New Nebraska Cattle Producer
Group Launched From Scratch
DENVER — Within minutes of her husband making the announcement, Kim Abbott stood at a table in the ballroom here with a fist full of money and more cattlemen writing checks.
Chris Abbott, Gordon, Neb., announced the formation of the Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska during R-CALF's sixth annual convention here in the Mile High City.
Abbott, one of the plaintiffs in the Pickett v. IBP lawsuit, made the announcement following a speech by Dave Domina, the lead attorney in the case.
Actually, Abbott said, the idea of the new organization stemmed from a comment made by Domina a year ago in Montgomery, Ala., where the case was heard in federal court.
"You've got to go home and build R-CALF," Domina told him. "You've go to take over the present organization or start a new one."
"We're a little slow," Abbott grinned. "It only took us a year."
But he said that the concerns of many of the cattlemen in Nebraska extend beyond just packer concentration.
"It became really clear in recent months and in this past year," Abbott explained, "that with these major issues that we're facing, one national cattlemen's organization cannot represent all sectors of our industry."
He said it's up to the grassroots producer to face the problems today.
"It's important, Abbott said, "that the Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska has an organization that represents only their interests."
Abbott said that when he got home from Alabama, he called the president of the Nebraska cattlemen and the president-elect. He said there was no response.
"For two hours we visited," Abbott said. "We agreed on one thing. We all need to come together."
The problem is that the other side wanted Abbott and Rothwell to give up too much.
"Their way of coming together was different from our way," Abbott said. "Independent cattlemen have got to stand shoulder to shoulder is my way."
Abbott said the president of the state group wasn't even from Nebraska.
"I asked the president of the Nebraska Cattlemen where he's from," Abbott said. "He said 'Texas.'"
The core group of the new organization consists of Chris Abbott of Gordon, Robert Rothwell of Hyannis, David Wright of Neligh, Korley Sears of Ainsworth and Al Davis of Hyannis.
It's quite obvious," said Rothwell, "that the timing is ideal right now to start an organization."
They're deeply concerned over the BSE controversy and the Canadian border.
"At the time we were in trial with this thing, the BSE was raging," Rothwell said. "If you look back over the year, a lot of those three issues — country of origin labeling, BSE and captive supplies — have come to the forefront. Now some of the problems we have with the east and west coasts are ones of education."
There is a lack of accurate information going to the public, he contended.
"It's important for our group," Rothwell said, "to educate those consumers with helping to get a better product and help with issues like country of origin labeling."
He thinks it is up to a new organization, another grassroots organization like R-CALF from rural areas to take up the challenge, Rothwell said.
He said they will get information from the grassroots back to the national organization.
Rothwell said groups like the Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska need to be started all over the country.
"These groups," Rothwell said, "I think will only grow."
"The current issue of the border makes it painfully obvious that the current leadership doesn't understand it's not either from a health risk standpoint or an economic standpoint, it's not beneficial to the consumer nor the producers," said Wright.
Wright said he wants a producer-driven organization. He said that's the way it used to be. That's the way it's supposed to be.
"How can you open the border and come up with all kinds of reasons to do it?" Wright asked.
"If you want to buy a new pickup," Rothwell said, "you can justify just about anything. If you want to open the border, you can find ways to justify it."
"That's the problem," Wright said, "our organizations dance to the tune of the USDA."
Citing a white paper concerning movement of personnel from industry jobs to government and back to industry, the group calls the closed culture a revolving door.
"They keep on doing business as usual," Rothwell said.
He said producers keep getting treated like they're insignificant.
"We're going to take our industry back," Abbott said.
Group Launched From Scratch
DENVER — Within minutes of her husband making the announcement, Kim Abbott stood at a table in the ballroom here with a fist full of money and more cattlemen writing checks.
Chris Abbott, Gordon, Neb., announced the formation of the Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska during R-CALF's sixth annual convention here in the Mile High City.
Abbott, one of the plaintiffs in the Pickett v. IBP lawsuit, made the announcement following a speech by Dave Domina, the lead attorney in the case.
Actually, Abbott said, the idea of the new organization stemmed from a comment made by Domina a year ago in Montgomery, Ala., where the case was heard in federal court.
"You've got to go home and build R-CALF," Domina told him. "You've go to take over the present organization or start a new one."
"We're a little slow," Abbott grinned. "It only took us a year."
But he said that the concerns of many of the cattlemen in Nebraska extend beyond just packer concentration.
"It became really clear in recent months and in this past year," Abbott explained, "that with these major issues that we're facing, one national cattlemen's organization cannot represent all sectors of our industry."
He said it's up to the grassroots producer to face the problems today.
"It's important, Abbott said, "that the Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska has an organization that represents only their interests."
Abbott said that when he got home from Alabama, he called the president of the Nebraska cattlemen and the president-elect. He said there was no response.
"For two hours we visited," Abbott said. "We agreed on one thing. We all need to come together."
The problem is that the other side wanted Abbott and Rothwell to give up too much.
"Their way of coming together was different from our way," Abbott said. "Independent cattlemen have got to stand shoulder to shoulder is my way."
Abbott said the president of the state group wasn't even from Nebraska.
"I asked the president of the Nebraska Cattlemen where he's from," Abbott said. "He said 'Texas.'"
The core group of the new organization consists of Chris Abbott of Gordon, Robert Rothwell of Hyannis, David Wright of Neligh, Korley Sears of Ainsworth and Al Davis of Hyannis.
It's quite obvious," said Rothwell, "that the timing is ideal right now to start an organization."
They're deeply concerned over the BSE controversy and the Canadian border.
"At the time we were in trial with this thing, the BSE was raging," Rothwell said. "If you look back over the year, a lot of those three issues — country of origin labeling, BSE and captive supplies — have come to the forefront. Now some of the problems we have with the east and west coasts are ones of education."
There is a lack of accurate information going to the public, he contended.
"It's important for our group," Rothwell said, "to educate those consumers with helping to get a better product and help with issues like country of origin labeling."
He thinks it is up to a new organization, another grassroots organization like R-CALF from rural areas to take up the challenge, Rothwell said.
He said they will get information from the grassroots back to the national organization.
Rothwell said groups like the Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska need to be started all over the country.
"These groups," Rothwell said, "I think will only grow."
"The current issue of the border makes it painfully obvious that the current leadership doesn't understand it's not either from a health risk standpoint or an economic standpoint, it's not beneficial to the consumer nor the producers," said Wright.
Wright said he wants a producer-driven organization. He said that's the way it used to be. That's the way it's supposed to be.
"How can you open the border and come up with all kinds of reasons to do it?" Wright asked.
"If you want to buy a new pickup," Rothwell said, "you can justify just about anything. If you want to open the border, you can find ways to justify it."
"That's the problem," Wright said, "our organizations dance to the tune of the USDA."
Citing a white paper concerning movement of personnel from industry jobs to government and back to industry, the group calls the closed culture a revolving door.
"They keep on doing business as usual," Rothwell said.
He said producers keep getting treated like they're insignificant.
"We're going to take our industry back," Abbott said.
