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.
R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard joins Market Day Report for his insight on the USDA’s plan to strengthen the U.S. beef industry.
October 24, 2025 01:28 PM
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For our Countdown to Convention with Culver’s, we explore how the sea of FFA blue impacts local businesses.
October 24, 2025 11:58 AM
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Until a phased reopening is inked, plan for tighter feeder availability, firmer basis near border yards, and continued reliance on domestic and Canadian sources.
October 24, 2025 11:42 AM
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RFD-TV Markets Expert Tony St. James breaks down the USDA’s newly unveiled plan to rebuild the US beef herd and the industry’s spectrum of responses to it.
October 23, 2025 03:06 PM
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As we continue our Countdown to Convention sponsored by Culver’s, we see how FFA helps students and alums like Kat Walker build skills for life through ag education.
October 23, 2025 02:32 PM
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American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) economist Bernt Nelson provides an updated outlook on the current U.S. cattle market.
October 23, 2025 02:20 PM
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Farm CPA Paul Neiffer discusses the status of USDA disaster aid, including delays to Stage 2 of the SDRP program, and what farmers should watch for as lawmakers negotiate an end to the government shutdown.
October 23, 2025 01:03 PM
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Sen. Roger Marshall explains which types of beef are imported into the United States, how there’s room for new imports, and logical reasons for current high prices.
October 23, 2025 12:10 PM
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Record Australian exports and rising U.S. imports reflect continued tight domestic cattle supplies — a reminder that herd recovery remains key to balancing future beef prices.
October 23, 2025 11:56 AM
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