Behind the Burger
Created by the New Mexico Beef Council, we are telling the stories behind the beef in New Mexico.
Behind the Burger
From Rancher to the Livestock Board: Belinda Garland's Beef Legacy
Belinda Garland brings a unique perspective to the beef industry as both a fourth-generation New Mexico rancher and the first female Executive Director of the New Mexico Livestock Board. Her story begins in the 1870s when her great-grandfather settled in Torrance County after the Civil War, establishing a ranching legacy that continues today.
Growing up without brothers meant Belinda and her sister became "the cowboys" – learning to work cattle, developing strong work ethics, and gaining hands-on experience that would shape her future. This upbringing, combined with participation in 4-H and FFA, led to a lifelong passion for agriculture that transcends simply raising cattle. As Belinda eloquently explains, ranchers are stewards who "take care of our land, preserve wildlife, and help all ecosystems." This holistic approach to ranching reflects her deep understanding of how beef production intersects with environmental sustainability.
The challenges of modern ranching come alive through Belinda's candid observations. "Every day on a ranch is a fight to survive," she notes, describing the constant balancing act between climate conditions, market fluctuations, predator management, and changing rural demographics. Her insights into seasonal management decisions – from choosing calving seasons that avoid both harsh winter conditions and summer heat that can cause mastitis, to maintaining appropriate protein levels in cattle diets – demonstrate the complex knowledge required for successful ranching. Perhaps most touching is her description of spring mornings with coffee in hand, watching newborn calves play as the sun rises – a reminder of why she continues to ranch despite the challenges.
Under Belinda's leadership, the New Mexico Livestock Board has achieved significant milestones, including establishing an in-state meat inspection program and unifying operations across the state. Her closing message emphasizes the importance of protecting the laws and heritage that safeguard the beef industry. From choppy ice at dawn to driving into town for her administrative role, Belinda embodies the dedication and versatility that keeps New Mexico's beef traditions alive. Listen now to gain a deeper appreciation for the people behind your favorite beef dishes – including Belinda's personal favorite, shredded beef brisket tacos with green chile.
Welcome back to another episode of Behind the Burger, our podcast with the New Mexico Beef Council. I am here with Belinda Garland from the New Mexico Livestock Board. Belinda, will you introduce yourself and give us a background?
Speaker 2:Sure. Thank you for inviting me for this. My name is Belinda Garland. I am the Executive Director for the New Mexico Livestock Board. I've been here a little over five years now, so just a little background on myself. I'm working on my 34th year in public administration for the state and the counties. I grew up on a small ranch in Torrance County and through my growing up I have 4-H and FFA projects. I did livestock judging, which got me into college, and I went to college in Casper, wyoming and the Panhandle State University in Panhandle of Oklahoma. During that time I've worked in some Western clothing stores, worked in feed yards, the sale barns and then just always worked on the family ranch as well.
Speaker 1:What a neat upbringing and experience, I think. I think that's a great way to grow up and then continue, and then it sounds like you've had a lot of career diversity. Well, tell us specifically, kind of, about your family operation and the history of the operation of the ranch.
Speaker 2:So my great-grandfather came to where I'm at now after the Civil War. He kind of has a unique story. He was from the Georgia area and after the Civil War he migrated out of there and he moved several times, but the last place he landed is where we're at now.
Speaker 2:So probably in the 1870s he came there. So I am a fourth-generation rancher. He started ranching and doing some dry land farming. My grandfather continued that, my father continued it and I have as well. So we've been there a very long time. We're kind of proud of our background, like most ranchers are, and, like I said, we all worked. I have one sister. I didn't have any brothers, so my sister and I got to be the cowboys, which I think taught us a lot about just working cattle, a lot of work ethics. My father, like I said, he had us in 4-H where we showed steers and lambs, and also in FFA. I kept that up all the way through high school until I graduated. So we're very proud of our little operation.
Speaker 1:I think there's a lot of t-shirts and sayings now that sometimes the best cowboys are cowgirls right, we can support that. What is the most rewarding part of being in the beef industry?
