There are serious doubts about any method to change the interactions between prey species (in this case cows) and their reaction to predators (wolves). It’s hard not to be stressed out when you are trying to stay alive:
http://www.ktvz.com/news/osu-cows-stress-from-wolves-similar-to-ptsd/-/413192/24820900/-/ir6ar6/-/index.html

Don’t forget our regular monthly CPoW meeting coming up this Wed, Feb. 12, at Memories Cafe in Ritzville (214 W. Main). No host dinner starts at 6 p.m., regular meeting starts at 7 p.m.

CPoW President Dave Dashiell at the Capitol

The Cattle Producers of Washington held another successful Legislative Days and Reception event on Jan. 30-31 last week, visiting with legislators and state agencies on issues affecting the cow-calf producer.
In addition to meeting with legislators and hosting a reception in the Columbia Room, CPoW and their lobbyist Jim Potts also met with the Washington State Department of Agriculture regarding Animal Identification and the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife regarding predator issues.
In addition, two bills supported by CPoW and the Science First Coalition were scheduled for hearings. The bills, SB 6288 and HB 2472 aim to clear up state law regarding the powers of the Department of Ecology by calling for site-based, source-specific evidence before DOE can take enforcement actions regarding potential pollution.
Overall, CPoW President Dave Dashiell said the event was a success and having cowboys at the Capitol made an impression.

“I think we got our points across. Everybody knew we were there because we weren’t dressed like regular government drones,” he said.

The CPoW Legislative Day will be held Jan. 30 with a reception for legislators at 6 p.m. in the Columbia Room. Members who are interested in attending leg day can contact CPoW via email: cattleproducersofwa@gmail.com

Country of Origin labeling marking where an animal was born, raised and harvested is in the store now, as shown on this cut of meat. What is especially needed now is a huge amount of public support for COOL that will keep this labeling in place. Tell your friends and share this post with them!

You can also do a little reading to get yourself up to speed via this link from the USDA:
http://tinyurl.com/lgnwdhq

Mark your calendars! CPoW will be hosting its annual Legislative Day on Jan. 30 in the Columbia Room in the Capitol building in Olympia at 6 p.m. This is a special opportunity to bend the ear of our lawmakers on the issues that matter to you. We are hoping for a hearty turnout of legislators and CPoW members this year, so watch this site and our Facebook page for additional details.

CPoW President Dave Dashiell, Kelly Fogarty of U.S. Cattlemen’s Association, CPoW member Jim Wentland and Diamond M co-owner Justin Hedrick kick back at the CPoW sponsored COOL Defense Fund roll-over sale on Nov. 9. The Diamond M ranch donated the steer for the rollover auction.

Labeling meat with its country of origin has been a goal that the Cattle Producers of Washington have advocated for since the organization’s inception in 2004. It is hoped that informed consumers will pick a U.S. beef product over a foreign one, boosting the profitability of the American cow-calf producer.

Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) was included in the 2002 Farm Bill but has faced challenges from both meatpacking companies in the courts and by foreign countries via the World Trade Organization. Meatpackers who kill and process cattle claim COOL is too expensive to implement. Countries like Canada have argued that the labeling creates an unfair advantage for U.S. products on the open marketplace.

However, a version of COOL was implemented in 2008 that allowed meat to be listed from the various countries it was born, raised and slaughtered in, labels often reading “product of U.S., Canada, and Mexico.”

But combined labels don’t allow consumers to clearly identify beef from the safest herds in the world. CPoW still wants to see a “born, raised and slaughtered in the U.S.” label that clearly gives consumers the information they need to choose a superior product.

If upheld in the court and supported by Congress, COOL will join other provisions like the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act, the Wool Labeling Act, the Fur Products Labeling Act and the American Automobile Labeling Act that requires a “Made in USA” label or country of origin label on the product.

“We have the best beef in the world and we know that consumers not only want a high quality product, but they want the safety and assurances that come from an animal born, raised and slaughtered in the U.S.,” said CPoW President Dave Dashiell. “There is just something wrong when you know where your shirt is from, but not your steak.”

The U.S. Cattlemen’s Association is battling challenges to the law in court, with another round of briefs scheduled for federal court in January 2014.

For more information, visit www.cattleproducersofwa.com or www.uscattlemen.org.

The Cattle Producers of Washington will be helping to kick off a roll-over auction to benefit the U.S. Cattlemen’s legal battle to ensure Country of Origin Labeling is enacted in the United States. COOL, designed to ensure every cut of meat sold in the U.S. was marked with its country of origin, was passed in the 2002 Farm Bill.

A “roll-over” auction that continues to sell a donated steer for the highest possible price will be held Nov. 9 at Stockland Livestock Auction in Davenport, WA. The “roll-over” coincides with the annual bred cow sale at Stockland. The steer will be donated by the Diamond M Ranch, Laurier, WA.

While a popular provision with cattlemen’s groups and consumers, COOL has taken hits from the international community. Less than one year after the rule took effect, Canada and Mexico challenged the law through the World Trade Organization, arguing the labeling had a “trade distorting impact.” The WTO ruled in favor of Canada and Mexico, noting that COOL would treat livestock from those countries that entered the U.S. food chain would be “less favorably” and that COOL did not “meet its objective to provide complete information to consumers on the origin of meat products.” The U.S. Department of Agriculture appealed the ruling and while not changing the “less favorable” finding, the WTO did reverse the finding that COOL does not fulfill its legitimate objective to provide consumers with information on origin.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is set to implement new COOL requirements in response to the ruling this November. However, as that deadline looms, meat packing companies have appealed to the courts over the impeding rules, claiming it will hurt their business, even alleging it violates their “first amendment rights.”

