BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//R-CALF USA - ECPv6.15.16//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.r-calfusa.com X-WR-CALDESC:Events for R-CALF USA REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Denver BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:MDT DTSTART:20250309T090000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:MST DTSTART:20251102T080000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:MDT DTSTART:20260308T090000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:MST DTSTART:20261101T080000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:MDT DTSTART:20270314T090000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:MST DTSTART:20271107T080000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260616 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260619 DTSTAMP:20260612T194305 CREATED:20241202T190757Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260610T232427Z UID:15529-1781568000-1781827199@www.r-calfusa.com SUMMARY:Annual Convention and Trade Show DESCRIPTION:2026\n Annual National Convention\n \nat The Monument in Rapid City\, S.D.\, June 16-18\n Days Hours Minutes\n \n Attendee Registration\n \n \n Trade Show/Sponsor Registration\n \nHotel Accommodations\nDoubleTree by Hilton(605) 348-4000  \nSOLD OUT \n505 N 5th StreetRapid City\, SD 57701 \nThe Rushmore Hotel & Suites(605) 348-8300 \nRooms start at $179/night + tax. \nRoom Block SOLD OUT \nRegular rated rooms still available with limited supply \n445 Mt. Rushmore Rd.Rapid City\, SD 57701  \n\n 2026 Agenda\n \n Tuesday\, June 16\n 3 – 7 p.m.Trade Show Set Up3 p.m.Committee Meetings5 p.m.Affiliate Council Meeting6 p.m.Welcome Reception Sponsored by American Stewards of LibertyCommittee Reports – Shad Sullivan\, Property Rights; Kenny Fox\, Animal ID; Brett Kenzy\, Checkoff; Eric Gropper\, Country-of-Origin Labeling; Max Thornsberry\, Animal Health; Eric Nelson\, Trade; Bill Kluck\, Sheep; Theresa Fox\, MembershipBranding Party Sponsored by W&W Ventures\n Wednesday\, June 17\n7 a.m.\nTrade Show Set Up and Registration Open\n8 a.m.\nTrade Show Open\nConvention Welcome\n8:30 a.m.\nAnnual Prayer Breakfast\n— Dr. Max Thornsberry\, Animal Health Chair; Former President\n9:45 a.m.\nTrade Show Break\nSponsored by Kent Nutrition\, Circle 5 Cow School\, and D Lazy T Ranch\n10:30 a.m. \nConnecting Consumers to American Beef\n— Ben Spell\, Founder and CEO\, Good Ranchers\nSponsored by American Grassfed Association \n11:15 a.m. \nThe Power of a Dollar\n— Brett Kenzy\, South Dakota Rancher; Checkoff Chair; Former President\nSponsored by Rosebud Farmers Union Co-op \n12 p.m. \nLunch and Trade Show Break\nSponsored by Valentine Livestock Auction\, Keyhole Ranch\, and Farm Credit Services of America \n1 p.m.\nDAAG Nicole Sarrine\n— Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Conduct\, Department of Justice\, Antitrust Division\n1:30 p.m.\n Reclaiming Food Sovereignty from the Ranch Up\n— AJ Richards\, Founder & CEO\, From the Farm\n Sponsored by Weldon Ranches\n2:15 p.m.\nRanchers Moving the Needle on Wolves\n— Dave Duquette\, Founder and Executive Director\, Western Justice\nSponsored by Brock Livestock Co.\n3 p.m.\nTrade Show Break\nSponsored by Becker Ranch\, Volk Ranch\, and Huron Continental Marketing\n3:45 p.m.\nTariffs\, Trade Policy\, and Their Impact on American Ranchers\n— Charles Benoit\, Trade Counsel\, Coalition for a Prosperous America\n4:30 p.m.\nThe State of Independent Meat Processing in America\n— Chris Young\, Executive Director- American Association of Meat Processors\n5 p.m.\n       Trade Show Closed\n       Hot Iron Happy Hour Social Sponsored by Producers Livestock Marketing\, Moly Manufacturing\, K4 Cattle\, and Farm Credit Services of America\n       Branding Party Sponsored by W&W Ventures\n6 p.m.\nFor the Brand Banquet and Supper\nSponsored by Tri-State Livestock News\n— Featuring an evening with Lonesome Lands \n Thursday\, June 18\n 8 a.m.Registration and Trade Show OpenR-CALF USA Membership breakfast Sponsored by Ft. Pierre Livestock AuctionCEO Report — Bill Bullard\, CEOAntitrust Litigation Update— Patrick McGahan\, Partner\, Scott + ScottEID Litigation Update— John Vecchione\, Senior Litigation Counsel\, New Civil Liberties Alliance9:30 a.m.Trade Show Break Sponsored by South Dakota Farmers Union\, Carruth Ranch\, and Clark & Associates Land Brokers10:15 a.m.EID Panel— Jim Stangle\, Julie Trask\, Kenny Fox\, Jim Mundorf (Moderator)Sponsored by Independent Cattlemen of Wyoming11:30 a.m. \nA Primer and Update on Federal Land Grazing— Hayden Ballard\, J.D.\, LL.M.