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  • USA Beef

COVID-19 Information:

  

Social distancing is encouraged.  Masks and hand sanitizer will be available for attendees to use.

The Independent Beef Association of North Dakota (I-BAND) is taking precautionary measures, including those recommended by governmental authorities, to protect the health and safety of annual meeting attendees and to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.  However, I-BAND cannot assure that you will not contract the virus as a result of your attendance. Attendees will be deemed to have understood, accepted and assumed all physical, physiological and psychological risks associated with attending. I-BAND, as well as the meeting location, shall not be held liable for harm to any attendee due to any of the foregoing, including contracting the COVID-19 virus. In light of the pandemic and to protect the health and safety of all attendees, I-BAND asks that anyone who exhibits these types of symptoms on the days of the event not attend. A virtual option is available.

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Meeting Location

INFO

1400 E. Interchange Ave.Bismarck, ND 58501

info@ramadabismarck.com

Call Us: 1-800-554-7077 

  1-701-258-7000 


 https://ramadabismarck.com/ 

Agenda

  

November 20~ 

4:30 pm ~ Resolutions (supper following)

November 21 ~ 

8:00 am to 9:00 am CST- Registration

9:00- 10:30 President’s Welcome and Introductions- Dwight Keller

                   Annual Meeting: Minutes – Resolutions- Nomination of Directors

10:30 - 11:00- Senator Kevin Cramer

11:00 - 12:00 - ND State Animal Health Update- Dr. Susan Keller

12:00 - 1:00 - Lunch- Sponsor Recognition

 1:00- 1:30 - Senator John Hoeven

1:30 - 2:00 - South 40 Beef - John Roswech    

2:00 - 2:50 -    Gene Graner, Heartland Investors

3:00 - 3:50- Dave Wright    

4:00 - 5:00 -   Bill Bullard, R-CALF CEO

5:30 – 6:30 – Social Hour

6:30 – 7:40– Banquet - Speaker Jeff Erhardt

7:40 - 8:00 – Awards

8:00 – 9:00 – Gun Raffle, Silent and Live Auctions


Speakers

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David Wright

    I was born December 9, 1962 in Neligh, NE. I grew up on the family ranch five miles west of Ewing, NE. I am the fourth generation to live on the ranch.  I graduated from Ewing High School in 1981.  After one year of college at UNL, Chancellor Massengale decided I should continue my education back at the ranch.  I must say I learned a lot that year, but very little in the field of academics.  In 1985 I married Joan, we have three children, Issac  (1988) Katie (1990) and Hannah (1993) all of them have earned post-secondary degrees.  Katie is teaching and coaching volleyball at Norfolk High.  She has a son, Josiah (2019).  Hannah is the marketing department at Charles Drew Health Center in Omaha.  Issac is running the ranch.  He has two sons, John (2017) and James(2019), they are the sixth generation to live on the ranch.  Joan also returned to college and earned her RN degree in 1992 and her BS in business management in 1997.  In 2003 we bought the Neligh News and Leader along with the Creighton News, Ewing News and Clearwater Record.  We print five other community newspapers as well.  In 2019 we sold the newspapers. 

    In 1996 corn hit $5 per bushel and the cattle market fell.  It was a very difficult time to be ranching.  I was complaining in the feed store about the cattle markets when one of my dad’s friends told me, “Stop bitching and get involved”.  Needless to say that is not what I wanted to hear, but he was right.  So I threw my name in the hat for parish council at St. Francis church.  I was elected to a three year term, the third year I was elected chairman.  Then I joined the Knights of Columbus and became a third degree knight.  In 2002 I ran for the 41st Legislative District but lost by four hundreds votes in the primary.  After the primary that same year I was asked to run for the Nebraska Beef Council (NBC).  In November I was elected to NBC and served two, four year terms (2002-2010).  That same year I was elected to serve on Congressman Osborne’s Ag Advisory committee, I served three years (2002-2004).  After we bought the newspaper I was elected to the Neligh Chamber of Commerce Board for a three years term.  In 2005 I helped to form the Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska (ICON) where I served as vice-president (2005-2009) and as president (2009-2019).  In 2010 I was appointed by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to serve on the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, I served two, three year terms (2010-2016).  

