For Immediate Release

CONTACT:        Marvin Kokes                 303-850-3339                 mkokes@beef.org                     

Cattle Producers Gain Gate-to-Plate Insight During Leadership Conference

Denver, Colo. (June 28, 2005) – Future cattle industry leaders had their knowledge of the cattle and beef business broadened recently, as 45 young cattle producers participated in the 26^th annual Young Cattlemen’s Conference tour.  The program is a comprehensive, nationwide tour of most of the industry’s sectors, and is designed to enhance leadership skills in young beef industry leaders.  The tour is sponsored by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), NCBA affiliates, Tyson Fresh Meats, Five Rivers Ranch Cattle Feeding LLC, and John Deere.

Participants in the 8-day tour were nominated by their respective NCBA affiliates.  Also attending the event were other cattle and beef industry representatives.

“The Young Cattlemen’s Conference is an opportunity for us to focus on the future leaders of the industry and build a foundation for grassroots leadership,” says NCBA President Elect Mike John, a cattle producer from Huntsville, Mo., who traveled with the group  “We are dedicated to the industry’s future and committed to developing leadership.”  

The June 2-10 tour started at the NCBA headquarters in Denver, Colo., with an organizational overview of the association with NCBA management team, an industry case study presented by Five Rivers Ranch Cattle Feeding, Cattle Fax industry outlook session, checkoff program updates and a spokesperson training seminar.  Participants had the opportunity to see first hand the work of the Beef Checkoff Program and interact with the staff leadership of NCBA.

The group traveled from Denver to Greeley, Colo. for a beef value cuts demonstration and senior management presentation at Swift & Company.  The group teleconferenced with McDonald’s corporate management to gain their sense of the beef industry. The group gained additional insight on the food service industry during a stop at a McDonald’s franchise and discussion with the franchise manager.  McDonald’s Director of Corporate Public Affairs was a participant on the tour.   The group also toured a Safeway retail store in a Denver suburb and learned about  Rancher’s Reserve brand beef marketing efforts. 

Once leaving Colorado, the group stopped in Ulysses, Kan., home of Grant County Feeders, a 112,000 head feed yard.  After an extensive tour of the feeding operation and feed mill, the group traveled to Tyson Fresh Meats in South Sioux City, Neb., for a tour of its 5,000 head per day processing plant and hide tannery operation.  Following the tour, the group spent an afternoon with Senior Vice President Gene Leman and the senior management team of Tyson’s beef division.

In Chicago, the group met with the senior management and several traders on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange floor to experience firsthand the pace of the trading floor. Participants visited The Bruss Company, a beef product fabrication facility, which offered them a view of turning boxed beef into custom order portions for major food service and retail customers.

From Chicago the group traveled to Washington D.C., where participants were greeted at a reception hosted by John Deere.  Congressman Tom Latham (R-Iowa) welcomed the group and discussed many issues that impact American agriculture.  The next morning, the group received an issues briefing from NCBA’s public policy staff and Congressman Dave Weldon (R-Fla.). The participants were then joined by more than 600 members of congress and Capitol Hill staffers for a Beef Caucus Picnic at the Taft Memorial Park next to the U.S. Capitol.

Later that afternoon, these future leaders were given the opportunity to visit one-on-one with their respective congressmen, expressing their viewpoints regarding the beef industry and their cattle operations.   The group then traveled to Aldie, Va., for a tour and barbeque at Whitestone Farms, one of the nation’s elite purebred Angus operations. 

The group also traveled to USDA and met Dr. James Butler, deputy undersecretary for farm and foreign agriculture services, Dale Moore, USDA chief of staff, and Mark Rey, undersecretary for natural resources and environment.  The group’s lunch was hosted by Tres’ Bailey, Walmart’s manager of agriculture government relations. He discussed issues impacting the nation’s largest retailer.

Participants also received a one-on-one White House briefing with Megan Hauck, Congressional Affairs office of the White House, Jason Hafemeister, director for WTO agriculture negotiations, and Faryar Shirzad of the National Economics Council.  The group wrapped up the trip with Potomac River boat tour.

Participants in the Conference were  Mike Dee, Aliceville, Ala.; Greg Rathbun, Moses Lake, Wash.; Joe Ellis, Danville, Ind.; Richie Kennedy, Casa Grande, Ariz.; Tom Chilton, Tucson, Ariz.; Tod Kalous, Centennial, Colo.; Sue Link, Elizabeth, Colo.; Mark Frasier, Fort Morgan, Colo.; Bill Martin, Greeley, Colo.; Ryan Moorhouse, Dalhart, Texas; Jason Marriage, St. Cloud, Fla.; Tony Yeomans, Reddick, Fla.; Chan Cabe, Carneville, Ga.; Wayne Tachera, Kamuela, Hawaii.

Other participants included: Nate Gilliam, Parma, Idaho; Cliff Schuette, Breese, Ill.; Eric Van Meter, Guthrie Center, Iowa; Colleen Gerke, Lenexa, Kan.; Chris Burris, Larned, Kan.; Ryan Higbie, Quenemo, Kan.; Derek Martin, Dighton, Kan.; Greg Robey, Harrodsburg, Ky.; Tim Peters, Oak Brook, Ill.; Ron Hays, Oklahoma City, Okla; Earl Souva, Bronson, Mich.; Scott Bell, Lena, Miss.; David Moore, Bismarck, Mo.; Joe Von Stein, Helena, Mont.; Ben Bailey, Lakeside, Neb.; Greg Baxter, Grand Island, Neb.; Darrell Taylor, Orovada, Nev.

Additional participants included:  Spencer Seidler, Garrison, N.D.; Todd Hines, Coolville, Ohio; Mack Beaty, Abbeville, S.C.; Stan Peters, Laredo, Texas; Dale Smith, Amarillo, Texas; Paxton Ramsey, Devers, Texas; Glenn Strickholm, Dakota Dunes, S.D.; Ron Reyer, Moses Lake, Wash.; Alan Kelley, St. Cloud, Fla.; Mike John, Huntsville, Mo.  Staff participating included Michelle Reinke and Colin Woodall, NCBA’s Washington, D.C., office, and Courtney Pollock and Marvin Kokes, NCBA’s Denver office.

For more information on the NCBA Young Cattlemen’s Conference or nominating someone for next year’s tour, contact your state cattlemen’s association or Marvin Kokes at 303-850-3339 or mkokes@beef.org.  

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