose Driven Life email. I love that this "Christmas" message goes beyond the manger, star, and shepherds. Those things are such crucial pieces to Christ's birth and ultimately his life on earth. However, often I feel the details of Christ's birth have become more symbolic and decorative than grabbing our hearts and reminding us why we have Christmas...because God IS for US. Personally, a Christmas message that focuses on God "having my back" is what I need at this time in my life. So many people do not countdown the days and hours until they celebrate...they countdown the days and hours til the holidays pass. I encourage us all to be mindful of those who don't have a place to travel to, a tree to put up, family to buy for or to even see. There are millions of people who are stripped of joy when these months roll around rather than are filled with joy. I pray someone out there is able to show them with love & generosity that Christ is For ThEM...

But the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people." Luke 2:10 (NLT)

Knowing God is for you will change your whole perspective on life. You'll stop thinking of God as someone looking down from heaven, ready to yell, "Gotcha!" anytime you mess up.
Instead, you'll realize God loves you; God is with you; and God is for you! God is for your success in life; he created you for a purpose and he wants you to succeed. It is God, your Creator, who will measure your success in life, and no one else.
This is extremely good news!
It means you don't need to be afraid of God because God is for you. Yet, some people are so afraid of God they get nervous just talking about him. Do you know why? They feel guilty, and then they start thinking, "If I get close to God, he's going to lecture me. He's going to remind me of all the things I've done wrong, and then I'll feel even worse!"
Nothing could be further from the truth of God. Jesus said, "I did not come into the world to condemn it, but to save it." In effect, Jesus is saying, "I didn't come to scold you, I came to save you."
And if God is for us, who can be against us?
Jesus came to save us, not to scare us.  That's why when the angel was telling the shepherds about the birth of Jesus, the first thing he says is: "Don't be afraid!"
In fact, when God sends a message to people in the Bible, it's not unusual for the first words to be: "Don't be afraid." There are 365 messages from God in the Bible that begin with a phrase like, "Fear not!" In other words, every single day of the year you can read a message from God that says, in effect, "You don't need to be afraid. I am for you; I am with you; I love you."
We celebrate Christmas because of this good news from God!
(devotional by Rick Warren)

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Don’t let Capitol Hill strangle free trade

Interesting Editorial by Christopher Gillis of American Shipper News ...would love to hear some opinions raised from y'all on this delicate topic. Remember..without opinions or thoughts of our own...well, we might as well just be a socialist!;)

American Shipper   12/22/2010

When a free trade agreement is right for American shippers, like the one recently concluded between the United States and South Korea, then our elected officials on Capitol Hill must make every effort to expeditiously ratify it.
However, as so often goes in Washington, there will be a group of isolationist politicians — both Republican and Democrat — who will do their best to stymie the ratification process, further demonstrating their inherent ignorance in the value of free trade to U.S. industries now and in the long term.
Simply put, free trade agreements are about ending tariff and non-tariff barriers between two countries’ imports and exports. Why should protectionist barriers prevent high quality U.S. products from reaching overseas consumers?
Some lawmakers, as well as labor unions, would argue that these trade deals result in domestic job losses, or don’t do enough to hold trading partners accountable on human rights, labor and environmental standards. While these impacts are arguable, the result of doing nothing to achieve free trade with our closest economic and political allies may spell lost jobs anyway, as U.S. companies’ products fail to be competitive in these overseas markets.
One of the most important U.S. industries — agriculture — has already reaped the benefits from existing free trade agreements between the United States and other countries, such as Mexico, Canada, Chile, Australia, Peru, Morocco and the Central American region.

According to a recent study by a group of U.S. agricultural industry analysts (the 2010 Analysis of the Effects of Trade Agreements on U.S. Agricultural Exports and U.S. Market Development Programs), the North American Free Trade Agreement, from 1994 to 2008, resulted in a boost in U.S. agricultural exports to Mexico and Canada of more than 300 percent or more than $12 billion.


