The New Year is here, but in Oregon, some ranchers and livestock producers are still trying to recover from record wildfires back in 2024. Matt McCelligott, past president of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association, said those wildfires left a devastating legacy.
“When it does burn, it does go through forest land and also goes through open rangeland,” McCelligott said. “But all of it is rangeland, quite frankly, and when it burns, then it creates such damage to the environment that we can’t, as an industry, graze cattle or sheep or any other livestock on that for a couple of years, unless the conditions are just exceptional, and usually they aren’t.”
McElligott says wildfires can burn so hot that they destroy any seed bank in the soil, inhibiting future growth. The Oregon Cattlemen’s Association has launched a fund to assist ranchers affected by wildfires across the state.
RFD NEWS Correspondent Frank McCaffrey was in Mission, Texas, where state and federal officials addressed growers and producers at a round table event hosted at a citrus grower’s facility. He shows us how welcome news was all around.
February 10, 2026 12:05 PM
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Producers across the country spent the week balancing spring planning with tight margins and uneven moisture outlooks. Input purchasing stayed cautious, while marketing and cash-flow decisions remained front and center for many operations.
February 09, 2026 03:17 PM
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Nationwide highlights expanded insurance options for cattle operations and their company initiatives to promote grain bin safety and support women in agriculture.
February 09, 2026 02:58 PM
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Corey Owens of the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo Association shares updates about this year’s event and its continued impact on youth, agriculture, and the San Angelo community.
February 09, 2026 02:37 PM
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Success requires more than talent — on this week’s FFA Today, agriculture students show us the hard work, dedication, and teamwork required to gain important skills outside of the classroom through the National FFA Organization.
February 09, 2026 01:17 PM
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Federal assistance has helped, but the most recent row-crop losses remain on producers’ balance sheets.
February 09, 2026 01:07 PM
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