WSGA Summer Convention: Producers gather in Cody for annual Wyoming Cattle Industry Convention
From June 3-5, producers from across the Cowboy State gathered in Cody for the Wyoming Stock Growers Association (WSGA) Summer Cattle Industry Convention and Trade Show.
Themed “Restoring Collaborative Resource Management,” the convention centered on providing ranchers and natural resource professionals with tools to navigate a complex landscape and build on common ground and featured committee meetings and comments from several industry stakeholders, as well as an awards presentation.
Day one highlights
Convention programming kicked off on June 4 with a welcome address from WSGA President Reg Phillips.
“I want to thank everybody for taking time away from their schedules and turning cattle and sheep out to be here,” Phillips began.
Phillips emphasized, in a year where Wyoming is expected to experience extreme drought and fire conditions, working with industry partners such as the
University of Wyoming (UW) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) is of utmost importance.
“When we have these issues and this drought, we need to work with our partners,” Phillips said. “They’re a really good resource.”
The morning continued with a series of forums featuring comments from prospective candidates for governor and Wyoming U.S. Senate and House of Representatives seats, followed by annual reports from the Wyoming Stock Growers Land Trust, Wyoming Beef Council, Wyoming CattleWomen, WSGA Young Producers Assembly and WSGA.
To round out the morning programming, Wyoming Small Business Administration (SBA) District Director Amy Lea led a panel discussion on how SBA and USDA are working to cut red tape and reduce regulatory burdens for ranchers.
Committee meetings were held in the afternoon, and the evening concluded with a social banquet featuring live music by Jamie Dimond, a recognition of outgoing WSGA officers and a raffle to support the WSGA AGPAC.
Day two highlights
On June 5, the general session dug deep into the theme of resource management, featuring updates on NRCS and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) from NRCS West Region Assistant Chief Hans Hunt and USFS Acting Deputy Associate Chief for Natural Resources Steve Lohr, followed by comments on the farm bill by Fitzhugh Elder, staff director for the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.
Brian Yablonski, chief executive officer of the Property and Environment Research Center in Bozeman, Mont., also discussed private land and property rights in the next era of conservation.
“In this room sit the people who are going to decide what the next 150 years of conservation looks like in America,” Yablonski shared, emphasizing his belief in the critical role of ranchers when it comes to determining what the next era of conservation will look like.
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Gene Copenhaver also delivered a speech on the state of the cattle industry, and University of Wyoming Ranch Management and Ag Leadership Director Doug Stark shared comments on preparing the next generation of agricultural leaders.
The event continued with WSGA’s annual awards luncheon where individuals were recognized for their contributions to Wyoming’s cattle industry with the Outstanding Range Professional Award, the Guardian of the Grasslands Award, the Environmental Stewardship Award and two scholarships.
U.S. Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) recognized the recipients of the Clifford P. Hansen and John J. Hines Memorial Scholarships and highlighted some happenings from Washington, D.C.
“President Donald Trump’s heart is absolutely in the right place for Wyoming and for the people who put energy in our homes and food on our tables,” Barrasso shared. “We’re going to continue to work closely with him.”
U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) was unable to attend the event in person, but sent her regards via a letter shared by Field Representative Jennifer Fernandez.
Lummis’ comments highlighted the hard work of Wyoming ranchers and the continued fight against federal overreach, including advocating for the recission of the Public Lands Rule and amendments to the Rock Springs Resource Management Plan.
“Our local experts, ranchers and land managers have generations of on-the-ground knowledge no federal bureaucracy can replicate,” Lummis wrote. “It is long past due we return the management back to them.”
Following the awards presentation, the convention concluded with a WSGA board business meeting.
Keep an eye out for more from the 2026 Wyoming Stock Growers Association Summer Cattle Industry Convention and Trade Show in future editions of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup.
Grace Skavdahl is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
