Contact:     Carol Abrahamzon        507/724-3905        cabrahamzon@beef.org
                  Diane Henderson          303/650-3465        dhenderson@beef.org

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (March 8, 2006) – Here’s a perfect recipe for the beef industry: Combine a bundle of energy, enthusiasm and a willingness to learn, then add a batch of intelligence and speaking ability.  Sprinkle with a desire to educate others and a bit of wanderlust.  What would you call it? The “National Beef Ambassador Program” would be an ideal choice. 

Created in 1988, the National Beef Ambassador Program is a way for young people ages 17-20 to educate peers, consumers and beef producers about beef nutrition and food safety. It’s funded by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and is coordinated by the American National CattleWomen, Inc. (ANCW).  

Through the program, five students are selected from around the country each year as national Beef Ambassadors via competition that features speeches and interviews with media and beef industry leaders. Each of the five receive cash and scholarship prizes, but, more important, get a chance to travel the country for a year representing the beef industry and the Beef Checkoff Program at both consumer and producer functions.

Boosting Beef to Consumers

It’s an effort that carries a powerful message on behalf of beef producers: “If consumers don’t buy beef after they hear from these kids, they sure won’t buy beef from some grumpy old codger with dirty overalls and a bad attitude,” says Trent Loos, a sixth generation cattle producer.  “We need to be thankful and proud that these kids are speaking for our industry.” 

Loos should know. He is the founder of Loos Tales (www.loostales.com), which provides radio, television and print commentary on agriculture with an unapologetic, uncompromisingly positive outlook. Loos was a speaker at the 2006 contest at which the five 2006 Beef Ambassadors were chosen. 

“I really think the American National CattleWomen have polished some rare gems with this program,” Loos wrote in a recent column about the Ambassadors. “These youngsters have experience in the industry, education about the nutrition of beef and food safety that I’m sure most producers don’t have a clue about, and the sincere belief that they can make a difference in the world by being a part of the livestock industry.”

The 2005 National Beef Ambassador winner, Anna Groseta, proves the point. She was selected to fill a prestigious U.S. Department of Agriculture internship in Washington D.C. in 2006, based on her scholastic achievements and extracurricular activities – including her tenure as a Beef Ambassador. 

Beef Ambassador Carol Abrahamzon says the young people who enter the program each year are the cream of the crop. “I could tell at the competition (in Austin, Tex.) last summer that we were going to have a great group of kids,” she says.   

And when the winners for 2006 were selected, she wasn’t disappointed. “I’m just amazed at the knowledge level this year’s team has,” she says. “They are always well prepared, and have done beautifully when talking with every audience they’ve addressed.”

Exceptional Young People

Winner of the 2006 Beef Ambassador competition last summer was Amanda Nolz, whose family raises purebred Limousin cattle near Mitchell, S.D. For her efforts, Amanda won $2,500 cash and a $1,000 scholarship to the college of her choice. 

Amanda says her goal of being an Ambassador started eight years ago when she was a Junior Beef Ambassador. “Since then, it’s been a dream of mine to be the National Beef Ambassador,” she says. “This is something I’m going to value for the rest of my life.”

Planning to attend South Dakota State University next year to study ag journalism and political science, Amanda says she would like to combine her “passion for public speaking and the beef industry into a job that I’ll love.”   

A recent survey shows that other young people in the national competition share Amanda’s hopes: Fully 80 percent say they plan to go on to careers in agriculture. Some Ambassadors who, coming into the program, thought they were headed in different directions had their minds changed after their year in the saddle, Abrahamzon says. All 2006 winners plan to stay close to the industry.  

Melissa Green, second-place winner in the latest competition, is a sophomore at Chico State University, studying animal science and hoping to create a future as a researcher.  Her mother and father are both teachers, and they own a farm in Arbuckle, Calif., where they raise sheep and purebred Hereford cattle part-time.   

