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Hard truths, open pastures, and a lot of heart—Heidi Humphries invites us into her family’s Black Angus cow‑calf ranch outside Tucumcari, New Mexico, and shows what real stewardship looks like. We dig into the daily choices that keep cattle healthy and a multi‑generation operation moving forward: adapting to arid grasslands, rotating pastures with intention, fixing water lines after storms, and building a uniform herd that fits today’s beef market without losing sight of long‑term resilience.

We also talk biosecurity with urgency and calm. Screwworm is on every producer’s mind, so Heidi explains how local meetings, county extension testing kits, and neighbor‑to‑neighbor communication create a line of defense. Her message is clear: proactive beats reactive, and community beats isolation. Along the way, you’ll hear how off‑ranch work provides benefits and stability, why gentle cattle make better health checks, and how steady vaccination protocols pay off when the unexpected hits. 

Beyond production, we explore beef nutrition, consumer choice, and the surprising reach of cattle byproducts—insulin, leather goods, tallow skincare, brushes, and more. Heidi is candid about the gap between TV portrayals and real ranch life: profit is uneven, work is constant, and meaning comes from small wins—a straight fence at sunset, a bottle calf that finally makes it, a family team pulling in the same direction. For anyone curious about New Mexico ranching, sustainable beef, or how legacy actually survives, this conversation offers practical insight and a grounded sense of hope.

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A famous outlaw's grave you can see from the kitchen sink, a trail that once fed frontier forts, and a family betting on rain—this is ranching in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. We sit down with Sarah Fitzgerald, chair of the New Mexico Beef Council, to unpack what it really takes to raise beef in an arid landscape where stocking rates stretch to 50–70 acres per animal unit and every decision hinges on land, water, and numbers.

We explore the engine room of their operation: a small, tightly run grow yard designed for careful weaning and efficient gains. Sarah explains how a grow yard differs from a feedlot, why audited feed labels and certified natural programs matter, and how source verification with EID tags builds traceability and trust. The conversation moves from dust to data—budgets, P&Ls, forward contracts, and the high cost of inputs that shape thin ranch margins. Along the way, we tie in Wild West history, the Goodnight Loving Trail, and the modern realities of rotational grazing, native grasses, and adapting to weather that doesn’t always cooperate.

This episode is also a window into family life on a ranch. Sarah shares how she runs the books, handles audits and trucking, and still reads the land for subtle signs—trampling near waters, cow patties, grass height—that guide pasture moves. We talk land prices, leasing strategies, and how to make farmland and forage work together when buying a traditional ranch won’t cash flow. For students and career changers, the beef industry’s breadth comes into view: animal science, meat science, nutrition, accounting, marketing, trucking, and more. And for anyone curious about grocery store beef, Sarah’s message is simple and clear: family-owned operations care deeply, and beef safety and quality are non-negotiable.

Stick around for a bit of holiday warmth as Sarah shares her family’s tradition of homemade Italian meatballs on Christmas Eve—proof that beef is more than a meal; it’s memory and connection. If you value grounded stories about food, land, and the people who make both possible, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves beef, and leave a review to tell us what you learned.

Dion's is has a new menu item! Try their Green Chile Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza today.

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Curiosity, service, and straight talk drive this deep dive with New Mexico rancher and board member Boe Lopez, who opens up about life on the range and the work behind a trustworthy beef supply. We trace his path from a family operation rooted in generations of grit to leadership roles that demand tough decisions, transparency, and constant learning. Along the way, Boe breaks down what most folks never see: how Beef Council dollars are governed, why promotion needs to be bold yet accountable, and how a hot air balloon turned into a surprisingly powerful conversation starter for producers and consumers.

