Seeing every aspect of beef production from pasture to plate is a rare opportunity for most, but the American Angus Association is making it possible for over 20 individuals each year through their Beef Leaders Institute.
Participants start in Kansas City at the headquarters of the American Angus Association and travel the country to experience a genetics company, Tyson processing plant, retail shops, culinary food centers, and even a stop at Weborg Feedlot in Pender, NE, hosted by Tyler Weborg.
“We know that our Angus breeders are the very beginning of the food chain,” Kara Lee, director of producer engagement with Certified Angus Beef, said, “but in agriculture and the beef industry especially we know that… they’re really focused on being really good at what they do as they should be, but sometimes that prevents them from having the ability to better understand how what they do impacts every step along the way and how that product ultimately reaches the consumer.”
The program is made possible by the co- support of Certified Angus Beef and the Angus Foundation. Association members aged 25 to 45 can apply to be part of the program.
Emily Richard of Medora, North Dakota, ranches with her husband and three children on the land she was raised on. She graduated from Dickinson State University with a bachelor’s degree in nursing where she worked for six years before having the opportunity to return to the ranch. As a member of the Beef Leaders Institute, Richard says that the entire experience has been eye-opening and has allowed her to continue building her network with exceptional people.
Cole Gardiner of Ashland, Kansas, started with a strong family history in the Angus cattle breed. He graduated from Kansas State University in 2016 with a degree in Animal Science and since then has worked full-time at Gardiner Angus Ranch. Gardiner focuses primarily on bull development on their operation and says that the Beef Leaders Institute has helped him meet a variety of other Angus breeders and see unique aspects of the beef cycle.
For more information visit https://www.angus.org/Foundation/WhatWeDo/Education/BeefLeadersInstitute.
