Author: Rachel Gabel
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Women dominate the livestock shows in Denver
The first cattle to show in the CoBank Arena in the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Livestock Center at the National Western Stock Show were the Herefords of the Catch a Calf program. Anschutz is an ardent supporter of the program and a big fan of a burly Hereford, so it was fitting. She was ringside watching in…
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New initiative threatens to dissolve CPW
CPW can’t catch a break. If polling were used to measure public trust in agencies, it would be a dreary picture. This, however, is the result of political interference with the agency, not as a result of the professionals managing wildlife in the state. Former CPW Director Jeff Davis was a political sacrifice, and I…
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Ag industry needs real-world solutions
The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 sets federal standards for employees including minimum wage, child labor, and overtime. Agricultural workers have been largely exempt from the overtime requirements because during key portions of the growing season, there is a small window of time that requires more hours and more labor than the majority of…
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Campbell was a unique political character
There are many things to appreciate about the late Ben Nighthorse Campbell, but one of the items at the top of the list is his belief that it’s more important to kill bad bills than to sign onto a mediocre bill in the name of visibility. His time in the statehouse was the era of…
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The men and women of meatpacking on my mind | Rachel Gabel
The meatpacking industry employees and their families are on my mind as the closure of the Lexington, Nebraska, Tyson plant nears its closure date in January. More than 3,200 employees will lose their jobs, realistically affecting half of the 11,000 people in Lexington. Meat packing has never been an easy way to make a living.…
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Mastering a combination of ranching and conservation
Sue Anschutz Rodgers sat in her downtown Denver office, far from her beloved Crystal River Ranch, but surrounded by photos of the ranch and a wall of plaques and photos and newspaper clippings evidencing her long support of young people in agriculture and the National Western Stock Show. She is all class in winter white,…
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Ag industry can’t surrender the keys to the Kingdom
Animal agriculture, ranching, hunting, and farming are not dying ways of life. The cowboy is not about to ride off into the sunset and certain extinction. Beef is not going to be replaced by cultured meat, any variety of bugs, or salad (though we grow that, too). AI or niche small scale production methods are…
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Closing a processing plant hits a community hard
Black Swan is apparently on the menu this holiday season for people across the cattle and beef value chains. Last week, Tyson announced the closure of a processing plant in Lexington, Nebraska. This plant processes about 5,000 head of cattle daily and employs over 3,200 people. In a town like Lexington, this closure realistically directly…
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COLUMN: Stock Show’s Catch a Calf has a rich history
Bill Waneka, who was raised in Lafayette, Colo., is one of the original National Western Catch a Calf volunteers who remains a committee member today. The program began in 1935 when boys who were exhibiting fat steers at Denver were drawn to try to catch a calf during the rodeo. They returned the next year…
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The significance of the State Land Board siding with the San Luis Valley | GABEL
Some members of the State Land Board don’t like the Trump administration and the decisions made about conservation, which they voiced in the monthly public meeting Nov. 13. The board could have made the mistake of making an exceptionally partisan statement, something that is certainly not in the best interest of conservation or kids. The…