We explore the real mechanics of herd health across New Mexico’s diverse terrain—from 5,900-foot headquarters to 8,500-foot summer leases—where weather, wildlife, and elevation shape daily choices. Bo explains practical nutrition and animal care: forage and fecal testing, targeted minerals and salt, vaccination protocols, and sunflower cake adjusted to temperature and grass growth. He connects those details to bigger themes like biosecurity during transport, veterinary partnerships, and the shared goal of healthy cows and calves that produce high-quality beef.

Economics and legacy thread through every story. Yes, prices are up, but so are inputs: diesel, fencing, minerals, equipment, and freight. Bo breaks down how thin margins, estate planning, and variable markets force families to think decades ahead so the next generation inherits opportunity, not a tax bill and a for-sale sign. Still, he’s clear about why it’s worth it: neighbors who show up without being asked, a faith-driven commitment to land and wildlife, and a lifestyle that rewards perseverance. He closes with practical advice for newcomers—start small, stop comparing, learn fast—and a simple favorite: a medium filet, no sauce, with salad and a baked potato.

If you value honest stories from the people who raise your food, tap follow, share this episode with a friend, and leave a quick review to help more listeners find Behind the Burger.

Dion's is has a new menu item! Try their Green Chile Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza today.

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Stay connected with us — follow @NMBEEF on TikTok and Instagram, New Mexico Beef Council on Facebook and visit nmbeef.com for recipes, nutrition info, a local beef directory and more.

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We sit down at Corralitos Ranch with fourth-generation cattleman Ross Foster to explore drought planning, water work, herd temperament, and the real meaning of stewardship on public and private lands. Grit meets grace as we follow the choices that make cattle calm, grass recover, and families keep going.

• family history and purpose of the Las Cruces ranch 
• drought, wind and the decision to let pastures seed 
• water lines, dirt tanks and center pivots for resilience 
• rotational grazing and matching herd size to forage 
• genetics, temperament and culling for calm handling 
• cake-broke cattle for low-stress health checks 
• public land etiquette and better gates for users 
• kids, mini breeds and building next-generation interest 
• why this life is hard, redeeming and worth it 
• cooking tips from brevet cuts to sous vide

If you would like more information, please visit nmbeef.com

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Stay connected with us — follow @NMBEEF on TikTok and Instagram, New Mexico Beef Council on Facebook and visit nmbeef.com for recipes, nutrition info, a local beef directory and more.

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What does it take to keep a ranch thriving when prices swing, rain stalls, and the next generation needs a runway? We sit with Jim and Jay Hill outside Las Cruces to map a path from mules and tobacco fields to GPS tractors, custom feeding, alfalfa, cotton, seed crops, and even commercial real estate. Their story is equal parts resilience and reinvention, proving that diversification is not a buzzword—it’s a survival plan that protects both cattle and family.

Jim shares how smart buying, timely selling, and steady expansion turned a small New Mexico farm into a multi-faceted operation, while Jay recounts scaling production to 21,000 acres and two feedyards before stepping back to reassess bandwidth and balance. Together they break down how to think like a ranch CFO: hedge drought with insurance, buy feed when it’s cheap, prioritize airflow and shade to combat heat stress and parasites, and build rotational grazing that holds up when the monsoon doesn’t. They also push back on the idea that agriculture is closed to newcomers—start small, grow smart, and let partners amplify your effort.

Beyond economics, they tackle the human side of the beef industry: mental health in a comparison culture, making peace with your pace, and the hard conversations of succession planning. Their take on marketing is clear and actionable: put your name on your beef, use local processing and directories, consider co-ops carefully, and keep your face in front of your product so trust outlasts any single buyer. Through it all, the Hills return to what matters—healthy animals, honest stewardship, and a community of people you’d happily break bread with.

If you care about ranch resilience, drought strategy, animal comfort, and building a brand that lasts, this conversation delivers practical steps and real encouragement. Subscribe, share with a ranching friend, and leave a review with your favorite takeaway so more producers can find it.

Dion's is has a new menu item! Try their Green Chile Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza today.