\, M.S.; Utah/Arizona Rancher and AttorneySponsored by Korman Ranch \n12:15 p.m. \nLunchSponsored by Ag West Feeds \nCompetition and Buyer Power in the US Beef Packing Industry— T. Jake Smith\, Assistant Professor\, Agricultural Economics\, University of Nebraska–LincolnSponsored by Bar N Feed Yards1:15 p.m.Trade Show Break Sponsored by Mobridge Livestock Market and Independent Cattlemen of Wyoming2 p.m.Narco-Ranching and New World Screwworm — Dr. Lora Bledsoe\, Policy Advisor\, Office of Health Security\, U.S. Department of Homeland Security2:45 p.m.An Imperfect Perfect Vision— Shad Sullivan\, Texas/Colorado Rancher; Property Rights ChairSponsored by Vander Wey Ranch3 p.m.Trade Show Break Sponsored by Trask Family Seeds and The Cattle Business Weekly3:30 p.m.Business Session\, Board Nominations\, and Policy Resolutions5 p.m.Trade Show ClosedEmber Hour SocialSponsored by Jenner Equipment\, County Line Helicopter\, Bar N Cattle\, and Leininger Ranch6 p.m.Denim and Diamonds Gala: Dinner\, Auction\, and Dance featuring JJ Kent and the Aces and 8’sSponsored by Weinreis Brothers  \n** Agenda subject to change. Additional speakers to be announced. \n \n Downloadable PDF Version\n \n\n 2026 Speakers\n \n\nHayden Ballard\nJ.D.\, LL.M.\, M.S.\nRancher and attorney \nHayden Ballard is a sixth-generation rancher from Southern Utah/Northern Arizona\, an attorney\, and founder of Great Western Resources\, where he advocates for land-use and agriculture policy in the West. He has served as a lecturer on western ranching issues and has engaged in national policy work\, including participation in a U.S. Supreme Court amicus filing. He also works in agricultural insurance and remains active in ranching with his family.\nSponsored by: Korman Ranch\n \n\nCharles Benoit\nTrade Counsel\, Coalition for a Prosperous America \nCharles is Senior Trade Counsel at the Coalition for a Prosperous America\, where he advises on trade policy and enforcement. An experienced trade attorney\, he has represented clients before federal courts\, the USITC\, and USTR\, and previously served as outside counsel to the European Commission during U.S.–EU trade negotiations. \n\nDr. Lora Bledsoe\nU.S. Department of Homeland Security\, Office of Health Security\, Policy Advisor \nDr. Lora Bledsoe\, DVM\, serves as a Policy Advisor at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security\, working on agricultural resilience and animal health policy. She brings over a decade of experience as a food animal veterinarian\, along with leadership in rural public service\, including founding a mobile veterinary practice and serving as a mayor. \n\nBill Bullard\nR-CALF USA Chief Executive Officer \nBill Bullard serves as CEO of R-CALF USA\, advocating for independent cattle producers across the United States. With a background as a South Dakota cow/calf producer and former public utilities executive\, he has testified before Congress and federal agencies and leads the organization’s legal and policy initiatives. \n\nDave Duquette\nFounder & Executive Director\, Western Justice \nDave Duquette is the founder of Western Justice and a longtime advocate for agriculture and rural America. A Marine and former horse trainer from Oregon\, he has worked on key legislation in Washington\, D.C.\, supporting farmers’ and ranchers’ rights. Through his work\, he defends the Western way of life and promotes policies impacting livestock\, land use\, and wildlife management.\nSponsored by: Brock Livestock Co. \n\nEID Panel\nDr. Jim Stangle\, Veterinarian (SD)\nDr. Julie Trask\, Veterinarian (SD)\nKenny Fox\, Animal ID Chair\, R-CALF USA\nModerated by: Jim Mundorf\, Lonesome Lands \nSponsored by: Independent Cattlemen of Wyoming \n\nBrett Kenzy\nFormer R-CALF USA President\, Checkoff Chair \nBrett Kenzy is a fourth-generation rancher in South Dakota\, operating Kenzy Backgrounding with his family. A U.S. Army veteran and former R-CALF USA president\, he advocates for independent ranchers and the strength of rural communities.\nSponsored by: Rosebud Farmers Union \n\nLonesome Lands\nJim Mundorf and Shad Sullivan \nThe Lonesome Report brings you candid conversations between Lonesome Lands journalist Jim Mundorf and cattle rancher Shad Sullivan. This biweekly\, opinion-based podcast dives into current industry events and news\, unpacking their impact on agriculture and rural America.\n\nDon’t miss their live podcast recording at the convention!