CLA’s Top 5 of Q1 2025
The volunteer leaders and staff of the Colorado Livestock Association work diligently to represent, inform, and advance Colorado’s livestock industry. We have had many successes in our efforts to represent, inform, and advance Colorado’s livestock industry. Below is a summary of the top 5 highlights from the first quarter of 2025.
#1 The First 60 Days of the Legislative Session
During the first 60 days of the legislative session, numerous bills have been introduced that could impact agriculture and rural Colorado. These bills cover a wide range of topics, including GHG emissions reporting mandates, key service provider access, public access to air pollutant records, well-permitting processes, private property rights, noise control for commercial vehicles, air quality control regulations, wildfire mitigation, calculating Total Maximum Daily Loads for state waters, expansion of the Colorado Cottage Foods Act, accurate labeling of cell-cultured meat, veterinary professional associates requirements, worker protections from extreme temperatures, collective bargaining, exemptions for ag buildings and many more.
The CLA Legislative Affairs Committee meets every other week to discuss bills of interest to livestock producers and rural Coloradans. The CLA lobbying team is tracking 27 proposed bills of interest to livestock agriculture. In addition, the committee is joined by Senators and Representatives to discuss bills they are sponsoring and answer questions from producers.
View the latest information on proposed legislation that could impact livestock agriculture on our bill tracker here: www.coloradolivestock.org/legislation
#2 Beef Industry Experts Present at the 17th Annual Marshall Frasier Beef Symposium
Beef producers and agribusiness partners attended the 17th Marshall Frasier Beef Symposium to watch the dynamic line-up of speakers, network, and catch up with friends and neighbors.
Held annually in mid-February the Marshall Frasier Beef Symposium is a beef producer education symposium held in honor of the late Marshall Frasier who was the first cattle producer elected President of both of Colorado’s beef organizations; Colorado Livestock Association president in 2000 and president of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association in 1981.
The recordings are available on CLA’s YouTube channel. View photos on CLA’s Facebook.
CLA owes a great deal of gratitude to our agribusiness partners for their unwavering support of our meetings and events. Thank you to the sponsors of the Marshall Frasier Beef Symposium for their dedication and contribution to the livestock industry in Colorado!
#3 CLA Members Recognized at NCBA Cattle Industry Convention and Trade Show
CLA members and staff had the opportunity to attend the 2025 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association CattleCon in San Antonio, Texas. This national event is an opportunity to engage firsthand in guiding policy impacting cattle producers, attend educational seminars, and network with other beef industry stakeholders. View the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association 2025 Policy Priorities.
Several CLA members received distinguished honors during the conference, including:
Congratulations to Kenny Rogers on his election to the 2025 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Officer Team as Vice Chair of the Policy Division. Kenny serves CLA as the Immediate Past President. The officer team, approved by the NCBA Board of Directors, took office at the end of the 2025 Convention.
Dr. Keith Belk was honored with the 2025 Beef Quality Assurance Educator Award. The National Beef Quality Assurance Awards recognize outstanding beef industry members in five categories: Cow-calf, Feed-yard, Dairy, Marketer, and Educator. Congratulations, Dr. Belk. We appreciate your efforts to improve beef quality and safety through research, teaching and outreach.
Dan May, 4M Feeders, Herd Co, and Magnum Feedyard, was inducted into the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame. The Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame was created to recognize exceptional individuals who have made significant and lasting contributions to the cattle-feeding industry. We applaud Dan for this well-deserved recognition.
#4 CLA Safety Group Continues to Promote Safety in Agriculture
The CLA safety group program was renewed on January 1, 2025, with 94 policies, including cattle feeders, dairy farms, ranchers, and agribusinesses. In its 24th year, the program continues to benefit the membership through reduced premiums, safety group dividends, excellent claims assistance, return-to-work services, and agriculture safety resources.
CLA will host the 1st quarter CLA Safety Group meeting on March 27 at 9:00 am via Zoom with a special presentation on Heat Illness Prevention and Ergonomics in Agriculture.
CLA members have access to safety training and safety program development resources as well as bilingual templates for employee handbooks, job descriptions, policies, and more! Members can view these under the Resources tab on the CLA Member Portal.
#5 Leaders Recognized at Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame
CLA leadership and staff attended the 2025 Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame Banquet to honor the 2025 inductees for their significant contributions to Colorado’s livestock industry. The Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame, presented by The Farm Credit Associations of Colorado, recognizes individuals who have made substantial contributions to agriculture.
The 2025 inductees included Dr. Michael Bartolo of Rocky Ford, Don Brown of Yuma, Terry Fankhauser (honored posthumously), and Wayne Schmeeckle of Fort Morgan.
Congratulations to all!
Read the full release about the inductees.