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| Spotlight on Youth - Feb. 10, 2010 |
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Overseas opportunity for college ag students available
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Grains Foundation and the National FFA Organization are now accepting applications for the International Collegiate Agricultural Leadership (I-CAL) program. The 12 undergraduate students for this year’s I-CAL mission will journey to Malaysia and Taiwan from May 16-28, 2010. The I-CAL program is intended for students who wish to continue their future education and career path in agriculture.
“The 2009 I-CAL mission changed my perception of the world. We have to embrace free trade and establish relationships in order to move commodities. Having my eyes opened to the world was pretty amazing,” said Michelle Euken, Iowa State University graduate and participant in the 2009 I-CAL mission to Vietnam and China. “I now understand the importance of market development and will continue to promote U.S. agricultural trade in my personal life and professional career.”
The Grains Foundation was established by members of the U.S. Grains Council in 1983, in an effort to improve world food availability and quality; to strengthen the role of the marketplace in resolving global supply and demand issues; and to build partnerships with agricultural producers, agribusinesses and governments in developing countries through market education programs. Knowledge gained by I-CAL participants will serve American agriculture as they become future leaders in production agriculture, agribusiness and related fields. Visit www.ffa.org and go to “Collegiate,” to find out more information about the I-CAL program and to apply. Please note that applications MUST be postmarked by Feb. 15, 2010.
Young Producers’ Council elects new officers and board
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The next generation of cattle industry stakeholders from across the nation gathered last week to take part in the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Young Producers’ Council (YPC) business meeting. In addition to adopting new operating procedures to govern future executive committee and board member appointments, the group also selected its 2010 executive committee and a board of directors. The board members will also represent the council on various NCBA policy committees.
Ben Spitzer of Fairmount, Ga. was appointed chair, and Ben Neal of Nashville, Tenn. was appointed vice chair. Sharon Breiner of Manhattan, Kan. was appointed to a new executive-committee position of secretary/treasurer.
Individuals appointed to the YPC board and their respective NCBA policy committees were:
•Evan Tate, Kentucky – Ag Policy
•Brandon Carlson, California – Cattle Health and Well Being
•Sarah Baker, Idaho – Federal Lands
•Travis Hoffman, Colorado – Live Cattle Marketing
•RaeMarie Gordon, Colorado – Membership
•Holly Foster, California – Property Rights and Environmental Management
•Wyatt Prescott, Arizona – Tax and Credit
•Tonya Amen, Wisconsin – Resolutions
Outgoing chair, Dustin Dean of Texas, will serve on the board in an advisory capacity.
The Young Producers’ Council was established during the 2008 Cattle Industry Summer Conference in Denver and was initiated to help NCBA members ages 18 to 35 develop their leadership skills and become more involved in NCBA policy development. For more information, become a fan of the Young Producers’ Council on Facebook or visit www.BeefUSA.org/ypc
Eastern Hancock FFA meats team wins championship title
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Ind. — Eastern Hancock FFA members brought home the 2010 State Meats Evaluation Championship for the second year in a row. The team of Sarah Mueller, Kyle Wilson, Breanna Lawyer and Caitlin Parke repeated their victory from last year. They will now represent Indiana at the National FFA competition in Indianapolis this October during the National FFA Convention. Individually, they accomplished a feat that had never been done, all team members finished in the top four individually. Mueller was first, Wilson was second, Lawyer was third and Parke was fourth. The State Meats Evaluation contest was held at Purdue University on Saturday, January 31, 2010.
In the 4-H division of the meats evaluation competition, Eastern Hancock FFA members won second, fourth and sixth place honors. The second place team members were Rebekah Dickmander, Tabitha Parke and Clay Roland. Individually, Dickmander was seventh and Parke was eighth. The fourth place team consisted of Caleb Jessup, Brooke Lane, Jennifer Apple and Leah Jacobs. Sixth place honors went to Aaron Wilson, Kyle Eischen and Kale Hensley. Congratulations to all teams!
The meats evaluation contest requires participants to identify 40 cuts of retail beef, pork and lamb. They also evaluate beef, pork and lamb carcasses and wholesale cuts ranking them in a class of four. In the 4-H division, students give oral reasons about two classes to a judge justifying their reasons for placing the classes as they did.
In the FFA division, students take a written exam, figure a meat formulation calculation for ground beef as well as quality and yield grade a set of four beef carcasses. |
| 2/10/2010 |
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