Above you see the Sixth Place winner in the Outback Roundup photo contest, and my personal favorite photo of all our entries this year.

“Small cowboy, big country” Walker Paine and his horse Chester are looking for grandpa with his horse trailer to hitch a ride home after spending the day trailing cows in Lyon County, Nevada. Photographer Robin Paine.

Having spent a great deal of my youth in similar situations, trailing cows across the Nevada Desert or the Carizzo Plains in the most beautiful part of Central California and waiting on Joe Dahl or Pat Russell for instructions, little Walker Paine has my heart.

Our judges had the best time looking at all the amazing photos that were entered this year, and we are looking forward to sharing them with you in the magazine. The six winners are announced in the new Summer edition, and the honorable mentions will be announced in the Fall 2026 edition. To see the winning photos, grab a copy of the magazine from your nearest newsstand, and we will have them up on the website soon. If you still need to subscribe, you can do that here:

That all being said, we can’t believe it, but the Summer 2026 magazine is out early and in mailboxes already. We had a reader in Northern California reach out and say, “It made it through the gauntlet well! It looks good!”

Another reader sent a note, “Wow, it looks different. I really like it! So - good job!”

We are all so grateful for the support and encouragement that has come in so far. We appreciate the pointers and suggestions, and we appreciate YOU. Now, as we head into the fall edition and start all over again, our story list is rounding out nicely. While this America 250 summer edition focused generally on family, the fall edition will have a loose focus on the sheep industry. We hope you’ll continue to reach out and let us know what you’re thinking and if you have any ideas or thoughts on stories you would like us to cover. Find me at [email protected]. 

Staff writer Amber Hardin takes a quick look at some of the most pressing stories of the past couple of weeks.

“Today, 63 farmers will go out of business.”

That stark warning, given to Congress by Mike Callicrate and shared recently by Farm Action, captures a growing concern across rural America that the people raising livestock are struggling to stay afloat, even as beef prices remain high.

According to Callicrate, the issue isn’t new—but in 2026, it’s gaining renewed urgency. “86,000 independent feed yards like mine are gone,” Callicrate said. “The meat industry is rigged against farmers, and it’s time to fight back. Meat packers continue to operate above the law. Overall, beef demand is at record highs, and the big four meat packers control 80% of the market and sell beef to an equally concentrated grocery store and food service sector. Meanwhile, big meat packers like Tyson are shuttering plants in rural communities. It’s past time to break up the big meat packing, big retail, and big food service companies and aggressively rebuild, protect, and support local regional food infrastructure.”

Callicrate, a longtime independent cattle producer, delivered testimony earlier this year at a congressional field hearing focused on food system consolidation. His message was blunt and is becoming common among those in the industry: “A handful of multinational corporations control our food supply…”

Today, just four companies dominate the majority of U.S. beef processing. Critics argue that the level of concentration limits competition, reduces transparency in pricing, and leaves independent producers with fewer options when it comes time to sell cattle. At the heart of the debate is what some are calling the “middle bottleneck,” large meatpacking companies that sit between producers and consumers. Callicrate and others have described this dynamic as a kind of choke point in the market. In recent commentary following the hearing, he referred to it as the “tyranny of the middlemen,” arguing that control over processing capacity gives large firms outsized influence over pricing.

It’s a concern echoed by policymakers from both parties, who have begun taking a closer look at how cattle markets function and whether current systems are working as intended. Industry groups representing major meatpackers push back on those claims, arguing that pricing is driven by supply, demand, and broader market disruptions from drought conditions to processing slowdowns seen during the pandemic.

They also point out that operating large-scale processing facilities comes with significant cost and risk, and that consolidation has helped improve efficiency across the supply chain. Recent hearings, ongoing legal challenges, and federal scrutiny of meatpacking practices have brought renewed focus to an issue that has simmered for decades. For producers on the ground, the stakes feel immediate and is driving a bigger conversation toward regional processing facilities.

The idea of bringing grizzly bears back to California is back on the table and is stirring up strong opinions in the northern part of the state.

A bill moving through the legislature would require state agencies to study whether grizzlies could be reintroduced to parts of their historic range. It doesn’t greenlight releasing bears, but most people see it for what it is: the first real step in that direction.

At a recent Senate Natural Resources Committee hearing, several Northern California sheriffs pushed back hard with their simple concern for public safety, and the reality that rural communities are already stretched thin dealing with wildlife issues.

They’re not speaking in hypotheticals. The return of gray wolves over the past decade has brought its own set of challenges, with livestock losses, more pressure on landowners, and ongoing conflicts that haven’t been easy to manage. From their perspective, adding another large predator into the mix isn’t a small decision, it’s a multiplier.

