Training the Next Generation of Leaders in the Cattle Industry By: Jacob Mayer, P.E. Settje Agri-Services & Engineering, Inc. It’s hard to believe it has been almost a year since I embarked on the experience of a lifetime. Last June, I had the opportunity and privilege to represent Nebraska Cattlemen at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Young Cattlemen’s Conference (YCC). Delegates are selected by their state or breed association. States receive slots based on the size of their contribution to the cattle industry and NCBA. Thus, larger cattle states like Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, and Montana have multiple spots in the group. We began our journey at the NCBA headquarters in Denver, Colorado, with about 60 other cattle producers and beef industry leaders from across the United States. There, we got an inside look on the many issues affecting the beef industry and the work being done at both the state and national levels to address these topics on behalf of the NCBA membership. We spent time with representatives from Safeway grocery stores and received a first-hand account of the retail perspective of the beef business including a tour of one of their flagship stores. While in Colorado, we also toured the JBS Five Rivers’ Kuner Feedyard and the JBS Greeley packing and processing plant. From Denver, it was off to Chicago, Illinois, where we visited McDonald’s corporate campus and OSI, one of the nation’s premiere beef patty producers. We concluded our trip in Washington, D.C., for an in-depth issues briefing on current policy issues including international trade and increasing environmental regulations. We also had the chance
to share our viewpoints regarding the beef industry and the related issues we had spent the week studying with all five members of Nebraska’s congressional delegation. Since its inception in 1980, more than 1,000 cattlemen and women have been through the YCC program and many have gone on to serve in leadership positions on state and national committees, councils, and boards. My successes in life have been and continue to be a direct result of the personal relationships I’ve built. YCC offered a platform to interact and build life-long friendships with some folks that I probably wouldn’t have crossed paths with otherwise. Besides building a great network with industry partners and other young producers, YCC provided confirmation that the entire beef supply chain in the United States is dedicated to providing the safest and healthiest product in the world. One of the few statistics that I’ve held onto is that the U.S. produces about 20% of the world’s beef with less than 10% of the cattle. When people ask me about beef sustainability, that is what I tell them. The other big takeaway for me was that it is very clear that consumers (i.e., people who eat) are increasingly more interested in where their food comes from and how it was produced. At the same time, they know very little about agriculture and current farming practices and much of what they do know is inaccurate. This diversion presents us as cattlemen and women with a tremendous challenge and an exciting opportunity to tell our story and bridge the misinformation gap that exists in society. I think that YCC prepared me to do just that. Until next time, God Bless.
