NCBA Young Cattlemen’s Conference Focuses on Future Beef Industry Leaders

Thirty-seven young cattlemen and women, along with other industry representatives, completed the Young Cattlemen’s Conference (YCC) tour last week.  The eight-day nationwide tour included stops at most of the beef industry’s sectors.

The 23 year-old YCC program is designed to enhance leadership skills in young beef industry leaders and broaden their knowledge of the industry.  Participants were nominated by their respective National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) affiliated organizations. The tour is co-sponsored by those NCBA affiliates, along with Tyson Fresh Meats, ContiBeef, John Deere and NCBA.

“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,” states NCBA Vice-President Jim McAdams.  “We are dedicated to the industry’s future and committed in developing leadership.” McAdams, an Adkins, Texas, cattle producer, traveled with the group and is a graduate of the 1988 YCC class.

The May 29 – June 5 tour started at the NCBA headquarters in Denver, Colo., with an organizational overview of the association, an industry case study presented by ContiBeef, 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 check off program and interact with the senior management team of NCBA.  The group traveled from Denver to Greeley, Colo., for a tour at Magness Farms/ConAgra Better Beef, a strategic marketing alliance and genetics partner, and then on to Swift & Company headquarters for discussions with Swift management.

Once leaving Colorado, the group stopped in Ulysses, Kansas, 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 Sioux City, Nebraska for a tour of their 6,000 head per day processing plant and hide tannery operation.  Following the tour, the group spent an afternoon with Senior Vice President Gene Lehman and the senior management team of Tyson’s beef division.

Traveling to Chicago, the group met with the senior management and several floor traders at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange 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 the nation’s capitol.  In Washington D.C. participants received an issues briefing from NCBA’s policy staff, along with Senator Conrad Burns of Montana and the Chief of Staff for New Mexico Congressman Steve Pearce, Jim Richards.  Later in Washington, the group met with several staff members of USDA, including Dr. Elsa Morano, Under Secretary of Food Safety; Tom Sell, Director, Intergovernmental Affairs; James Moseley, Deputy Ag Secretary; and Dale Moore Chief of Staff. 

At the Department of the Interior, Chief Solicitor Bill Myers addressed the group.  Participants also received a White House briefing with Special Advisor to the President Barry Jackson and Office of US Trade Chief Agricultural Negotiator Alan Johnson.  The group then traveled to Aldie, Va., for a tour and barbeque at Whitestone Farms, one of the nation’s elite purebred Angus operations. 

While in Washington these future beef industry leaders were given the opportunity to visit one-on-one with their respective congressmen, expressing viewpoints regarding the beef industry and their cattle operations.  The participants were then joined by more than 600 congressmen and Hill staffers for a Beef Caucus Picnic at the Russell Senate Park next to the Capitol.

Participants in the Conference were Lydia Yon, Ridge Spring, S.C.; Sam Shaw, Caldwell, Idaho; John Flanagan, Yuma, Ariz.; Ben Higgins, Sacramento, Calif.; Bryan Weech, Parker, Colo.; Grant Bledsoe, Wray, Colo.; Gene Lowrey, Dalhart, Texas; Tom McDonald, Dalhart, Texas; James Stice, Dade City, Fla.; Evans Hooks, Swainsboro, Ga. and Chris English, Kapa’au, Hawaii.

Also attending were Todd Holbrook, Bancroft, Idaho; Al Lyman, Cambridge, Ill.; Dan Cook, New Providence, Iowa; Greg Glunz, Scott City, Kan.; Eddie Young, Mackville, Ky.; Tim Andrews, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.; Johnny Thompson, Philadelphia, Miss.; Rusty Kahrs, Hugesville, Mo.; Kraig Meeks, Geraldine, Mont.; Jed Evjene, Two Dot, Mont.; Jim Jenkins, Callaway, Neb. and Chris Hagedorn, Cozad, Neb.

Other participants included Dave Baker, Baker, Nev.; Troy Sauble, Maxwell, N.M.; Marcus Harward, Richfield, N.C.; Casey Maher, Morristown, S.D.; Steve Crowe, West Alexandria, Ohio; Craig Bieber, Leola, S.D.; Gary Cooper, Kenansville, Fla.; Ben Tarr, Amarillo, Texas; Joel Bassinger, Seminole, Texas; Todd Neff, Dakota Dunes, S.D.; Steve Udy, St. Cloud, Fla.; Bart Gingerich, Pomeroy, Wash.; Joy Merchant, Dublin, Ohio; and John Francis, Cheyenne, Wyo.

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