I kicked off summer 2025 with an experience of a lifetime as a participant of the Young Cattlemen's Conference. For eight days, from sunup to sundown, we traveled across the country as part of an intensive leadership development program, getting an in-depth look into every sector of the beef supply chain.

The memories made and relationships built are invaluable. To have a peek into what this generation of cattlemen brings to the industry only ensures me we are in good hands.

Day 5 of the conference, our group of 60 visited the Tyson Fresh Meats beef packing plant in Dakota City, Neb. You could imagine my excitement that day when I saw the Certified Angus Beef (CAB) brand logo on the boxes on the line that the Tyson team was filling with high-quality beef.

The tour moved backwards in the fabrication process as the carcass is broken down swiftly and carefully. Our guide explained how the carcasses are identified for the brand and graded for the specifications to earn the CAB logo.

Later that day we arrived in Wooster, Ohio, and were greeted by the best in the business at the CAB Culinary Center. The next 24 hours I was beaming with pride hearing the positive conversations and comments from this group of emerging leaders, some who were part of the Angus family, but many who were not, about their experience at the CAB main office.

The CAB team walked us through everything from meatcase merchandising to menu strategy along with consumer preferences and branding. We had wonderful meals prepared by CAB chefs, of course featuring CAB product, and the hospitality was unmatched.

Wrapping up our time in Wooster were visits to two retail markets where we saw meatcases branded CAB and we got to speak with their staff on why they find success in carrying the brand in their stores.

In this issue we give you a small glimpse into the beef supply chain. Mailed with this October Angus Journal is the inaugural Angus Bull Book: 2025 Angus Sire Directory. We are thrilled to offer this resource to Angus breeders as they make breeding and semen purchasing decisions that will influence their herds.

In the pages that follow you’ll also get to read about some cattlemen and partners who are recognized in the group of 2025 CAB award winners for their exceptional contributions to the Angus breed and CAB brand.

The Angus breed continues to set the standard for quality and innovation, and the next generation of cattlemen are ready to carry that legacy forward.