Speaker 2:I don't know To me I kind of have a bigger scope. I kind of think that I'm very proud that I'm a very crucial part of having survival on the earth for a lot of people and just protecting our earth. The ranchers, you know. I know that we say we just raise cattle, but we don't. We take care of our land, we preserve wildlife, we really help all ecosystems out there and I'm just a very small, tiny part of that but I'm very proud of that.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, I think. Even in my role in an office, I know that getting to serve ranchers and getting to serve agriculture or the agriculture industry is an important part of feeding the world, right? Yes, yes, so obviously that's kind of talking about your ranching and your career. But speaking of the ranch, can you talk about New Mexico's landscapes and how that impacts how you care for the cattle and care for the land?
Speaker 2:So where we're located is kind of a unique area. We're right in the foothills of the Manzano Mountains on the east side. We're kind of right where the foothills of the Manzano Mountains on the east side, we're kind of right where the elevation starts to climb. So we do have to plan for winter there. You know, we manage our bulls to where we're not calving too early just because of the late snows and the cold, and so that's part of it. We also have to. We have pretty good grass where we're at if we have the rainfall, like anybody else. But we manage our livestock and the protein and their nutrition based off the quality of the grass and the times of the year. So you have to take all of that into account when you're managing your herd. You know, do you want to calve in June? Do you want to calve in February? What's the weather like, what's the predator situation like? All of that comes into play.
Speaker 1:Oh, there's so many factors. It's almost unimaginable all of the things as a rancher that you are a steward of and that you are paying attention to. Can you give an example of how you care for your cattle to ensure their health and well-being? I guess you already mentioned, you know, checking protein levels and grass. So if you want to go more into that or something else, you know, I think good vaccination of your livestock is very important.
Speaker 2:I know there's a lot of producers out there that don't like to vaccinate, but we actually, when I was a child, we experienced some blackleg outbreak and I was very little too during the brucellosis time, and I was very little too during the brucellosis time. But I think just vaccinating is very, very important. And just watching your animals I learned an important lesson a couple of years ago. I will tell you this why people calve in the spring and not in the summer? Because you have mastitis, because it's so hot. I had a couple of cows had late calves. We really had never experienced a lot of that and I was like, oh, now I see why you want your calves earlier. Because when the cows are giving a lot of milk and the calves can't get it all, you have to deal with the mastitis.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah, I think that's the interesting balance of you don't want it too cold, you don't want it too cold, but you don't want it too hot. Right, there's a reason, right, right?
Speaker 2:And then just you have to pay attention to the quality of your grass, how much rain you're getting or not getting, and then the amount of cattle that you have on your grass. And there's just a lot of management, a lot of monitoring. Of course, you're always looking if you have something sick. We actually had some pink eye breakout in our cattle. It's been several years ago now, but Mike McAllister helped me work through that. Thank God for him. We all need a good veterinarian. Yes, we do. You always want to pay your veterinarian because you're going to need them.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you want them to call you back.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, but I think just monitoring and paying attention to your cattle is very, very important.
Speaker 1:Oh, and it's nonstop. Right, it's Every day. Yeah, every day. We always have talked about, you know, if a family member misses a holiday meal or something because they work in the industry, well, the cow's got to eat. It might Maybe one of the biggest challenges, or another challenge, because obviously we've already identified them as easy. What is maybe your biggest challenge that you all face at your ranch?
Speaker 2:So I think some of ours is. My grandfather said that every day on a ranch is a fight to survive, and I think he's really right, because you fight the climate, you fight the market, you fight the predators and you fight your neighbors. So you know, some neighbors are really good if they're in the same industry and they work with, you get along well. But the changing of the atmosphere in small ranching is big because people are moving out of the city into more rural areas. So a lot of that. Sometimes there are disagreements with your neighbors. So I truly believe it's a, it's just a fight to survive.
Speaker 1:Oh, no doubt. I think one of the things we were talking about recently is the, the. I think it's like second generation removed. Most people are a generation or two or three now removed from where their food comes from, right, so the understanding of what you're doing on your operation doesn't connect to what they're getting at the grocery store all the time. So, that's kind of the goal of the podcast. Right, we want to talk about it Right.
