Dear Fellow Members,
In this context, I am using “fellow members” in the broadest sense. If you are reading this publication, you have a steak in the livestock industry and agriculture, but you may not be a member of an organization. If you are not a member of the New Mexico Cattle Growers’ Association (NMCGA), I hope you will consider joining by the time you finish this letter.

You can save yourself the time and join online right now at www.nmagriculture.org.
As I have spent the last several years working up the leadership ladder of the NMCGA, I never cease to be amazed at the wide variety of issues that touch our industry and the work that must be done to protect our very way of life. There honestly isn’t a single day that goes by that the NMCGA isn’t working for you, be it staff or leadership or concerned members.
Having a steak (this word is mis-spelled in many other venues) in the industry doesn’t necessarily mean that you have livestock or even that you own property. Nor does it mean that you eat regularly. There are lots of folks out there, maybe even most folks, who do not know, and do not care where their food comes from. They have never been hungry.
What it does mean is that you share the values, principles and concerns that ranch families exemplify. You care about the future of our nation, our land, our water and our wildlife.
As we keep an eye on the workings of our sister organizations in the state and the region, I can say without a doubt that NMCGA dues go further on your behalf than anywhere else. NMCGA dues are only a minimum of $75, with “true dues” of $.60 a head. Check with your neighbors across state lines and see what they are paying. In most places it is double.
Are you aware that the NMCGA office operates with only two full time staffers? We are fortunate that we have volunteers who are willing to put time in at the office and on the road in staff capacities. And, we are truly blessed that every year we find a few young people who are as passionate about the future of the industry as we are who are willing to serve as interns at the office.
Issues management and advocacy are just a part of what your dues pay for. This publication arrives in your mailbox 12 times a year and, at least for the time being, health and property insurance programs are available.
Then there are the “good times.” Past President Bill King and I spent time not too long ago reminiscing about all the fun we have had at Cattle Growers’ meetings since we were youngsters. As adults, we have to pay more attention to the serious stuff. But watching the halls at NMCGA meetings where old friends gather to catch up sharing joys and sorrows is heart-warming.
I honestly cannot remember a time in my life that didn’t include Cattle Growers’, clear back to the Western Sky’s Hotel. Shirley Goodloe taught me to dance at a Cattle Growers’ Convention and Cary Culbertson (Myle’s brother) taught me how to swim at a summer meeting in Clovis.
This is just skimming the top of the value of NMCGA to each of you every day. My goal is to increase membership by 400 during the coming months. If you aren’t already a member, I hope I can count you in. If you are a member, get someone to join. We could double our membership if every member recruited just one new one.
Join up and then plan on joining us at the upcoming regional meetings and Mid-Year Convention!