NCBA Chief Values Town Hall Meeting Lessons

Terry Stokes, chief executive officer of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA), says he finds valuable lessons wherever he goes in the series of town hall meetings NCBA and state cattle organizations are conducting across the country.

"It's extremely helpful to me to hear, not just the issues that are on the minds of cattle producers, but the significance they place on these issues," Stokes says. "Our cattle ranchers are under severe economic stress right now, and they want to know when they can expect to see the end of it."

This economic stress is front and center on the minds of the beef producers who turn out for the public forums to express their views and hear what their state and national organizations are doing on their behalf. Stokes says they are most interested in the profitability of their beef operations, followed by concern about meat packer concentration, retail margins on beef products, the effectiveness of the $1-per-head beef checkoff, and how to have more input into the decision-making process of the beef industry.

"I'm really appreciative of cattlemen coming to these meetings and sharing their views," Stokes says. "It strengthens NCBA as we continue to focus our efforts on increasing the profitability of beef producers and their ability to pass their operations on to the next generation."

NCBA and state beef organizations began holding town hall meetings in July to gather input from producers and ensure their needs are being met and that they are being properly represented. "We are eager to put a stethoscope on the heartbeat of members and get some feedback," Stokes said at the time. "Cattlemen ought to be given a chance to hear first-hand how government -- and NCBA's lobbying efforts -- are affecting their livelihoods."

The open forums provide a way to gather input, talk about the vision of the national organization and share information, Stokes says. While this is also accomplished at the two national meetings NCBA holds each year, Stokes says, "We figure it's good to get out in the country and meet with producers who may not always have the opportunity to travel to industry meetings."

To date, NCBA town hall meetings have been held in Mountain Home, Indian Valley, Nampa and Silver City, Idaho; Concordia, Bethany, Kahoka, Union, St. Louis, Richland and Carthage, Mo.; Calhoun and Pleasant Grove, Ga.; Gonzales and Waco, Texas; and Fallon, Paradise Valley and Elko, Nev.

Upcoming meetings are scheduled as follows:

Missouri

Columbia, Oct. 7, Missouri Beef Industry Headquarters, 12:30 pm

Jackson, Oct. 7, Jackson, Cape Girardeau County Extension Office, 6:30 pm

Arkansas/Oklahoma

Fort Smith, Ark., Oct. 15, Holiday Inn Convention Center, 6:30 pm

Montana

Miles City, Oct. 22, Livestock Commission Auction Yard, 12-4 pm

Lewistown, Oct. 23, Yogo Inn, 4:45 pm

Pennsylvania/Ohio

Lancaster, Pa., Oct. 29, Lancaster Co. Extension Office, 1383 Arcadia Rd., 7 pm

Friedens, Pa., Oct. 30, ErRER Hill Farms, 390 Riggs Rd., 11 am

Zanesville, Ohio, Oct. 30, Muskingum Livestock Auction, 7 pm

Hillsboro, Ohio, Oct. 31, United Stock Yards, 12 pm

Wyoming

Wheatland, Nov. 5, Platte County Library, 904 9^th St. 9 am

Laramie, Nov. 6, Albany County Fairgrounds, Hwy 287 south of Laramie, 9 am

Saratoga, Nov. 7, Riviera Lodge, 104 E. Saratoga St., 9 am

In addition, town hall meetings are tentatively planned in Marshall (Nov. 18), Brainerd (Nov. 19) and Rochester (Nov. 20), Minn., and Shreveport and Baton Rouge, La., Jan. 14-16. Also, Stokes will be attending the Beef Expo in Springfield, Ill., Feb.20-21, and meeting with the Indiana Beef Cattle Association near South Bend, Ind., Feb. 23.