RAPID CITY, SD – R-CALF USA, the nation’s largest producer-only national cattle trade association, will hold its 22nd annual convention and trade show Aug. 19-20 in Rapid City, S.D., at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center located at 444 Mount Rushmore Road. At its convention, the group intends to strengthen its national strategy to quickly fix the United States’ broken cattle market crisis by restoring competition for both cattle and beef.
The group says the two immediate solutions that Congress must implement right now to preserve the nation’s largest sector of agriculture — the cattle sector, are to restore mandatory country of origin labeling (M-COOL) for beef and pass the 50/14 Spot Market Protection Bill S. 949 (50/14 bill) that requires beef packers with more than 1 plant to purchase 50% of their cattle in the competitive cash market each week.
Last December the group released the first-ever U.S. Cattle Industry Long Range Plan to serve as a roadmap which it says will reverse the ongoing decline of the cattle industry. The plan calls for producers to take specific actions, and this year’s convention will provide attendees with factual information and the necessary steps to restore the same opportunities within the cattle industry that initially helped build America, before the packing cartel got ahold of it.
The day before convention, Property Rights Day hosted by the Range Allotment Owners Association is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. MDT, Wednesday, Aug. 18. The day’s speakers include Bill Norton, National Center for Constitutional Studies; Carlos Salazar, Northern New Mexico Stockman’s Association; and Roni Sylvester a property and water rights advocate.
The R-CALF USA Convention and Trade Show opens at 8 a.m., Thursday, Aug. 19. Thursday morning’s presentations include “The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef: They’re Coming for You and Your Ranch” by Wyoming rancher and attorney Tracy Hunt and “Creating a Prosperous Future for the American Sheep Industry” by Utah Sheep Producer Carson Jorgensen.
Thursday’s luncheon presentation will be “Family Farmers and Working Families: The Fair Trade Movement in 2021” by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Trade Policy Specialist Mike Dolan.
Thursday afternoon’s presentations include “The Battle Over Mandatory RFID Continues: Latest Developments in Federal Overreach and Other Issues of Concern to Livestock Producers” by Harriet Hageman, Senior Litigation Counsel New Civil Liberties Alliance. Hageman is R-CALF USA’s attorney for its ongoing RFID lawsuit.
A panel will follow featuring affiliate organization leaders Freddie Keaton, Independent Cattlemen of Missouri; Kerry Dockter, president of Independent Beef Association of North Dakota; Brad and Andrea Hutchison, co-founders of Oklahoma Independent Stockgrowers Assoc.; and Scott Edoff, president of South Dakota Stockgrowers Assoc.
R-CALF USA’s counsel for its ongoing antitrust lawsuit, Anthony Fata, from Cafferty Clobes Meriwether & Sprengel, will speak on “The Role of Cattle Futures in the Cattle Antitrust Litigation.” American Stewards of Liberty Executive Director Margaret Byfield’s “Peeling Back the Layers of Biden’s 30 x 30 Land Grab will be Thursday’s final speaker presentation.
An on-site Trade Show and Affiliate Mixer for convention attendees to walk through trade show and affiliate booths will wrap-up the first day.
Friday begins at 7 a.m. with the “True Grit Prayer Breakfast” by Max Thornsberry, DVM, and R-CALF USA’s former president, to be followed by the CEO Report, Checkoff Committee Report and Checkoff Petition Update.
Friday’s presentations include “Legal Checks on the Checkoff: R-CALF USA’s Lawsuit Update” by David Muraskin, Food Project Senior Attorney at Public Justice, and “Working Together to Raise It, Grow It and Make it in America” by Greg Owens, Sherrill Manufacturing and Liberty Tabletop.
Friday’s luncheon panel will feature small meat processors Ken Charfauros, Wall Meat Processing and Jim Hertzog, Hertzog Meat Company and Mo-Kan Livestock Market.
Friday’s afternoon includes two panels: “Livestock Markets Panel” and “Media Panel.” Livestock markets panelists include Bryan Hanson, Fort Pierre Livestock Auction in South Dakota; Quest Flesner, F&T Livestock Market in Missouri; Justin Oberling, R-CALF USA Region XI Director (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan) and Adams County Livestock Buyers in Illinois; and Shane Kaczor, Bassett Livestock in Nebraska. Media panelists include Carrie Stadheim, Tri-State Livestock News; Jim Mundorf, Lonesome Lands; and Mackenzie Johnston, Cowboy Channel — RFDTV.
“Update on R-CALF USA’s Antitrust Suit Against the Big-4” by Patrick McGahan, Senior Associate Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law, LLP concludes the day’s presentations before the business meeting begins.
Following Friday’s banquet dinner will be the keynote address “Antitrust Grit: A Path Forward for Ending Anticompetitive Practices that Economically Harm America’s Ranchers” by Dr. Thomas Horton, University of South Dakota Law School. A saddle raffle and a live auction fund-raiser will follow.
To view the agenda, find hotel accommodations. or register for the event at www.RCALFconvention.com.