...finish reading more about the US-Korea FTA and the remainder of this editorial jump over to American Shipper

NSCLC/CANCER (Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer)

It has taken me quite the dose of time but I have updated my NSCLC/Cancer page above and it is important for me to direct y'all there. I have not wanted to add any words to that page, mostly because I have always felt each video spoke for itself. However, there are links to CancerGRACE, a non-profit foundation providing educational resources to patients/caregivers that I am passionate about people knowing is out there.

I enocourage you to head to the site, and pass along the information to any and all that may benefit from this amazing resource.

...If you need inspiration..well I may be biased but there is none better than the man I wish was able to teach me more in the 25 years I had him...I recommend "Success with Tarceva" to kick you off...modern medicine isn't always perfect..but it ain't always deserving of the bad rap it receives...a little like the rap that is too oft thrown the way of steward of the land cattlemen...

The Care Package: Cattle Welfare in the West

The following documentary comes to us from WSU student film maker Michael DeTerra, a Beef Checkoff "Millennial Movie Making Project" grant recipient, produced the documentary The Care Package: Cattle Welfare in the West. The film features Washington rancher Dick Coon, cattle feeder Cody Easterday, and Oregon Rancher Bill Hoyt. The film also features Dr. Temple Grandin, Professor Emeritus Animal Science-Colorado State University. Dr. Grandin is featured in 2010 Time 100, Time's list of the 100 most influential people in the world, due to her innovative contribution to animal husbandry practices in the Livestock Industry as well as her work bringing public awareness to Autism.

(Jump forward to clips of WA Cattlemen: Dick Coon begins at 5 minutes 30 seconds, Cody Easterday begins at 10 minutes 20 seconds)


The Care Package: Cattle Welfare in the West from ExploreBeef on Vimeo.

Well deserved thanks are due to Michael DeTerra for producing such an informative, thorough, and beautiful documentary! Those 'Cougs' sure are make for a unmatched group of folks! ;) 

BreNN hiLL& the CaTTLe Industry Make QuiTe the PaiR

Not every day one of the famous folk gives a nod to our cattlemen, so when a savvy singer & songwriter like Brenn Hill is sending a chunk of his change to support our ranchers we all best take notice! 

Mr. Hill is saying "thanks" in December to the people who put food on his table by donating $5 from the purchase of any of his albums to the United States Cattlemen's Association (USCA).

"This organization represents the folks across this country who take care of the land. I feel that USCA fits the fundamental values of my music, so working with this group seemed to make perfect sense," said Hill. "I find myself thinking sometimes about how I can help ranchers and farmers, and I thought this would be a small step toward letting them know how much I appreciate everything they do."

Brenn knows that farming and ranching isn't easy...it's one of America's most critical businesses and ways of life...plus each and every day it takes organizational advocacy to ensure that the U.S. Cattle Industry remains profitable and viable...Brenn has dedicated the widely acclaimed "Into the Wind" (click here to listen to a portion of the song) to all of the hardworking ranchers across the country...Into the Wind is the rallying call for ranchers to continue their successful operation, and it's the rallying call for USCA to champion the issues affecting the U.S. Cattle Industry...

'Equine' Album

During the month of December, purchase ANY Brenn Hill CD, and Brenn will donate $5 from each sale to the US Cattlemen's Association! Good music, a budding icon that will one day be a singer/songwriter legend, and a chance to support the cattle industry, doesn't get much better than that! Not sure what Brenn's sound is all about? Just sample a few tracks on his website then jump to his music section for a quick and dirty purchase! 

(Information compliments of USCA, all photos from Brenn Hill website)

Mark Crowley ~ GrEAt family MaN, CoWboY, 'neighbor' to aLL

The following article was previously published in the November 2010 Washington Cattlemen's Association periodical, The Ketch Pen. This article is dear to my heart for a few reasons. Mark was the first person to contact me after my very first foray into WCA involvement and ultimately the cattle industry.He graciously "welcomed" me to the fold and small gestures like that are rarely forgotten. Also, this article was "anonymously" written by our then-president's wife, Paula Coon. Paula and Mark share a humility that I great admire and continue to be humbled and inspired by the work they accomplish through their strong dedication to the industry and its people.Paula lent these words after I ingquired about posting this piece, "Mark is one of the many who live quietly and are the backbone of their communities, where their contribution is felt, but sometimes unrecognized." 

