Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association

Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association
Name	Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association
Abbreviation	TSCRA
Formation	1877
Type	Trade association
Headquarters	Fort Worth, Texas
Region served	Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kansas
Membership	Ranchers, cattle producers, agribusiness

Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association

The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association is a trade association formed in 1877 to represent cattle producers across the American West and Southwest United States, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It serves as a collective organization for ranchers and livestock interests interacting with entities such as the United States Department of Agriculture, the Texas Department of Transportation, and regional commodity groups like the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and the Cattlemen's Beef Board. The association intersects with historical developments involving figures like Charles Goodnight, institutions including Texas A&M University, and events such as the Chisholm Trail cattle drives.

History

The association originated following post‑Civil War cattle drives and frontier conflicts, emerging in the same era as Quanah Parker negotiations and the establishment of places such as Dodge City, Kansas and Abilene, Kansas. Founders responded to livestock theft and rustling that also concerned contemporaries like William "Curly" Brown and communities tied to the Southern Pacific Railroad and Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the organization adapted to legal frameworks including Texas Rangers jurisdictional changes, state legislation in Austin, Texas, and federal policies from administrations such as Theodore Roosevelt's. During the Dust Bowl and Great Depression era the association coordinated with agencies like the Soil Conservation Service and universities such as Oklahoma State University and New Mexico State University. Postwar modernization brought partnerships with United States Congress committees, the Food and Agriculture Act of 1965 era policymakers, and commodity research funded by bodies including the National Research Council.

Mission and Activities

The association's mission centers on protecting livestock property, promoting beef marketing channels tied to organizations like Beef Checkoff Program and defending producer interests before bodies such as the Texas Legislature and the United States Department of Justice. Activities encompass legal advocacy similar to efforts by the American Farm Bureau Federation, engagement in animal health initiatives with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and participation in market development alongside groups like the International Livestock Exposition. It also provides services comparable to those of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and disaster response coordination akin to Federal Emergency Management Agency interactions during crises affecting ranches in Harris County, Texas or Lubbock, Texas.

Membership and Organization

Membership comprises private ranchers, corporate cattle operations, livestock haulers, and allied businesses drawn from regions including Panhandle–Plains Historical Museum territory, the Texas Panhandle, and neighboring states like Oklahoma and New Mexico. Governance is conducted through a board structure with elected leaders who interact with institutions such as Texas A&M University System branches and county agricultural extension offices like those affiliated with Cooperative Extension Service. The association organizes annual meetings, regional conventions, and committees modeled on governance seen in associations such as the American Quarter Horse Association and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.

Law Enforcement and Loss Prevention Services

A hallmark has been fielding livestock theft investigations and recovery operations paralleling roles of the Texas Rangers and county sheriffs in places like Tarrant County, Texas and Travis County, Texas. The association maintains loss‑prevention programs, records systems, and collaboration with agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation when crimes cross state lines, and with state veterinary authorities like the Texas Animal Health Commission on animal identification and disease traceability. These services operate alongside federal statutes such as the Lacey Act in wildlife contexts and interact with judicial venues from county courts to the United States Court of Appeals.

Advocacy and Political Influence

The association engages in lobbying and public policy advocacy before the Texas Legislature, state regulatory commissions, and federal bodies including the United States Department of Agriculture and United States Congress committees on agriculture. It forms coalitions with groups like the Texas Farm Bureau, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, and state commodity councils to influence trade policy, land use rules, water rights disputes involving the Rio Grande, and biosecurity regulations. Political activity includes participation in ballot initiatives, testimony before legislative committees in Austin, Texas, and coordination with legal advocacy groups similar to the American Farm Bureau Federation's policy teams.

Education, Research, and Industry Programs

The association supports producer education, extension programming, and research partnerships with land‑grant universities such as Texas A&M University, Oklahoma State University, and New Mexico State University. Programs address rangeland management, beef quality assurance, animal health research in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture, and workforce development similar to outreach by the National FFA Organization and 4‑H. It also funds scholarships, supports youth livestock shows affiliated with the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, and sponsors research on genetics, nutrition, and sustainable grazing that intersects with agencies like the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Publications and Communications

The association publishes industry news, alerts, and technical guides akin to publications from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and university extension bulletins, and distributes communications through channels that engage stakeholders in Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District and rural counties statewide. It leverages newsletters, social media, and partnerships with media outlets such as the Dallas Morning News and agricultural trade shows like the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo to disseminate information on market trends, disease outbreaks, and legal developments. Educational resources and position statements are circulated to members, elected officials, and partner institutions including Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and commodity boards.

Category:Agricultural organizations based in the United States Category:Organizations established in 1877