Advertise on podcast: Sorting Pen: The California Cattleman Podcast

On this episode of Sorting Pen, Justin Oldfield, executive director of the California Cattle Council, joins us to discuss the Council’s latest work and investments, from advertising campaigns and research studies to the many other ways it’s supporting California’s cattle industry. Episode Resources: View the "Animal Care" commercial here or at  https://www.youtube.com/@calcattlecouncilCheck out the billboard at Sacramento International Airport hereText us your comments, feedback and episode ideas!

At the time of recording, it was the final day of California’s legislative session for Governor Newsom to act on legislation—his final time doing so as California’s governor. Joining us to sort through how several of CCA’s legislative priorities fared this year is CCA Vice President of Government Affairs Kirk Wilbur. We discuss the outcome of the state budget, plus legislation involving predators, good fire, and other issues CCA has tracked throughout the year, including bills being signed and vetoed right up to the deadline. Text us your comments, feedback and episode ideas!

CCA President Rick Roberti shares takeaways from CCA’s recent Fly-In to Washington, D.C., where staff and members were on the ground during the height of Farm Bill discussions. Hear about their meetings with federal agency leaders and a day on Capitol Hill advocating for California cattle ranchers on issues including wildfire, vacant grazing allotments, wolves and other predator issues, the Farm Bill, and more. Text us your comments, feedback and episode ideas!

On this episode, we're chatting through some good news and updates for cattle producers with WSR Insurance CEO Jim Vann and agent Matt Griffith. WSR Insurance is the exclusive insurance provider of the California Cattlemen’s Association. We discuss the latest updates and opportunities in Livestock Risk Protection (LRP), including USDA’s newly announced Beef Retention and National Development tool, as well as recent changes to Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage (PRF) insurance and why now is the time to get your policies in place. If PRF hasn’t been a great option for some of your acres in the past, now is the time to have a new conversation about whether these updates make it a better fit. Matt and Jim also share about weather forecasts, California’s fire insurance market, and what else producers should have on their radar. Episode resouces: Get a quote from WSR: https://www.wsrins.com/ag-quoteContact Matt: https://www.wsrins.com/insurance-agents/matt-griffithContact Jim: https://www.wsrins.com/insurance-agents/jim-vannSubscribe to WSR's Weekly Weather Updates: https://www.wsrins.com/weatherText us your comments, feedback and episode ideas!

The first bull sales of California’s fall bull sale run are just days away. World Livestock Auctioneer Champion Col. Rick Machado joins Sorting Pen to chat about this year’s bull offerings, the demand for bulls as U.S. cow numbers sit at a historic low, and what today’s bull purchases could mean for calves hitting the market a couple of years from now. Rick also shares what producers should keep an eye on when flipping through sale catalogs, along with more tips for successful bull buys this fall. Whether you’re buying a bull this fall or just keeping an eye on where the cattle industry is headed, there’s plenty to consider before making your bull selections. Text us your comments, feedback and episode ideas!

On August 24, the U.S. border is set to reopen to cattle from Mexico at the Douglas Port in Arizona, more than a year after the border was closed due to the threat of New World screwworm. What will the reopening mean for cattle feeders in Arizona and California, and what will it take to get cattle moving across the border again? On this episode, we sort through the history and impact of the border closure, why Douglas was chosen as the first port to reopen, and the animal health safeguards cattle will have to meet before entering the U.S. We also look ahead to what the first few weeks of reopening could look like for cattle feeders, how feeders are preparing for the continued threat of New World screwworm, and what this could mean for the California cattle industry in the years ahead. CCA Feeder Chair Mike Sulpizio of Superior Cattle Feeders returns to Sorting Pen to help explain. Joining him is Wesley Eade of EMCO Cattle Company, a longtime cattle feeder in Arizona and California whose business has brought cattle across the border for decades. Text us your comments, feedback and episode ideas!

Erin Borror, Vice President of Economic Analysis for the U.S. Meat Export Federation, joins Sorting Pen to discuss the global beef market. Erin, who also raises purebred and commercial cattle with her husband and sons at Tehama Angus Ranch in Northern California, shares the newest export numbers, why international markets remain critical even as U.S. beef production declines, and what the future could hold for U.S. beef in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Katie and Erin also discuss what the eventual reopening of the Mexico border could mean for U.S. cattle supplies, competition from countries like Brazil and Mexico, beef access to China, opportunities through new trade agreements, and other USMEF efforts. Text us your comments, feedback and episode ideas!

