BELFIELD, N.D. – From pasture to plate, it takes multiple links in the value chain to bring Americans the hamburgers they are throwing on the grill. And each link is integral to the success of the others. That was one of many takeaways for the 25 Angus producers who attended the 2024 Beef Leaders Institute (BLI).
“Coming from southwest North Dakota, we often don’t realize how big of a part we are in the bigger picture,” said attendee Emily Richard of Belfield, N.D. “I take a personal responsibility to educate myself and bring back to my customers; to really convey their importance in the industry and the importance of the decisions they make on a day-to-day basis.”
Richard grew up on a ranch near Medora, N.D. After college she spent six years working as a nurse before she and her husband started Richard Angus, a first-generation seedstock operation.
BLI is hosted by the American Angus Association®, in partnership with Certified Angus Beef ® brand and the Angus Foundation to develop young cattlemen and women as industry leaders.
“Our Angus breeders are the very beginning of the food chain. They are raising the high-quality Angus genetics that are the very start of things,” said Kara Lee, director of producer engagement at Certified Angus Beef. “However, sometimes producers can be so focused on executing that it can prevent them from having a better understanding of how they impact every step along the way to the consumer.”
The five-day tour started at the American Angus Association® in St. Joseph, Missouri, and traveled to six states before wrapping up at the Certified Angus Beef headquarters in Wooster, Ohio. Attendees toured Tyson-Dakota City, Weborg Feedyard, Buckhead of Ohio, STgenetics, and a Meijer Grocery Store along the way.
The whirlwind of a travel week still allowed time for the attendees to get to know one another. This year’s group came from a wide range of operations that vary in size and kind, representing 16 states and two Canadian providences.
“The best part is the instantaneous friendships you make,” said Richard. “Very rarely do you get a V.I.P. tour of one of the big four packing plants and be able to have like-minded individuals to bounce ideas off of while, in real time, seeing the different parts of the industry.”
The Class of 2024 will have the opportunity to expand their network further at the Angus Convention November 1-4, 2024, in Fort Worth, TX., where they will be invited to take part in a reunion event for all Beef Leaders Institute classes.
Applications for the 2025 Beef Leaders Institute are open to American Angus Association members between the ages of 25 and 45.
