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.
USMEF’s Jay Theiler discusses his leadership role in representing U.S. beef and pork and provides an update on this week’s conference in Indianapolis.
November 14, 2025 03:36 PM
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Manure from a hog farm is more than just waste; it is also becoming a key renewable resource for operations.
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The Dairy Checkoff’s new approach to consumer marketing helps farmers bridge the gap between physical vs. digital touchpoints and deliver more end sales.
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USDA released the November WASDE Report on Friday, the first supply-and-demand estimate to drop since September, just before the 43-day government shutdown.
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Expanded aerial capacity strengthens the U.S.–Mexico buffer against screwworm, providing cattle producers with stronger protection heading into winter and reducing risk to herds along the southern tier.
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Learn the conditions farmers must meet to qualify for this new three-year tax deferral on farmland sales, how much it could save, and other details to consider.
November 13, 2025 01:57 PM
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