The Copper CowBelles installed our 2024 officers at a dinner meeting last Friday! Thank you for your commitment to service to Cyndi Donovan as Treasurer, Carol Crosley as Secretary, Leslie Crumbly as Vice President and Pat Hunt as President.

The Copper CowBelles have honored Leslie Crumbly with the 2023 CowBelle of the Year award.

Leslie has been a member for many years and is the scholarship committee chair as well as the newly elected CCB Vice President.

Congratulations, Leslie.

Copper CowBelles had a great year. Our 2022 Christmas Party was postponed to January 6, 2023, and included the installation of our 2023 officers (Pat Hunt, President; Michelle Greeman, VP; Cyndi Donovan, Treasurer and Carol Crosley, Secretary), we had a wonderful potluck supper with 24 in attendance. Kim Clark, retiring President did the installation ceremony and announced Pat Hunt as CowBelle of the Year.

The February meeting included a decision to award a scholarship to Sabrina Thuerauf, a Silver High School graduate now in her final year of Veterinary School. Before the end of the year, we also awarded scholarships to two other applicants: Hattie Dobrinski who was awarded a Copper scholarship and also recommended to State for a Pat Nowlin Scholarship. Kolby Taylor, an Animal Science major at NMSU, was also given a scholarship.

Our March meeting was held on National Agriculture Day and 2 members, Lori Nell Reed and Mary Jo Hooker cooked a delicious lunch for attending members. Michelle Greeman caught us up on the Legislative Session and Bills important to agriculture were discussed.

April was busy as we again participated for 2 days at McKeen Ranch Days in Alma which is supported by Catron County’s Frisco CowBelles. We provided a demonstration on Beef By-products and making butter. Member Lauren Baker represented our club at the Silver City Museum’s “Community Conversations” which was held downtown.

For a change of pace the May meeting was held in Deming with 6 members attending. We toured the Deming/Luna County Museum and had lunch at the Customs House Kitchen.

In June, Kathy Davis and Cyndi Donovan reported on the Mid-Year Meeting in Ruidoso which they attended. We voted to sponsor an award buckle for the Southwest Horsemen’s Youth Rodeo Association. Several members donated cakes to the Silver City Museum’s July 4th celebration, in memory of Bobbie Neal.

September found us at the Grant County Fair and our booth again promoted Beef and sold license plates. We had a candy guess for kids and a drawing for Beef all three days. The Beef is worth $50 and is presented frozen to the winners in a thermal bag. It is a very popular event. In addition to manning our booth we participated in the new Ag Days on Friday, when the school kids are bussed out from town. There were booths from USDA and Farm Bureau and our booth was on the History of Brands. Kids were given choices on which brand they wanted stamped on their hands. This new event is the effort of our member Autumn Robertson and her Farm Bureau office. We are so proud of her for pushing this forward and getting the support of the Fair Board. Copper CowBelles also agreed to once again cover the processing expenses for the steer purchased by the Grant County Cattle Growers. The meat is divided 5 ways among the Home Ec and Culinary Class teachers in Grant County for use in their cooking programs.

The November meeting was postponed until early December due to the Thanksgiving holidays. The agenda includes election of officers for 2024. Installation will again be in January.

Submitted by Patricia Hunt, President

The October 17 meeting was called to order by President Pat Hunt. 10 members were present. The Pledge of Alliegance, Prayer, CowBelle Creed, minutes and treasurer’s report were taken care of.

Rose Ann Eby and her husband have retired and moved to Arizona. We wish them well. Neline Dominguez, Joyce Biebelle, Hazel Donaldson and Joan Woodward are unable to attend meetings due to health issues.

We had a spirited recap of the Grant County Fair and AG Days. The event was a success! Vivian Myers did a great job selling the NM Beef license plates and more had to be ordered! Raffle tickets on the scholarship basket sold well. Drawing will be held in November. Our booth at Friday’s Ag Day was a success and Pat thanked Cyndi and Alene for covering the brands display.  Pat Hunt attended the Fair Board meeting following the Fair and was impressed with how all of the committees came together for the good of the event. 

Michelle Greeman gave a report on upcoming NMCB events. The annual meeting will be held at the Hotel Albuquerque Dec 13^th – 16^th. The CowBelles Breakfast is on the morning of Dec 15^th.  Our own Michelle Greeman will be installed as incoming President! Monthly NMCB Zoom meetings are the 2^nd Thursday of each month at 7PM.  

The ANCW Region VI meeting will be held in Las Cruces April 11-13^th  and NM CowBelles are the hosts.

Kathy Davis agreed to chair the nominating committee and has already gathered help.  It is hoped that someone will agree to run for Vice President with the intention of being in training for the President position for the following year.

Our CowBelle highway signs were discussed and Kathy Davis volunteered to chair getting the Cliff sign rebuilt and improved.  She is hoping to get ranchers to pay to have their brands displayed, which will help fund the work.  Kim Clark is also working on the US 180 sign toward Faywood.

With the 30 day House Session approaching, we were encouraged to remain vigilant and educate ourselves on important matters.  Vote early!  Make note of districting changes, some of which effect Grant County directly.

Next meeting will be held November 21, 2023. Our hostess for this meeting was Pat Hunt, who put us in a Halloween mood: Treats without any Tricks. Thanks Pat.

By Carol Crosley              

The Grant County Copper CowBelles August 15, 2023 meeting started late at 12:15 as not many members were in attendance.  We skipped the pledge, creed and prayer to make up time.  Hostesses were Kim Clark and Pat Hunt.  Guest was Liz Gardner.

Caren Cowan has informed the State Officers that many copies of the NM Stockman are being returned because of incorrect addresses. Someone is manipulating the State Officer email addresses by sending out emails requesting money.  Do not respond in any way to these Phishing efforts, ignore and delete.  They are working on security issues to stop this problem.

It is still possible to volunteer to help at the Happy Hour promotion at the State Fair but you need to let them know immediately if you are interested.

Autumn gave us an update about the County Fair AG Day she is organizing.  She has several very good exhibitors coming including the cannulated cow and a drone demonstration.  Her office will have a booth on Beef By-Products.  Copper decided to give a demonstration on brands. Pat emphasized that we need to sign up for covering both our booth in the exhibit hall and the AG Day booth.  A motion was approved to help cover expense for the cut and wrap processing of the steer to be purchased by the Grant County Cattle Growers.  The Cattle Growers will be informed that this may be the last year we can help with this expense. A motion was approved to raise our local dues from $10 to $15 annually, the State dues remaining at $20 with the new total being $35.  The change goes into effect for the dues to be paid by October 1^st.

There was some discussion on whether to have our regularly scheduled meeting on the 19^th as it is just a day before the Fair.  No final decision was made.

Pat Hunt

The Flying A Ranch and Dusty Hunt are the subject of an article in the Summer 2023 issue of Range Magazine. Pat Hunt, 2023 President of Copper CowBelles, is married to Dusty.

If you are interested in reading a print copy of the magazine you can find it at the Silver City Public Library. Here is a digital copy of the article.

Congratulations Dusty and Pat!

The Copper CowBelles are once again selling raffle tickets for a “goodies bucket” to replenish funds in our annual scholarship account.

Reach out to a member today, or tickets will be sold at our booth during the Grant County Fair from September 20-23. The drawing will be held after the Fair.