Speaker 2:You know, and a lot of people think, because they go out and they buy 10 head of cows, that that makes them a rancher. But there's so much to learn. I mean, my father would say that you would spend a lifetime in the industry and not know everything, and he's right. There's just so much to learn every day.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, no doubt, no doubt. I am trying to learn as much as I can and I, you know, work in the office and live in the city, and I want to learn and understand as much as I can, because there's so much to learn. So what is one thing I guess I feel like, again, everything you've said has kind of answered this question too. But what's one thing most people don't know about raising beef in New Mexico too, but what's one thing most people don't know about raising beef in New Mexico.
Speaker 2:I think my answer to that would be that, really, cattle producers are in a state or a family, and I have a really good example of that. My father's been deceased quite some time, but a couple months after he passed away, bill King walked up to me at the sale barn in Belen and shook my hand, gave his condolences to myself and my mother and he said if you need anything, I'll send men to help you. So that was really really impressive to me. At that time I was younger and I was thinking man, you know, does. That really is important to him that we all survive and that we're all working towards the same goal and doing well.
Speaker 1:What a blessing that we do get to work with such wonderful people and that there are so many good seeds, so many good seeds, in New Mexico beef industry. I agree wholeheartedly. What is your favorite part of ranching?
Speaker 2:Spring. I love spring, I love the green grass and I love the babies. I have a. I sent you guys a picture of a calf on some hay and that was in the springtime. I, when I was growing up, you know we had goats and sheep and we we had all kinds of babies, which Rob and I don't have right now, but I just, I love all of that. I love to get up in the mornings when the sun's coming up and it's getting a little warmer and you just go out and have a cup of coffee and watch the babies play.
Speaker 1:They are special animals. Yeah, they are special animals and it's, I know sometimes. We were speaking to a group recently that maybe had a hard time understanding how special the animals are and then that we are going to harvest them for sustenance, right Right, and I think that is maybe a hard thing to explain and I don't know the best way yet, necessarily, other than being a good steward of the animals and making sure that we're using them efficiently, that we're raising them humanely, and all of that to provide a good product. Because, you know, we believe that beef is a very high-quality protein, right, right. And if we want to, you know, feed the world and help meet nutrient deficiencies or anything like that, it's going to take some animal protein and we hope it's beef.
Speaker 2:My father always would tell us that you know, this is just the cycle of life. We would raise a calf on the bottle, you know you'd get really attached to him because you're holding him and you're feeding him every day and he's relying on you, and then, and then you, you actually send him off to slaughter.
Speaker 1:So yeah, it's kind of just the cycle of life, absolutely, absolutely, and an important part of it, and an important part of it. And if it, if it makes you uncomfortable.
Speaker 2:maybe that means you care enough and that you're working hard on them. So maybe, I guess, is there anything else about your family or and stuff. And my sister still helps at the ranch and stuff and Rob he's my partner in all of it. I don't know what I would have done without him in all these years.
Speaker 1:It's good to have good family right and have a good partner. So tell me about your role with the New Mexico Livestock Board.
Speaker 2:So I am the executive director. I've been here a little over five years now. I'm the executive director. I've been here a little over five years now. I'm the first woman to have this position. I know I had a lot of people ask me if I got the job just because I was a woman. And I told them well, I hope not, because I also have a lot of livestock and agricultural background. I have a bachelor's in animal science and a bachelor's in agricultural business. And I told them I said you know, I think I've paid my dues. I've worked in feed yards, sale barns, ranches. I've done a lot of agricultural work. So I oversee the agency, but I think I'm just part of the team.
Speaker 1:Absolutely Well. I think it's a special thing in New Mexico to see a lot of female leaders and a lot of women in agriculture.
Speaker 1:In fact, a lot of our podcast guests have been women, because there's women leaders and we have been accepted as a woman in agriculture. So I think you're another, you know inspiration and another example of that. So I think you have the job, because you're good at your job and you just happen to be a woman, which helps for some of us to be inspired and encouraged that we can be leaders as well. And so is there something that you're excited about working on, or something that you've recently done at the Livestock Board? What's something that you guys are excited about?
Speaker 2:So one thing I'm really proud about is that we've accomplished a lot during the legislative sessions. It took us five years but we got the in-state meat inspection program started. Finally, I'm super excited that we have Eddie and Kayla hired now. They're going to be the deputy director and the director and they're going to do an awesome job to get this program stood up. They're really into this program and I think this program is going to do well and go far. You know I know the words out that we got our fees caps increased during this last session.
