The Future Of Branding
Animal rights groups call it barbaric and cruel, but it has been a part of the ranching culture since it was brought to the America’s by the Spanish explorer Cortez in the 1500’s. I’m Susan Allen when Open Range returns an iconic part of cowboy culture is under attack and its not rodeo!. Branding, no I’m not talking about what some ad exec in an ivory tower does with a pair of jeans, but the western tradition that gave marketing that very word, a seasonal celebration that occurs in cattle country when friends and family gather to vaccinate, castrate, and mark their calves for identification with a hot iron. Horses and cattle have been branded for generations across the West, but that could soon change due to the United States Department of Agriculture’s new regulations that will require a numerical ID system to track cattle from birth to slaughter. While the proposed ID legislation designating that a calf receives a numeric number on an ear tag won’t actually outlaw branding, it will make it irrelevant because the USDA will no longer recognize it as an identification method and that makes many ranchers irate! They are proud of brands that have been in families for generations, and in many cases registered so no one can copy what equates to their own family crest, meaning many won’t give up branding without a fight. The powerful legislative group of ranchers known as R-Calf have already began protesting to the USDA through a letter writing campaign that acknowledges their constitutional right to individual freedom and the continuation of rural cultures and customs. We’ll cover this branding issue closely on Open Range, so what do you think is it time to get rid of branding? Chime in with your opinion on my Open Range Facebook page or my blog on aginfo.net. I’m Susan Allen
