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