Twenty students from across the Lone Star State attended the Texas Youth Cattle Conferences offered in the Panhandle and South Texas regions. Members of junior cattle breed associations, Texas 4-H Livestock Ambassadors program and the Texas FFA Association were selected to attend the conference through an application process.

“This is our first year to offer two separate conferences for students to see the entire beef industry firsthand, learn from industry experts and ultimately become advocates for the beef community,” Ryan Moorhouse, chairman of the Texas Beef Council board of directors, said. “The conferences offer a unique opportunity to engage the next generation of leaders in our industry.”

Each conference took students on a four-day journey of learning and experiencing the Texas beef community from pasture to plate.

The destinations visited along the way were unique to the respective regions of the Lone Star State. Students visited ranches, foodservice distributors, processing plants, agricultural media outlets and spent time in the classroom with collegiate professors.

Students will continue to impact the beef industry through group projects that focus on their passion within the beef community. Guided by TBC staff and an industry mentor, projects will be executed by the students in their schools and communities across the state. The projects will differ based on student interest and industry need.

The 2017 Texas Youth Cattle Conferences attendees included: Alexandria Harrell, Texas Junior Maine Anjou Association; Cade Osbourn, Kendall County 4-H and Comfort FFA; Cassie Weishuhn, Lone Star 4-H; Cole Herring, Robertson Country 4-H; Erin Metzler, Texas Junior Red Angus Association; John Michael Fuhrmann, Lindsay FFA and Texas Junior Red Angus Association; Killian Grawe, Walker County 4-H and Texas Junior Red Angus Association; Lauren Hillert, Brazos County 4-H and Rudder FFA; Lauryn Carroll, Bangs 4-H; Lexus Yow, Franklin FFA; Madison Counsil, Texas Junior Limousin Association; Marcee Cooke, Hemphill County 4-H and Junior American Akaushi Association; Megan Dunn, Shelby County 4-H; Paige Holbrooks, Borden FFA; Shae Lynn Suttle, Wildcat 4-H and Idalou FFA; Tanner Thompson, Florence FFA; Tara Whitely, Sanger FFA; Taylor Pursley, Waco Midway FFA; Tyler Griffeth, Denton County 4-H, Ponder FFA and Texas Red Angus Association; Victoria Crowsey, Callisburg FFA.

The Texas Beef Council conducts the $1-per-head national checkoff program for Texas ranchers and is also the contractor for the Beef Promotion Research Council of Texas, which administers the $1-per-head Texas state checkoff program. The Texas Beef Council and the Beef Promotion Research Council of Texas are directed by a 20-member board of cattlemen and women representing the state’s ranchers.

For more information on the conferences and other checkoff-funded programs, visit www.TexasBeefCheckoff.com or call 800-846-4113.