Angus Juniors 'Raise the Bar' at Virginia Tech

May 13, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information contact:
Carrie Heitman, communications coordinator, at 816-383-5100 or cheitman@angus.org.

VIDEO: 2013 Raising the Bar Conferences

Angus Juniors ‘Raise the Bar’ at Virginia Tech
Leadership event in Blacksburg, Va., brings together 24 junior Angus leaders.

The future of the American Angus Association^® is bright. That’s because Angus juniors from across the country are participating in events to continue learning about the industry and expanding their leadership potential. Most recently, National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) members met May 3-5 at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., to participate in a Raising the Bar conference.

“The Raising the Bar conferences allow Angus juniors to interact outside of the showring and learn about more in-depth beef industry issues,” says Robin Ruff, American Angus Association^® director of junior activities. “These opportunities give them a chance to expand their knowledge outside of the everyday classroom.”

Throughout the weekend, 24 Angus junior leaders, officers and advisors from 7 state junior Angus associations toured Virginia Tech and area Angus operations, heard from industry experts, participated in leadership-training workshops and spent an evening bowling on campus.

Participants made stops at the Kentland Farm, where they learned about feeding different hay types during a cow’s breeding cycle and fetal sexing; visited the Daltons on the Sycamore farm, where they toured the Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex, a new multi-purpose facility in Southern Virginia; and also visited the Big Spring Mill, a fifth-generation feed and flour mill.

On the Virginia Tech campus, juniors met with the Virginia Tech Beef Leadership Council about the importance of beef advocacy; heard from agricultural professor, Paige Pratt, about the importance of evaluating cattle with expected progeny differences (EPDs); and met with David Kohl about the optimistic future of agriculture.

A complete list of the Raising the Bar participants at Virginia Tech is listed below.

About Raising the Bar

Now in its sixth year, the Raising the Bar conference continues to foster the development of Angus youth by hosting events in four regions across the country. The NJAA, with sponsorship from the Angus Foundation, has conducted Raising the Bar conferences in cities such as Nashville, Tenn.; Ames, Iowa; Columbus, Ohio; and Stillwater, Okla.

The NJAA promotes the involvement of young people in raising Angus cattle, while also providing leadership and self-development opportunities for more than 6,000 active members nationwide.

ANGUS MEANS BUSINESS. The American Angus Association is the nation’s largest beef breed organization, serving more than 25,000 members across the United States, Canada and several other countries. It’s home to an extensive breed registry that grows by nearly 300,000 animals each year. The Association also provides programs and services to farmers, ranchers and others who rely on Angus to produce quality genetics for the beef industry and quality beef for consumers.

For more information about Angus cattle and the American Angus Association, visit www.ANGUS.org.

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Raising the Bar Participants:

Kansas

Meghan Blythe, White City

Maryland

Michael Cropp, Damascus

Shane Heizer, Hagerstown

Michigan

Kendra Merriman, Lowell

North Carolina

Daniel Brown, Boone