Scott Shear

“I was sitting in my Lazy Boy, minding my business and all of a sudden I get a call from Todd and he asked for help with the Wallowa County Stockgrowers,” Scott Shear chuckled over the phone, “and that is how I got involved, a buddy asked me for help.”
Scott Shear is OCA’s District Two Vice President. District Two is made of Baker, Union, and Wallowa counties in the far Northeast of the state, a terrain Shear referred to as “wild country.” Shear took on leadership with the Wallowa county Stockgrowers circa 2010-2012 and stayed involved in the local and state associations until he was once again asked to volunteer more of his time as a District VP, a role he was nominated for at the 2019 OCA Convention.
Believe it or not, this Oregon cowboy had city beginnings. “I was born and raised in San Diego,” said Shear, “but I always wanted to be a cowboy, I knew that’s what I was going to do, so after high school I packed up and moved to Nevada to work on a feedlot and I’ve been working with cattle ever since.”
For over thirty years, Shear has been a cattle producer in Joseph, on his ranch, Triple Creek Cattle Company. Scott Shear accomplished what many of us dream to do – he had a goal when he was younger and never looked back. He settled in Wallowa county as a first-generation rancher and now, he shares that legacy with his three children and grandchildren while raising black angus and putting up hay on the ranch. Shear is also active in Country Natural Beef, a cooperative owned by family ranchers. “Country Natural is about Conception to Consumption,” said Shear. On their website, Country Natural Beef proudly states that ranchers retain ownership of their animals from birth to the retail shelf and profits go directly back to the rancher. Scott mentioned the Co-Op processes near 80,000 head per year.
District Two is the founding father of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association, particularly Baker County, where the association was founded in 1913 when twelve individuals sought to advance the economic, political, and social interests of the Oregon Cattle industry. Today, several of OCA’s leadership hail from the District. For instance, Todd Nash, from Wallowa, is OCA’s President-Elect and OCA’s Treasurer Rodger Huffman is from Union. Cheryl Martin from Baker and District Two’s previous VP is now an engaged Chair for the Legislative Committee. Myron Miles from Baker is a die-hard supporter of this association and is a Co-Chair of OCA’s Membership Committee. Myron has a knack for bringing on new members and keeps Baker County’s legacy alive by boosting membership every year, very often bringing home the New Membership Drive award (for instance this year) and Baker’s membership numbers usually rank number one in the state.
Lately, the leadership in District Two have been working on the trickle-down connection of this grassroots association by reaching out to county presidents and requesting a delegate from each county who can be contacted and relied upon for membership recruitment. A great strategy to build upon the communication of state and local affiliates.
“I think we need to increase membership enthusiasm and really build on the desire to be a member of this association,” said Shear when asked what he would like to see more of from OCA leadership, “in order for this association to be financially strong, we need man-power from the grassroots and we can get there with good communication and drive.”
Scott Shear believes OCA membership and engagement will increase over the next year. Oregon’s cattle industry depends on it. We are stronger together and even those who may not be members of OCA are still impacted by the decisions made by this association. Spreading the word to your neighbor about the importance of involvement is critical.