April 19, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For
more information, contact:
Caitlyn Brandt, events and education department, at 816-383-5100 or cbrandt@angus.org.
PHOTOS: Available upon request at prphotos@angus.org.
Angus
Juniors ‘Raise the Bar’ in Ames, Iowa
Leadership
event brings together 29 junior Angus leaders to “Ames for Success.”
Angus juniors have the opportunity to travel the country with the National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) and learn from knowledgeable experts in the beef cattle business. Most recently, NJAA members met April 6-9 in Des Moines, Iowa, to participate in a Raising the Bar conference.
“Not only is Iowa the host of the 2017 National Junior Angus Show, but it also played host to a Raising the Bar conference this spring,” says Caitlyn Brandt, American Angus Association events and education department. “Raising the Bar conferences give NJAA members a chance to become more involved in the Angus breed, build on leadership skills, and learn more about agriculture, while meeting other junior members from across the country.”
The conference hosted 29 Angus junior leaders from 12 state junior Angus associations and New Zealand. Participants toured the Iowa State University (ISU) campus, heard from industry experts, took part in leadership-training workshops and spent an evening playing laser tag.
The group also made stops at Hawkeye Breeders, Blood Dairy and two Angus operations, Nichols Farms and Glenn Rowe’s.
While at ISU, juniors were able to tour the Iowa State Meat Lab, Hansen Ag Center, and the Iowa State Beef Teaching Farm. Participants also heard from former NJAA members Michael Cropp, a graduate student at ISU, and Chris Cassady, ISU professor and livestock judging team coach. Mike Anderson, 4-H Youth Development, talked about the use of retinal scanning in Iowa. Patrick Gunn, cow/calf specialist, also spoke.
“A special thanks to those who make this event possible and helped put together a quality educational experience for our junior members,” Brandt says.
Now in its 10th year, Raising the Bar conferences continue to foster the development of Angus youth by hosting events in two regions across the country. The NJAA, with sponsorship from the Angus Foundation, has conducted Raising the Bar conferences in cities such as Champaign-Urbana, Ill.; Athens, Ga.; Fayetteville, Ark.; and Sioux Falls, S.D. To learn more about how to participate in an upcoming Raising the Bar conference, visit njaa.info.
A complete list of Iowa’s Raising the Bar participants follows.
About the NJAA
The NJAA promotes the involvement of young people in raising Angus cattle, while also providing leadership and self-development opportunities for more than 6,000 active members nationwide.
— Written by Jena McRell, Angus Media.
ANGUS MEANS BUSINESS. The American Angus Association is the nation’s largest beef breed organization, serving nearly 25,000 members across the United States and Canada. It provides programs and services to farmers, ranchers and others who rely on the power of Angus to produce quality genetics for the beef industry and quality beef for consumers.
For more information about Angus cattle and the American Angus Association’s programs and services, visit www.angus.org.
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Raising the Bar – Amesing for Success
April 6-9, 2017
Arkansas
Will Pohlman
Iowa
Olivia Johnson
Avery Mather
Abigail Greiman
Haley Greiman
Baxter Knapp
Morgan Knapp
Leah Mosher
Lauren Mosher
Lucas Moser
Idaho
Kassidy Moore
Illinois
Logan Johnson
Katrina Lowry
Sierra Day
Lindsey Decker
Amber Schiffbauer
Kansas
Alexandria Cozzitorto
Kentucky
Catherine Cowles
Abigal Smoot
Corbin Cowles
Minnesota
Caleb Scharpe
Missouri
Jera Pipkin
Lauren Parks
Nebraska
Michaela Clowser
Pennsylvania
Carrie Rutledge
Texas
Dylan Denny
Derek Wolf
West Virginia
Reese Tuckwiller
New Zealand
Nancy Crawshaw, Colorado State University exchange student from New Zealand
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