Some of you may have noticed prominent white signs appearing in the Silver City area along Highway 90 and Highway 180. These signs display some of the brands of the Grant County ranches, a community of ranchers who have cultivated and supplied beef to the United States consumers for several centuries. The outline of Grant County, depicted in the center of the sign, represents a mining and ranching community.
We are very appreciative to Freeport - McMoran, Grant County Cattle Growers, Farm Bureau, and the local ranches, who made this all possible. A special thanks to Brent and Amanda Welch of Exquisite Kustomz Welding of Silver City.
Back in 1939, some ranch women in Cochise County, Arizona, got together to help boost the beef industry and spread the word about it. They decided to call themselves the "CowBells."
As time went on, this little group grew and included women from all over the country. In September 1976, a group from Lordsburg, New Mexico, started their own called the BorderBells. By then, there were 18 BorderBells members and 14 other women from Buckhorn, Cliff, Mimbres, and Silver City who then formed a new group called the Grant County Copper CowBelles, joining the American National Cattle Women.
The Copper CowBelles are still going strong and active, along with lots of other local groups all over New Mexico. These groups team up with other agricultural promoting organizations, like New Mexico Cattle Growers and Grant County Cattle Growers, the Grant County Farm Bureau, the New Mexico Beef Council, and the State level New Mexico CowBells, to help promote the beef industry and share information about how good beef is for you. They're all dedicated to keeping our western heritage alive and making sure it stays a part of our communities.