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Stay connected with us — follow @NMBEEF on TikTok and Instagram, New Mexico Beef Council on Facebook and visit nmbeef.com for recipes, nutrition info, a local beef directory and more.

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We celebrate a year of bold outreach: a locally piloted hot air balloon, a fast-growing school beef grant, a statewide sports nutrition push, and farm tours that bring health pros onto ranches. Every move centers one goal—connect producers and consumers with clear stories, real education, and local pride.

• Launching a New Mexico Beef hot air balloon with Zia approval
• Starting a podcast to bridge ranch and table
• Extending the Sports Nutrition Game Plan through NMAA
• Practical fueling tips for student athletes on the road
• Farm tours for dietitians and health sciences students
• Photo contest showcasing ranch life across the state
• Beef grant expansion from 17 to 55 schools
• Teaching beef cookery and nutrition in classrooms
• Community engagement at state basketball in The Pit
• Stewardship of producer dollars and board-led priorities
• Upcoming KOB4 cooking competition series
• Balloon Fiesta debut and ongoing outreach

This podcast covers the fiscal year from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025.

If you would like more information, please visit nmbeef.com

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Stay connected with us — follow @NMBEEF on TikTok and Instagram, New Mexico Beef Council on Facebook and visit nmbeef.com for recipes, nutrition info, a local beef directory and more.

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A lobby fight over the beef checkoff. A dusty arena humming with beginners and world champs. And a simple reframing that changed everything: team roping isn’t just a rodeo discipline - it’s “cowboy golf.” We sit down with Denny Gentry to chart how a ranch kid from southern New Mexico helped unite a divided industry, grew local qualifiers into national institutions, and built the infrastructure that turned a ranch skill into a billion‑dollar ecosystem.

Denny recounts the hard lessons from Santa Fe, where ranchers split over a new assessment and the vote became an eye‑opener in coalition-building. That political savvy carried into the arena, where smart handicaps and day permits opened the gate to new ropers without diluting the culture. We follow the rise of USTRC and the World Series of Team Roping, the birth of a barrier system now used nationwide, and the people-powered database that quietly became a travel safety net and community directory for Western families crisscrossing the country.

Horses, cattle, and beef are the same story here. Denny explains how roping cattle move into the beef supply, why Corrientes fit evolving consumer tastes in lean beef, and how the Riata Stallion Incentive links earnings to bloodlines in partnership with AQHA and Equine Network. The result is a clearer market for performance horses and a recognition that roping increasingly sets the price signals for the broader Western horse economy. We also touch on modern nutrition science, methane research, and how better data has shifted the tone from defense to confident clarity.

If you care about ranching, horses, beef demand, or just love a good origin story, this one is packed with trail-tested insights and practical wins. Subscribe, share with a friend who ropes (or wants to), and leave a review telling us the moment that surprised you most.

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Early mornings on horseback and late nights in a tractor aren’t a contradiction—they’re the operating system of a ranch that actually works. We sit down with Fort Sumner’s Jimmie Fitzgerald to trace how a Texas upbringing, New Mexico grass, and a stubborn love for doing things right built a family operation that farms, grazes, and finishes with purpose.

Jimmie opens up about making the hard choice to move, take over, and then expand—adding ranches, growing the farm, and building a yard so the business could feed more than one family. He explains why carrying capacity is a year-long calculation, not a good-looking month, and how being a “grass barber” protects both the range and the bottom line. We dig into the practical playbook: branding and weaning vaccines that prevent wrecks, reading cattle twice a day, and weighing often because a half-pound of gain multiplied across a set is real money. He shares how alfalfa, wheat, and silage connect the dots between pastures and pens, turning weather swings into manageable decisions rather than emergencies.

The conversation stays grounded in people. Jimmy talks about earning respect as a younger operator, the neighbor culture that makes brandings work, and why teaching kids to do hard things is the true payoff. We also pull back the curtain for consumers—how to talk to your butcher, what to look for in a steak, and why questions lead to better beef on your plate. And yes, we end at the grill with a sleeper cut you should try next: tablitas, cross-cut ribs seasoned simply and cooked hot for big, marbled flavor.

