Aug. 17, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact:
JD Rosman, communications specialist at 816-383-5231 or jdrosman@angus.org
PHOTOS: Available upon request at prphotos@angus.org or 816-383-5155
Angus Juniors Navigate North Carolina
NJAA members travel to North Carolina to experience east cost agriculture.
National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) members traveled to Raleigh for the Leaders Engaged in Angus Development (LEAD) conference to — develop as leaders and experience agriculture in different parts of the U.S. Juniors from 27 states as well as two juniors from Canada attended this year’s conference, August 3-6 to partake in the annual event sponsored by the Angus Foundation.
“There are very few conferences in America that could even compete with the LEAD conference’s ability to network,” says National Junior Angus Board (NJAB) leadership director, Tim Mardesen.
The LEAD conference is hosted for youth ages 14-21, and this year’s theme was “Navigating North Carolina.” While in North Carolina, participants spent two days focused on agriculture, visiting Eastern North Carolina Crawfish Farm; the Tobacco Life Museum; a sweet potato and tobacco farm, Scott Farms; Angus operation, Wood Angus; and Caterpillar Inc.
Eastern North Carolina Crawfish farm is an industry-leading crawfish operation using deep water ponds, which allows for increased production. NJAA members were able to see firsthand how crawfish are raised on a commercial scale and even handle live crawfish.
“LEAD is about broadening knowledge and seeing how diverse agriculture can be,” Mardesen says. “For many, crawfish farming isn’t common in their area; it’s important to understand how all aspects of agriculture work together cohesively.”
A few miles down the road at the Tobacco Life Museum, juniors received a history lesson on tobacco production, historically one of the states most profitable crops, true still today. NJAA members later were able to walk through a tobacco field and see how tobacco is dried and handled at Scott Farms. In addition to tobacco, Scott Farms is also the world leader in sweet potato production and juniors were able to tour their processing plant along with how sweet potatoes are grown and produced.
Canadian Junior Angus board member Wade Olynyk says the level of diversification is interesting to see.
“Not all their eggs are in one basket,” he says. “The markets are always going up and down and the diversification helps stabilize the operation.
“I will definitely take a lot of key ideas home with me,” Olynyk says.
Juniors later spent the day at Caterpillar, receiving a full tour of the production plant along with a live product demo.
The LEAD conference is coordinated by the NJAB, who lead team-building activities, leadership workshops and encouraged participants to step outside their comfort zones and meet new friends. Attendees also attended seminars on careers in agriculture, presented by industry professionals in branding, marketing and ag management.
Juniors enjoyed a North Carolina Agriculture producer panel, where juniors were able to discuss the vast diversity of agriculture found in North Carolina. The panel included Brian Warren, President of the North Carolina Cattlemen’s Association; Seth Church, owner of Wilkes Livestock Exchange; Johnny Rogers of Rogers Cattle Co.; and Joe Hampton of Back Creek Angus and former president of the American Angus Association.
For more information on the LEAD conference, visit www.ANGUS.org. A complete list of participants follows.
ANGUS MEANS BUSINESS. The American Angus Association® is the nation’s largest beef breed organization, serving more than 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.
2017 LEAD Participants
Arkansas
Nicholas Pohlman
Will Pohlman
California
Colby Perry
Emily Piland
Rex Roseman
Morgan Spiro
Macy Perry
Dawson Dal Porto
Colorado
Alex Vieselmeyer
Austin Vieselmeyer
Florida
Morgan Blommel
Iowa
Haley Greiman
Jordan Johnson
Olivia Johnson
Morgan Knapp
Baxter Knapp
Rowdi VanZee
Tim Mardesen
Illinois
Keegan Cassady
Olivia Heltsley
Morgan Hutchins
Emily Brooks
Sierra Day
Lindsey Decker
Garrett Handsaker
Maggie Kelly
Benjamin Marsh
Amelia Miller
Austin Mussman
Eric Schafer
Dalton Lemenager
Gabrielle Lemenager
Jack Dameron
Amber Schiffbauer
Indiana
Madison Butler
Kansas
Alexandria Cozzitorto
Jayce Dickerson
Ethan Dickerson
Grady Dickerson
Cale Hinrichsen
Sarah Pelton
Clay Pelton
Kady Figge
Kentucky
Logan Boyd
Catherine Cowles
Caroline Cowles
Pam Dockery
Josh Jasper
Makayla Jeffries
Tyler McGinnis
Abigal Smoot
Corbin Cowles
Louisiana
Lily Gisclair
Andrew Graves
Olivia Shepherd
Katelyn Corsentino
Maryland
Savannah Brauning
Sara Lechlider
Trevor Magaha
Michigan
Jaycie Brown
Amanda Kosal
Austin Pillars
Brady Zellmer
Missouri
Conrad Behlmann
Lauren Gilbert
Cort Hardy
Carson Hoth
Callie Keaton
Carrie Otte
Tommy Otte
Lauren Parks
Jera Pipkin
Mississippi
Bethany White
Montana
Jordyn Wagner
North Carolina
Chelsie Bobbitt
Lynae Bowman
Madison Boyd
Taylor Glover
Mattie Harward
Marci Harward
John Heath
Wyatt Kendall
Laura LeGlue
Cara Smith
Thomas Smith
Mary Wood
Justin Wood
North Dakota
Madison Sundsbak
Nebraska
Kyra Meyer
Dakota Lovett
Miranda Raithel
Reagan Skow
Rachel Smith
Michaela Clowser
New York
Jayne Bannister
Katharine Wesche
Ohio
Lydia Dance
Ellie Kidwell
Sarah Millikan
McKayla Raines
Ty Raines
Oklahoma
Ryan Callahan
Victoria Gerken
Sydney Johnson
Hudson Myers
Jackson Ray
Sydnee Gerken
Braden Henricks
Oregon
Morgan Scilacci
Nicholas Sheridan
Hayley DeHaan
Pennsylvania
Claudia Hissong
Dakota Mayle
Daniel Rohrbaugh
Carrie Rutledge
Haley Sweitzer
Madison Weaver
Bryce Fitzgerald
Brody Fitzgerald
Texas
Georgia Blackwell
Bailey Bozeman
Taylor Criswell
Dylan Denny
Kaydee Free
Cooper Free
Faith Massingill
Emma Nowotny
Cutter Pohlman
Gracie Smith
Jeremiah Steph
Hannah Steph
Lexi Stevenson
Stuart Lastovica
Virginia
Mark Alexander
Lauren Beasley
Gordon Clark
Zach McCall
Catie Hope
Jake Snyder
Washington
Cassandra Garcia
Wisconsin
Bree Gaffney
Samantha Hilleshiem
Kolin Huth
West Virginia
Natalie Phillips
Reese Tuckwiller
Canada
Mark Sample, Quebec
Wade Olynyk, Saskatchewan