CATTLE RAISERS COMMUNITY
saving grace is the truth that farm- ing and ranching are based in sound science that continues to feed the world’s ever-increasing population, on ever-shrinking resources, while being looked after by the true stew- ards of the land ... the American cattleman. “Perhaps the greatest benefi t I
took away from YCC was the person- al contacts with the other attendees. Since the June event, I have already done business with 2 of the other attendees whom I had never met, as well as plan to do much more. YCC delivers an opportunity to develop a kinship of sorts with other cattle- men from different segments and parts of the country that otherwise may never lend itself the chance.” Employed by Merck Animal
Clint Berry
eral other commercially focused seedstock suppliers to market over 6,000 bulls annually. Berry says, “YCC was one of the
most memorable trips I have ever been involved in as a cattleman. I had assumed that I would meet some interesting people and see a side of the industry that I’d never been exposed to. But I never imag- ined what an impact it would have on me as a person. “I had never truly understood all
the effort and value that the NCBA crew in Washington accomplished, not only for the NCBA membership, but the beef industry and all of pro- duction agriculture as well. “Their daily labor in our nation’s
capital to defend our traditions, be- liefs and livelihoods, while faced by competition from animal rights ac- tivists, conservation organizations and liberal/progressive entities, all pursuing anti-agriculture agendas, are nothing if not remarkable. Our
18 The Cattleman November 2013
Health, Keeler grew up on a cow- calf and agri-business operation in Ponca City, Okla. She attended Oklahoma State University (OSU), where she majored in animal sci- ence and received both her bach- elor’s and master’s degrees. Keeler says, “The YCC trip was
a trip of a lifetime. I was able to meet and discuss with folks from all over the U.S. about various hot industry topics. It was very empow- ering to understand the leadership and knowledge amongst the group. I made friendships that will last a lifetime.” During her college years, Keeler
worked at a backgrounding yard for 3 years and a commercial feed- yard for approximately a year while completing her degrees. Since com- pleting her master’s degree, Keeler has worked in the animal health industry for more than 9 years. She has sold animal health products to veterinarians, dealers, produc- ers and distributors in Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and Texas.
The 8-day tour began at NCBA
headquarters in Denver, where par- ticipants were given an organiza- tional overview of NCBA and the beef checkoff program. While in Denver, the group also heard from representatives of CattleFax and the U.S. Meat Export Federation. They toured a Safeway retail store and learned about Rancher’s Reserve brand beef marketing efforts. The group spent a day in Greeley, Colo., visiting JBS Five Rivers feedyards and processing facilities. In Chicago, the group met with
the senior management of the Chi- cago Mercantile Exchange at the Chicago Board of Trade. They had the chance to watch the activity on the trading fl oor and witness futures trading fi rsthand. Participants also visited Otto & Sons Industries, a family-owned company providing quality products and custom solu- tions for the food industry since 1909. This tour offered a view of how boxed beef is turned into cus- tom order portions for both major restaurant chains and some of the nation’s top steakhouses. The group then traveled to Wash-
ington, D.C., where participants received an issues briefi ng from NCBA’s government affairs staff about policy issues currently facing the cattle industry. The group then traveled to Aldie, Va., for a tour and barbeque at Whitestone Farms, one of the nation’s elite purebred Angus operations. The next day, these future lead-
ers were given the opportunity to visit 1-on-1 with members of their state’s congressional delegation, ex- pressing their viewpoints regarding the beef industry and their cattle operations. During their congres- sional visits, participants focused on issues including the 2013 Farm
thecattlemanmagazine.com
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