Two board members from the Livestock Marketing Association join this Sorting Pen episode to share why they, LMA and their members are working hard to help create opportunities for their customers, ranchers and farmers, through their producer profitability initiative. 

Back on the show is LMA's Western Director Jake Parnell—who is also a California cattle producer and owner of Cattlemen’s Livestock Market in Galt.

Joe Goggins, vice president of LMA and owner of Public Auction Yards in Billings, Montana, is also a featured guest on this episode.

Learn more about this initiative for producer profitability and all LMA does at lmaweb.com/Policy/producer-profitability.

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In this episode, Steve Lambert, a rancher from Butte County, shares his journey and insights as one of CCA's Second Vice Presidents. Tune in to learn more about Steve’s dedication to serving agriculture at local, state, and national levels, and hear why he continues to stay involved in these organizations.

Katie and Steve also dive into the value of CCA, with a special focus on the important role seedstock producers play in the Association.

Listen until the end to discover how Steve went from resisting being on social media over a decade ago to Lambert Ranch Herefords now thriving on Instagram!

Episode Resources:

https://www.instagram.com/lambertranchherefords/

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Representing California’s 34 Assembly District, we visited Assemblymember Tom Lackey in his office. On this episode, he shares with us about issues that are top of mind right now for California legislators. We also talk about how Asm. Lackey has partnered with CCA throughout his time in office. Hear about the bill he is helping CCA run this year, and why he believes ranchers are important voices to have in Sacramento.
 

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There are two issues that came up at this year's CattleCon that we highlight on this episode of Sorting Pen: trade & taxes. In this conversation hear from past CCA President Tony Toso, who is now chair of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association's (NCBA) International Trade Committee. 

Later in the episode we hear from NCBA’s Associate Director of Government Affairs Kelsea Kemp, who happens to hail from California. Listen as Kelsea shares about NCBA’s tax priorities and one specific act NCBA is lobbying on right now.  

This episode also explains new updates on The Corporate Transparency Act! Listen to learn more and refer to the resources below.   

Episode Resources: 

• Beneficial ownership information can be reported to FinCEN here.
• A FAQ about reporting under the Corporate Transparency Act is available here.

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On this episode we have three experts joining us to talk about biosecurity. From UC Davis and University of California Ag and Natural Resources, we have Dr. Gaby Maier and Dr. Lais Costa sharing their expertise. We are also fortunate to have Dr. Julia Herman from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association share her national perspectives on the importance of biosecurity.

Episode Resources: 

• To watch the Beef Cattle Herd Health UCCE Webinars mentioned by Dr. Maier visit https://ucanr.edu/sites/Rangelands/CattleHealth.
• Find BQA Resources on biosecurity at: https://www.bqa.org/resources/biosecurity-resources.
• As Dr. Herman mentions, for more resources check out https://www.securebeef.org.
• Want to learn more about biosecurity? Attend the Cattle Biosecurity Workshop on Saturday, March 1 at the Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center. The workshop will cover an array of topics including, creating a line of separation, cleaning and disinfecting vehicles and equipment, proper use of personal protective equipment, writing standard operating procedures for personnel and visitors, and much more. To view the flyer with registration instructions click here or contact Dr. Maier. 

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What happened in Point Reyes? Why are 11 ranching families leaving early next year? There are many questions you may have about the news that came about a month ago. This story is complex. It can be difficult to track and understand the full picture. To answer some of our questions and share his knowledge of the conflict Kevin Lunny, a rancher who has been in the park his entire life, joins us on this episode. Kevin explains the background of the issue, details the ongoing challenges, and discusses the future opportunities to come for the 11 families who are leaving their Point Reyes ranches behind, as well as the difficulties that could remain in the national park.

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There are many questions following the tragic wildfires in Los Angeles. How did the wildfires in Los Angeles get to this point? Could more have been done prior to prevent this level of catastrophe? Where does CCA and the CCA Fire Subcommittee go from here in advocating for more action on prevention? 

Those questions and more are answered on this episode by Anthony Stornetta, a San Luis Obispo County cattle rancher, Deputy Fire Chief of Operations for Santa Barbara County Fire Department and the Chair of CCA’s Fire Subcommittee. Listen as Anthony gives his insights and knowledge on how the LA wildfires got to be what they did and where we go from here as a state with more wildfires in its future. 

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Longtime Sierra Valley cattle rancher Rick Roberti has the reins as CCA President for the next two years. On this first episode of 2025, hear about his background, how he joined the officer team, why he is honored to serve in this leadership position and more. 

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CCA just wrapped up our 108th Annual Convention full of great speakers. On this episode hear from one of them, as National Cattlemen's Beef Association CEO Colin Woodall is our guest on this final episode of Sorting Pen Season 4.

