Raising The Steaks

NM Beef IS Great

By: Leticia

My mom and I were driving home from church the other day, and in the other lane coming our way was a single cab, white Ford truck with a flat bed.  As he passed, we waved to each other.  Mom looked at me and asked, “Did you know him?”  I just shook my head and told her no.  Then she said, “Well, then why did ya’ll wave at each other like ya’ll did?”  The reason: On the front of my truck, just on as on his, there is a red and white liscense plate that boasts, “NM Beef Is Great.”

The men and women who proudly display this message on the front of their vehicle share a common bond.  They know how it feels to lose sleep from worrying all night about calving heifers and then take pride in their healthy calves come branding time at the end of another long calving season.  They share a passion for the land, the animals, and agriculture as it is today.  Anytime I hear someone praise the beef industry or sit down to read the paper with headline news “Downed Cattle Abused at Portales Sale Barn,” I have to stop and think about the people who are working in the pastures to ensure that neither their way of life or public imagine are not harmed.

Last week, the HSUS released a new downer cow video.  This time, the attack hit me a little closer to home, if you can imagine that.  There target was the Portales Auction Barn, which is located just about two hours from where my family ranches.  I agree with Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the HSUS when he says that these actions “…turn my stomach.”  But I still have faith in the beef industry.  We have worked in recent years to encourage proper care and animal husbandry through programs such as the Beef Quality Assurance Program.  These programs work to educate producers about best management practices for our cattle herds.  It pains me to see people who treat the animals poorly, but these people exist few and far between.  John McBride, director of communications for the Livestock Marketing Association stated that, “[These are] unfortunate, but it’s isolated incidents,”   Just as there are bad preachers, teachers, and lawyers, there will be those people who ruin the image of good agriculturists.  The important thing is to listen and trust the majority who are doing the right thing.

And speaking of those who are moving to make a positive difference, just a few weeks ago, New Mexico Cattle Grower’s and New Mexico Wool Grower’s met in Ruidoso for the 2008 Joint Stockman’s Summer Conference.  The theme was “Are You Prepared?”  Here, producers learend ways to be proactive in ways to improve and protect the future of our industry.  One issue that has spent a lot of time in the forefront is the reintroduction of the Mexican Wolf.  Under the way the system is set up, ranchers’ hands will literally be tied behind our backs as our herds will be attacked by the wolves.  Several things were discussed to solve the issue, and cattlemen are working hard to make their voice heard.  Currently, we have an online petition that gives us a voice about the wolf.  For more information, and to see the petition, please click here.  This is just one example of how hard we have to work to protect our animals.  So I ask you, who cares more for the animals:  The undercover HSUS employee who stands by doing nothing as animals are abused so he can shoot a video that isn’t released for months, or the average rancher who puts a lot time and energy into working to make sure the animals under his care are given a fair chance?

I think everybody in America should go visit a CowBelle (or Cattle Women in most other states) meeting once in their lives.  If they have no other exposure to the truth behind the agriculture industry, sitting through one meeting they could see first hand the honest, hard working women who work along side the men in our industry to supply them with a product they can trust.  So, maybe now you can understand, why I get so excited to see any other vehicle proudly displaying “NM Beef is Great” on the front of their vehicles.  It doesn’t even have to be the red one that our state association provides, I’ve seen a white “Eat Kansas Beef” and a few other states as well, and know that the person in that vehicle shares a common bond with me.  We face a lot of issues together, and we also are proud to associate ourselves with an amazing industry.  So go ahead, Eat Beef, because, you know, Beef IS Great…And so are the people who produce it!