Wyoming Welcomes the West: Cowboy State hosts key gatherings for Western sheep and cattle producers
Wyoming was the gathering place for livestock producers across the West, who converged in Cody for the West Central States Wool Growers (WCSWG) Convention Nov. 6-8 and in Cheyenne for the Range Beef Cow Symposium (RBCS) Nov. 10-11.
Both back-to-back events drew ranchers, researchers, policymakers and students to share ideas, discuss challenges and celebrate the resilience of Western livestock production.
WCSWG Convention
The 2025 WCSWG Convention was hosted by the Wyoming Wool Growers Association (WWGA) at the Holiday Inn Cody – Buffalo Bill Village, bringing together sheep and wool producers from Wyoming, Idaho, Utah and Nevada.
The first day of the convention included individual wool growers’ association meetings, as well as a Mountain Plains Agricultural Service board meeting. The night concluded with a welcome social, strolling supper and a rowdy Shearing Calcutta.
On Nov. 7, Public Lands Council Secretary Robbie LeValley discussed current happenings in Washington, D.C. and members of the University of Wyoming (UW) Sheep Task Force provided a Ted Talk Series presentation, covering research on grazing, range management and carcass quality.
Despite not being able to make the convention, UW Extension Sheep Specialist Dr. Whit Stewart tuned in virtually to provide insights from his time working in New Zealand’s sheep industry.
The morning concluded with an overview of the lamb industry from Superior Farms Director of Producer Resources Karissa Isaacs, followed by an update from the American Lamb Board and a presentation from Bridger Feuz, University of Idaho (U of I) Extension associate director and former UW Extension associate director, on work underway by both universities to develop a market-based approach for fair labor wages.
After lunch, Annalisa Miller, an attorney at Falen Law Offices LLC in Cheyenne, offered an update on ag policy, focusing on updates surrounding the Endangered Species Act.
For the afternoon session, attendees loaded trolleys and limos to attend a lineup of ranch tours in Park County.
The first stop was Cad’s Farm, a first-generation family farm raising high-quality, direct-to-consumer grass-fed beef.
Borcher Sheep and Hay Company hosted the tour’s second stop. Located in Powell, this fifth-generation farm and ranch raises purebred and commercial range sheep and premium hay.
Stutzman’s Feed Services, Inc. was the last stop on the tour, featuring Bret Stutzman’s operation in the heart of the Big Horn Basin where he utilizes crop residue and beet tops to feed out lambs.
The second night of the convention wrapped up with UW’s popular Skillathon Contest, the Get to Know Ewe Reception, a buffet-style dinner with live and silent auctions and the young producers social.
Attendees reconvened on the morning of Nov. 8 for an update from American Sheep Industry Association President Ben Lehfeldt.
Following his presentation, WWGA Vice President Shaun Sims moderated an interactive discussion to understand what challenges and priorities are currently top of producers’ minds. Besides foreign lamb imports flooding the U.S. and unfair H-2A labor wages, attendees decided market and price volatility is the most burdensome challenge currently facing the U.S. sheep industry.
The morning ended with a panel discussion on the contentious topic of Bighorn and domestic sheep interactions.
After a short break, Livestock Marketing Information Center (LMIC) Director Tyler Cozzens provided a marketing outlook for wool and lamb.
The convention concluded with the annual President’s Luncheon, in which Gov. Mark Gordon provided a keynote address.
The governor focused on serious policy issues affecting the sheep industry and highlighted the potential for regional cooperation among western states on shared priorities like federal grazing policies and the H-2A visa program.
He emphasized the importance of engaging youth to rebuild generational succession in the ag industry and concluded his speech by reaffirming his administration’s commitment to Wyoming’s ag future through the new Cowboy State Agricultural Initiative.
RBCS highlights
Following the sheep producers’ gathering, range beef cattle producers met at the Event Center at Archer on the Laramie County Fairgrounds for the 29th Annual RBCS.
Held biannually and hosted by UW, Colorado State University, South Dakota State University (SDSU) and the University of Nebraska, the event focuses on providing relevant information to beef cow/calf producers and range-based cattle systems.
“Since the first symposium in 1969, the goal of the RBCS has been to provide producers with timely relevant and impactful programming,” said Shelby Rosasco, UW Extension beef specialist and assistant professor of animal science. “This year’s symposium looks to build on this tradition, incorporating traditional-style presentations providing research-based information with opportunities for producer engagement.”
Cozzens spoke at the RBCS as well, and kicked off with his presentation on the global market outlook, followed by a discussion on grazing management and sustainability from UW Extension Rangeland Specialist Derek Scasta and a talk from University of Tennessee-Knoxville Assistant Professor of Beef Cattle Genomics Dr. Troy Rowan on strategies for utilizing genomic testing in the commercial beef herd.
The morning session concluded with two panel discussions – one highlighting ways scientists and ranchers can work together to conduct beef cow research and another on how to rebuild the cow herd in response to the nation’s historically low cattle inventory.
After lunch, LMIC Agricultural Economist Brandon Dodd outlined production costs in the cattle industry, Meteorologist Brian Bledsoe provided a weather outlook and SDSU Extension Feedlot Management Specialist Warren Rusche discussed the impacts of ranch decisions on calf values in the feedlot.
The next morning’s program continued with a market outlook from CattleFax, followed by presentations on genomic testing in commercial beef cattle, nutritional management of the herd in limited feed environments, bull fertility, fetal programming, reproductive technologies, replacement heifer selection and new research on pulmonary hypertension.
Each day concluded with the symposium’s popular “bull pen” sessions, a longstanding tradition allowing participants to interact directly with speakers in small group settings.
The bull pen sessions offered producers a chance to ask questions, further explore ideas and engage in meaningful discussions with speakers and fellow attendees.
Additionally, the symposium featured a large trade show, showcasing nearly 50 industry vendors.
Keep an eye out for more from the WCSWG and RBCS in future editions of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup.
Hannah Bugas is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
