Happy October, Nevada Cattlemen and Women! I hope you are all doing well as you enter into your busy fall work schedules. It has been a while since I have given you an update on things that are happening at the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association (NCA). The end of July marked five years that I have been with the NCA. Time has flown by and I am still very grateful for this wonderful opportunity to work for all of you. It has been a great experience so far and I value all the unique, challenging, and gratifying tasks within the NCA. Within this past year, it has been especially difficult as we have faced many challenges and have learned to adapt to a “new normal”. Some of the changes we have adapted to is how we conduct business and meetings using technology as well as abiding by the restrictions and mandates put in place by the state of Nevada.
Some of the past happenings at NCA include the following:
In the end of June, we held a meet and greet with the Public Lands Council (PLC) Director, Kaitlynn Glover. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, we kept this event small, but it was very beneficial to both the producers that attended and Kaitlynn.
During July we attended meetings in-person and virtually and submitted comments jointly with the PLC for the BLM Environmental Assessment (EA) for Targeted and Prescribed Grazing of Annual Grasses in the Great Basin Ecosystems of Nevada. At the beginning of July, we held the summer NCA Board of Directors (BOD) Meeting where we received brief updates from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the NV Department of Wildlife (NDOW). The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) gave their update over the phone due to their offices being on lockdown because of COVID-19. On July 27th through the 30th, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) held their Summer Business Meetings in Denver, CO. The meetings were held both in-person and virtually, the NCA had representation at both. NCA Officers, Tom Barnes, Jon Griggs, and Hanes Holman joined me by attending virtually using the NCA office. We were still able to submit votes, give comments and ask questions all while attending virtually.
In August, I attended a Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) forum virtually to learn about the changes being made to the program at a national level and about consumer marketing. I also learned what opportunities are available for in-person and online BQA training. As a reminder, to maintain your BQA certification, you need to recertify every three years. Please go to our webpage for more information on how to become certified. In the middle of August, we submitted comments to the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA, APHIS) concerning the proposed changes to the animal disease regulations to provide for a National List of Reportable Animal Diseases (NLRAD). We also signed on with the Public Lands Council’s comments on the Proposed Rule; Regulatory Definition of “Habitat” Pursuant to Endangered Species Act.
Upcoming NCA events you can look forward to:
Due to COVID-19 meeting restrictions set by the state of Nevada, in September, the NCA Executive Committee determined the NCA will be doing special committee meetings in October, and a special Winter Meeting at the beginning of December rather than holding an Annual Convention. Dates are still to be determined.
The Winter Meeting will be both in-person and virtual, however, there are restrictions on how many people can attend. Due to these limitations, only Board of Directors members will be allowed to attend in-person. At this meeting, we will conduct both Membership and Board of Directors business. The special Committee Meetings will be held only virtually. At these meetings, we will hear updates from committee chairs and agency leaders, as well as review expiring resolutions. If you would like to bring forward a resolution or change an existing policy or resolution, please attend these meetings, and become a part of the process. When dates and details are finalized for these events, we will be emailing this information to NCA membership and posting it onto our NCA Webpage at nevadacattlemen.org.
Although we have made changes to our Annual Convention and there will not be a banquet, we will still be selecting the annual award recipients. The NCA has started their annual quest for “Teacher of the Year” and “100,000 Mile Club” candidates and are asking for your help in soliciting nominations.
The candidates for the “Teacher of the Year” must be an elementary, junior high, or high school teacher who incorporates agriculture into their regular curriculum. Please contact the NCA office for application forms. The winner of this award will receive a $1000 school supply stipend, donated by the Nevada Agriculture Foundation, and will be recognized on our webpage and in the Sage Signals publication. The candidates for the “100,000 Mile Club” award must be a Nevada Cowboy or Cowgirl who have logged 100,000 miles horseback. Nominations should include a narrative story to chronicle the nominees’ miles through their life horseback. Nominations for either award are open now until November 1, 2020 and may be submitted by email to nca@nevadabeef.org, faxed to 775-738-5208; or sent by mail to the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association, P.O. Box 310, Elko, NV 89803.
The NCA staff and leadership thank you for your patience during these uncertain times. For current and up to date information on things happening at the NCA, please follow us on Facebook and visit our webpage at nevadacattlemen.org as we are constantly updating it. If you have questions regarding any of our upcoming events, please feel free to contact the NCA office at 775-738-9214 or by email at nca@nevadabeef.org. We wish you luck on your fall work as we understand this is a busy time for all.
We are still planning to hold the Annual Fallon All-Breeds Bull Sale in Fallon, Nevada on
February 20, 2021. Consignments opened on September 1, 2020 and the postmark deadline for entries and registration papers is December 1, 2020.
Registration papers, catalog advertisement, completed transfer papers and results of the breed associations’ recognized genetic defects for each bull must accompany the entry form.
By Kaley Chapin, NCA Executive Director