Providing youth with first-hand knowledge of the commercial cattle feeding industry is the goal of the National Junior Hereford Association (NJHA) Fed Steer Shootout. Started in 2017, the American Hereford Association saw the need to educate youth about the production and commercial side of the beef industry.
Today, working with HRC Feed Yards in Scott City, Kan., participants get a chance to discover how their cattle perform beyond the pasture while gaining a broad knowledge of the cattle feeding and packing industries through a comprehensive educational contest.
The youth can feed a minimum number of Hereford or Hereford-influenced cattle in the program. Participants receive cattle feeding performance updates throughout the cattle feeding period and individual carcass data after the cattle are harvested. Participants also receive a collective summary of all cattle enrolled in the program to see how their cattle performed relative to the entire group.
Haley Mouser, Tenstrike, Minn., first participated in the shootout in 2018. Today she serves on the NJHA board as vice president and credits her experience participating in the program to opening her eyes to the entire beef industry as well as developing her desire to serve as a NJHA leader.
Mouser says key learning experiences included understanding carcass quality, nutrition and animal health.
“It’s such a unique experience,” says Trevor Johnson, Hereford breeder from Centerville, S.D. “It shows the synergies between every sector and how, as an industry, we can get better about working together.”
Johnson and his brother participated in the Shootout in 2017 and 2018 as junior members. He says the program was a transformative experience that ignited his passion for the cattle feeding industry.
“I would equate it to an animal science class reading out of a textbook versus going and doing a lab. It really brings to light what we all know about EPDs and puts it to the test,” Johnson summarizes.
He is another example of how the feedout program can significantly influence a career path, as demonstrated by his progression from a junior member to participating in two large commercial feedyard internships to his current industry roles.
Today, Johnson helps manage his family’s seedstock, cattle feeding and farming operations. He also serves as a commercial marketing representative for AHA.
More Than a Contest
Lee Mayo, HRC Feed Yards general manager, says the shootout isn’t just a contest, but a comprehensive learning experience that connects young people with industry professionals. He says he is particularly proud the program offers participants unprecedented access to information.
Driven by a deep commitment to the cattle industry and developing future producers, Mayo says he sees the program as a critical initiative with two primary objectives: advancing the Hereford breed and educating the next generation.
Mayo’s goals of the program are multifaceted:
- Develop more viable Hereford genetics
- Educate young people about the cattle industry
- Provide real-world data for breed improvement
- Create opportunities for future industry leaders
Youth can submit performance portfolios from data reports they receive throughout the feeding period and respond to short-answer questions summarizing what they learned throughout the program. The top three contestants, in both the junior and senior divisions, are selected from the submitted portfolios and have the opportunity to compete for the NJHA Fed Steer Shootout Contestant of the Year titles. The selected contestants present a short speech followed by a panel interview about what they learned during the contest and how they can apply this knowledge in the beef industry.
Field Day Adds to Education
An annual field day at HRC Feed Yards compounds the educational and networking opportunity when participants can see their cattle at the last stage of the feeding period and learn from professionals about the cattle feeding and beef packing sectors.
“It’s the applicability of what gets learned that makes it an industry leading experience,” Mouser explains.
Mayo says the combination of hands-on experience, cutting-edge knowledge from industry experts and comprehensive data collection makes it, in his words, “a program that’s unparalleled.”
Johnson adds, “It opens your eyes and broadens your horizons to what’s possible and what’s out there. People might be surprised by the alternate career paths they didn’t even know existed.”
Mouser says she remembers Mayo saying at the first NJHA Fed Steer Shootout Field Day, “You can always chase the goal of a yield grade one, quality grade Prime — and that’s never going to change — while what it takes to get a banner is always going to be fluctuating in the industry side of things. A YG 1, Prime carcass is a goal you can always chase. It’s set in stone.”
Not Just a Youth Program
AHA and HRC host the Hereford Feedout Program for adult members. From a breeding perspective, Mayo’s goal is to help Hereford breeders gather comprehensive, real-world data about cattle genetics.
“By learning their herd’s genetic potential and understanding what performance traits cattle feeders and beef packers find the most valuable, producers can build a more effective marketing plan to make sounder marketing decisions year after year,” explains Trey Befort, AHA director of commercial programs. “The value of this information and being closely engaged with the cattle feeding sector has always been important. It is becoming invaluable as more cattle are channeled into specification-based, value-added areas of the supply chain.”
The adult program was added in 2020.
“It is a great opportunity for those who want to learn more about their genetics and industry as a whole and not have to take a huge risk,” Befort says.
Breeders with larger groups of 50 head or more are able to have their own pen at HRC. The adult AHA members are also invited to the field day to see their cattle on feed as well as participate in the educational program.
Combined, 129 seedstock producers, NJHA members and commercial cattlemen from 24 states enrolled 1,341 Hereford and Hereford-influenced steers and heifers in the programs this year.
Befort says the growth of the program is exciting. In 2017, 29 youth from 10 states entered 72 head compared to 96 youth from 24 states entering 281 head this year.
“We believe in the program. We believe in the education and that more people should know about this,” Mayo summarizes. “Everyone involved in the beef industry has a role in feeding the world. If we can teach breeders and have them take ownership and responsibility for the end product, I am really excited to see the progress of the Hereford breed over the next 50 years.”
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