What does it take to build a producer-owned beef processing plant from the ground up? On this episode of Sorting Pen, Katie sits down with Trey Wasserburger, owner and operator of TD Angus and co-founder of Sustainable Beef, to discuss the vision behind launching a producer-owned packing plant in Nebraska. Trey shares how the idea for Sustainable Beef became a reality, the challenges of bringing the project to life, and what the first year of operations has looked like. Tune in for an inside look at the story behind Sustainable Beef, what it took to get the plant up and running, and how it's operating today. Episode Resources: See the ribbon cutting for Sustainable Beef in March 2025Text us your comments, feedback and episode ideas!

Cattle-PAC is CCA's voluntary political action committee, working to support and educate candidates and elected officials whose decisions shape the laws and regulations affecting California ranchers. In a state with a democratic supermajority in the legislature, every pro-livestock, pro-business voice elected to office matters. On this episode, California rancher and CCA Cattle-PAC Chair Jack Lavers joins us to discuss how Cattle-PAC strategically invests its resources, the realities of California's political landscape, and where things stand following the June primary. Text us your comments, feedback and episode ideas!

Consumer trust doesn't happen by accident. It’s built through the everyday decisions cattle producers make to care for their animals and produce high-quality beef. In this episode, we sit down with Josh White, Senior Executive Director of Producer Education & Sustainability for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, to discuss the evolution of the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program, how it helps communicate producers’ commitment to doing things the right way, and how its impact is measured among consumers. We also dive into the areas where producers have excelled, opportunities for continued improvement, and how BQA may adapt in the years ahead. Episode Resource:  https://www.bqa.orghttps://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/raising-beef/beef-quality-assuranceText us your comments, feedback and episode ideas!

At CCA's Feeder Meeting in San Diego, Overland Stock Yard Co-Manager Jason Glenn provided an update on the West Coast's supply of feeder cattle. On this episode Katie and Jason chat about the market,  cattle feeding in California, and more. Text us your comments, feedback and episode ideas!

In our last episode, part one of this two-part series we covered a lot of background on the CA Wolf Project: how it got started, the people behind it, and what the project is—and isn’t—focused on. In this episode we pick that conversation back up. We sort through how the team is collecting research, who they’re collaborating with, what they’re seeing so far, what’s ahead, and how it all fits into the bigger picture. We’ll also take a closer look at the real challenges California ranchers are facing with wolves today. Text us your comments, feedback and episode ideas!

The California Wolf Project is an initiative within the University of California Berkeley’s Wildlife Program. In this episode, the leaders of the California Wolf Project and principal investigators Dr. Arthur Middleton and Dr. Justin Brashars explain how this project got started, the people behind it, and what the project is and isn’t focused on.  This is the first episode of two on The California Wolf Project. Part two, dropping on May 18, will sort through how the team is collecting research, who they’re collaborating with, what they’re seeing so far, what’s ahead, and how it all fits into the bigger picture. We’ll also discuss some of the real challenges California ranchers are facing with wolves today. Text us your comments, feedback and episode ideas!

On this episode of Sorting Pen, we’re joined by Dr. John Madigan. Best known for developing the Madigan Squeeze Procedure, Dr. Madigan walks us through this simple yet groundbreaking technique used to treat neonatal maladjustment syndrome (often called “dummy foal syndrome") and how it’s now being applied to calves as well. Hear why it works, how it can be used on the ranch, the research behind it, and much more in this conversation. If you heard Dr. Madigan speak at our Convention last December, this episode builds on that conversation. And if you didn’t, it’s a great introduction to a practical tool that’s making a difference in the field. Note: In the horse world, historically, breeders termed these foals that were disoriented, wandering, and not nursing the mare, a ‘dummy foal’.  In veterinary medicine, they are better referred to as the maladjusted foal.  Episode Resources:  Dr. Madigan's Website (https://www.johnmadigandvm.com)Videos on "The Squeeze" Text us your comments, feedback and episode ideas!

As he prepares to term out of serving in the California State Legislature, Assemblymember James Gallagher joins us for a real, wide-ranging conversation about his time in office and what’s next. He shares his background in agriculture, what he’s learned about navigating Sacramento, and how he’s worked to elevate rural issues. We also discuss the passing of Congressman Doug LaMalfa and how that influenced his decision to run for Congress. From rising costs and fuel prices to ongoing regulatory challenges, Gallagher talks through the issues facing farmers and ranchers today, along with the impact of Prop 50 and the road ahead. It’s a straightforward conversation about policy, agriculture, and why California is still worth fighting for. Text us your comments, feedback and episode ideas!