Nearly 7,600 members of the cattle community enjoyed fellowship, fun, education and leadership opportunities during the 2018 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show, which ended in Phoenix, Ariz., Feb. 3.
Cattlemen’s College Celebrates 25th Anniversary
A total of 994 cattlemen and women acquired information that will help make their operations more successful Jan. 30-31 during the 25th annual Cattlemen’s College in Phoenix, Ariz. Held in conjunction with the 2018 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show, the event has become known as one of the cattle industry’s most in-depth and helpful educational events. Since first established, Cattlemen’s College has been sponsored by Zoetis Animal Health.
“The speed at which our industry is changing can be intimidating,” says Josh White, NCBA executive director of producer education. “Our sessions help cattle producers stay abreast of the issues that affect both their day-to-day operations and their long-term objectives. Those leading the sessions have gone through many of the issues facing the producers in the audience. Having this guidance is helping the industry face the future.”
Among the topics in the sessions were genetics, antibiotics, infectious diseases, imports and exports, engaging with federal agencies, cattle ID, calf management, and many others. Information on cattle handling and other issues was also provided in a live cattle demonstration area.
Keynote speaker at the session Jan. 31 was Jim Taylor, chief marketing officer of Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc. During his presentation, Taylor offered his audience an inside look at Arby’s “We Have the Meats” marketing campaign.
“America is still a meat and potatoes nation,” Taylor told the audience. “The appetite for beef has never been bigger.”
Arby’s sells more than 130 million pounds of beef a year, Taylor says, and his company “intends to keep that growing.” The core of the Arby’s business would be meat, and the primary meat in the assortment would be beef. “We offer a lot of meats, but beef will remain the heart and soul of the Arby’s experience,” he says.
Taylor applauded the cattlemen in the audience who are expanding, because “without you growing your operations, we wouldn’t have a business.”
“Cattlemen and women know Cattlemen’s College for its stimulating and thought-provoking approach that help them maximize their profit-building potential, and this year was no exception,” White says. “No matter what their interests, those attending the sessions came away with great ideas for improving their work back on the farm or ranch.”
Audio presentations from the 2018 Cattlemen’s College are available online at
http://agnewswire.com/2018-cattle-industry-convention.
$15,000 W.D. Farr Graduate Student Scholarship Winners:
- Dustin Aherin, Ph.D. student at Kansas
State University - Arquimides Reyes, Ph.D. student at Colorado State University
$1,500 CME Scholarship Winners:
- Abbey Schiefelbein, high school senior from Kimball, Minn.
- Brooke Berendsen, Montana, Montana State University
- Mason Bishop, Texas, Clarendon College
- Sydney Bowman, High School Senior, Fort Lupton, Colo.
- Lucas Brock, Georgia, University of Georgia
- Ryan Callahan, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University
- Bridger Gordon, High School Senior, Whitewood, S.D.
- Cale Hinrichsen, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University
- Ty Montgomery, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University
- Morgan Scilacci, Kansas, Kansas State University