   In 2014 the Neligh-Oakdale School was trying to pass a $7 million bond, it became very contentious, dividing the citizens of the school district.  We had three incumbents and one write in candidate.  I tried to get others to run but no one wanted any part of it.  So ten days before the election I filed as a write in candidate.  The bond failed 9-1, the school board president and secretary lost, and both write in candidates won along with one incumbent.  The superintendent resigned along with one board member.  The division was so bad no one would serve as president of the school board.  I was the third choice for president and served as Neligh-Oakdale Schools president from 2014-2018.     

    In 2019 I was elected by the members to serve on the board of the Organization of Competitive Markets (OCM).   

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Dr. Susan Keller DVM, North Dakota State Veterinarian

  

Susan Keller graduated from Kansas State University in 1981 with a B.S. in Animal Science, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from K-State in 1985.  She first practiced in Bowman and Mandan, ND, before opening the Countryside Animal Clinic located on the family ranch south of Mandan from 1987 to 1997.  Keller is a career long member of the ND Medical Association and served on the ND Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners from 1990 to 1993.   Keller was appointed the ND Deputy State Veterinarian in 1997 and in 2004 was appointed the ND State Veterinarian.  Dr. Keller is a Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostician, a TB and Brucellosis epidemiologist and a member of the Assembly of Animal Health Officials. Susan and her husband, Dwight, their children, Luke & Katy, Jake and Tess & Thomas, work together on the Keller Broken Heart Ranch.   


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John Roswech - South 40 Beef

John Roswech is a media and technology industry leader with over 25 years of experience working with the world’s largest brands, retailers, media companies and technology providers.  John has significant experience growing high-potential companies, having worked in strategic roles for multiple start-ups, guiding the rapid growth and ultimate sale of his last two start-ups.  John has always had a passion for the west and the great outdoors. The Roswech family originates from the New York area. Ten years ago, the family purchased pasture and farmland in Mott, North Dakota. John and his wife, Kim, felt that that the family needed a quiet place to settle their busy minds and schedules. The farm became a place where they could ride horses in the open fields, pheasant hunt, go fishing and have no access to cell service!! John and Kim dreamed of moving out west permanently. They made the decision to leave the east coast in 2018.   John and his family purchased cattle and started South 40 Beef in 2019.  They thought that building their own beef plant would make the most sense and be the most effective way to market their beef. In September 2020, they broke ground in Mott, ND, on a multi-million dollar state of the art, 6000 sq ft beef processing plant. Their main objective is to sell their North Dakota raised beef, direct to consumers, while also partnering with local ranchers to help them market their beef to consumers.  South 40 Beef is vertically integrated, owning the cattle, pasture and processing facility, that will be able to process 200 head per month. South 40 Beef will utilize e-commerce and social media platforms to market high-end North Dakota beef nationwide. John and Kim have two children, Connor and Megan, who are both college students. You can learn more about South 40 Beef by visiting www.south40beef.com

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Bill Bullard, R-CALF USA CEO

  

  

Bill Bullard is the Chief Executive Officer of the Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America (R-CALF USA) and has held this position since 2001. R-CALF USA is the largest national cattle-producer organization in the U.S. that exclusively represents the live cattle segment of the United States’ multi-segmented beef supply chain. R-CALF USA’s voluntary membership consists of more than 5,000 U.S. cow/calf producers, backgrounders, stockers and feeders who are located in 42 states. R-CALF USA represents its members on issues concerning international trade and marketing and its purposes include representing its members’ interests before Congress, agencies of the federal government, and in court.  

Bullard has testified on behalf of R-CALF USA members before Congress and executive branch agencies, has managed numerous lawsuits on behalf of the organization, and is the organization’s registered lobbyist.  