U.S. District Judge Ketanji B. Jackson disagreed.

“In the First Amendment context, it is the burden on speech, not pocketbook, that matters,” she wrote in her judicial opinion.

Cattlemen in CPoW and with the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association are continuing to fight for the labeling requirement, confident that consumers prefer U.S. beef to other countries. They hope the labeling will increase profitability in the live cattle market.

A number of CPoW members have formed a “syndicate” to help get the rollover auction started with an opening bid. The following ranchers have all committed $100 towards the auction: Willard Wolf, Monty and Vicki McPeak, Bob Schoessler, Craig Grub, Carl Grub, Dave and Julie Dashiell, L.D. and Gwen Green, Ginger Schoesler, Jim Wentland, Dick and Madeline Moore, Scott Nielsen.

For more information, contact Scott Nielsen 509-675-2608 or by email: rsnielsen@plixtel.com

Washington State Director of Agriculture Bud Hover spoke at our Oct. 19 banquet in Moses Lake.

Many thanks to the attendees and sponsors of our 2013 CPoW Annual Meeting and Banquet last weekend! We had great financial support from businesses, informative speakers and plenty of good company to go around.

Patti Brumbach and CPoW Washington Beef Commission Representative Scott Nielsen filled us in on the Beef Check Off program; the Washington State Brand and Animal Health department gave us an update on the Animal Disease Traceability system database that is being developed and we heard from the new Washington State Director of Agriculture Bud Hover. Toni Meacham of the Washington Ag Legal Foundation filled us in on the newest challenge with the Washington State Department of Ecology, the WSU Beef Program let us know what resources are available for carcass testing and evaluation and there was very positive news from the CPoW Livestock Processor’s Cooperative Association.

One of the things we noted at the banquet in addition to the good speakers was the upcoming anniversary of CPoW in 2014. Our organization has fought many battles over the years, including better and more fair policies regarding Canadian trucks bringing cattle into the state;  beating back the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) that would have burdened producers with unnecessary regulation; for uniform policies on all cattle that will be traced through the Animal Disease Traceability program (notably the removal of a 15-head dairy exemption to the regulations) and gaining better representation for cow-calf producers through the appointment of a CPoW member to the Washington State Beef Commission. We have also successfully built a slaughter facility in Odessa, Washington that gives producers more options for marketing and selling their beef which increases overall ranch profitability:
www.livestockprocessors.com

With this history behind us, it seems that CPoW deserves a new motto: “Success through Persistence.”

Sue Lani Madsen and Willard Wolf shared about challenges and successes with the CPoW Livestock Processor’s Cooperative Association.

Below is the list of our 2013 Banquet sponsors. Be sure to stop by these businesses that support the cow-calf man:

BRONZE ($150):

Lawrence Oil

SILVER ($250):

Bill and Bev McLean (Coulee City,WA)

EPL Feed, LLC (Sumas, WA)

Washington Trust Bank (Moses Lake, WA)

Zinpro Preformance Minerals (Boardman, OR)

Norbrook Inc. (Lexena, KS)

Coastal Farm and Ranch (Albany, OR)

Boehringer Ingelheim/Courtney Kealey (Post Falls, ID)

Thomsen Insurance Inc. (Grand Coulee, WA)

St. John Hardware and Implement Company (Airway Heights,WA)

Washington State Beef Commission (Seattle, WA), donated $350

Connell Grain Growers (Connell, WA)

Connell Oil (Pasco, WA)

Leffel, Otis & Warwick, P.S. (Ritzville,WA)

GOLD($500):

*Stevens County Cattlemen (Colville, WA)

Spokane County Cattlemen (Spokane, WA)

Clifton Larson Allen (Moses Lake, WA)

Sunny Okanogan Angus Ranch (Okanogan, WA)

Range Magazine (Carson City, NV)

Big R (Corporate)

PLATINUM ($1000)

Toppenish Livestock Commission

Washington Agriculture Legal Foundation Director Toni Meacham shared about new challenges with the Washington State Department of Ecology.

Are you heading down to the CPoW banquet at Moses Lake tomorrow, Sat. , Oct 19?

Below is a handy link for directions if you haven’t been to Pillar Rock Grill before:

http://www.pillarrockgrill.com/map_directions.html

Also, here’s the meeting agenda:

CPoW 2013 Banquet Agenda

October 19, 2013

AGENDA

10:00am – Registration with light breakfast
10:15am – Patti Brumbach, Scott Nielsen,
Washington Beef Commission
11:00am – Washington State Brand Dept.
12:00 LUNCH
12:30PM – Presentation from Wash. State Director of
Agriculture, Bud Hover
1:00-2:00pm – Social hour with attendees,
vendors
2:00-2:30pm – Nomination of Director,
District 2 & Secretary
2:30-3:00pm – Presentation from WSU Beef Program
3:00-3:30pm – Livestock Processor’s Cooperative
Association
3:30-4:15pm – Toni Pierson, Washington Ag Legal
Foundation
4:15-5:45pm—Social Hour
5:45 pm—Dinner registration
6:00-8:00pm—DINNER with live and silent auction
Presentation of Trail Rider of the Year Award