CALIFORNIA CATTLEMAN WEEKLY
August 10, 2026
To read the full version each week, please subscribe below.
Share Your Favorite Recipe from Your California Ranch!
The California Cattlemen’s Foundation is collecting recipes from California ranching families to share with Californians through upcoming storytelling projects, including the CalResilient newsletter and a special event celebrating the International Year of the Woman Farmer. We’re looking for recipes that tell a story, such as family favorites, meals made after a long day working cattle, dishes passed down through generations, or seasonal recipes that bring people together. Right now, we’re especially looking for late-summer and fall recipes, but recipes of all kinds are welcome. If you’d like to participate, please send your recipe to katier@calcattlemen.org. If you’re able, include a few sentences about the recipe’s story or significance to your family, along with a photo of the finished dish, your family, or the people who make it. Have questions or want to learn more? Reach out to Katie.
USDA to Reopen Southern Ports for Live Cattle Crossing
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced late last month that the agency will initiate a “phased reopening of southern cattle ports” contingent upon Mexico’s adherence to a joint action plan between Mexican and American animal health agencies. The southern border has been closed to cattle crossings since July 7, 2025 due to the northward spread of New World screwworm. The phased reopening will begin with the Douglas, Ariz. port of entry, set to reopen on August 24. USDA also recently announced that it is investing $25 million toward opening a new sterile fly dispersal facility in Arizona. For more information, listen to today’s episode of Sorting Pen: The California Cattlemen Podcast, see the July 27 edition of California Cattleman Weekly or read USDA’s press release.
USFWS Announces Rules Reforming Federal Endangered Species Act
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last month published two rules amending its regulations implementing the federal Endangered Species Act. The first rule eliminates the ‘blanket 4(d)’ rule, under which all ‘threatened’ species were managed in the same manner as ‘endangered’ species. The second rule permits USFWS to consider all relevant factors when designating critical habitat for threatened and endangered species under the ESA, including social and economic costs. The rules – which formally take effect on August 20 – are substantially similar to reforms implemented at the end of the first Trump Administration which were subsequently rolled back under the Biden Administration. For more information, see the July 27 edition of California Cattleman Weekly.
2026 California Cattlemen’s Association Scholarships are Open Now!
In 2025, CCA awarded over $51,000 in scholarships to students studying agriculture. Applications must be typed and returned in full to the California Cattlemen’s Association office by Thursday, October 1, 2026 at 11:59pm via email to Gracie at gracie@calcattemen.org. For more information about CCA’s offered scholarships and to access the scholarship application, click here.
Upcoming CCA Events
CCA Washington, D.C. Fly-In
Sept. 13 – 16, Washington, D.C.
If you are interested in joining the delegation, please email CCA Executive Vice President Billy Gatlin at billy@calcattlemen.org.
CCA & CCW Convention and California Cattle Industry Tradeshow
Dec. 2 – 4, Atlantis Casino Resort Spa, Reno, Nevada
Registration for tradeshow exhibitors is now open. Click here to check out our exhibitor packet and visit calcattlemen.org/convention2026 to make your reservations. | Click here to see the sponsorships available to support CCA. | Collegiate opportunities are available here.
Upcoming Industry Events
Public Lands Council 58th Annual Meeting
September 15-17, Copper Mountain, Colorado
The Public Lands Council will host its Annual Meeting at the Copper Mountain Conference Center in Copper Mountain, Colorado from September 15-17. All California federal lands permittees are encouraged to attend. Early bird registration ends August 14. To register, click here.
CCA in the News
Grizzly reintroduction bill advances in California Legislature Western Livestock Journal “Agricultural organizations remain among the bill’s strongest opponents. The California Cattlemen’s Association (CCA), California Farm Bureau and California State Beekeepers Association oppose SB 1305, arguing the state should focus on managing existing wildlife conflicts before considering the return of another apex predator. ‘We’ve got a few major concerns with the bill,’ Kirk Wilbur, CCA vice president of government affairs, told WLJ. ‘Most significantly, we believe it would be irresponsible to artificially reintroduce grizzlies to California when the state is already struggling to manage existing wildlife populations, particularly predators.’” To continue reading, click here.
Industry News
Farm Bill Stalls in Senate Ag Committee Over SNAP. Now What? Farm Journal “Senate Ag Committee’s 10-11 farm bill vote stalls the legislation, but a bipartisan 17-6 vote on mandatory country-of-original labeling keeps mandatory beef labeling alive for a potential September revote.” To continue reading, click here.
Can Cattle Markets Shake Off the Summer Heat? Drovers “Oklahoma State’s Derrell Peel breaks down how summer heat, drought and trade news are shaping the market recovery.” To continue reading, click here.