Bullard is a former owner/operator of a South Dakota cow/calf ranching operation. He gained government experience by serving over five years as the Executive Director of the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission, a state agency that regulates grain elevators, electricity, natural gas and telecommunications. He has a B.S. in Political Science from Black Hills State University in South Dakota and completed a year of graduate studies at the University of South Dakota.

Bullard resides in Billings, Montana, and has three children: Cameron, Candace, and Callie and five grandchildren: Sienna, Zoey, Chase, Eliza and Josephine.

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Eugene Graner, Heartland Investor Services

Eugene Graner is President of Heartland Investor Services, a commodity brokerage firm with branch offices in North Dakota and Minnesota. He established Heartland 25 years ago in 1995 in preparation for the Freedom to Farm Act. To date, he brings 36 years of trading experience, starting the early years working for EF Hutton and AG Edwards. With his experience in economics, he combines the technical aspects of market movements with fundamentals to create an easy to understand price outlook in the commodity markets.

Eugene became a registered Commodity Trading Advisor with the NFA in 2007, establishing Heartland Investor Capital Management, Inc. when he started publishing marketing advice for traders and hedgers and managing money in the markets.

He is featured daily on several radio stations throughout North Dakota and on multiple TV networks every week. He has been featured in Bloomberg News, Reuters, CNN, and other financial news sources. His programs are followed widely for his unique perspective of making the complicated seem simple.

  


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Jeff Erhardt

 Jeff Erhardt or “Tigger” as he is more commonly known has been stimulating audiences from North Dakota to Texas and from Coast to Coast as a Professional Rodeo Announcer, Speaker, Trainer and Entertainer.  Many know him as the voice of the Working Ranch Radio Show, which can be heard across the country.  I will let him tell…as they say…the rest of the story………. 

Background/Career Progression:

  • Grew up on commercial cow/calf operation in New Salem, ND
  • Bachelor of Science, North Dakota State University, Fargo ND, Animal Science
  • Livestock and Sale Barn Auctioneer
  • Farm Director & News Anchor for NBC North Dakota News and KFYR 550 AM Radio
  • Owner/Operator of Purple Haven Enterprises, a livestock and industry production and marketing company
  • Co-Owner/Operator West River Ranch
  • Owner/Operator of Jeff “Tigger” Erhardt, The Voice to Be Heard
  • Co-Owner/Operator West River Productions

Current Position:

  • Voice, Host and Producer of “The Working Ranch Radio Show”
  • Voice, Host and Producer of “Ranch It Up”
  • Producer of “The Bend”
  • Communications Consultant
  • Voice Actor and Voice Over Talent
  • Professional Keynote and Motivational Speaker
  • Professional Rodeo Announcer, Music Director & Premiere Rodeo Entertainment
  • Active Rancher, Stockman, and Horseman

Achievements and Awards:

  • Winner of the People’s Choice Award for News Anchor of the Year, twice
  • Emmy Award winner of Best Morning News Cast
  • Appearances on RFD TV’s “The Market Day Report”
  • First person to sell purebred bulls entirely by video
  • ADDY Award winner for cross promotion in multimedia
  • Sale Manager of the National Gelbvieh Sale at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado for three years.
  • Development DVD and video promotion of production sales along with the video sale concept.
  • Master of Beef Advocacy – National Cattlemen’s Beef Association

Personal:

  • Ranches in South Central, KS and Western North Dakota
  • Avid outdoorsman, backpacker, fishing and firearms
  • Leather worker and braider
  • Stock dog training and obedience dog training
  • Guitar and music and cowboy poetry

  


Annual Meeting Pre-Registration

No charge or registration needed for attending the meetings.

Online meal registration can be done below.

Child Care

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OUR CHILD CARE OPTION HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR THIS YEAR

  

Child care will be provided from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. 

Lunch will be provided.   

Please call Kari at @ 701-214-0639 or email 

Independent.beef.assoc.nd@gmail.com 

for more information.

A waiver must be signed at drop off.

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