#29 Sep 18, 25

Common Ground Coalition: 5 Ways Ranchers Can Secure Agriculture's Future

Join hosts Ty deCordova and guest host 2024 WLAC Wade Leist as they sit down with Alabama cattle producer Eric Smith, one of 40 stakeholders in the Livestock Marketing Association's Common Ground Coalition.

Eric breaks down the historic summit that brought together diverse livestock leaders to tackle the industry's biggest challenges with one unified voice. Discover the 5 key priorities that could reshape America's livestock future:

✅ Ag-friendly tax policy
✅ Effective risk management tools
✅ Improved labor access
✅ Livestock hauler flexibility
✅ Support for young producers

From preserving family farms to ensuring America's food security, this episode reveals why now is the pivotal moment for livestock producers to unite. Eric shares insider details from the Denver summit and explains how these initiatives will impact your operation in the coming years.

Whether you're a cattle rancher, livestock buyer, or industry stakeholder, this conversation provides actionable insights on joining the movement to strengthen America's livestock industry.

Learn more: https://www.commongroundsummit.net
Submit your guest or topic ideas: https://heyor.ca/sq3C0d

Email katy@live-ag.com for advertising opportunities.

Episode Video

Creators and Guests

Host

Ty deCordova

Ty DeCordova is a seasoned professional with more than 25 years of experience in cattle marketing. He spent 20 years at Superior Livestock Auction, including his final years managing the Country Page as well as the block during video auctions. This allowed Ty to develop a deep understanding of the cattle industry's operations and build relationships with cattle buyers on a national level. Ty now oversees all operational aspects of the business, ensuring efficiency and excellence across all areas. Ty comes from a family with a long-standing history in the cattle industry. Growing up in Groesbeck, Texas, he and his brother started their own cattle business during their teenage years, purchasing and selling loads of steers. By the age of 17, Ty was actively involved in buying cattle at sale barns for his father, gaining hands-on experience. This early exposure to the sale-barn environment shaped his lifelong passion and expertise in cattle marketing. Ty continues to run cattle today and is committed to serving the agriculture industry.

Host

Wade Leist

Wade Leist is the 2024 World Livestock Auctioneer Champion, earning the top honor from a field of more than 100 auctioneers across the U.S. and Canada. Though he grew up helping at his family’s sale barn in Gaylord, Michigan, Wade never set out to become an auctioneer. What began as selling his own stock turned into a career defined by grit, humility, and a deep respect for livestock producers. Raised on a cow-calf operation, Wade understands firsthand the long nights, harsh weather, and hard work that come with ranch life. He carries that experience into every sale, striving to honor the trust cattlemen place in him and to remind them that their work matters. Known for both his talent behind the mic and his authenticity in the industry, Wade brings passion and gratitude to every auction he calls.

Producer

Katy Holdener

Katy Holdener's journey in agricultural communications began on her family's row crop farm in California's Central Valley, where she developed a deep appreciation for the industry. After earning a degree in Agricultural Communications and Economics from Oklahoma State University, Katy has been fortunate to work with respected organizations such as the American Hereford Association, American Angus Association, Superior Livestock Auction and BioZyme, Inc. These experiences have provided her with valuable insights into seedstock and commercial livestock marketing. Katy strives to create effective marketing strategies that support the company and its consignors.