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Cattle Feeders Association |
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Cattle Feeders Association |
| 2001 Cattle Feeders
Annual -- Chairman's Profile
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Jim Waterfield |
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By Burt Rutherford |
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They say still waters run deep. If that's the case, Jim Waterfield's river runs mighty big indeed. He's a quiet and humble man; yet a widely respected, forthright leader who knows how to get things done. Waterfield takes the reins of TCFA at a time when cattle feeding is going through some serious change. But he knows TCFA and its members are up to the challenges. He bases that faith on his intimate knowledge of cattle people and on TCFA's strong history of serving its members. And he firmly believes, now more than ever, that TCFA must step to the fore to help cattle feeders navigate the turbulent waters of a new millennium. "I think the biggest challenge we have is environmental," he says, and he sees that challenge coming on several fronts. The first, of course, is legislative and regulatory. He's proud of TCFA's successful and longstanding efforts to work within the legislative process and with state and federal regulatory agencies to ensure a common-sense regulatory environment. That effort will continue unabated. "I think the other challenge will be keeping the idea in front that what we're doing is environmentally responsible-that we're environmentalists and we're taking care of the land." He says cattlemen are historically slow to toot their own horn, but feels that must change if the industry is to convince consumers, as well as legislators and regulators, that cattlemen use resources responsibly. "We have to get that feeling over-that we do care about the people and the land we take care of." Another challenge that the industry has successfully tackled is ready-to-eat meals. "That's maybe the biggest thing that's happened to us," he says, "and I think it will make a tremendous difference in how we think about producing beef." As an example, he tells of a friend who is a lifetime cattleman. "He came to me yesterday and quoted the grade his cattle got, cattle he raised on his ranch. That was the first time he'd ever known that, but now he's looking at the final picture because of the deal he'd worked out where he was paid on the carcass performance of the cattle." Waterfield believes those types of marketing arrangements will become more commonplace. To that end, he's very pleased to see Consolidated Beef Producers get off the ground and looks at the new marketing arrangement as a sign of the times. And those times are changing. "Sitting on a bank board, and I've sat on one for 40 years, I've seen quite a bit of change." He's seen a change in cattle ownership patterns, with a growing number of ranchers who graze cattle for others instead of owning cattle themselves. And more cattle owned by fewer people will change marketing patterns. "I think those who still own their cattle will feed them more. They've got to see what their cattle will do and the grid will change them that way. And I'm not saying that's all bad, but it may be a sign of the times." As Waterfield scans the horizon of the beef business, he thinks cattle feeding will remain viable even though the energy situation at the end of 2000 and early 2001 will force some creative thinking. And speaking of creative thinking, Waterfield says the beef checkoff has been doing an awfully good job. "I personally think it's added $4 to $5 to what we're doing." Waterfield supports the checkoff and says cattlemen ought to look objectively at the big picture. "I think you'd be amazed at how much stuff really comes from the beef checkoff." If nothing else, he says, consider the almost head-spinning rush by consumers toward ready-to-eat beef that can be heated in a microwave in just a few minutes and what that has done for beef demand. That initiative, he reminds cattlemen, got its start from the $1-per-head checkoff. The Man Jim Waterfield still lives in Canadian, the town where he was born, along with his wife, Sandy, who also grew up there. He describes himself as a small cattle feeder and while he had an ownership interest in a feedyard during the '80s, has not been involved in a feedyard as an owner or manager for a number a years. His son-in-law manages the family ranch southwest of Canadian where they run stocker cattle in partnership. He has fed cattle in a number of feedyards ever since the business began to bloom in the TCFA area. In that time, he's seen the good years and survived the bad and has developed a long-term perspective of the industry that often serves well in discussions about the industry's future. Waterfield, stepping into his post as a cattle feeder rather than a feedyard owner or manager, is aware that he fills the Chairman-ship from a situation that differs from most of the leaders who have been elected to serve TCFA. However, he's never had a feeling that it matters to TCFA members. "One of the nicest things about becoming Chairman is the acceptance from everybody. That says a lot for our industry." A good measure of that acceptance likely comes from Waterfield's easy way of handling situations and personalities. Those who know him well say he's a genuinely nice person, but one with strong leadership qualities and an almost instinctive way of cutting through the outer layers of a problem and getting to the issues that really matter. He's a sharp businessman who can quickly analyze a situation, whether it be a bank loan or a major policy issue confronting cattlemen, and see the long-term potential and possibilities of each. Jim Waterfield has always been a long-term thinker, even as a youth. His father died when he was a senior in high school, leaving him with responsibility for the family ranch. At the time, his dream was to become a coach and help mold the minds and bodies of other young men. Those plans changed and he enrolled in Oklahoma A&M (now Okla-homa State University) with a major in business and a minor in agriculture. "I made up my mind that I was coming back to the ranch. I got to looking at the situation and thought I've been raised on a ranch, that's all I've ever known. And I've pretty well got the teachers for that. But business, I didn't know 'come here from sic 'em,' so that was why I wanted to get a business degree." He's had ample opportunity to use his business sense outside of his ranch and cattle feeding. He's been involved in the Methodist Church, serving for many years on the General Conference and six years as head of its Finance Committee. While he's eased back a bit from those duties, he still is heavily involved locally, chairing a $1 million renovation project for his local congregation. He also serves as chairman of the board of First State Bank of Canadian. In addition, he holds another unique position as TCFA's leader-he's the only one to follow another family member at the helm of one of the nation's most influential cattle organizations. His brother, Dick Waterfield, was TCFA President in 1984 before embarking on a political career as a state representative. "I still run into people who say 'I didn't know you were back being Chairman of TCFA.' And I say I'm not, that's my brother." While no longer an elected official, Dick still lives in Austin and is still involved in politics. Jim Waterfield says he doesn't have any long laundry list of plans for TCFA during his administration. "I think the things are already in motion that will happen. I just believe we need to make the people who deal with Texas Cattle Feeders Association, including our members, more aware of what all TCFA does for its membership.' Given the complexity of many of the issues cattle feeders face, and the expertise of the TCFA staff in solving these issues, Waterfield sees TCFA not only as a help to members, but as a guide. "I think in this time and age you've got to have an organization giving that leadership. And we've got to let our people know that we know how to deal with these issues. They've got to know they can come to us."
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Amarillo,
Texas U.S.A. 79106