alli fender
Blazing a Trail
FLYING F RANCH’S ALLISON FENDER’S YEAR AS AN NCBA TRAILBLAZER
by CCA Associate Director of Communications Maureen LaGrande by CCA Associate Director of Communications Maureen LaGrande A little over a year ago Allison Fender of Flying F Ranch, San Diego found out she was one of 10 people selected to participate in the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Trailblazer Program. The program developed by NCBA and funded through the Beef Checkoff, is geared toward educating and training individuals on how to represent and converse with others about the beef industry. Those selected to be a part of the program have previously completed the NCBA’s, Checkofffunded Master of Beef Advocacy (MBA) program. The program was formed in 2009 to teach industry advocates how to interact with consumers on how cattle are raised and the importance of beef. The Trailblazer program serves as an advanced level of training that builds off what participants of the MBA program have learned. To apply, applicants must complete an application, submit a video about themselves, and complete a phone interview with the selection committee. Fender’s aspirations to become a Trailblazer came from her enjoyment of sharing her story with others, especially online, and being able to connect with a larger audience. Through social media, Fender shares the ins and outs of ranch life and the beef industry with her followers. Being from the Southern part of the state, Fender says most people think of the beach when they hear that she’s from San Diego and not of cattle ranches. Fender has been around livestock all her life. As a youth she was actively involved in 4-H and the FFA feeling a strong connection to agriculture. “I had a passion for the cattle industry as a whole, especially being from an area that is not commonly thought of when livestock are involved,” shared Fender. At the annual California Cattlemen’s Association and California CattleWomen’s Association Convention in 2022, Fender attended a media training taught by Chandler Mulvaney, NCBA’s 22 California Cattleman April 2024
Director, Grassroots Advocacy and Spokesperson Development. During the training Mulvaney had participants stand up and partake in a mock interview as if they were talking to the media about the beef industry. At the end of the training and realization of her confidence of being able to stand in front of a crowd and speak made Fender think “I can do this.” When she received the news that she’d been selected as one of the Trailblazers her initial thought was excitement for the year ahead and all the new opportunities this would provide to her as a producer and her advocation efforts. Upon her notification of being selected, Fender learned that a diverse group of individuals had been chosen from all over the U.S. representing from the West to the East Coast. Those selected for the 2023 class all came from different backgrounds and involvement in different sectors of the industry. Commitment to the program requires Trailblazers to be present for at least 80 percent of all in-person and online trainings provided throughout the year. Two of the in-person trainings took place in Denver, Colo. While in Denver the Trailblazers were able to visit the NCBA office, meet the staff, learn about the ins and outs of the Beef Checkoff, Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) and learn about all that NCBA does for ranchers and producers. The Trailblazer’s second trip to Colorado consisted of visiting a feedlot, Colorado State, a meat processing plant and a purebred operation where they were able to learn about genetics. Fender shared that the genetics part of the tour piqued her interest since it was an area she was not as familiar with and it allowed her to think of ways to incorporate what she learned into the cattle operation she runs with her husband. The online trainings of the program took place once every two months and covered a wide range of topics. These topics included nutrition along