Ringgold County Youth Beef Team holds 1st meeting.
By IVY BICE
DIAGONAL, Iowa — The Ringgold County Youth Beef Team held its inaugural meeting last Saturday that included a breeding heifer selection workshop at Werner Family Angus in Diagonal.
The workshop was open to students in 4th through 12th grade and gave participants hands-on experience evaluating phenotype and genotype, interpreting performance data and learning how to build their future herds with confidence.
The Ringgold County Youth Beef Team is a nonprofit organization affiliated with the Ringgold County Cattlemen’s Group. According to the Iowa Cattlemen’s Foundation, the statewide Youth Beef Team (YBT) program trains and empowers youth ages 12-18 to promote Iowa’s beef industry through community outreach, events and educational activities. The program is designed to involve the next generation in the beef industry by giving young people hands-on experience in advocacy, public speaking and community engagement. Students also have participation requirements to complete to remain active in the program, with rewards and scholarship opportunities available to qualifying high school seniors.
The local team is led by Alle Bailey, who jokingly refers to herself as the group’s “unofficial instigator.” Bailey said she does not want to take away from others who may want to help lead the organization. The Ringgold County team is brand new this fall, and Bailey’s goal for the first meeting was to introduce students to different aspects of the beef industry through tours, hands-on workshops, presentations and guest speakers.
Bailey said she felt there was a need for a program like this in Ringgold County because she wants young people to understand the beef industry and be able to communicate its importance to others. She hopes students will learn why agriculture matters and gain a better understanding of how much farmers care about their animals, land and the products they raise.
Communication is a major part of that goal. Bailey wants students to be able to talk with people in their communities about farming, beef production and the work that goes into raising a healthy product.
“One thing that I am blown away by is that right here in Ringgold County, we have the most world-renowned operations,” Bailey said.
She also recognized the support of local families and previous generations who helped get the program started.
The larger goal, according to Bailey, is to take the knowledge students gain and help them become leaders for tomorrow. She hopes to provide opportunities for young people to start their own cattle herds and become successful cattlemen, strong communicators and prominent citizens in Ringgold County or their hometowns. Bailey wants participants to become passionate advocates for beef producers, farmers and ranchers.
The first workshop focused on breeding heifer selection, something that becomes especially important as cattle producers begin choosing heifers for the next year. The Werner family provided a group of heifers for students to evaluate and walked them through the process of selecting replacement heifers for their herds. The family also shared its technologically advanced performance data, giving students an opportunity to learn how to sort through the information and use it when making decisions.
Students were encouraged to consider questions such as, “Is this a cow I want to keep? Will she make me money? Will she help my herd grow?”
Bailey said having students write down their goals was also an important part of the workshop. She wants them to begin thinking about what kind of cattle operation they hope to have and what types of cattle will best fit their goals. Members of the Werner family, individuals associated with the cattlemen’s association and parents were there to help students throughout the workshop.
Bailey hopes students walked away with a better understanding of how to evaluate heifers and select potential replacements for their herds. The Youth Beef Team is currently working on scheduling additional workshops, activities and educational opportunities. Bailey hopes to have another event planned for January 2027.
One possibility is a calving workshop that would teach students how to assist with a difficult birth. Iowa State University has a calving simulator that allows participants to practice pulling a calf in different situations, including when a calf is stuck or positioned backward. The goal would be to teach students how to successfully assist with a difficult delivery and safely deliver a live calf.
Although the program focuses on beef production, students do not need previous experience with cattle or a background in agriculture to participate. Bailey encourages any interested youth to come with an interest in beef production and a willingness to learn. For more information or to get involved with the Ringgold County Youth Beef Team, contact Bailey at 641-750-0218.