\n \n\nPatrick McGahan\nPartner\, Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLP \nPatrick McGahan is a partner at Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLP\, where he focuses on antitrust and competition litigation for corporate and institutional clients. He has significant experience in agricultural antitrust matters and is co-lead counsel in the In re Cattle and Beef Antitrust Litigation. His broader practice includes securities litigation\, arbitration\, and complex commercial disputes. \n\nAJ Richards\nFrom the Farm Founder & CEO \nAJ Richards grew up in a fifth-generation ranching family in southern Utah\, served with the Utah Army National Guard\, including a combat deployment to Iraq\, and found his way back to agriculture through a cousin’s ranch — selling beef direct to consumers and watching up close how a system built around consolidation squeezes the margin out of family operations. When COVID exposed just how fragile that centralized supply chain really was\, he built From The Farm: a platform that connects consumers directly with family farms and ranchers\, cuts out the middlemen\, and treats food sovereignty as the national security issue it is. An R-CALF USA member and advocate for independent producers\, AJ is proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with other R-CALF members to work alongside USDA leadership and federal partners to push for regulatory reforms that allow family farms to compete on their own terms. He lives with his wife and two of his three daughters in Cody\, Wyoming. \nSponsored by: Weldon Ranches \n\nT. Jake Smith\nAssistant Professor\, Agricultural Economics\, University of Nebraska-Lincoln \nJake Smith is an Assistant Professor of Agricultural Economics at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. His research focuses on how market structure\, procurement practices\, and public policy influence prices\, production\, and resilience in agricultural sectors\, including the beef packing industry. He holds a PhD in Economics from Iowa State University\, where he also served as a postdoctoral researcher.\nSponsored by: Bar N Cattle \n\nBen Spell\nGood Ranchers Founder and CEO \nBen Spell founded Good Ranchers in 2018 and has grown it into a nationally recognized direct-to-consumer brand serving more than 100\,000 families. He is a strong advocate for American agriculture and domestic supply chains\, using his platform to support U.S. farmers and ranchers.\nSponsored by: American Grassfed Association \n\nShad Sullivan\nRancher and R-CALF USA Property Rights Chair \nShad Sullivan is a fifth-generation rancher from southeast Colorado who operates his family’s stocker cattle operation. A West Texas A&M graduate\, he is a national advocate for private property rights and serves in leadership roles with R-CALF USA while also contributing to ranching-focused media and outreach.\nSponsored by: Vander Wey Ranch \n\nDr. Max Thornsberry\nFormer R-CALF USA President\, Parliamentarian\, Animal Health Chair \nDr. Max Thornsberry is a retired food animal veterinarian with nearly five decades of experience in livestock production and dairy calf health. A graduate of the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine\, he has owned and operated a feedlot\, authored major veterinary reference works\, and continues to provide consulting services to cattle producers nationwide. \n\nJohn Vecchione\nSenior Litigation Counsel New Civil Liberties Alliance \nJohn Vecchione serves as Senior Litigation Counsel at the New Civil Liberties Alliance\, focusing on strategic litigation against federal administrative overreach. He is an experienced trial and appellate attorney who has argued cases in courts across the country\, including the U.S. Supreme Court\, and previously served as President and CEO of the Cause of Action Institute. \n\nChris Young\nExecutive Director- American Association of Meat Processors \nChris Young has over 35 years of experience in the meat industry and over 20 years working on the processing side of the industry. He previously served as the operations manager for Wild Bill’s Foods in Leola\, Pa.\, as well as overseeing ham production for Berks Packing Company\, Reading\, Pa. In 2013 Young became AAMP’s Outreach specialist and represented the association before federal\, state\, and local agencies. In addition to serving as the liaison to USDA\, FDA and state meat inspection programs\, he has handled legislative and regulatory issues that directly impact small processors. Young took over as AAMP’s Executive Director in the fall of 2015 and is working to expand the association’s role as the voice of the small processor. URL:https://www.r-calfusa.com/event/annual-convention/ LOCATION:The Monument\, 444 Mt. Rushmore Road N.\, Rapid City\, 57701 CATEGORIES:Convention ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.r-calfusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/16-9-ratio-26conventionlogos-09.png END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR