The town of Hope, North Dakota was the perfect place for cattlemen and women to come together for the first of several Spring Roundup meetings. As North Dakota Stockmen’s Association Executive Vice President Julie Ellingson put it, “ranchers sure could use some extra hope right now.” A flock of black swan events, now couple with drought, is testing the industry in the state. “There are a lot of cattle moving through auction barns. The most disheartening thing is a lot of ranchers don’t know what to do.” said Jeff Schafer, president. ” I, myself, don’t even know what I’m going to do. Producers don’t sell their cowherd until they absolutely have to.” Another point of discussion among members was the Department of Justice’s investigation into the cattle markets and price disparities. Schafer said both cow/calf producers and cattle feeders haven’t been able to catch a break from poor market prices. “It seems like we’re constantly one headline away from another disaster, but I’m hopeful for a market fix.” Listen to the story.