If this story resonates, tap follow, share it with a friend who loves good beef, and leave a quick review—your feedback helps more curious listeners find these ranch-side conversations.

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Joel Van Dam, a third-generation dairy farmer from Route 77 Dairy, takes us behind the scenes of modern dairy production and its surprising connection to the beef industry. With 4,200 dairy cows and a newly acquired ranch, Joel bridges two agricultural worlds with innovative thinking and deep family roots.

The conversation explores "beef on dairy" genetics – an increasingly common practice where dairy cows are bred with specialized beef bulls to produce calves with better beef characteristics. For eight years, Joel has refined this approach using TD Beef (Angus) genetics, creating animals that satisfy both dairy efficiency and beef quality demands. These crossbred calves represent a solution to one of dairy's longstanding challenges: finding valuable markets for male calves born to dairy cows.

Technology plays a starring role in Joel's operation. Each cow wears an ear tag that monitors body temperature, rumination (digestive activity), and behavior patterns – allowing for precise, individualized care. This technological edge helps overcome the nationwide shortage of large animal veterinarians while maintaining exceptional animal welfare standards.

Joel dispels common misconceptions about dairy production, explaining the rigorous testing that ensures milk contains no antibiotics or inappropriate hormones. Every load undergoes testing before leaving the farm, maintaining the highest food safety standards. Similarly, the milking facilities maintain cleanliness levels that surprise most visitors – often "cleaner than most people's houses."

Despite challenges like finding qualified workers and managing weather extremes, Joel remains passionate about agriculture. His "fail forward" philosophy embraces innovation and learning from mistakes. With eleven new countries seeking American milk and growing opportunities for beef-dairy crossbreeds, the future looks promising for producers willing to adapt.

Whether you're curious about where your food comes from or considering a career in agriculture, this episode offers valuable insights into an industry that continues to evolve while maintaining its family-centered roots. Subscribe now to hear more stories from the people who produce the food on your table!

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Agriculture runs deep in Larry Reagan's blood. As President of the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau, he bridges the gap between policy and pasture, advocating for the 22,000 members who make up the state's oldest and largest agricultural organization.

"Raising cattle is a calling, not just a job," Reagan explains during this enlightening conversation with Caroline Romo of the New Mexico Beef Council. His journey from insurance customer to influential agricultural leader parallels the organization's own mission - often misunderstood as simply an insurance provider when its true purpose lies in advocacy, lobbying, legal action, and education.

Reagan's personal operation reflects the adaptive nature of New Mexico ranching. With only 14 inches of annual rainfall in his region, he's spent 25 years implementing cross-fencing systems for optimal cattle rotation. This attention to detail extends to animal welfare, with Reagan emphasizing that stress reduction is paramount for cattle health. "Everything we can do to minimize stress in our cattle is helping our cattle," he notes, highlighting the profound care that underpins responsible ranching practices.

The conversation reveals the Farm Bureau's inclusive approach to agriculture, welcoming everyone from small organic producers to large cattle operations under one mission: telling agriculture's story authentically. As Reagan puts it, agricultural producers are "doing it the best they can to the most rigorous standards," feeding their own families the very food they produce. His favorite beef dish? The quintessentially New Mexican green chili stew - a fitting culinary representation of the state's rich agricultural heritage.

Subscribe to Behind the Burger for more stories from the cattlemen and cattlewomen who bring beef from pasture to plate. Visit nmbeef.com to discover recipes, resources, and more insights into New Mexico's vibrant beef industry.

Thanks for tuning in to Behind the Burger!
Stay connected with us — follow @NMBEEF on TikTok and Instagram, New Mexico Beef Council on Facebook and visit nmbeef.com for recipes, nutrition info, a local beef directory and more.