Speaker 2:I think that during the past few years we've just got a lot better reception from the legislators than what we did when I first started in this job leaders, than what we did when I first started in this job. I think. Probably I think the thing that I'm the proudest of is that we function as one team. Now. There was a lot of division when I came and now it's not area one versus area four. We're just the New Mexico Livestock Board and all the areas help each other. All of the inspectors are willing to train and assist each other and we help the state vet in any way we can, which just that's just a big plus for the producers out there, and all of the enforcement and the inspections that we do are consistent across the state now and I'm very proud of that. It took a huge effort on all of us to get that accomplished, but I think we're there. Oh, you absolutely should be proud of that. It took a huge effort on all of us to get that accomplished, but I think we're there.
Speaker 1:Oh, you absolutely should be proud of that. I think we're everyone's better when working as a team. And congratulations on the legislative session as well, thank you. So you know, when we were talking a week or two ago and we were hoping you were hoping for some snow, right? We were talking a week or two ago and we were hoping you're hoping for some snow, right? And which means which you know, snow and cold means maybe you're breaking ice on the water troughs, maybe you're checking calves in the snow, and then you're also, you know, getting up and driving to town for your job. So what makes you continue to do it?
Speaker 2:What makes you continue to ranch continue to support the beef industry. I have loved this industry since I was a child, you know I was the first one out the door every morning and it didn't bother me to go chop ice, I was, and I loved being in the barns with all the animals and I just love being outside. I mean, I go get up and I go to an office because I need to pay my bills and I like the job that I have. I do, don't get me wrong, but being in the corrals and being with the animals is really where I want to be every day, and maybe one day I'll get to do just that. Absolutely that would be well-deserved. And I did get snow. I got like 12 inches of snow that week.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's always the conversation. And then you hope I know this time was good to ask hey, did you get the snow you were hoping for? This time was good. Other times, you know, you don't want to ask. Well, we appreciate that you continue to work in your role and continue to raise cattle. Is there anything else that you'd like to add about the beef industry or the livestock board?
Speaker 2:You know, some people think I'm crazy, but I think that the livestock industry, cattle producers in particular they need to really protect their heritage and the laws that are out there. Chapter 77, the New Mexico Livestock Board Overseas, is those laws were, in fact, really before New Mexico was a state and they're so crucial to protecting this industry and that's what us and New Mexico Cattle Growers, New Mexico Beef Council, that's what we're all working together to preserve out there and I think if we lose those laws and those protections, this industry might be in trouble. So I really encourage everybody to stay focused, stay educated and help wherever they can.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. I think that's an important message. I think on the Beef Council we hope we can tell the story of the heritage and tell the story of how important it is and continue to promote ranching, and then we appreciate you and the Livestock Board and the cattle growers pushing on the policy side, because I think it takes all all kinds of kinds. It does so as kind of a last question what's your favorite way to eat beef, or maybe a favorite recipe? If you'd be willing to share it, we could put it on the website. But what's your favorite?
Speaker 2:I have to tell you I'm a taco person. I love tacos, ground beef, shredded beef, any way you can fix beef in a taco. I'm there so I don't really have a recipe for you, but I might try to find one and send it to you. But I love, like the shredded beef brisket tacos with green chili. Yeah, that's good. I could eat those every day.
Speaker 1:Me too. I love tacos. That is a great one. Well, I know we have tons of taco recipes in the queue, but maybe we should customize one for you that we'll put on our website that's got green chili on there. That'd be pretty special, because I know we've got to have the New Mexico flavor. There you go. Well, I just thank you so much for joining us for the podcast and appreciate all you do again to raise cattle, to help feed the world and to work in the livestock board. We really appreciate your role in the industry and thank you for joining the podcast and taking a chance. Thank you, thanks for having me Behind. The Burger is a podcast produced by the New Mexico Beef Council with the goal of telling the stories of the cattlemen and cattlewomen of the New Mexico beef industry. Thank you for joining us for today's episode. If you'd like more information, please visit nmbeefcom. Whether it be a burger, a steak or another beef dish, we hope you're enjoying beef at your next meal.