The kind of person who holds our world in place....

Mark Crowley

Veteran Secretary of Board

A native of Kansas, Mark Crowley, has served as WCA’s secretary for six out of the last eight years. Working with Sid Viebrock, Jim Sizemore, and now Dick Coon he takes care of recording the minutes of the meetings.

Mark served four years in the Army stationed at Fort Lewis and reaching the rank of Sergeant and serving as Squad Leader. A major in Agriculture Economics with an Animal Science minor he’s a 1992 WSU grad and a loyal Coug. He was hired by Gerry Pittenger, who raised Wagyu cattle. Mark had experience working under Dan Coonrad at WSU. “It was a big change for me and Gerry was pretty patient with me right out of school.” “Those nine years with Pittenger and that job provided me the opportunity to get involved in the cattleman’s association.”

He met his wife, Raquel, in Ellensburg. She is the Vice Principle at the Granger High School, and they have three children: Jessica, 21, Elizabeth, 20 who both work in Ellensburg, and seven year old Wyatt.

Using the Internet to find job leads is a modern day trend and that’s where Mark found his present employment. Mark works at the Kittitas County Conservation District as Resource Technician where he works mostly with irrigation but also fills in with many other aspects of the Conservation District’s mission. “It was a steep learning curve to catch up on water rights and irrigation design. It was on the job learning.” They deal mostly with endangered species issues and water quality and quantity.


Like so many of the ranchers I’ve been privileged to visit with, Mark enjoys working with the youth in his community. He has led the Get Up & Go 4-H Club for sixteen years. He’s a past president of the Yakima Valley Team Penning Club, current president of the Cascade Team Penning Association as well as an an event announcer for them. YVTPC has eight events a year. This February a cowboy event, Californios (http://www.thecalifornios.com/), a companion to Spirit of the West is something Mark is looking forward to. It’s described as a ranch roping and stock horse competition involving working and doctoring cattle comprising the least amount of stress.

Mark sees the new HSUS invasion into our state as something to watch out for. HSUS has eight ‘Grassroots Meetings’ scheduled in Washington in October and November. He adds, “Water issues are central because you can’t live without water; both stock water and irrigation. WCA does what it can but unfortunately many cattlemen are not members of the WCA and don’t get the information about some of the important impending issues that will affect them. It’s essential; educating other cattlemen to realize how important these issues are, even team penning members should support these things or they won’t have cattle to pen. Everyone I work with, all types, need to be paying attention and helping out too. I always wanted to be a cattleman”, Mark notes, “cattlemen are steady people, they are people you can count on, the ‘go to’ people of the community.”

(Article written by Paula Coon)

Estate Tax--Go in with GuNs BlaZin'

Today the Senate passed a tax plan which reduces the top rate of the estate tax to 35 percent; increases the exemption level to $5 million; indexes exemptions to inflation and includes a stepped-up basis.
The House is expected to vote on this bill as early as TODAY.

Please contact your representative and ask them to support the estate tax provisions in the Senate bill.

Tips for calling members of Congress:
Remember calls are typically received by a staff member, not the member of Congress. Ask to speak with the aide who handles the issue about which you wish to comment. After identifying yourself, tell the aide you would like to leave a brief message for the Representative.
You will want to state reasons for your support or opposition to the bill. Ask for your senators' or representative's position on the bill. You may also request a written response to your telephone call.

Click below and enter your zip code to find your representative's contact information.



(http://www.inspiring-posters.com/pictures/Annie-Oakley.jpg)



WesterN winTer wAnDERLust

 

 

When there are days you need to see God by your side, He places His hand in yours and leads you to where hope shines through life's roughest weather. 

