🪰 The Screwworm Threat: A Silent Stressor on Ranchers

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October 23, 2025

Recap from last week

We talked about the retirement wave of ranchers, the largest land-ownership transfer in U.S. history, and how fewer hands are available to keep cattle on the range. We reminded you: this is a conversation worth having at your dinner table, because what happens out on the ranch affects what happens on your plate. If you're interested in reading our six-week series exploring “Why cattle prices are skyrocketing” and what it means for you, our community, and our commitment at Cunningham Pastured Meats. Be sure to check out Cunningham Pastured Meats and sign up for our weekly email.

Deep dive on this week’s topic: The Screwworm Threat & What It Means for Ranchers

There’s a silent, creeping challenge on the horizon: the New World Screwworm (NWS). This pest was eradicated in the U.S. decades ago. But now, like a storm brewing out west, it’s creeping northward from Mexico and Central America—threatening cattle producers across the U.S. if it breaches the line.

Here’s what ranchers like us are watching closely:

The fly lays eggs in open wounds of livestock; the larvae feed on living tissue, causing severe injury or death.
While Idaho’s high desert range keeps us a bit above the front-line threat, the ripple effects already matter here: fewer imports of feeder cattle, tighter supply across the West, and increased risk.
For our ranch at Jordan Valley and for many small producers across Southwest Idaho, we are focused on protecting herd health, maintaining grass-finished models, and absorbing costs so your beef stays at the quality you expect.
The national risk factors push the entire supply chain tighter — fewer animals available, more pressure on every ranch, and ultimately greater vulnerability to price increases if we don’t act responsibly now.

Why this matters to you

You’ve supported us because you believe in beef raised with care—grass-fed, grass-finished, on rugged land in Jordan Valley, Oregon. We want you to know that we’re paying attention to the hazards so we can continue delivering that quality, and not be forced to sell you something lesser or raise prices prematurely. At Cunningham Ranch, we’re not raising our prices right now—but we’re watching every variable so we can keep our promise to you.

What we’re doing

Monitoring every animal for early signs of distress or pest vulnerability.
Strengthening our herd’s nutrition and resilience in our high-desert grazing country.
Investing in fencing, bio-security, and best practices to keep no animal left behind.
Staying transparent with you—so you know the story behind your steak.

Thank you for continuing to trust us with your dinner table. The more you know, the stronger our connection becomes. We’ll pick this back up next week when we dive into another factor: how the U.S. cattle herd is at its lowest since the 1940s—and what that means for climate-resilient operations like ours.

🐄 Sources & Further Reading

Warmly,
Liz Cunningham
Cunningham Pastured Meats

#CunninghamPasturedMeats #GrassFedBeef #RanchLife #FamilyRanch #AmericanBeef #BeefIndustry #KnowYourRancher #FoodYouCanTrust #SupportLocalRanchers #SmallRanchBigHeart

#screwworm

#newworldscrewworm

#increaseinbeefpricesidahooregon

Full 2026: Series on The Big Grass Fire "It Starts with a Spark!"

Neighbors Helping Neighbors: Standing Together During the Big Grass Fire When wildfires threaten our communities, they don’t stop to ask whose land they’re on. They move quickly, changing lives in a matter of hours. But in rural communities like ours, something else moves just as quickly—neighbors stepping up to help neighbors. As the Big Grass Fire continues to impact parts of Idaho and Oregon, Sean Cunningham of Cunningham Pastured Meats has joined countless ranchers, volunteers, firefighters, and first responders working tirelessly to support those directly affected. But, in spite of the effort to mitigate the damages, the devastation is real to life and property. While the Cunningham ranch has not been directly impacted by the fire, Sean has been spending long days assisting neighboring ranchers whose grazing lands, livestock, fences, and livelihoods have been threatened. Whether helping protect cattle, building fire lines, moving equipment, or supporting firefighting efforts wherever needed, the work reflects something deeply rooted in ranching culture: when one neighbor is hurting, everyone shows up. With but a brief reunion with Sean after his 3 days of fire service. As you can imagine, while Sean is all smiles to finally be home for some much-needed rest, tears were shed by the littles in his reunion with the family! As many of you know, Liz and Sean, while still only in their late 30s, have seven children and one on the way. To date, Liz and Sean have spent days apart, each taking on the role in their own capacity against the fires. Sean on the dozer in the field and Liz capturing the story in a digital war to garner the attention of news agencies like KTVB7, the Lt. Governor's office, the White House, electric company CEOs and others for much needed assistance and support for the communities who are now at the mercy of a rogue grass fire, The Big Grass Fire and simultaneous fires stretching thousands of acres throughout the Jordan Valley and beyond. That spirit of service and capitalizing on each person's strengths to wage the war against the fires is nothing new to ranchers. Across the West, ranchers have long been among the first to respond when wildfire strikes. Their knowledge of the land, equipment, water sources, and terrain often makes them invaluable partners alongside local, state, and federal fire crews. Many volunteer through Rangeland Fire Protection Associations, organizations that have become an essential part of wildfire response throughout Oregon and Idaho. These partnerships help firefighters respond more quickly while protecting communities, grazing lands, wildlife habitat, and homes. For ranching families, these fires aren’t simply headlines—they’re deeply personal. A single fire can erase years of stewardship, destroy fencing, eliminate forage needed to feed cattle, and disrupt generations of hard work. Yet even in the face of tremendous loss, ranchers continue helping one another because that’s simply what neighbors do. We are incredibly grateful to every firefighter, volunteer, dispatcher, law enforcement officer, ranch family, and community member working around the clock to protect lives and property. Their courage and commitment remind us that the strength of rural communities isn’t measured only by the land we steward—it’s measured by the people willing to stand together when it matters most. Please continue keeping the families directly affected by these fires in your thoughts and prayers. Recovery will take time, but our communities have always been built on resilience, compassion, and a willingness to lend a hand. As of Wednesday July 29, 2026 at 8 am the non-official update includes official agencies holding the line with the yellow circles area in the image below a wild card. With potential winds pushing north again, critical barriers may not be enough to hold the fire from encroaching on Silver City. The blue circled area on a post seen here with images is the most difficult to manage, with juniper trees, canyons, and rock formations making it difficult terrain to navigate intervention and support. See more details and images here From all of us at Cunningham Pastured Meats and Cliff’s Country Market, thank you to everyone serving on the front lines and behind the scenes. We are honored to stand alongside a community that continues to embody the very best of what it means to be neighbors helping neighbors. We continue to remain steadfast in prayer in the midst of a very active and devastating fire season.Watch Sean's interview with KTVB news.