He also pointed out there are many diseases that can have a detrimental affect to the beef industry if we do not stay aware of them. Every cattle producer in the United States is aware of mad cow disease, and he also stressed that these diseases, including foot and mouth disease, are being used in bioterriosm.

He also discussed the affects that activist groups are having on the beef industry and that today, they are a valid threat to US agriculture and the beef industry. However, he also stressed that we as beef producers need to continue to work together to counter these activist groups and keep the positive message of the beef industry in front of the public.

Day 2, Tour of Purina Research Farm – by Blair Bryant
We began the day with a welcome to the Longview Animal Nutrition Center in Gray Summit, Mo., from Rod Nulik, with Land O’Lakes Purina Feed LLC. Mr. Nulik shared many of the founding aspects of the company and where they stand today. Their mission is customer profi tability, use of your resources (land, labor, capital and management) and industry viability (future beef production). Mr. William H. Danforth founded the company on the four square philosophy of life: stand tall, think tall, smile tall and live tall.

Purina has accommodated this philosophy for animal production to state: good feeding, good breeding, proper sanitation and sound management.

While at the center we had rotation sessions through the topics of:
Rumenology/LAMU (Large Animal Metabolism Unit), Purina Beef Research, Show Cattle Feeding, Optimizing Cow Performance and a short tour of the Horse Unit. The following is a comprehensive excerpt of the information covered in each rotation. Rumenology/ LAMU At the rumenology unit they have both rumen and intestinal cannulated animals. Cannulated animals are utilized to see how various feed stuffs will be digested by the rumen fluids. Here we were informed that 80% of protein in muscle starts out as rumen micro fl uid and that the typical pH for cattle rumens is 6.2. We were also able to view slides of normal rumen flora and slides that represented what lactic acid or acidosis does to rumen fluid. Acidosis kills protozoa at a pH of 5.5 and kills bacteria in the rumen at a pH of 4.5, then makes its way into the blood stream where is kills muscles.

Purina Beef Research

Their Grand 4-T-Fyer is a feeding component which you can add if you prefer to mix your own feed. It is a high performance concentrate that is perfect for breeding cattle, steers and feeder calves. It also contains “Golden Nugget”, Availa, Diamond V, Tasco, and Animax. They suggest that you feed a 20% inclusion rate with your own grains to make a ‘custom’ ration.

Following their descriptions of the feeds they shared how well exhibitors have done with animals on show chow. They had over 540 Grand or Reserve Champions in 2007.

Optimizing Cow Performance In this research unit they focus on how to meet cow nutritional need for protein, energy, and minerals on a continuous basis, how to optimize forage utilization, and choosing the right feeding program to insure the right body condition at critical stages of production.

Horse Unit
Additionally, the LongView Animal Nutrition Center has a horse unit. Similar to some of the other units combined, the horse unit maintains projects in the sectors of recreation, race horses, competition/show horses and horses used for additional activities.

Been There, Done That Panel – by Andy Higgins
The Youth Beef Industry Congress is always an event that I look forward to attending. The educational activities and networking involved with this event would benefit anyone. This year’s host Purina Mills showed us fi rst hand how their research farm works.

Along with getting to tour the farm, many knowledgeable and respected people from the agriculture industry spoke about their career involvement in agriculture. In addition, two panel discussions were included that served as a question-answer time for the attendees. The panel discussion I will highlight was titled “Been There, Done That.” The panel consisted of Chad Zehnder, Jarrod Gillig, Angie Denton, and Kyle McMillan. Each of the panel members are employed in different facets of the agriculture industry, but all have one thing in common; they all got their start in the beef industry. All four were past attendees of YBIC and were members of their respective junior breed associations, thus making their messages much more relatable to all in attendance.

Each of the members of the panel spoke about their past and present involvements and employments, and I will highlight the key ideas from each. Kyle McMillan is the US Sales Director for BASF Plant Science. He is a past President the of The National Junior Hereford Association. He thoroughly enjoys his job and contributes much of his career to being involved with the beef industry growing up. His main point was that success could be achieved by following six key steps:
1. Dedication and sincere desire for the job at hand.
2. A healthy balance between work and personal life is essential.
3. You must set goals and steps to achieve them.
4. Value diversity and seek out new experiences.
5. Service.
6. There is no substitute for passion and integrity.

Jarrod Gillig is the current plant manager for Cargill in Hereford, Texas. He was a past board chairman for the National Junior Angus Association. Mr. Gillig has been involved with many different facets of the beef industry and stressed learning by experience. Angie Denton is the editor of Hereford World. She grew up raising and showing Hereford cattle and stated that she was living proof that your dream job was attainable, regardless of how ridiculous it may sound along the way. Lastly, Chad Zehnder, Land O’ Lakes Cattle Consultant for the North Central Region, summarized what had attributed to his career successes in five words:
• Educate
• Diversify
• Network
• Differentiate
• Create

Each member of the discussion panel spoke from their experiences and successes of their careers, from involvement in their junior breed associations as youth to the search for their dream job. Their diversifi ed knowledge of the beef industry was helpful to the attendees who asked a variety of questions to the panel. YBIC and this panel discussion were an enjoyable experience and excellent learning tool to hear from individuals who had once sat in the same seats we were in and had truly “Been There, Done That.

