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150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WYOMING STOCK GROWERS ASSOCIATION
Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, I rise today to honor the 150th anniversary of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association. This organization is of incredible historical and influential importance for the State of Wyoming and agriculture everywhere.
From Wednesday, June 8, to Saturday, June 11, 2022, the Wyoming Stock Growers Association will host their annual Wyoming Cattle Industry Convention. They will celebrate their 150th anniversary with a rodeo, banquet, and parade. They will meet in Cheyenne, WY, where they can trace their beginnings back to 1872. There, a group of five cattlemen met in a livery stable to organize a group to tackle the growing threat of stock rustlers. Their organization, then known as the Stock Association of Laramie County, was only the second State cattlemen association in the United States. Wyoming, however, was not yet a State.
Over the years, members included mayors, State legislators, Governors, and congressmen. U.S. Senators Robert D. Carey, John B. Kendrick, and Cliff Hansen all served as presidents of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association. My colleague Senator Cynthia Lummis is an honorary life member.
Every Wyoming student knows of the infamous 1889-1893 Johnson County War involving the Wyoming Stock Growers Association. It required intervention by U.S. cavalry troops sent by President Benjamin Harrison. The conflict has been recounted by numerous personalities ranging from rodeo champion and singer/songwriter Chris LeDoux to the fictional Rooster Cogburn.
Today, you will find members promoting the beef industry through their Young Producers Assembly, Environmental Stewardship Program, Centennial Farm and Ranch Program, and the Endowment Trust.
Local input is essential to the services provided by the Wyoming Stock Growers. On any given week, you will find a county cattlemen group meeting together to bring their issues and priorities to the State association. The Stock Growers' auxiliary, the Cow-Belles, are integral members of their communities and are fantastic promoters of Wyoming's beef industry.
Regional education events bring valuable expertise to the raising of healthy cattle on healthy lands. Information is made widely available through their various publications. The association's staff does an incredible job of serving their membership through educating and promoting their trade to the public.
The Wyoming Stock Growers of 2022 have a remarkable leadership team. Executive director Jim Magagna has lead the association since 1998 and is Wyoming beef's greatest advocate. He is joined by Olivia Sanchez and Susan Skinner in their office in Cheyenne. The board of directors includes president David Kane, first vice president Jack Berger, regional vice presidents Kahla Mills, Dan Frank, Leif Hanson, Brad Mead, Darla Griffin, and Young Producers Assembly president Sage Askin. These steadfast individuals wear many hats in their communities and around Wyoming. Their dedication will ensure a robust cattle industry in the state and a strong organization to support them well into the future.
The mission of the Wyoming Stock Growers is an important one to the character of the State. They advocate for the cattle industry and rural life. They develop policies to conserve and best manage the vast Wyoming landscape. They work with regulators at every facet of government. The Great Seal on every Wyoming flag and our State seal displays a rancher. This is the heritage of the stewards of the land who provide the Nation with quality products and food on their tables.
Cattlemen and their families created towns and built economies around the industry starting when Wyoming was still a territory. The tenacity and principles of these hard-working people are embodied through our Code of the West, the University of Wyoming's ``Cowboys,'' and the work of the Wyoming Stock Growers. The theme of the Stock Growers centennial celebration in 1972 was ``Guardian of the Grasslands.'' They continue to serve and conserve their industry and values in an ever-changing environment.
It is a great privilege to recognize this incredible organization and their dedication to the Wyoming's cattle and agriculture industry. Bobbi joins me in extending our congratulations and deep gratitude to the Wyoming Stock Growers Association on their 150th anniversary celebration.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 90
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