From a polar vortex, to flooding, drought and fires, it has been a tough year for cattle producers across the United States. American Angus Association CEO Mark McCully recently visited with cattlemen about these challenges during the North Dakota Angus Association annual meeting. “Your heart breaks when you hear these weather stories, but resilience always comes through.” Despite these challenges, producers remain incredibly optimistic. “I think optimism is a fiber of production agriculture. There is a tremendous amount of optimism around our end product, beef,” says McCully. “Certified Angus Beef just settled its 13 consecutive year of record sales, selling 1.25 billion pounds.” More from McCully in this interview.