KAP President Reflects On Difficult Year For Farmers

Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) President Bill Campbell is reflecting on what was a difficult year for many farmers.

 

"When we see some of the issues we had with dry conditions early on and then that carried on in certain areas and then how our harvest season progressed and how it has ended up," said Campbell. "Challenging would be a polite term."

 

He commented on some of the challenges faced by livestock producers.

 

"The changes to the Crown Lands Act in certain parts of the province have had some real issues brought forward. The whole production of feed for livestock in certain areas is an ongoing issue that will not be resolved until we get to another production cycle. How those people are able to feed their stock through the winter is going to be a challenge."

 

Campbell says there are a lot of questions heading into 2020.

 

"I think that there will be a lot of last minute management decisions as to the amount spring run-off that we have. Whether or not the land dries up and then how we deal with the consequences of the 2019 harvest and how we get into soil management. How do we get nutrient application? What is the best crop to sow? Where do our budgets lead us? Global demand for our products? There's going to have to be a lot of decisions made through the winter."

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.