Listen as Colin shares about the status of the Farm Bill, how NCBA feels about some of the nominations that have been made by the incoming Administration, why taxes are a priority for NCBA and much more as we look ahead to a new Congress starting on Jan 3.
 
Episode Resources:

• Get all the details on CattleCon 2025 at https://convention.ncba.org/.
• Learn more about NCBA membership at https://www.ncba.org/membership.

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California Beef Council Director of Food & Nutrition Outreach Kori Dover and host, Katie Roberti share about CBC's engagement and efforts to promote beef at the California School Nutrition Conference in the middle of November. Learn what the conference entails, why it is important CBC invests in showing up at this conference annually, and how exhibiting at this event gives CBC the opportunity to share about beef with decision makers who are selecting what's served at schools throughout California.

Episode Resources:

To see the California Beef in Schools materials Kori shares about visit https://californiabeef.school.

Read more about the Grateful Grazing event here.

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Los Angeles County cattle rancher and CCA member Mike Williams is the current chair of the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, a national organization with a mission to advance, support and communicate continuous improvement of sustainability across the U.S. beef value chain. On this episode, Mike explains what the purpose of the Roundtable is, how he got involved, who makes up the leadership of the organization and more.

Episode resources:
Visit https://www.usrsb.org to learn more about the Roundtable and access the resources Mike shares about in this episode.

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Dr. Ken Tate, a UC Davis Professor of Extension in Rangeland Management and Dr. Tina Saitone, a UC Davis Professor of Extension in Livestock and Rangeland Economics, share about the wolf research in California they have been working on the last three years.

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On this final legislative recap episode of the year, hear CCA’s Vice President of Government Affairs Kirk Wilbur explain how CCA's priorities in the 2023-2024 Legislative Session shook out now that the Governor’s deadline to act on all bills has come and gone. 

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Dr. J.J. Goicoechea, a Nevada rancher and the Director of the Nevada Department of Agriculture, answers questions ranchers may have about the new USDA traceability rule going into effect on Nov. 5.  Hear why J.J. believes this change to make tags electronically readable, not just visually readable, needed to happen, and more about traceability in this episode.

Episode Resources:
Visit calcattlemen.org/EID for more information on the rule and how to get EID tags from the state of California. 

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California dairyman and CCA Feeder Council Vice Chair Jack Hoekstra talks with Katie about what concerns and opportunities are top of mind for California dairy producers almost three quarters into the year.

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In this episode, California Cattle Council Executive Director Justin Oldfield explains why 10% of the Council's annual budget is put into a response fund, of which dollars are only deployed if an emergency or a potentially significant disruption to California's cattle industry arises.

Hear how this response fund is proving to be vital and about the special educational campaign it is currently funding in Sonoma County.

To learn more about the campaign visit sonomacows.com.

Learn more about the California Cattle Council at calcattlecouncil.org.

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This episode is focused on getting everyone up to speed on a new law called the Corporate Transparency Act. It is a law that was passed in 2021 and is now being enforced, with deadlines quickly approaching—which if you miss could result in  extreme fines. If your farm or ranch has 20 or fewer employees, is structured as a corporation, LLC, or filed registration paperwork with the secretary of state, you may be required to file new paperwork with a division of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. NCBA’s Executive Director of Government Affairs Kent Bacus is this episode's guest. Kent explains what the law this is, what this could mean for your ranch (or other business), how the law came about and more.

The conversation in this episode is not professional advice. After listening, it would be best to consult with a tax professional or attorney for advice as to whether the Corporate Transparency Act applies to you.
  
Episode Resources:

• NCBA Reminds Cattle Producers to Review Corporate Transparency Act and Avoid Costly Penalties
• Why Join NCBA?

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This November California voters will see a $10 Billion Climate Bond on their ballots. CCA's Vice President of Government Affairs Kirk Wilbur shares about the win teased in the prior episode—keeping funding for alternative protein research and development out of the Climate Bond. 

In this part two episode, also hear Kirk share about some of the aspects CCA members may be pleased to see included in this Bond.

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1. Stopping two very problematic water rights bills that were introduced at the beginning of this Legislative Session
   
   
2. Securing dollars in the State Budget, amid an extremely difficult budget deficit, to keep the California's Wolf-Livestock Compensation Program alive
   
   
3.  Keeping the State Water Resources Control Board from adding additional costs to some producers and users for water quality permitting and enforcement

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In 1998, members from the California Cattlemen’s Association joined together to form the California Rangeland Trust (CRT). Now over 25 years later, CRT has permanently protected close to 400,000 acres. To discuss CRT's goal's and explain what conservation easements are, CRT Chief Executive Officer Michael Delbar and Vice Chair of CRT's Board of Directors Clayton Koopmann, join Katie on this episode.

Hear discussions on how CRT has grown and evolved in the last 25 years, the work CRT is doing, what an easement is, who the partners working with CRT to conserve these rangelands are, common misconceptions about conservation easements and more.

