The National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) lessons that last the longest often have little to do with cattle. 

Siblings Justin and Ava Wood recently joined The Angus Conversation Junior Takeover, to share what they’ve learned about communication, teamwork, leadership and life.  

“You think you're doing a contest today, but 10 years down the road, you’re that much more prepared for something else,” Justin said, noting those skills are transferable.  

Including their sister Mary in the count, all three Woods served on the NJAA board, competed in a multitude of contests and attended conferences.  

The skills they’ve taken from the association are transferable as they’re working to grow their Angus operation, which now includes a meat market and wedding venue.  

"It’s been really cool repurposing old spaces into something new, and people love that,” Ava said, noting that a tobacco shed turned tack barn is now a groom’s quarters, for example.  

Their clients like that it’s the real deal. 

"It is a working cattle farm. It is a working hog farm. I get up every morning and feed cows and go check this and go do that,” Justin said. That is ambience most of their competitors don’t have.  

“When people come and tour the property, a lot of times they're meeting the three generations that currently live on the farm and operate it,” Ava said. “And then they'll see the barn cat, and they'll see all the dogs.” 

The additional enterprises add variety to the workday and income to the bottom line, but it all centers around the family getting to work together to reach out to the public.  

“That’s been the most rewarding part of it to me, is the farm I grew up interacting on, seeing it grow and turn into something new, [and] to connect the community.” 

This episode is the second in a three-part series recorded live from the NJAS in Louisville, Ky. If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to catch parts one and three, also available now.