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Impact Report
| For plan | Profitable Livestock Production (Taos County) |
| Date | September 20, 2007, 9:28 pm |
| For Objective | Medium-term Show medium-term objectives |
| Impact Report | Economic development opportunities are rare and difficult to establish in rural areas. A group of local cattle producers and business people began to organize and formulate a plan to focus on marketing locally raised beef under the Taos Mountain Beef Brand. The motivation for this campaign was the preservation on agrarian lands by providing a premium price as the incentive to keep ranchers in business, and thereby utilizing the lands that can easily be turned into speculative property. The County Agent was invited to work with this group to help identify and establish strategies and guidelines under which this program might work best for long term benefit and growth. The County Agent met on a monthly basis with the group who, thus far, had established a non-profit entity to receive grant funds to help with the educational component of this program. This was followed by the establishment of a separate entity that will work as a limited liability corporation for the secondary portion of this group. One area which will be key for ranchers to become successful, in this or any portion of their livestock operations, is participation in a beef quality assurance program. The County Agent worked with Extension Livestock Specialist Dr. Clay Mathis, to set the stage for, and present the BQA program as a basis for all livestock producers as well as for producers involved with the Taos Mountain Beef endeavor. Although there is much to be done, the group had, at one time, begun selling beef to local restaurants, particularly high-end cuts, and beef packs to individuals on an as-ordered basis. There were stores that in negotiation to purchase this grass-fed, hormone-free, antibiotic free beef for sale in their meat departments in several places in New Mexico. The group and organization are at a crossroads on determining how to control their options without losing opportunities and the ability to deliver on what they started. This will be an ongoing program. Thirty-three producers participated in this Beef Quality Assurance Program which was co-sponsored and co-presented by NMSU Extension Livestock Specialist, Dr. Clay Mathis. |