Jeff Schafer of New Rockford is serving as president of the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association for the next two years. The fifth-generation rancher runs Rhein Valley Farm with his wife, children and parents. “We don’t have a ton of grassland here, so we have to think outside the box,” says Schafer. “To run the amount of cattle we do, we fence tillable ground and do residue/cover crop grazing to support our herd. It may be a little more challenging than other ways, but beef truly does pay bills, too.” Two black swan events within the past year certainly brought to light what has been happening in the cattle industry. Moving forward, Schafer says cattle producers must unite and stay focused. “Right now, there are organizations and people who want to take our industry out. To me, those are huge challenges and we have to confront them with the facts. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, as long as it’s factual.” Learn more about Schafer in this Red River Farm Network interview.