Behind the Burger
Created by the New Mexico Beef Council, we are telling the stories behind the beef in New Mexico.
Episodes
A famous outlaw's grave you can see from the kitchen sink, a trail that once fed frontier forts, and a family betting on rain—this is ranching in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. We sit down with Sarah Fitzgerald, chair of the New Mexico Beef Council, to unpack what it really takes to raise beef in an arid landscape where stocking rates stretch to 50–70 acres per animal unit and every decision hinges on land, water, and ...
Curiosity, service, and straight talk drive this deep dive with New Mexico rancher and board member Boe Lopez, who opens up about life on the range and the work behind a trustworthy beef supply. We trace his path from a family operation rooted in generations of grit to leadership roles that demand tough decisions, transparency, and constant learning. Along the way, Boe breaks down what most folks never see: how Beef C...
We sit down at Corralitos Ranch with fourth-generation cattleman Ross Foster to explore drought planning, water work, herd temperament, and the real meaning of stewardship on public and private lands. Grit meets grace as we follow the choices that make cattle calm, grass recover, and families keep going.
• family history and purpose of the Las Cruces ranch
• drought, wind and the decision to let pastures...
What does it take to keep a ranch thriving when prices swing, rain stalls, and the next generation needs a runway? We sit with Jim and Jay Hill outside Las Cruces to map a path from mules and tobacco fields to GPS tractors, custom feeding, alfalfa, cotton, seed crops, and even commercial real estate. Their story is equal parts resilience and reinvention, proving that diversification is not a buzzword—it’s a survival p...
We celebrate a year of bold outreach: a locally piloted hot air balloon, a fast-growing school beef grant, a statewide sports nutrition push, and farm tours that bring health pros onto ranches. Every move centers one goal—connect producers and consumers with clear stories, real education, and local pride.
• Launching a New Mexico Beef hot air balloon with Zia approval
• Starting a podcast to bridge ranch ...
A lobby fight over the beef checkoff. A dusty arena humming with beginners and world champs. And a simple reframing that changed everything: team roping isn’t just a rodeo discipline - it’s “cowboy golf.” We sit down with Denny Gentry to chart how a ranch kid from southern New Mexico helped unite a divided industry, grew local qualifiers into national institutions, and built the infrastructure that turned a ranch skil...
Early mornings on horseback and late nights in a tractor aren’t a contradiction—they’re the operating system of a ranch that actually works. We sit down with Fort Sumner’s Jimmie Fitzgerald to trace how a Texas upbringing, New Mexico grass, and a stubborn love for doing things right built a family operation that farms, grazes, and finishes with purpose.
Jimmie opens up about making the hard choice to move, ta...
Joel Van Dam, a third-generation dairy farmer from Route 77 Dairy, takes us behind the scenes of modern dairy production and its surprising connection to the beef industry. With 4,200 dairy cows and a newly acquired ranch, Joel bridges two agricultural worlds with innovative thinking and deep family roots.
The conversation explores "beef on dairy" genetics – an increasingly common practice where dai...
Agriculture runs deep in Larry Reagan's blood. As President of the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau, he bridges the gap between policy and pasture, advocating for the 22,000 members who make up the state's oldest and largest agricultural organization.
"Raising cattle is a calling, not just a job," Reagan explains during this enlightening conversation with Caroline Romo of the New Mexic...
Have you ever wondered what ranching looks like in paradise? Our journey to Maui reveals a surprising side of Hawaii few visitors ever see - a thriving cattle industry generating $82 million annually across the islands. This special collaboration between the New Mexico Beef Council and the Hawaii Beef Industry Council is a fun way to share the story of ranching in another state.
In this special on-location ep...
Secretary Jeff Witte takes us behind the curtain of New Mexico agriculture, revealing how a reluctant political appointee became the state's longest-serving Secretary of Agriculture. With warmth and candor, he shares the fascinating journey that began when his college dean urged him to enter a field he initially resisted, ultimately discovering his passion for agricultural policy and public service.
The ...
Alisa Ogden, a fifth-generation rancher and third-generation farmer from southeastern New Mexico, shares her family's rich history of land stewardship dating back to 1890. Her insights reveal how successful ranchers balance conservation, innovation, and tough decision-making through challenging drought cycles while maintaining passion for producing quality beef.
• Fifth-generation rancher whose great-gre...
Dive into the world of veterinary medicine and food safety with Dr. Samantha Holeck, New Mexico's State Veterinarian, as she shares her remarkable journey from growing up on a small Carlsbad cattle ranch to safeguarding the health of livestock across the entire state.
Dr. Holeck pulls back the curtain on the critical yet often unseen work of protecting our food supply, revealing how her 15 years as a mob...
What happens when a chef's passion for food quality leads to raising cattle? In this enlightening conversation with the family behind Sile Pastures, we discover how culinary expertise transformed into regenerative ranching in Sile, New Mexico.
Sage Hagan shares his remarkable journey from high-end kitchens working alongside Wolfgang Puck to establishing a diversified farm operation with his wife Andrea a...
Agricultural advocate Tara Vander Dussen takes us behind the scenes of modern dairy farming, revealing how traditional practices are evolving alongside innovative approaches like beef-on-dairy breeding programs. As a fifth-generation dairy farmer married to another fifth-generation producer, Tara brings a unique perspective that spans environmental science, hands-on farming, and global advocacy.
The conversat...
Dr. Francine Giotto shares her journey from veterinary medicine in Brazil to becoming a meat science professor at New Mexico State University, where she revitalized the program after a long gap following her predecessor's retirement.
• Originally from Brazil with parents in agriculture and food processing industries
• Holds degrees in veterinary medicine, animal production, and two PhDs in animal sc...
Belinda Garland brings a unique perspective to the beef industry as both a fourth-generation New Mexico rancher and the first female Executive Director of the New Mexico Livestock Board. Her story begins in the 1870s when her great-grandfather settled in Torrance County after the Civil War, establishing a ranching legacy that continues today.
Growing up without brothers meant Belinda and her sister became &qu...
Abby O'Connor, fifth-generation rancher from Stanley, New Mexico, shares her family's century-old ranching legacy and their operation raising Hereford, Angus, and Charlay cattle for seed stock while managing the challenges of New Mexico's unique landscape.
• Bill King Ranch has been operating for over 100 years with Abby's two-year-old daughter representing the sixth generation
• Manag...
Kate Schulz shares her unique perspective as both a ranch-raised dietitian and the nutrition expert for the New Mexico Beef Council, helping bridge the gap between food production and nutritional guidance.
• Family connection to agriculture spans generations, with her great-grandfather homesteading the Nebraska-Wyoming family ranch over 100 years ago
• Becoming a registered dietitian requires a master&apo...
"You're wired that way," Cheryl Knight explains about her deep-rooted connection to ranching, despite once vowing as a teenager never to marry a cowboy or return to ranch life. Life had other plans.
From the windswept mesas of Tucumcari, New Mexico, Cheryl shares the multi-generational story of her family's ranching legacy. What began with her father purchasing land from her grandfather ha...
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