10/29/2005

President, President-Elect Speak in South Dakota

(Fort Pierre, S.D.) – North and South came together recently in Fort Pierre, S.D., when R-CALF USA President and Co-Founder Leo McDonnell, of Columbus, Mont., and R-CALF USA President-Elect and Region V Director Chuck Kiker, of Beaumont, Texas, spoke at the organization’s Region III meeting. Fort Pierre Livestock Auction Inc. sponsored the event, which drew members not only from South Dakota and North Dakota, but from Nebraska as well. Johnny Smith, Fort Pierre Livestock partner and auctioneer, hosted the meeting.

R-CALF USA Region III Director and Co-Founder Herman Schumacher helped organize the meeting and updated the audience on past and current litigation cases within the cattle industry and their relation to R-CALF USA.

“In 1998, when fat cattle were hovering around $56 to $60 (cwt), we did not believe it was possible to raise a million dollars for the anti-dumping litigation against Canada, but Leo said it could be done and he has been proved right to the tune of 18,000 members,” said Schumacher.

He recalled that Leo also said that even though “we lost the anti-dumping case, we still won when we turned the opportunity into a cattle-producer only organization.”

Schumacher then introduced Kiker, the future president of R-CALF USA, who assumes his new duties at the conclusion of the annual convention in January. Kiker proceeded to tell the audience that the continued growth of the organization is in the hands of its members.

“We have some things going for us now that we never had in the beginning,” said Kiker. “The future is in you folks who know what R-CALF is all about. R-CALF is you. You are the folks determining our direction, making the phone calls, and putting in the money.

“R-CALF has two limiting factors: funds and membership,” Kiker explained. “We are well on our way to reaching membership goals, but we need to have over 25,000 members to be the indisputably largest cattle organization in the U.S. This will give us the clout in Washington we need to make sure your interests in the cattle industry are addressed.

“One of the reasons I was chosen president-elect is because R-CALF is extremely strong in the North, but to make this truly a national organization, we need to get as many members in the southern U.S. as we have in the northern part of the country,” he continued. “With that purpose in mind, we just hired a southeastern field man named John West who hails from Fort Worth, Texas.

“R-CALF is effective as an organization representing independent cattle producers,” Kiker noted. “After having been formed for only three years, we started seeing record prices for cattle, and the prices are holding. Also, our leadership represents membership policy.”

McDonnell followed up Kiker’s speech with the basis upon which R-CALF USA was founded.

“I want to thank all of you for all of your support over the years,” said McDonnell. “You folks have been responsible for our successes, and for that, I thank you.”

He continued by expressing five goals that he had in mind for R-CALF USA when it was founded in 1998:

1) to ensure that cattle producers receive a fair price for their cattle;

2) to maintain consumers’ right to receive the safest and highest quality product available;

3) to address distortions to competition in both the domestic and international markets;

4) to prevent USDA from liberalizing import standards below internationally practiced standards;

5) to reverse the contraction of the U.S. cattle herd, which is occurring at a time when other countries’ herds remain the same and/or are growing.

“You have a right to form a voice, you have a responsibility, and you either use it or you lose it,” noted McDonnell. “You are the only one responsible for taking a stand for your own business and for taking back control of your industry.

“No issue will have a greater impact on your future than trade liberalization,” he commented. “You need to learn from the mistakes and foolishness of other industries and work to ensure that trade is enhancing, not just to the beef industry segment, but more importantly to U.S. cattle ranchers.”

McDonnell and Kiker took questions from the audience afterward that primarily centered on animal identification and Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL).

“We had a nice group of concerned people in the cattle industry today,” said Smith. “Leo and Chuck are 150 percent in favor of the cattle producer. They gave excellent presentations.”

“R-CALF has come a long way,” said Dennis Hanson, Fort Pierre Livestock Auction owner and manager. “Going from zero to 18,000 members in six years is unheard of.”

“It is going to be hard to replace Leo,” said Ken Knuppe, past president of South Dakota Stockgrowers Association (SDSGA), an R-CALF USA affiliate organization. “He is like a hero for what he has done in starting this organization and in growing it to over 18,000 members.

“But you move on,” Knuppe continued. “As long as our new president is listening to the membership for direction, we will do well. I believe Chuck will do that.”

“As Leo said, it is still about the issues,” noted Joan Kazmerzak of Lake Preston, S.D. “One of the current, biggest issues being COOL. We should expect importers to abide by the same standards as we have for our food safety.”

“We are progressing and growing,” said Allen Lund, secretary of the Independent Beef Association of North Dakota (I-BAND), another R-CALF USA affiliate organization. “Chuck described the two most important objectives for growing are membership and funds.

“Membership is needed to have a voice in Washington, D.C., and funds are needed to help with litigation,” Lund explained. “COOL is the most important issue currently, and we have to get the word out to the consumer.”

Sponsors included: Fort Pierre Livestock Auction Inc.; Moodie Implement Inc.; Butler Machinery Co.; and Pioneer of Pierre.