Melissa says that while she enjoys livestock, it was her interest in public speaking that led her to the Ambassador program. “I did a lot of public speaking when I was in high school, and I loved the ability to gain more knowledge by training for competition,” she says, adding that she will always treasure “the incredible knowledge that I’ve gained” through the program. “I’ve had a blast, and enjoyed thoroughly what I’ve learned.” 

Third-place winner Peter Sharpe of Arlington, Minn., says he loves public speaking “and has always wanted to do it. [The program] is just a great opportunity, a great chance to meet people and to learn new things.” 

Peter’s family has a registered Angus cow/calf herd. And appreciation for the Ambassador program runs in the family, as his sister, Jennifer, was also a competitor in the National Beef Ambassador Program. “She always had a good time with it,” Peter says.  “So when the chance came, I wanted to get involved.” 

Receiving Honorable Mention awards in the 2006 contest were Paul Moya of New Mexico and Amy Berry of Wyoming. 

Coast to Coast

Travel is a requisite in the Ambassador program. Only those students willing and able to travel during the year can be selected to the position. This year’s winners have gone from the World Ag Expo in Tulare, Calif., to the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg – and many points between.  A couple of other events they will have had the opportunity to participate in are the Boston Marathon (as presenters, not runners) and a barbecue on the Washington Capital Mall in Washington, D.C. 

“You get to travel a lot, and that’s a lot of fun,” says Peter Sharpe. A grant from Shared Solutions Agricultural Initiative of the Altria family of companies provides some of the travel funds for the Ambassadors. 

Each new assignment can bring unique challenges. Abrahamzon says a visit to the Pennsylvania Farm Show to promote veal in early January was an educational and eye-opening opportunity for the Ambassadors. 

“Most of these kids hadn’t been involved with the veal industry before,” she says. “They were sent materials to study up on the product and production practices prior to the show and had fantastic answers for people stopping at the booth.” 

Abrahamzon said that many people who stopped by the booth wouldn’t take a sample at first, saying they didn’t eat veal for various reasons. After the Ambassadors had a chance to respond to concerns expressed about the product or animal raising practices, most of the individuals would then try a sample. “The answers provided by the Ambassadors were usually pretty well accepted,” Abrahamzon says. 

“Once in a while, you get a person coming through that has some negative things to say about the industry,” says Peter Sharpe. “But usually if you discuss it with them, you can begin to change their opinions.” 

Eighty percent of the contacts that Ambassadors make are with groups outside of agriculture. Peter says he likes talking directly to the consumers – one-on-one. “Then you get to see what their concerns are and you can target those specific concerns,” he says. “You can’t do that with a larger group.” 

Melissa says her favorite individuals to talk with are mothers and her peers.  “Mothers are going to be the ones that take the beef home and feed it to their kids,” she says, “and the next generation isn’t as knowledgeable about agriculture as previous generations.  It’s important for beef producers to know that we are out there educating not only consumers, but our peers, about the industry.” 

New Participants Wanted

All of the 2006 Ambassadors agrees about one thing: Being able to participate in the program is the chance of a lifetime.  “This is truly a wonderful opportunity for students,” says Melissa.  “We owe a lot of thanks to those who help sponsor it.” 

“It really means a lot that beef producers and their checkoff leaders value the youth in this way,” says Amanda.  “Their belief that we can be spokespersons for them to add value to their product is encouraging.” 

Nancy Stirling-Neuhauser, a beef producer from South Dakota and 2006 ANCW president, believes that while the students can get an education in other agricultural associations, the Ambassador Program is something special – and specific to the beef industry.  “We’re giving them an opportunity they may not have had anywhere else,” she says.  “I think it’s a great program.” 

“We’re not just training tomorrow’s beef industry leaders,” says Abrahamzon.  “We’re also training messengers for the beef industry.  That’s what the checkoff dollars going into this program are all about.” 

For more information on becoming involved in the Beef Ambassador program, contact Carol Abrahamzon, project manager, at cabrahamzon@beef.org.

The American National CattleWomen, Inc., is a trade association of America's affiliated CattleWomen, with the primary focus of promotion and consumer education regarding beef as a safe and nutritious food, and the production of beef cattle as an industry.