GILLETTE, WYOMING (RFD NEWS) — A one-of-a-kind festival is coming to Wyoming this month, as “Dusty Vaquero Days” prepares to bring a three-day grassroots celebration of the modern West to Gillette. The event features artists with direct ties to the cowboy lifestyle.
Working cowboy and award-winning author J.B. Zielke, who helped establish the festival, joined us on Monday’s Market Day Report to preview Dusty Vaquero Days, along with other festival activities such as food, shopping, and community events.
In his conversation with RFD News, Zielke discussed his background as an author and his book The Lost Cowboy, as well as his life journey and experiences in cowboy culture and travel.
Zielke also talked about the effort required to build and organize a multi-day festival in Gillette, Wyoming, scheduled for May 28–30, and what went into planning the event’s second year, and reflected on lessons learned from the inaugural festival and how those experiences have shaped the current year’s planning.
Finally, he highlighted the festival’s focus on showcasing artists connected to cowboy life and Western heritage. This year, festival performers will include South Dakota artist Tyler Halverson and other acts with ties to ranching and Western culture.
LEARN MORE: www.dustyvaquerodays.com
Heavier weights and strong late-year slaughter supported December production, but lower annual totals highlight ongoing supply tightness heading into 2026.
January 26, 2026 11:19 AM
·
Rising import pressure and tougher export competition are likely to persist into 2026, supporting domestic supplies while capping export growth.
January 26, 2026 09:56 AM
·
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and Public Lands Council published a joint press release regarding the advancement of legislation to delist the Mexican Gray Wolf from the Endangered Species Act.
January 23, 2026 05:05 PM
Placements and marketings beat expectations, but declining on-feed totals and feeder constraints keep the supply story supportive for cattle prices into 2026. Dr. Derrell Peel, with Oklahoma State University, joined us to break down cattle-on-feed numbers and provide his broader market outlook.
January 23, 2026 04:40 PM
·
USDA Rural Development Director for Kentucky, Travis Burton, joined us to discuss the Princeton facility (formerly Porter Road Meats), now backed by the USDA, and its role in expanding domestic meat processing capacity.
January 23, 2026 03:39 PM
·
Farm CPA Paul Neiffer joined us to break down the recent Fifth Circuit Court decision overturning a prior Tax Court decision on self-employment tax for limited partners, the ruling’s impact on farmers, and potential next steps in Congress.
January 23, 2026 02:00 PM
·