Message from the President - Oct. 2023

Hi Everyone !

I hope you all had a great summer! It just zipped right by, this whole year has whizzed by so fast I almost got whiplash. The weather has been all over the place in the EBA region, some of us were so dry the grass quit growing and other people had more rain than they knew what to do with. We were on the dry side and feeding hay off and on in September and October. My hay man will LOVE me this winter. Lol!

The EBA is trying some new things this coming year. The EBA board voted to change-up the show and sale requirements! See the flyer on page 7 in this issue of Bison Briefs. We are hoping that it removes the obstacles to consignment for our show and sale. As you’re doing your fall round up think about setting aside some animals to bring to Harrisburg next March.  We are also hosting a brunch and learn at the Beltway Auction in February, read all about it on page 9 of this issue.

We are in the planning stages for the 2024 Winter Conference and would love to hear your feedback for educational sessions. If there was one thing you would attend the conference for, what topic would that be? Shoot me your ideas in an email at cherokeevalleybison@yahoo.com or call / text me at 740-403-3763. This conference is for you, our members!

Speaking of education, I just got back from Custer State Park for some amazing leadership training. In 2022 the NBA reinstated the State and Regional Committee. The committee meets quarterly to discuss their regional bison association’s wins and struggles. It was an excellent learning opportunity and of course fantastic networking. We were also there for the Custer State Park Bison Auction. We got a behind the scenes look at the 500 animals up for auction. This sale tends to set the stage for the bison market for the year. Good news for live animal sales, all categories showed an increase over 2022 sale prices. Check out the Bison Insider Podcast episode 36 for a detailed summary or send me an email and I’ll share the results with you.

In August, I was sad to learn that Mary Beth Calloway passed away. She and her husband Wayne were longtime members of the EBA. They both gave so much to our organization. It’s telling how special she was, I had several folks reach out and ask if they could write a memorial for the newsletter. See the touching tribute to her legacy on page 4.

Wishing you all happy holidays and a safe roundup season!

Carie