There’s also the question of whether California today even resembles the landscape grizzlies once roamed. Population growth, development, and changing land use have reshaped the state. On top of that, communities are already dealing with black bears and mountain lions on a regular basis.

Supporters of the study see it differently.

Conservation groups and tribal leaders say it’s worth taking a serious look at restoring a species that once played a major role in the ecosystem. For many Native American tribes, the grizzly isn’t just another animal, it carries deep cultural and spiritual meaning. They argue that studying the idea is a responsible step, both scientifically and culturally.

For now, that’s all this is, a study. Any actual reintroduction would come later, with another round of scrutiny, planning, and approvals. Still, the fact that the bill is moving forward tells us we’ll have to continue to watch the issue.

BLM Launches Tool to Help Ranchers Find Grazing Opportunities

The Bureau of Land Management has rolled out a new online tool aimed at helping ranchers find available grazing on public lands and, at the same time, put livestock to work in managing those landscapes.

Announced in late March, the tool is built around an interactive map showing vacant grazing allotments across BLM-managed ground. For producers dealing with drought, wildfire, or shifting conditions, it’s meant to make it easier to see what’s out there and how to go after it.

It also walks users through the basics of applying for a grazing permit, with the agency saying more allotments could be added as they’re reviewed and cleared for use. 

The BLM has emphasized that the tool is part of a broader land management strategy, with officials leaning more into targeted or prescribed grazing, using livestock intentionally to get specific results on the ground. That can mean reducing the fine fuels that contribute to wildfire risk, keeping invasive species in check, or helping maintain healthier rangeland overall.

With roughly 155 million acres under its management that are open to grazing, the agency has always had to juggle competing uses. This tool is another sign they’re trying to be more flexible and more responsive as conditions change.

Across the West and Great Plains, drought and large wildfires have pushed a lot of operations out of their normal patterns. In some cases, ranchers are scrambling to find forage wherever they can. Having a clearer picture of what allotments are available could make a real difference in those moments. That said, this isn’t opening the floodgates.

The map only includes allotments already considered suitable and available, and producers still have to go through the usual permitting process. Environmental reviews and existing rules aren’t going anywhere. But for someone needing options, and needing them quickly, it could shorten the distance between “we’ve got a problem” and “here’s a possible solution.”

Whether it gets used widely is another question. Like a lot of BLM efforts, the impact will depend on how well it works on the ground and whether producers see it as worth their time.  For ranchers, it’s a more straightforward way to find feed. For the agency, it’s another step toward treating livestock as part of the solution, not something to regulate.

We love our supporters and all they do to keep us up and running so we can bring you the magazine and this newsletter. Be sure to check out our newest supporter, and for every sale, a percentage goes to support RANGE.

Patricia Aiken — It’s not often you come across the words hockey and ranching in the same sentence. However, LactiGo and the animal version Velocity are tying them together. LactiGo is a patented transdermal water molecule delivery gel originally designed for athletes. The National Hockey League mandated that if a team uses LactiGo, it must provide it in the visitor locker room. Why? Because it gives the team an unfair advantage. LactiGo’s Chief Scientist Chad Macias trains Olympic athletes at his institute and has 50 Gold Medals he credits to LactiGo.

Mystic Dan was the 2024 Kentucky Derby winner with 18-1 odds. Two weeks before the Derby, the trainer started applying Velocity. Three days before the race, Mystic Dan’s owner called Kevin Atkinson at LactiGo to say that the horse was running winning times. Kevin replied, “What are you doing? Put it on your other four horses!” On Derby day, one horse had to scratch. Mystic Dan won, and the other three finished 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th.

 A ranch in Winnemucca is using Velocity on heifers and has noticed an appreciable difference in their ease in calving. Top rodeo athletes are using LactiGo on their injuries and Velocity on these horses. Allen Hurst in Missouri, ranches and works in concrete at his day job. He developed excruciating carpal tunnel pain, applied LactiGo once, and has been pain-free for three weeks.

Support you and your family’s health, your horses’ health, and RANGE. To order, or for more information, call 702-449-0044 or see the website at https://my.lactigo.com/rangemagazine

You can get your hands on all the RANGE merchandise — our books, artwork, preorder the 2027 Buckaroo Calendar, and all the fun things at Great Basin Trading Company.

We sure appreciate you and all you do to support the magazine. Please forward this newsletter to friends and family who may enjoy a weekly dose of RANGE and the Cowboy Spirit on American Outback.

Tabor Outlaw Jones — the newest in the Dahl family, ready for a rodeo last weekend in Utah.