Marketing Panel – by Shane McGlothlin
As a junior board director, I had the privilege attending the Youth Beef Industry Congress recently held at the Purina Mills Longview Animal Nutrition Center in Grey Summit, Mo. As a group we spent four days attending a variety of workshops and seminars. One of the most informative sessions was the Marketing Panel. The panel was composed of some of the great marketing minds in the industry today, including: Jared Spader, Manager of Business Development at Osborn and Barr; Christy Couch Lee, National Swine Registry Director of Communications; Brant Gilbert, Marketing Manager of Equine at Purina Mills/Land O’ Lakes LLC; John Zeloski, Marketing Director at Land O’ Lakes Purina Feed LLC; and Anita Vanderwert, National Director of Brownfield Ag News.
 

Through question and answer discussion with this panel, we learned the basic rules and guidelines of marketing. First, you should always know your customer. Know what they want, what they like and try to meet their demands. You should try to put yourself in their position. Then you will be able to decide what approach to use and how to use it. Their next point was that you should always be honest and truthful about your product. Then, make sure that you are always producing quality products, consistently and efficiently.

Two main strategies that were discussed were A.B.P. and the Five P’s. A.B.P. stands for Always Be Promotant. The philosophy is to stick with your product, always advertise good points, and always be promoting and networking. The Five P’s simply stand for: Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance. Always think through your objective and have a game plan to keep you focused.

These are strategies that can be applied to every operation, no matter the size or location.

Human Resources Seminar – by Katie Lehnert
Twenty two different junior associations were brought together over the weekend because we all had one thing in common…Cattle. “Focused on My Future” was the theme of the 2008 YBIC. We, the National Junior Chianina board, were very well represented. Nine of the 12 board members attended and I feel confident in saying we all walked away with the future in mind.

There were many influential speakers throughout the weekend. We discussed many topics within the beef industry such as the current issues, marketing, health care, roles and preparation for the future. We were reminded several times of how WE are the future of the beef industry and it should be our goal to maintain a positive name for not only ourselves but our business, beef. An important topic was the Human Resources seminar. Jamie Rutledge was our speaker and was very informative.

It wasn’t to long ago when Jamie was in the same position that many of us are in today, reflecting on life experiences and choosing a career path. Jamie went from showing cattle as a child to judging in college. While attending Oklahoma State she focused on Human Resources and went on to get her masters at Texas A & M in management. Jamie is currently working for Rubbermaid in Human Resources and she contributes much of her success to the experiences she gained through the beef industry.

Ms. Rutledge hit the highlights of what employers look for; resumes, search methods, interview etiquette, expectations and negotiation opportunities. Some of the key points were important characteristics that we should not only carry out in fi nding a job, but important characteristics in one’s character. She described the attributes one should have in their personality such as drive, motivation and the willingness to learn. She stressed the importance of volunteer work, dedication and responsibility.

Jamie encouraged each of us to define our scope, network with people, be informed, be realistic and show appreciation. Jamie pointed out all these things with the intent of helping us in a successful search for a career. However, I believe that these are not just traits to exhibit in a career but traits that all influential and successful people posses in life. Many of these traits are found within people in the beef industry and should not only be used as tools when we are trying to get a job or promotion but in our every day life as part of who we are.

As I considered her speech, three things struck home with me. To gain experience in a field of interest, do something you are passionate about and continue being a leader. Showing cattle is a means that has brought all these things into my life as well as many of yours. I know that I left YBIC proud of the group I was involved in and eager to use all the information I gained. I intend to follow the path Jamie directed us toward and encourage many of you to do the same. We are not only representing ourselves but the BEEF industry. It is our responsibility to gain experience in the field, be thankful we are fortunate enough to purse our passion and continue to positively lead our industry to maintain consumer confidence. We must remember that before we can sell our product we must first sell ourselves.

Resume & Cover Letter Building Workshop – by Ashley Quiggins
Along with many great beef industry tips at YBIC, we as a board had the opportunity to learn many vital skills in career building. On Saturday, March 29, Diane Johnson treated the whole group to discussions about resume and cover letter building. She was very excited about her topic and was sincerely concerned about each individual’s future.

To begin she had 16 main points to prepare yourself for the future. Some of the highlights include get your education, know how to communicate, always be curious, read the headlines and stay current, have a good hand shake and smile. These small tips can aid in future success along any career path. Throughout her presentation there were three words that she instilled deeply into all of our minds and those where consideration, honesty and respect. If everyone in the world lived up to these three small words the quality in each individual’s life would greatly increase.

After she presented the tips to a successful future it was time to analyze the map that could make or break individuals into the job force and that is resumes and cover letters. Tips to take into consideration include spelling, format, amount of information placed on resumes, and concise cover letters.

I believe that this workshop really aided everyone in the room and was enjoyed by all that attended. YBIC was a great asset to my life and should be taken advantage of by all beef enthusiasts. This workshop was only a small piece of the pie that members of the AJCA board had the opportunity to grasp hold of.