Wyoming is known for its wide-open spaces, breathtaking scenery, and above all, our cowboys. Agriculture is 44% of our state. There are 10,544 farms and ranches, family-owned and operated that account for 93% of all Wyoming farms, (down 12% from 2017) with an average size of 2,729 acres.
Brent talks about water in Wyoming.
The USDA says the US is losing 4.3 acres of farmland every minute. Wyoming lost 6.1 million acres between 1997 and 2022, representing a 17.6% decline. Agriculture has the highest suicide rate of any craft. I will return agriculture to the growers. Cowboys and agriculture go hand-in-hand and are the staples of our great state. However, agriculture is under constant attack by increased government regulations and taxes leading to the lowest profit margin ever and highest suicide rate of any American workforce sector. Globalist interests outlined in UN Agenda 2030 target our small and mid-sized growers with the intent of corporatizing, centralizing, and nationalizing our food supply through threat of land seizure and overburdening livestock tracking and immunization requirements under the false premises of reducing CO 2 emissions and human beef consumption.
Brent talks in this video about agriculture and water in the first part of this video.
I will stand behind our growers and fight back against the globalist agenda. RFID should not be compulsory, and no grower should be penalized or discriminated against for no use. Ad valorum taxes should be reduced and/or eliminated for any grower who purchases and/or uses equipment, grows feed, etc. for the sole purpose of sustaining and growing their livestock or crops. Applications for Allodial Titles that offer absolute ownership without obligation to higher authority for property owned outright should be streamlined and imminent domain authority should reside with the state legislature and not with respective municipalities or corporations. Beef check off fees should be eliminated, and no fees should be rendered to brand inspectors or certificates for intrastate transport if brands are registered with the state of Wyoming.
- In 2023, beef and veal imports totaled 1.86 billion pounds, while exports totaled 1.58 billion pounds in the first half of the year.
- The U.S. beef import market is experiencing a historic year in 2024, with total imports increasing by 22.49% compared to the same period in 2023.
Restraints such as tariffs and levying the same requirements on foreign livestock as is applied to US beef will limit low quality foreign imports that are not held to the identical veterinary standards will strengthen our position and cattle markets.
Agriculture is essential for Wyoming’s and Americas longevity and self-reliance. Our growers are the key to our future and every effort should be made to support and foster the Cowboy traditions they represent. Save the family farms and ranches.