~He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak~

 Isaiah 40:29

~DeLIST the GraY WOLF~

PLC, NCBA Support New Legislation to Delist the Gray Wolf

For Immediate Release

WASHINGTON (Dec.7, 2010) -The Public Lands Council (PLC) and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) support the State Sovereignty Wildlife Management Act, which would return management authority of gray wolves to the states and remove them from the endangered species list. The legislation was introduced by U.S. Representatives Rob Bishop (R-Utah); Mike Simpson (R-Idaho); Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.); Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.); Trent Franks (R-Ariz.); Wally Herger (R-Calif.); Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah); and Dean Heller (R-Nev.). PLC and NCBA support their efforts to return wolf management to states and bring relief to livestock producers.

"Wolf depredation of livestock is becoming increasingly prevalent in areas where wolves have been introduced under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We lost a couple of calves and a cow this summer," said NCBA President-elect and Montana rancher Bill Donald. "When the pack on our ranch grows to more than eight, wolf depredation of livestock starts. If the pack remains small it doesn't bother cattle. This is evidence that wolves no longer need to be listed under the ESA. However, instead of delisting wolves, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) continuously increases ESA Recovery Plan goals, making delisting impossible."

According to PLC President and federal lands rancher John Falen, unlike many species listed under the ESA, wolves pose a serious threat to wildlife, humans and private property, especially livestock. Falen said the FWS does not have resources to manage continued listing of the gray wolf under the ESA. More specifically, he noted that studies have shown for every confirmed kill of livestock there are seven to eight that go unconfirmed.

Male Gray Wolf..what we are blessed with in WA

"Rather than continuing to allow the distant federal government to dictate how ranchers manage and care for their herds, the State Sovereignty Wildlife Management Act would return authority to the states where it rightly belongs," Falen said. "Wolf depredation threatens ranchers' livelihoods and rural communities and economies relying on a profitable agricultural industry. It is time to end the unwarranted listing of the gray wolf. We urge more members of Congress to support this legislation."

Wolves kill 23 lambs in NE Oregon (via http://www.kval.com/news/43055822.html)

Contact: Mary Geiger, 202-879-9138 or mgeiger@beef.org 

--------------------------------------------------------

The above was taken from an NCBA Press Release I received earlier this week. I found it curious that no WA of OR Representatives signed on to introduce this legislation...perhaps because we are working on a State Wolf Plan (oh yes THAT wolf plan introducing EIGHT breeding pair into our lil tiny state). Thoughts?? Ventings??

RePENTance

I loved this post & haven't been able to get it out of my mind! Ironic because I typically despise the word "convicted". I have sometimes felt its misused and abused not a singled out attack on anyone specifically just my own (prob very misguided) thoughts!:) Just been a deep philosophicalesque question of mine if using convicted is a way of still leaving a veil up and therefore not fully correcting our actions. My thoughts are not rooted in study but I feel if it takes a divine intervention for me to realize everytime I've wronged another or sinned then I haven't learned a GD thing in life (bad expression to use in this context whoops!). As a "Christian" If I can't figure out my wrongdoings without a push from JC then why gosh it doesn't make ANY sense to hold anyone accountable for their wrongdoings who lacks divine intervention much less lacks a "filled soul"....just a thought to stir up conversation;)
And yet after aLL tHAT I end up feeling "convicted" of my animosity of the word, "convicted" after reading the devotional below!!:) WoW almost ridiculous play on words eh! 
~enJOY~

(The following taken from www.myutmost.org/repentance)

Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation . . . —2 Corinthians 7:10

Conviction of sin is best described in the words:
My sins, my sins, my Savior,
How sad on Thee they fall.

Conviction of sin is one of the most uncommon things that ever happens to a person. It is the beginning of an understanding of God. Jesus Christ said that when the Holy Spirit came He would convict people of sin (see John 16:8). And when the Holy Spirit stirs a person's conscience and brings him into the presence of God, it is not that person's relationship with others that bothers him but his relationship with God— "Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight . . ." (Psalm 51:4). The wonders of conviction of sin, forgiveness, and holiness are so interwoven that it is only the forgiven person who is truly holy. He proves he is forgiven by being the opposite of what he was previously, by the grace of God. Repentance always brings a person to the point of saying, "I have sinned." The surest sign that God is at work in his life is when he says that and means it. Anything less is simply sorrow for having made foolish mistakes— a reflex action caused by self-disgust.
The entrance into the kingdom of God is through the sharp, sudden pains of repentance colliding with man's respectable "goodness." Then the Holy Spirit, who produces these struggles, begins the formation of the Son of God in the person's life (see Galatians 4:19). This new life will reveal itself in conscious repentance followed by unconscious holiness, never the other way around. The foundation of Christianity is repentance. Strictly speaking, a person cannot repent when he chooses— repentance is a gift of God. The old Puritans used to pray for "the gift of tears." If you ever cease to understand the value of repentance, you allow yourself to remain in sin. Examine yourself to see if you have forgotten how to be truly repentant.

BeeF inforMatiON DAY --- Grant County, WA

~FREE Beef Information DAY~

 Grant County Beef Information Day, Wednesday December 15th 2010 show up with your BesT bOOts at the George Community Center in grand ol' George, Washington! Join in on the learnin' at 9:25 AM and stay until 2:45 PM. Get your fill of listenin' from local and regional speakers with expertise in cattle health, beef quality, and agriculture commodity transportation will be featured.

Individuals involved in any segment of beef cattle production are invited to attend, and participants need not be a member of the Grant County Cattlemen or resident of Grant County to attend. The program is organized by Washington State University Extension and the Grant County Cattlemen’s and Cattlewomen’s Associations.

Once you've had your fill of fReE coFFee & DONutS you'll be ready to saddle up for the mornin' session. Receive training & certification in the Western Beef Quality Assurance program and a presentation about improving heifer reproduction rates. After you've refueled with plenty of tasty beef  hit the trail hard for an afternoon learnin how to spruce up your operation's management plan with results that can be tasted! Just before you hit the open road, do you have what it takes to be legal on WA roads with your trucks, trailers, & farm equipment? The WSP CV Division will tell you how to keep your operation in the clear!

Tip your hat to the Grant County Cattlemen & Cattlewomen for cookin' up a FreE beef lunch! There is no registration fee to participate in the day’s activities, but ya better get your seat claimed before DEC 10th, 5:00 PM by callin' WSU Grant/Adams Extension 509-754-2011 Ext. 413.

(Read the entire NeWs ReLeAsE curtosy of the YWCA)

China & Washington...which is the "LittLe enGinE that cOULd"??

China Imports $6 Billion A Year From Washington State

"China's status as the United States' number one importer has heavy hitters like Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mayor Michael Bloomberg passing through Beijing jockeying for a piece of the China market, But there's one little welterweight that's making a big hit. Call Washington state the little engine that could. After a hard-fought campaign of cold calls and constant visits, China is eating Washington up, from its apples, to its salmon and its candy.
In the last decade, Washington state's exports to China increased over 300 percent. Last year, the state exported nearly $6 billion worth of products to China, second only to California."   (from ABC World News )

Well...not quite sure I like the sound of "little engine that could". Washington State is a heavy hitter in exports which means its often only viewed as a little engine by its own nation. I guess since I am now paying my bills through employment in the WA hay export industry I could be called bias in my opinion. However, I grew up in Yakima County...anyone ever heard of WA apples, what about hops..those things they make beer out of...over 75% of all US hops come from Yakima County alone. Oh yes and let's not forget that hay industry...the largest hay exporter in the world resides right in lil ol Kittitas County, not to mention numerous other hay exporters from the same county. Guess this "little engine" has a bit more steam than others were aware.

Like I say, folks are only ignorant if you allow them to be. ;)