COLUMBUS, Ohio — These days, young adults are under more pressure than ever to figure out what they want to do with their lives. But some might not need to look much further than the dinner table for answers.
Those who may be pondering careers in the beef cattle industry will want to join the Ohio Youth Beef Council, which launched Feb. 1 at the Ohio Cattlemen Association’s (OCA) annual meeting and awards banquet. The council seeks to connect young Ohioans with opportunities in the beef cattle sector while also developing their leadership skills.
“The council involves youth of all ages and backgrounds, representing every industry segment and level of experience. The participants will grow their leadership skills to enhance their education, build career pathways and influence their communities,” said Tatumn Poff, 18, who chairs the new council, at the event.
The youth council, funded by the Beef Checkoff and OCA, aims to provide Ohio’s youth with the tools to become industry leaders. The program is open to all Ohio youth ages 8 to 21 years old. No relevant beef industry background is required to join. Membership is free, though some upcoming educational contests and events will have registration fees.
Programming
As with all great coming-of-age adventures, such as the boys’ search for a dead body in the 1986 drama “Stand by Me,” the Ohio Youth Beef Council is looking for carcasses, too: beef ones, of course. The council’s inaugural program will be a youth carcass contest focusing on meat quality, yield grading and marketing. It will be open to participants from all over Ohio with qualified calves, steers and heifers born between Jan. 1 and May 31, 2025. The registration deadline is Nov. 1. There will be a $50 head registration fee for every animal entered.
The council is also planning an Ohio Beef Youth Day this spring, open to youth ages 8 to 21 and parents, in partnership with the Ohio State University Extension meat team and 4H youth development. Younger participants will focus on carcass evaluation and cut ID while older attendees will have the chance to engage with a calving simulator. More information about both planned events is forthcoming.
Future plans
Much of the youth council’s work will be focused on educating the non-ag general public about the beef industry. According to a one-pager about the council, this effort is aligned with the OCA’s goal of training advocates and spokespeople within the beef community so they can more easily engage in conversations and address consumer concerns about beef and cattle raising.
“Industry professionals and people that are already involved in the industry may have an idea, at least, of how our groceries make it to grocery stores. But, for example, with the carcass contest, we’re reaching out to those outside the industry that may not have ever been familiar with how their meat actually ends up on their plate,” Poff said.
For the young council, the launch event served as a platform for gathering feedback on potential future programs to host. Suggestions from the audience included hands-on field days for working a group of cattle, cooking and grilling contests, farm tours and advocacy training to address common misconceptions about beef production.
Learning
A panel of industry leaders next shared personal stories of their journeys in the beef industry, highlighting both their travails and triumphs to help young attendees envision their own paths forward before inviting questions about their experiences.
The panel included Zane Gross III of E.R. Boliantz Packing, Lindsey Hall of Maple Crest Meats, Kirsten Nichols of Certified Angus Beef and Garrett Stanfield of Trans Ova Genetics. Panelists highlighted several themes, including the importance of networking, mentorship, business acumen, continuous learning and professionalism. Challenges facing the industry were also discussed, including the aging farming population and the reluctance holding some back from embracing change.
That’s where the youth come in, Stanfield said.
“The average age of the farmer and rancher certainly is not decreasing,” he said. “I think you’ll always run up against that mindset of, ‘we’ve always done it this way, why should we change?’ But what you all have at your fingertips is more technology than we’ve ever had in this industry. And that technology only continues to evolve further and further. So I think that you can face that challenge not with fear, but with great confidence in what you’re able to do moving forward.”
In her remarks, Hall focused on the personal qualities she said are critical to success. Drawing from her experience, she warned against the pitfalls of instant gratification and stressed the importance of perseverance and hard work.
“Don’t be complacent and always push yourself. You know, don’t be afraid to put in those long hours and the hard work, because it will pay you tenfold in the future,” she said. “Sometimes you’re going to fall down and have to pick yourself back up. But don’t let that discourage you, because that’s going to only make you better for the future.”
