Inviting the ‘outsiders’

Recently, I visited the University of Idaho, College of Southern Idaho and BYU-Idaho to talk with students about ICA. Students at each institution were engaged, asked thoughtful questions and are eager to work in the cattle industry upon graduation. I came away from each school feeling encouraged about this generation stepping into their roles in the cattle industry.

It was remarkable to see the diversity of job interest among the students. Many plan to return to their parents’ operation, others intend to do policy work or are already lining up jobs in the allied sector. There are also students majoring in range or wildlife that want a solid understanding of the cattle industry before stepping into an agency job. A smaller number of students didn’t grow up in agriculture but want to spend their careers in the beef industry.

BY KIM BURTON BRACKETT ICA President

is also our most exported resource: our youth. We need to find a place for the young adults that want to work in agriculture. They are excited about the opportunities that await them in the beef industry. Think creatively. These may not be traditional positions. There are so many careers that intersect with the cattle industry; we need people to fill those spots that understand and support cattle ranching.

Upon graduation, however, some students are struggling to find jobs. A couple of professors shared that industry seems reluctant to hire kids fresh out of college, particularly if they didn’t grow up ranching or farming. Imagine my frustration when I learned that a local producer, invited to speak to an animal science class, told the students to change their major if they didn’t have an agriculture background because they wouldn’t have a future in the livestock industry. We must do better.

The most valuable resource we have in agriculture

We tend to underestimate the industry commitment from folks who didn’t grow up in our traditional way of life. Several years ago, I was invited to Penn State to speak with an Advanced Beef Production class. As those students went around the room introducing themselves and explaining their connection to the beef industry, I was stunned that many of their connections were as simple as having Sunday supper at their grandparent’s farm during their childhood. For others, their connection was a best friend that showed steers or a relative that worked in allied. Those connections seemed tenuous to my Western ranching experience, but these students were eight weeks away from graduating with an Animal Science degree and were eager to find jobs in the beef industry. I had to recognize that as a girl who grew up in Wyoming and has lived most of my adult life in Idaho, my view of the cattle industry was narrow and badly in need of expansion. Those students helped provide it. I have stayed in touch with several of those young adults and am happy to report that they are still working in the beef industry. They have taken up the baton and are running their leg of our collective race.

Consider taking on a summer intern. Roll the dice and hire a recent college grad. Certainly, do your homework and check references, but find a way to help support the next generation of cattle producers. They are champions of the livestock industry and we need them more than ever.