Tag Archives: Georgia cattlemen’s association

Why U.S. Beef is Booming: Inside the Cattle Industry’s Record-Breaking Year

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Augusta, GA |

With the average American eating nearly sixty pounds of beef per year, the US ranks second per capita in worldwide consumption. Pair that with domestic prices reaching record levels in 2024, and confidence within the industry is at an all-time high.

“The optimism right now in the cattle industry is the best I’ve ever seen and I’m sixty-eight years old. So, we are in a really good time, really good markets. So, we have a good reason to be optimistic. The conditions are ripe for continued prosperity on cattle farms and also, and more importantly, conditions are right for consumers to continue to enjoy the finest protein product that’s available in the market today,” says James Vaughn, President of the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association.

That excellence is best exemplified by the rising demand for beef products despite that higher price tag.

“It absolutely speaks to the quality of the product. There’s just very little low-quality product anymore. As the cattle numbers have shrunk, the quality of the cattle, percentage wise has risen dramatically. The product that people find, whether you’re in a restaurant or in your grocery store, is exceptional these days,” says Vaughn.

However, with production expected to rise in the coming years, maintaining these types of prices will depend on opening up new markets for the cattlemen.

“That needs to be a high priority for producers. There are hoops you have to jump through sometimes to get product like in the EU or someplace, but they’re not that difficult. It’s a little learning curve. You figure out how to do it, and you keep moving products all over the world and creating demand for good American beef,” says Vaughn.

It’s why attending events like the annual Georgia Cattlemen’s Association Conference is essential as it keeps producers up to date on the latest issues affecting the industry.

“If you are a cattle producer yourself, you want to make money from it. So, staying on top of the latest trends is going to help you do that and also, staying engaged with legislative policies that will affect us helps us protect farmland and ensure that you can continue to produce cattle for years and generations to come,” says Caroline Waldrep, Events and Outreach Coordinator for the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association.

It’s a future that appears to be in good hands with the next generation showing increased interest in getting into the business.

“We are definitely shifting as a generation for sure into young people wanting to get back onto the farm. Wanting to either take over their grandparent’s farm or wanting to purchase farmland themselves. So, I think definitely, there’s a lot of optimism for youth and young people wanting to move into the cattle industry in 2025 and in the years to come,” says Waldrep.

With government policy affecting so much of what happens on these farms, becoming a member of this association has an obvious benefit.

“Strength in numbers for sure. I think the number one reason is definitely to protect cattle production for years to come. And if you have those numbers, the legislators definitely look at you as an ally and as an asset and want to protect your interests,” says Waldrep.

By: Damon Jones

Georgia Cattlemen’s Association President Dedicated to Organization, Industry

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Blairsville, GA

For Joe Garner, this farm here and this herd of cattle is a lifelong dream that, after many years, has finally become a reality. Garner, who’s family had cattle when he was younger, has always longed to have a herd of his own someday and now that the day is finally here, he says it’s nothing short of a blessing.

“I got my interest and my feet dirty in the garden,” says Joe Garner, President of the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association. “I started driving a tractor when I was in the eighth grade. We still put up hay and those kinds of things, but the cattle, they made a decision when I was five, to market the cattle. And so, I yearned for that day to cattle to come back into my life from that moment. So I started showing calves, steers, eventually showed some heifers throughout late middle and high school, and I guess it’s always been a dream to have a farm. It’s really a blessing to have a place like this.”

In 2014, Garner decided to get involved with the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association at the local level, where he has since served in various roles, the most recent of which is state President – something he considers an honor as he wholeheartedly believes in the organization and its mission to advance and advocate for the beef industry and serve the cattlemen of Georgia both in the field and Atlanta.

“The Cattlemen’s Association is charged to educate our producers, to help with marketing in some ways. We also have a strong legislative component where we actively follow bills and legislation through the process, each forty-day session there at the State Capitol,” says Garner. “It’s really a critical link for all of us, not just the cattle producers, but all farmers in general, to kind of keep some of that legislation at bay that may cause us undue harm, because they don’t see it from our angle. They don’t understand the implication that food and fiber doesn’t just happen at a grocery store. Food and fiber happens out here in the field.”

Not only does Garner believe in the Cattlemen’s Association, Garner also believes in the power of beef and says that it’s a wholesome, renewable product that not only feeds people, but enhances their lives by what beef cattle and beef cattle operations have to offer.

“Beef is a wholesome food. It is packed with many vitamins and minerals. It’s a firm source of protein and it is renewable. It allows us to keep the green space that is critical for all of our lives across the state. You know, many people may not own cattle, but I would venture to say a majority of people enjoy cattle out grazing in a field. They enjoy that green space. And that to me is a critical piece to the quality of life for all Georgians,” says Garner.

By: John Holcomb

Georgia Cattlemen Gather for Annual Meeting

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PERRY, GA –  Just like in past years, the annual Georgia Cattlemen’s Association’s convention was a big hit as producers from all over the state of Georgia came together. The three-day event gave producers the chance to learn about new technology and learn about what’s happening in the Georgia beef industry.

“Our mission is to unite cattlemen and bring life blood to the industry. So, we strive to do things through legislation, through education, to make the industry more profitable for beef cattle producers in the state of Georgia. So, we host events like this one this weekend where we can offer education, where we can offer futuristic thinking, things that are maybe coming down the line in the next few years that people need to be thinking about,” says Kristy Arnold, President of the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association (GCA).

The theme of this year’s convention was “Georgia Grown”, which focused on marketing and selling beef that’s grown, well, here in Georgia.

“A lot of times we get questions from producers that may be interested in producing a local beef product, and then I also get calls on a regular basis about consumers wanting local beef,” says Will Bentley, Executive Vice President of the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association. “So, we’ve kind of tailored our convention this year towards the educational side of, if you want to produce beef that goes direct to consumers, this is how you do it, these are the regulations, these are the opportunities, these are the challenges.”

The importance of this event can’t be expressed enough as it allows producers to be exposed to everything they would need to have a successful operation all in one place. It even lets them learn from industry leaders in their cattleman’s college.

“It’s the largest trade show specifically to the cattle industry where you can come out and get all of the equipment and implements that you may need for your operation,” says Bentley. “It’s a great opportunity to learn; a lot of producer education that goes on so that everyone knows what’s going on in the cattle industry, so we can all move forward together.”

Aside from getting to see the latest in equipment, it is also a learning opportunity for those in attendance as they get to hear about what challenges the beef industry is facing. One of the bigger challenges is making sure consumers are educated about the beef industry and not misled.

“They don’t really understand what we do, and they don’t understand that we, here in the United States, provide the cheapest, most wholesome, nutritious product as far as food and protein that there is in the world,” says Arnold.

Another challenge is one that most sectors of the ag world are facing, and that is the challenge of having an aging workforce. It’s something that the GCA is focusing on as they work to help producers that are just entering the business, which is something that can be difficult to do.

“The average farmer in the United States is well over sixty years old now,” says Arnold. “So, we’re really trying to work with the younger producers, getting them the footing that they need to be successful in ag, because it’s a very expensive industry to get into. Equipment is very expensive, all of the capital investments that you have to make are extremely hard to come by, unless someone leaves it to you in your will or you are born into a generational type family farm.”

By: John Holcomb