AUGUST 2020 We promote the advancement of land stewardship through ranching, science, and education. © Wyman Meinzer FROM THE CEO World War I and Beef Cattle NEAL WILKINS Grit – perseverance and passion for to win, we would have to learn to then among the largest cattle long-term goals. feed a huge army overseas. The shipping points in the nation. Cattle During World War I, South Texas country responded by conserving from ranches throughout South ranchers were recovering from food and mobilizing our agricultural Texas were shipped north from drought, fighting cattle fever ticks, systems. President Woodrow Hebbronville eventually arriving at and dealing with the recently Wilson established the U.S. Food the slaughterhouses and packing formed Internal Revenue Service. Administration and put Herbert plants in the Midwest. Cattle for On top of that, the entire nation Hoover in charge. By 1918, the feeding troops were shipped north was suffering a pandemic of domestic consumption of food in the to meat packers in Chicago, Kansas Spanish Flu. In the face of all those U.S. had dropped by 15%. It was only City, and Green Bay. By 1918, the challenges, those ranchers had the through decreasing consumption stockyards in Kansas City were added responsibility of raising cattle while increasing production that handling more than 55,000 head of to feed our troops. our country could possibly meet the cattle per day, while meat plants in needs of the war effort. Chicago were processing more than In April of 1917, the United States Beef was a staple for feeding U.S. 1.5 million pounds of beef weekly. By finally entered World War I. We sent the end of the war, U.S. troops had more than two million soldiers to troops. An individual soldier’s reserve rations, for example, consumed an estimated 800 million France. Our well-fed soldiers tipped pounds of beef. the scales in favor of a November included one pound of beef 1918 victory for the U.S. allies – daily. This was often in the Britain, Russia, and France – who form of canned beef, mostly had already been fighting for from cattle coming from three years. While the direct price ranches in Texas and elsewhere of victory included over 53,000 in the Great Plains. During the US troops killed in action, there Great War, cattle prices rose by was also sacrifice back at home. more than 50% from their pre- World War I was marked by one war levels. America’s ranchers of the largest campaigns ever to responded by producing more successfully produce food for troops cattle. overseas. But where did all those cattle Our allies were handicapped by come from? Much of them food shortages, and if we were came from South Texas. The railhead in Hebbronville was Cattle were shipped by rail from South Texas to stockyards throughout the Midwest. THE ACME PACKERS Although Acme continued to produce canned beef until 1943, it The Indian Packing Company of only controlled the Packers for a few Green Bay, Wisconsin was one of NFL seasons. Finally renamed the those wartime packing plants. Green Bay Packers, Curly Lambeau’s Under contract with the U.S. War team went on to win more NFL Department, they supplied canned championships than any team in BOARD OF DIRECTORS beef to our overseas Army. Some of history. the canned beef produced by the Dick Evans Indian Packing Company originated Lambeau played for the Packers Dan Kinsel as live cattle from South Texas. for 10 years and coached the team Tio Kleberg for the following 20 years. He is Bryan Wagner, Chair After the war, the Indian Packing the namesake for the Packer’s Company continued to operate, but Stadium (Lambeau Field) and at 226 they apparently had some restless wins is ranked the NFL’s fifth most PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS employees. One of the company’s winningest coach – right behind receiving clerks, Curly Lambeau, Tom Landry at 250. Pretty good Lynn Drawe, PhD. talked his boss into providing $500 record for a shipping clerk at a meat David Hewitt, PhD. for some jerseys and a field for packing plant. Clay Hilton, DVM. playing football. This month (August 2020) marks Tio Kleberg, Chair Lambeau, having been a star 100 years since formation of the Roel Lopez, PhD. running back at Notre Dame, knew National Football League (NFL). Rick Machen, PhD. what he was doing so he both Originally named the American coached and played as running back Clay Mathis, PhD. Professional Football Association, for the new team. In 1919, their first Fred Bryant, PhD. (Emeritus) the NFL was birthed in immediate season of play, the Packers had a Lisa Flowers, PhD. (Emeritus) post-war boom of 1920. The “Acme 10-1 record. Their only loss was to Packers” joined the league during the Beloit Fairies (it must have been the following year. The origin story embarrassing for Lambeau to lose to INVESTMENT COMMITTEE of the Acme Packers is one of the the Fairies). greatest