11 May 2007

3 minute read

North America

Billings, Mont. (May 9, 2007) – The votes are in. R-CALF USA members, via mail-in ballot, have approved 100 percent of the 23 proposed resolutions brought forward by membership at January’s annual convention in Denver.

The record 23 resolutions dealt with topics ranging from animal health to animal identification to marketing to property rights to international trade issues – and to the organization’s now-official slogan: “R-CALF USA: Fighting for the U.S. Cattle Producer,” a proposal brought forward by the group’s membership committee.

The R-CALF USA Membership Committee brought forward the resolution to establish an official slogan, which passed by a vote of 3,177-98. It reads: “WHEREAS, R-CALF USA was formed by U.S. cattle producers in 1998 because they believed that the largest segment of the U.S. cattle industry – the producer segment – was in need of a national organization representing the interests of U.S. producers exclusively; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that R-CALF USA membership adopt this official slogan: “R-CALF USA: Fighting for the U.S. Cattle Producer.”

“Every member who joined R-CALF did it because we’ve made bold moves,” said R-CALF USA National Membership Co-Chair Herman Schumacher, a co-founder and past director. “This organization will continue the tradition of taking action that other so-called producer organizations won’t try. R-CALF’s founding was based on doing something different than other groups, like taking on tough issues. The issues facing our industry haven’t gotten any easier, and our members will be the ones to stand their ground to improve our industry.”

Also brought forward by the R-CALF USA Membership Committee was the following resolution, which passed 3,217-63: “WHEREAS, increasing R-CALF USA awareness and increasing membership is vital to the future of R-CALF USA, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that R-CALF USA aggressively pursue expanded media exposure to increase awareness and membership.”

R-CALF USA Region VII Director Eric Nelson said members of the Independent Cattlemen of Iowa (ICI), an R-CALF USA affiliate organization, felt it was important that production of a national weekly radio program be implemented as part of this effort, and also that additional tools be made available to R-CALF USA Communications Coordinator Shae Dodson so she can continually expand media outreach around the country. The radio program, titled “The Weekly Roundup from R-CALF USA,” is available free of charge. The ‘Roundup’ is posted on R-CALF USA’s website by 4 p.m. Mountain Time on Fridays, and can be e-mailed directly to stations that make such a request.

“ICI members had been hoping for quite some time to have a program like The Weekly Roundup to spotlight all the great work R-CALF does on a daily and weekly basis, so it’s great to see this project finally realized,” said Nelson.

“Getting folks acquainted with R-CALF in states where we’re relatively new is critical to growing our membership and increasing our influence in Congress,” he continued. “Besides the trade media and the national press that typically follow our issues, it’s also important to increase our exposure by establishing relationships with small-town radio stations and small-town newspapers anywhere that folks raise cattle. Once people realize we’re truly the only national grassroots organization that exclusively represents producer interests, it doesn’t take long for them to realize they want to be a part of R-CALF USA. We just have to keep getting the word out.”

Forthcoming during the next few days will be separate news releases – by category – to introduce R-CALF USA’s new policies. For instance, two animal health resolutions were passed; four resolutions that strengthen R-CALF USA’s opposition to mandatory animal identification programs are now policy; and, three resolutions that address marketing issues also passed.

Additionally, members approved four property-rights policies; four new trade policies are in effect; and, four new policies have been established with regard to the reform of the National Beef Checkoff Program.

TheCattleSite News Desk