
3 minute read
KY, TN Youth Tour Industry Facilities
Bradon Burks KBC Director of Education
On July 31, 19 Kentucky and 12 Tennessee young people, ranging from high school sophomores to college freshmen, gathered in Lexington to participate in the Kentucky Beef Council/Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association’s Youth Leadership Program. This program was designed to explore all aspects of the beef industry, including hands-on experiences in areas of beef marketing, beef production, and beef advocacy. These youth attendees were also able to network with leaders about various careers and internship opportunities.

Our first stop on the trip was Certified Angus Beef. John Stika, president of Certified Angus Beef, welcomed the youth and talked with them about the opportunities they have in the beef community today, including an outlook on the consumers’ viewpoint and demand drivers for beef. Attendees also met with various meat scientists and chefs to develop their knowledge and skills in beef processing and preparation.
For Kat Hudson, a junior from Clark County, Certified Angus Beef was one of her favorite stops.
“I loved getting to learn about the beef industry from outside the field,” she said. “This definitely opened my eyes to how big our industry really is!”
Attendees
Emily Tabor, Breckinridge County
Vance Pickering, Breckinridge County
Maggie Sparks, Bourbon County
Gage Stone, Carroll County
Whitney Peck, Caldwell County
Mollie Goode, Christian County
Kat Hudson, Clark County
Samantha Pecco, Fleming County
Brylee Little, Hardin County
Elly Hampton, Hopkins County
Addyson Simpson, Kenton County
Lilly Darr, Muhlenberg County
Landon Miller, Nelson County
Brooklyn Felts, Nicholas County
Emily Frogue, Todd County
Jennie Watts, Trigg County
Cooper Westfall, Woodford County
Drew Shryock, Woodford County
We were also able to visit Mandy Atterholt, Beef Community Educator for Certified Angus Beef, where she hosts various groups on her family farm and shows them what a typical beef farm looks like. Mandy stressed to the attendees how the consumer wants to know where their food comes from, as well as tips on how to advocate to increase beef demand.
Chris Stone works alongside his father in Gibsonburg, Ohio, where they manage a finishing/feedlot operation of around 1,500 head. After serving in the military, Chris came back home and worked to rejuvenate his family's operation. Stone Farms works to raise natural beef, focusing on a diet of high-distiller’s grain and corn. Chris really stressed to the attendees to continuously learn and never be afraid to think outside of the box. Many of the attendees on the trip came from a seedstock or cow-calf background, so being around a feedlot was new to them; we appreciate the Stone Family for giving many of our youth their first look into a unique sector of the industry.
One of the attendees’ favorite stops of the trip was visiting with Ben Crites and Mike Landers at ST Genetics. These gentlemen did an outstanding job in highlighting how they utilize reproductive technologies to further develop the beef producer’s cow herd. We were able to take a deep dive in all aspects including collection, sexing semen, freezing, shipping and even a bull parade. For many attendees, they were also able to see some bulls they had used in their artificial insemination programs at home. We are grateful for Dr. Crites and Mr. Landers for hosting our group for such a once in a lifetime experience.
Kalmbach Feeds was founded in 1963 and is a second- and third-generation, family-owned and operated business in Upper Sandusky, Ohio. Our attendees were able to see how the creation, bagging, shipping and marketing of feed/feed products works within the livestock industry. It was a unique experience in seeing how automated many of their processes are, including the utilization of robotics and technology. Our guides motivated our youth to also stay open minded about career opportunities within the industry.
United Producers Inc. hosted us for dinner during our trip where Bill Tomm and Mike Bumgarner shared their stories on how they have gotten to their positions, as well as the opportunities our youth have in growing their beef operations, including employment opportunities available to them in their own communities. During our dinner, we were also joined by Ohio Cattlemen’s Association Executive Director, Elizabeth Harsh who encouraged our youth to stay involved in the industry and to continue learning. We appreciate their wisdom and hospitality! Our final educational stop was with MH EBY Inc. in West Jefferson, Ohio. Although none of the attendees brought their checkbook or truck to take a trailer home, they were able to see how livestock trailers are created from start to finish. I think this showed many of our youth how detail oriented the staff are to create such a big product that so many producers utilize. Our visit was another prime example of how there are a variety of careers that are involved in the beef industry that are not just raising cattle.
I’d like to say thank you to all of our hosts, Jake Harrod, as well as Melinda Perkins and Sally Wingler from the Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association for helping conduct such an incredible opportunity for our youth. The commitment to youth in the beef industry is vital for our long-term sustainability, so thank you to our producers for entrusting me in developing our next beef leaders. I look forward to planning our next youth development opportunity soon.