in the NFL – and they may Dick Evans The Indian Packing Company was be the only team birthed by beef. Harry Flavin not as profitable after the war, so Phil Plant they were sold to the Acme Packing Company of Chicago. The team was LOCATIONS then renamed the “Acme Packers.” Hebbronville 310 East Galbraith Street Hebbronville, Texas 78361 San Antonio Viejo Ranch 474 East Ranch Road Hebbronville, Texas 78361 El Sauz Ranch 37216 Highway 186 Port Mansfield, Texas 78598 San Antonio The wartime demand for beef to feed troops not only 200 Concord Plaza Drive, Suite 410 helped form the beef cattle industry, but it made possible San Antonio, Texas 78216 the Green Bay Packers, one of the grittiest teams ever. (210) 447-0126 EASTFOUNDATION.NET 2 AUGUST 2020 SCIENTIST IN RESIDENCE Supporting Our Partners JASON SAWYER East Foundation is proud to The virtual program will be • Scott McFarlane, Wildlife promote our partners as they assist presented on the Zoom platform Manager for Deseret Land and us in supporting land stewardship from 12:00 pm to 4:30 pm on Livestock in Utah through science, education, and Thursday, October 29th and from • Rick Danvir, President of Basin outreach. We would like to invite 12:00 pm to 3:30 pm on Friday, Wildlife Consulting, LLC in all of our readers to join us in October 30th. All times are CST. Wyoming attending the The King Ranch® Registrants will not be required to Institute for Ranch Management’s create a Zoom account. • Clayton Wolf, Chief Operating (KRIRM) 17th Annual HOLT CAT® Officer for Texas Parks and The wildlife symposium will Wildlife Department Symposium on Excellence in highlight the challenges and future Ranch Management held virtually opportunities of balancing ranching • Fidel Hernandez, PhD, Endowed in partnership with the Caesar and wildlife resources. Managing Professor for Quail Research Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute resource use among overlapping • David Hewitt, PhD, Endowed (CKWRI). enterprises is seldom as easy as Director of Wildlife Research These two institutions dedicated to prescribed in the annual ranch plan. • Carter Smith, Executive Director the conservation and stewardship Featuring presentations from: of Texas Parks and Wildlife of natural resources will present a • Dave DeLaney, General Manager Department free virtual wildlife and ranching of Ranching and Wildlife for After each virtual presentation, symposium titled The Future of the King Ranch, Inc. Wildlife Enterprise: Applying New time will be allotted for a question Knowledge and Tools on October 29 • Greg Simons, owner of Wildlife and answer session with the and 30, 2020. Systems, Inc. respective speaker. A break during • Tyson Johnson, General the first afternoon will showcase Registration to the virtual the recipients of the Texas Farm symposium is required and free. Manager of Sooner Cattle Company in Oklahoma Credit Certificate in Advanced Ranch Click here to register and download Management. On the second day of the complete agenda. • Marc Bartoskewitz, General presentations, the break will feature Manager of Cook Canyon Ranch a viewing of American Ocelot, a film in Texas that features a glimpse into the life of the endangered wild cat. EASTFOUNDATION.NET 3 PROJECT PROFILE Supporting Ocelot Recovery TYLER CAMPBELL “Private landowners are key to Viable semen from stored ocelot conservation in the United samples will be used to produce States.” This was the opening new kittens and eventually sentence of an article contained supplement or establish new within the East Foundation’s May ocelot populations in South 2014 newsletter. This statement is Texas. Yet another big goal as true today as it was six years ago. needed for ocelot recovery. About 80% of the known breeding Today, I can think of no wildlife population of ocelots in the U.S. species that captures the spirit occur exclusively on private ranches of “grit” more than the ocelot. in northern Willacy and Kenedy Faced with unprecedented counties in South Texas. challenges of habitat loss and Since inception, East Foundation Satisfied ocelot photographed in camera trap on El Sauz fragmentation, not to mention and our research partners Caesar Ranch in 2014. the threat of vehicle collisions Photo Credit: Michael Tewes Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute and population isolation – this at Texas A&M University-Kingsville species persists and survives These efforts are advancing science and Texas Parks and Wildlife mainly on private working ranches. and in 2020 alone three peer- Department have been collecting East Foundation is committed to reviewed scientific papers have information on this small, spotted, recovering the ocelot and private been published from data collected and highly secretive cat from our El ranches are the key to making this on our El Sauz Ranch. Two of the Sauz Ranch, located adjacent to Port happen.