By Codi Vallery-Mills It was a packed house on June 20 at the St. Onge Livestock Auction barn as people filled the stands and the tent outside to watch the World Livestock Auctioneer Championship. Thirty-one men from throughout the United States and Canada took part in a two-day competition that critiqued them on their ability to interview and be a spokesperson for the livestock marketing industry, as well as their bid-calling skills and auctioneer chant. Jace Thompson of Billings, Montana, walked away as the 2026 World Livestock Auctioneer Champion. Reserve Champion was Troy Robinett of Decatur, Texas, and Runner...

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The Livestock Marketeers hosted their 61st annual Hall of Fame banquet on May 27. This years’ event was hosted by the American Angus Association in St. Joseph, Missouri. The 2026 inductees were Bill Bowman, St. Joseph, Missouri and Delvin Heldermon, Sulphur, Oklahoma. Bill Bowman was born and raised in Stet, Missouri and graduated from high school in 1975. He received a BS in Animal Science from the University of Missouri in 1979 and was a Regional Manager trainee for the American Angus Association the same year. From 1980- 1990, Bill worked for VJP Angus and Sydenstricker Angus Farm in management...

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  The Cattlemen’s Ball of Nebraska is an enormous undertaking. It requires 100 committee members, 500 volunteers, and a ranch location for the event. And yet for 28 years, Nebraskans have pulled together and pulled it off. In early June, this year’s event was held at the Howard and Linda Benjamin Ranch near Cozad, Nebraska. The Benjamins co-hosted with neighbors Levi and Bobbie Jo Messersmith. The Cattlemen’s Ball has evolved over the years, but it has never lost sight of its purpose – to be a fundraiser for cancer research. Levi Messersmith has had friends and family impacted by cancer...

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Updated: June 15, 2026– The USDA has confirmed 12 total cases of New World Screwworm in the United States. 11 cases in cattle, sheep and goats in Texas and one case in a dog in New Mexico. Updated: June 10, 2026 — The USDA has confirmed 6 total cases of New World Screwworm in the United States. 4 cases in cattle in Texas, 1 goat in Texas and a case in a dog in New Mexico. Texas now has two cases of New World Screwworm in young calves. Both reside on ranches in Zavala County, Texas, approximately 6 miles apart....

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The Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) recognized Colyer Herefords and Angus, Bruneau, Idaho, as the 2026 BIF Seedstock Producer of the Year on June 3 during the group’s annual research symposium in Boise, Idaho. This national award recognizes a producer’s dedication to improving the beef industry at the seedstock level. Rooted in Bruneau, Idaho, since 1876, Colyer Herefords and Angus represents a masterclass in balancing multi-generational heritage with cutting-edge genetic progress. Today the fifth, sixth and seventh generations of the Colyer family manage the ranch, which has evolved from a traditional commercial cow-calf operation into one of the nation’s premier seedstock...

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In May, the Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer (AEB) Index survey asked farmers to identify the main factor limiting improvement in their farm’s financial situation. High input costs were by far the most frequently cited constraint, selected by 46% of respondents. Weather risk ranked second at 19%, followed by low output prices at 14%, labor and equipment concerns at 9%, and debt or financial pressure at 5% (see chart). Only 14% of respondents indicated that their farm operations were better off in May than they had been a year ago. Looking ahead to the next 12 months, 22% of...

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A new case of New World Screwworm has been detected in a young, 1 month old calf in Zavala County, Texas, 5.6 miles from the first positive case of screwworm in Texas, which the USDA confirmed on Wednesday. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and its Texas partners continue to collect and test other samples from the surrounding area which have come back negative. NWS is a serious pest that threatens livestock, pets, wildlife, and, in rare cases, people. The larvae burrow into the living tissue of animals, causing severe wounds, animal suffering,...

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  Updated June 4, 9 a.m. The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday confirmed the country’s first case of New World screwworm — the parasitic fly poised to harm the state’s billion cattle industry — in South Texas. The USDA tested a sample from La Pryor in Zavala County at the USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, lowa, confirming the infestation, Secretary Brooke Rollins said during a press conference about the case. The infested animal is a three-week old calf, and there have been no other detections so far. USDA urges residents to contact your veterinarian right away...

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  Have you wondered how virtual fencing might work on your operation, but want to see it in action before making a decision? A two-day bus tour on June 16–17 will give cattle producers the opportunity to evaluate virtual fencing systems in real-world settings. Virtual fencing (VF) has the potential to reduce labor associated with fencing and cattle movement while improving control over grazing distribution and pasture utilization. However, many producers want to better understand how these systems perform under real-world conditions before making an investment. This bus tour provides a practical, side-by-side look at multiple commercially available VF systems...

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  More is needed for drought-stricken areas CBW News Desk Precipitation was seen across the region the middle of May but it was characterized by severe thunderstorms and pronounced moisture disparities, according to the UNL Drought Monitor. Between May 17 and 18, a powerful frontal system traversing the central United States triggered widespread severe weather across the Great Plains and Midwest. This system produced damaging winds up to 80 mph, large hail, and multiple tornadoes across South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri, alongside localized flash flooding.  In contrast, extreme moisture deficits persisted west of the Rocky Mountains, where weekly...

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