Rancher wants to increase membership, level of activity

By MATTHEW WEAVER

Capital Press

EDWALL, Wash. -- Nate Hair loves working in wide-open spaces.

"What I like about it is the freedom of it," the Edwall, Wash., rancher said. "I can build fence out in the middle of nowhere and I don't have to worry about anything."

Well, Hair has a worry or two.

Hair became president of the Cattle Producers of Washington in the fall of 2011. He said his biggest concerns are making sure cow-calf producers are protected from wolves and other issues.

"It may not be an immediate thing, but I think that's the biggest problem we're going to face right now," he said. "The wolves are probably the biggest killer to the livestock industry."

With price volatility and increased costs of production, it's hard for ranchers to absorb losses due to wolf depredation, Hair said.

"The wolf comes in, basically, they're going to push the cow-calf guy out," he said. "All that does is less cattle in the United States and more public ground. They talk about reimbursing these ranchers. Washington state doesn't have the money to reimburse us."

Hair also hopes to increase the rolls of the 250-member organization and the amount of participation among members. Since he became president, he's talked with ranchers who are glad he's looking out for their best interest. But they don't want to get involved, he said, an outlook he'd like to see change by bringing in new blood.

"I think that's kind of the outlook across the country: 'As long as somebody else is taking care of it, I don't have to worry about it,'" he said. "To me that's not really fair to the few who are doing it."

He'd like to see the grassroots organization become a source of input for state and national decision-makers.

Hair, 44, has been ranching for 10 years with his wife, Ladies Professional Golf Association golfer Wendy Ward. They manage about 120 cows on roughly 7,000 acres. He previously held the position of youth director for CPOW for a year.

He'd still like to see youth become more involved.

Former president and current district director Wade King expects CPOW will continue to grow under Hair's presidency.

"He's a go-getter; one of his expressions is to grab the bull by the horns," King said. "He's a strong advocate for our industry. He really believes in supporting the guys who are making a living out here on the land."

The organization is poised this year to open a slaughter facility in Odessa, Wash. Hair said the goal is to break ground in the spring and be operational in the fall. CPOW is bringing members on board and hoping to attract larger investors.

Hair said CPOW's direct goal is to protect cow-calf producers, compared to other organizations that represent multiple aspects of the industry.

"It's about the sanctity of being able to live on your ground kind of in a free will, so to speak" he said. "You pay those taxes, you've earned those rights and sometimes people feel inclined to take those rights away from you as a landowner."

Online

Cattle Producers of Washington: www.cattleproducersofwa.org