06/03/08 Busy week for Young Cattlemen's Conference

Washington Ag June 3, 2008 The manager of an Agri-Beef feedlot in Washington, Peter Schmidlin, is participating this week in the National Cattlemen's Beef Association's Young Cattlemen Conference. Marvin Kokes, NCBA's Vice President of Corporate Relations says the conference attendees are having a busy week. Kokes: "Well this is a tour that will expose cattle producers really from farm to fork. We will spend a couple of days here in Denver and then get on a bus and head to Kansas and see a 120-thousand head feed yard. Then to Sioux City to see one of the nation's largest beef packers. Go to Chicago to the Board of Trade and see a world class steak cutter. Then go to Washington D.C. and meet with our elected officials and regulatory agencies and along the way make 51 new best friends." Kokes says the Young Cattlemen's Conference is all about bringing along the next generation of leaders for the cattle industry. Kokes: "Absolutely! This really exposes folks to all segments of the industry so they get to understand what goes on in different parts of the country, different segments of the beef industry. That education is very important." Tour members are selected by their NCBA state affiliates and are usually industry leaders under the age of forty. I'm Bob Hoff.