Interview with Melissa Green, 2006 National Beef Ambassador

This October, one of the winners in the National Beef Ambassadors competition will receive a new USDA internship for a year-long assignment at the agency in Washington, D. C. The USDA announced its formal sponsorship of the internship in July. The ambassador program is administered by the American National Cattlewomen Inc. and funded in part by the checkoff. Students 17 to 20 compete at the state level, then the national level, for one of five ambassador slots. Ambassadors receive scholarships and a year-long stint traveling the country meeting industry leaders and promoting beef. Melissa Green talks about her experiences.

GREEN
I really like getting out there, rubbing elbows with the consumers, teaching them things about that they might not otherwise ever know. Just sharing recipes and all the fun and nutrition information about beef.

Cut #1  :20   Outcue: "...information about beef.”

American National Cattlewomen surveys show that 80 percent of young beef ambassadors stay in the agriculture industry. Green says she now has an even greater respect for the beef industry.  

GREEN
Going through this program has helped me realize just what these people have sacrificed and go through to make sure our country has an incredible source of protein to eat, and all the procedures they go through to make sure our beef is the safest in the world.

Cut #2   :15        Outcue: "...safest beef in the world.”

Young ambassadors---who hail this year from South Dakota, California, Minnesota, New Mexico and Wyoming—are grateful to producers.   

GREEN
First I’d like to say thank you to producers for presenting this opportunity through the checkoff dollars for students like myself—the chance to travel across the country and converse with consumers. And I’d also like to say that it’s because of the beef industry that we have opportunities like this.

Cut #3 :25   Outcue: "...the good word of beef.

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American National CattleWomen, Inc. is a trade association of America's affiliated CattleWomen, with the primary focus of promotion and consumer education regarding beef as a safe and nutritious food, and the production of beef cattle as an industry. The National Beef Ambassador Program began in 1988 and was accredited as a national competition in 1990 by the Cooperative Extension, National 4-H Program. Carol Abrahamzon is the program director.

The Beef Checkoff Program is administered by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, with oversight provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. For more information, visit www.beefboard.org.