Kearney, NE – Six University of Nebraska-Lincoln students participated in the Nebraska Beef Leadership Experience January 16 through 19. This is the first time the Nebraska Beef Council has held this event, which offered many different opportunities to the students involved to help them better understand and promote the beef industry.
Kylie Dierks of Hastings, TaraLee Hudson of Belvidere, Laura Reiling of Lincoln, Amber Staab of Ord, Chaylee Tonniges of Gresham, and Abigayle Warm of Staplehurst spent the week in and around Kearney experiencing new sectors of the beef industry they had, for the most part, not been exposed to before. Through the experience, the students earned a digital badge from UNL which will be applied to their school transcripts.
“The students were delightful to get to know and work with throughout the week. I feel very confident in the future of our industry because they all care deeply about beef from the ranch to the plate,” said Ann Marie Bosshammer, executive director of the Nebraska Beef Council. “I believe the experience gave them an excellent perspective of the Beef Checkoff, its programs, and how vast the beef industry really reaches around the globe.”
During the week-long event, the students participated in a grocery store tour and visited the US Meat Animal Research Center. The students also met with the Nebraska Beef Council Board of Directors, sat in on a board meeting, and listened to a multitude of speakers address current issues facing the beef industry. During a hands-on activity, the group shopped for ingredients and then spent time in the kitchen learning how to prepare beef as part of a healthy diet.
Amber Staab, a Junior studying agribusiness, has her own direct to consumer beef business. Staab says she enjoyed learning more about what the Nebraska Beef Council does.
“I’ve always been super passionate about the beef industry, I grew up on a cow calf operation, and in the beef industry is where I want to end up after college,” said Staab. “So, I thought that this would be a great opportunity to network and learn more about the Beef Council, and that it would really help me in my future.”
Chaylee Tonniges, a Junior majoring in animal science, says she has a newfound respect for the board of directors after seeing what they do. Tonniges plans to work as a business intern at Merck this summer and has started her own herd of Red Angus cattle.
“I knew that this was going to be a great learning opportunity and a way to expand my knowledge of the industry,” said Tonniges. “It’s been really neat to see how an actual board meeting operates and that it’s driven by volunteer producers.”
For more information and to learn more about the Nebraska Beef Council, visit www.nebeef.org.
