Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Joe Bill Nunn named Cattleman of the Year


Nunn has served numerous terms on the NMCGA’s board of directors, as well as being active in the New Mexico Federal Lands Council, the Southwest Grazing Association, and several State Trust Lands Advisory Committees. In his youth, he was successful on his FFA and New Mexico State University judging teams, and is still regularly asked to judge range sale bulls. He has been named New Mexico CowBelles’ Man of the Year and BorderBelles’ Father of the Year, in 2014 was honored with the Foy Proctor Memorial Cowman’s Award in Midland, and was recently named the Ag Business Man of the Year by the Deming Chamber of Commerce. He has traveled several times to Washington, D.C., to work on issues at the federal level. Although he does not spend much time at the computer, he expresses himself very well in the written word in letters. “While Joe Bill is a quiet man, he knows where to speak up and to stand up for what is right,” Boone said. “He has never turned away an opportunity to educate the public, elected officials, youth or the media about raising livestock and caring for the land and wildlife.” His family, his ranches and raising quality cattle are great sources of pride for Nunn. He believes that he belongs in the saddle every day, a place he has been since he got his first saddle and began learning from his legendary father and mother, Boone said. Today, four generations of the family work side by side on the family ranches. Once, when asked by a reporter why he kept ranching when it is such a hard way to make a living, his reply was, “We don’t make much monetary profit, that’s true. But the real profit is in being able to work outside with my family.” Joe Bill and his wife, Lauren, said they are pleased that the entire family is involved in ranching. Son Justin and his wife Michelle and grandchildren Tristen and Kelsey; daughter Tamijo and her husband Phil Treadwell and grandchildren Starlyn and Shandy; and great-granddaughter Wynn are all part of the family’s ranching operation...more

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