CALF_News_Feb_March_2019

28 CALF News • February | March 2019 • www.calfnews.net Joe Dan is co-manager with his dad, Paul, of Mesquite Cattle Feeders in Brawley, Calif. This Imperial Valley operation is among the most efficient in getting the most out of a sometimes harsh desert climate. When managed correctly, cattle finished at Mesquite and other regional feedyards see some of the best performance in the country and produce as high a quality of cattle that is seen in the business. Traditional California desert feeding reigns at Mesquite. The large majority of cattle are Holstein steers purchased from regional calf ranches and auctions that are fed by the state’s enormous dairy industry. “Our feeding capacity is about 38,000 head when we’re at about 100 percent Holstein,” Joe Dan says.“We can reach about 42,000 if we see larger numbers of beef breeds.” Joe Dan’s grandfather, Dan Cameron, started the yard’s feeding program. That was in 1951, when he and Ed Ruther- ford formed what was then Orita Land and Cattle. They operated it until 1996. Joe Dan’s father along with Bob Presley and Greg Braun, then bought it, changed the name to Mesquite Cattle Feeders and continue to operate it today. Now, Mesquite is highly diversified. It includes a hay export business, which sells to the Orient, the Middle East and some domestically. The Camerons also farm a variety of crops. Paul and Joe Dan’s brother, Sean, head the farm- ing end of the business. In addition, The Mesquite Group also partners in a feedyard in Dodge City, Kan. – Lariat Feeders. “This partnership is with Ken Winter,” Joe Dan says, adding that the expansion to the Midwest “was to spread the cattle operation to include more beef cattle, access to more packers and overall to diversify our business. Mesquite By Larry Stalcup Contributing Editor Joe Dan Cameron is among the new breed of California cattle feeders. While he seeks new technology that enhances beef production, he cherishes the history of his family’s feedyard, as well as his region’s place in cattle feeding history. Cattle gain steadily on corn and a host of other feedstuffs available from desert farming. Three Generations of Desert Feeding at its Best Cattle Feeders