Episode resources:

• https://rangelandtrust.org/podcast
• CRT Ecosystem Service Study
• You Just Can't See Them From The Road Documentary Trailer

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On this episode, Jake Parnell makes his debut on Sorting Pen to discuss Western Video Market’s recent restructuring, give an outlook on the July WVM sale and discuss the importance of auction yards.

Jake recently became president and chair of the board for Western Video Market. He is also a professional auctioneer, owner and president of Cattlemen's Livestock Market, co-owner of Parnell Dickinson, one of the founders and president of the California Youth Ag Expo and the Livestock Marketing Association’s Western Director.

Episode resources:

• Press release: Western Video Market Reorganizes to Better Serve the Livestock Industry
• Producer Profitability Initiative Seeks to Spark Conversation, Unite Industry

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Tom DeJarnette is a retired Navy SEAL Captain and was recently a guest speaker at CCA's Feeder Meeting a few weeks ago. Before speaking to attendees at the event, Tom sat down with Sorting Pen Host Katie Roberti and CCA's Feeder Council Chair Mike Sulpizio for this episode to share about his presentation and perspectives on leadership. Hear some of the takeaways he shares from his 26-year Naval career and how he connects many of them to the beef industry. 

More about Tom:
Tom DeJarnette graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1993 with a double major in English and Economics. As an All-American swimmer, it was a natural fit to join the Navy and go to Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL (BUDS) training. 

As a retired Navy SEAL Captain with over 25 years of special operations experience working in high stress/no fail environments, Tom is proud of his military experiences and the lessons he learned about leadership, organizational structure, training, and culture. He built and led high performance teams from 20 to 400 people using these fundamentals and regularly proved they work under the most demanding conditions. Tom’s 26-year Naval career included Operational Tours at SEAL Team ONE (ST-1), SEAL Team THREE, Naval Special Warfare Unit TEN (NSWU-10), Special Operations Command CENTRAL (SOCCENT), and Special Boat Team TWENTY (SBT-20). His staff tours included NSWU-10, SOCCENT, SBT-20, USMC Command and Staff College, ST-1, Naval Special Warfare Group ONE, Naval Special Warfare Group THREE, and Naval Special Warfare CENTER. Throughout his time in the SEAL Teams, what Tom enjoyed most was taking care of people and setting the conditions so that his teammates could be the best versions of themselves every day. 

With Tom’s successful transition to the private sector in 2019, he continues to add unique value to like-minded corporate organizations because he implements time-honored Special Operations principles in a way that resonates with high-performance teams focused on authenticity, durability, and achieving a competitive advantage. In 2019, Tom was hired by Volunteer Employee Benefits Association (VEBA) as the Chief Administrative Officer where he established What The Strong Do To Rise LLC in support of VEBA contracting objectives. From 2020 – 2022, Tom established his personal LLC to embark on various leadership and cultural development contracting opportunities. Contracting led to another salary opportunity in 2021 as the Chief People Officer for Symbiont, a Fintech Blockchain company, where he got to focus on quality-of-life issues for a company of proven performers. 

Tom continues to enjoy working with high performance teams who are focused on selflessness, accountability, and work to solve problems in a way that preserves the long-term health of an organization. 

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The National Cattlemen's Beef Association's Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane is back on the podcast to discuss what the current focuses are in Washington D.C. At time of recording on Thursday, May 23, the House Agriculture Committee was marking up the Farm Bill, which was passed later that evening. Hear Ethan discuss the Farm Bill process, give insights on what the rest of this Congress will look like and explain some of the confusion NCBA is hearing around the final traceability rule.

Episode Resources

• NCBA Press Release: House Farm Bill Includes Top Cattle Industry Priorities
• Details on the 2024 Cattle Industry Summer Business Meetings happening July 8-10 in San Diego.

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Assemblymember Gregg Hart joined the California Legislature last January. In that time he's gone out of his way to work with CCA's government affairs team and get to know ranchers. On this episode of Sorting Pen, get to know Assemblymember Hart. Hear about the priority issues he is working on in Sacramento, how he shares about rural issues and needs with other legislators from more urban districts, and more. 

Bonus: There are 63 National Parks in the U.S. Can you guess how many of them Assemblymember Hart has visited? Listen to the full episode to find out!

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Earlier this week, Central Valley Meat Holding Company announced it has entered an agreement to purchase the Cargill Meat Solutions beef processing facility in Fresno, Calif. 

Brian Coelho, CEO and President of Central Valley Meat, joins CCA's Katie Roberti to talk through this new acquisition and what it may mean for California’s beef industry.

Background:
Central Valley Meat is a diversified family-owned corporation. Harris Ranch Beef Company and Harris Ranch Feeding are two of the facilities owned by the company, in addition to Central Valley Meat and CLW Foods.

Click here to read the company's press release announcing the purchase.

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