Chuck Jolley   |   Updated: February 10, 2012

Last week, Bill Donald wrapped up one of the most interesting and tumultuous years in this industry when he stepped down as president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.  He took the office in truly frightening times.  There was a nasty little rift between NCBA and CBB that had been festering for a while, threatening to tear that good friendship apart.  The longstanding GIPSA rule that had helped pull the beef business out of the one-size-fits-all commodity market was under attack.  The letters FTA were starting to not sound like an acronym for Free Trade Agreement.

He was one pony-tailed cowboy that was getting ready to step into it ankle-deep.

To his credit, he was quite capable of hitching up his jeans and getting to work.  He wears some big boots, too, that helped him wade through some of those problems.

Unlike a lot of today’s rancor-ridden politicians, he knew how to sit at a table and say, “Come, let’s reason together.”  And with the help of a strong Denver-based team, reason seems to have prevailed. 

Way back in 1963, Dave Dudley sang "Six Days on the Road," a truck driver’s lament about being gone way to long.  Donald trumped him by racking up 250 days on the road, showing what it takes to do the job right.  Now that he can finally spend more than a few days at home, I thought it might be time to do the exit interview – find out what he thought about his year under the gun and ask him if he had any words of wisdom for J.D. Alexander.

Q. Let's start by looking back at the highlights of the past year.  Tell me about the accomplishments that you and the NCBA crew can point to with the most pride? What events disappointed you?

A. Even though we have been playing defense in the regulatory arena, we have been putting some points on the board. We worked long and hard to diminish the negative impacts the proposed GIPSA rule would have on our producers’ ability to market their cattle and were successful in getting the most threatening language removed. We also were successful in removing the funding from implementation of the rest. This gives us a window of opportunity to get some guidelines codified so we don’t have to go through that exercise again.

We were also successful in getting the funding stripped from the EPA implementing the drastic changes they were considering for the dust rule. Another win was the pulling of a rule from the Department of Transportation which would have required anyone who operates a farm tractor to get a CDL. On the proactive side, we finally saw the passage and signing of Free Trade Agreements with South Korea, Columbia and Panama, which we have been working on for five years. This has the potential to increase US beef sales by a billion dollars. That will be real money going into producers pockets.

As far as disappointments go, I find the bitterly acrimonious atmosphere in Washington, DC, very disappointing. Our elected officials are so focused on getting re-elected and beating down the other party, they are atrophied. With the passage of the FTA’s, they proved they can work together, but it is certainly the exception and not the rule.

Q. The declining herd size -2012 numbers are projected to be at a 60-year low - is getting a lot of press.  Should the industry be concerned?

A. The industry should and is absolutely concerned by the declining herd size. Even though the we are getting strong economic signals to retain heifers and keep cows in the herd longer, the impacts of drought in the Southern Plains has left a huge hole. The area where fully one-third of the US cow herd resides has been in a severe to extreme drought for a couple years. Until we get some relief from Mother Nature it will be difficult to rebuild the cowherd as a whole. There are areas of expansion, where ever the growing conditions allow, but we lost over 600,000 head of cows from the Southern Plains last year. That leaves a mark!

Q. We talked for a few moments about the explosion in proposed government regulations.  Some have been enacted; a few have been beaten back.  What's happening and what should cattlemen do?

A. This administration has proposed over 1,100 rules since taking office that had the potential to impact virtually every aspect of our lives. Cattlemen should be vigilant. NCBA has an excellent team in Washington, DC, that monitors the regulatory agencies’ actions every day. No producer has the time to do that on their own. Cattlemen should join up with the NCBA team to insure we have the strongest voice possible.

Q. You've spent a considerable amount of time on the road during the last 365 days. Who was minding the ranch while you were gone?

A. I am very fortunate to have a very strong family around me to handle everything on the home front while I travel for NCBA. Our two sons and their families, my sister and her husband, my niece and her family are all part of the operation. Without their support and leadership at home, I would never be able to do what I have done for the past few years. Maybe it is coincidental, but the ranch has had the most profitable year ever and I have been gone more than ever! My oldest son says the two are related because the repair bill has dropped significantly while I’ve been gone!

Q. Tell me about your travels. What did you see that got you excited or caused some alarm?

A. What I saw that has gotten me excited is the absolute passion that runs through every segment of this industry. From the seedstock sector all the way through the retailer, everyone is passionate about purveying the safest, most nutritious and delicious protein known to man. It makes me proud to be part of such a great industry.

Q. J.D. Alexander will lead the organization this year and congratulations are in order.  What words of wisdom and warning do you have for him?

A. My advice to JD is to grab all the gusto that this opportunity provides. He will get the opportunity to see and do things that very few people ever do. Being President of NCBA is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that should be cherished. I would give him a word of warning about guiding the outfit firmly, but with as much inclusiveness as possible. Just as we don’t want beef to become a luxury item, we don’t want NCBA to be enjoyed by only a few. We need all cattlemen to be part of this great outfit.

Q. Thousands of people read Cattlenetwork.  What would you like to say to them?

A. I think most of the cattlemen who are members of NCBA know me fairly well. To those who are not members, I would like to say I have dedicated the last five years of my life to making the beef industry more sustainable, by working to increase profitability and improve the business climate for all cattlemen. As they look at where their outfits and bottom lines are now compared to five years ago, consider that NCBA had a hand in some of that. We have a great team dedicated to improving the entire beef industry. I would hope every cattleman would give the idea of becoming an NCBA member another look. We’re all in this together!

Chuck Jolley is a free lance writer, based in Kansas City, who covers a wide range of ag industry topics for Vance Publishing.

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