Guys, the "one beef animal sold and checkoff paid on it in the past six months or one year", I'm not certain which time frame, is what was required on the LMA petitions against the Beef Checkoff, and I'm guessing that was the criteria when the checkoff was voted in. Also, corporate ranches get one vote, no matter how many cattle owners are in it.
Re. cattle producer numbers......isn't that listed in the Agricultural Statistics book? I may not have the name exact, but think it may be published annually, or every other year and is "from the government", so some of you will not believe it true......so.... who has better ones? Remember the numbers can only be as honest as the ranchers reporting them. Haven't we all heard friends say "I never tell those census people my real numbers"????
Considering "herd numbers" SD has fairly high one, and yes, the southern states have lower one. I believe it's all in that stats book, maybe available at the ASCS, or NRCS office or your cattlemens org.
Obviously having members like Goggins and the guy from MT trading in Canadian cattle (can't recall his name) in R-CALF brings up the average considerably. What is Goggins now, about tenth or twelfth largest in the nation in cow numbers?
So where are you going to count the cattle numbers of your CO ranchers who have memberships in both organizations?
MRJ