The Girl From Everywhere

Ahhh the dreaded, "What's your hometown?" question.  I'm always at a loss of how to answer this.  Do I tell them where I went to high school?  Or maybe where I live now?  Or even where I was born?  Which answer represents me the best?

I used to despise moving around all the time.  It seems like we would pack everything up just as soon as I had made friends and gotten comfortable.  I can't say that I have a childhood best friend who I still keep in touch with.  And moving to a new town meant having to make friends all over again; something which gets exponentially more difficult the older you get.  When we moved to Safford, I made my Dad promise that I could finish high school here.  Two years before my graduation, he accepted a job in Tucson, AZ, which was two hours away.  He made good on his promise and commuted back and forth, staying in Tucson during the week and coming back to Safford on weekends.  Because of the failing housing market, we got out from under our house in Safford the start of my senior year and spent the rest of it living out of a camper.

Sure, my experiences may have been less that ideal, but looking back, I'm so glad for them.  Living in a camper taught you to value counter space in the kitchen, walls that were thicker than an inch, and mostly, bathtubs.  Moving around taught me that you have to make the most of what you have and that you need to do so quickly.  But the most important asset I garnered was the ability to get up and move.  I'm not afraid to go where is best for me and to deal with new people and places, because it's nothing new.

I've also had the opportunity to live in some amazing places and see some great things.  I've lived within an hour of Mount Rushmore, I've seen the Grand Canyon, I've hiked mountains, seen 40 mph winds take trampolines right off the ground, I've watched some of the best sunsets imaginable and walked in the same paths as men like Geronimo.  Living all these different places has given me chances to travel, and to experience cultures I once took for granted.  In addition to having lived all over, I've been blessed enough to travel frequently and have family that live in different states.

I am just now beginning to realize how valuable this upbringing has been.  I know people whose families have lived in the same home for over 100 years, all growing up in the same town and going to the same schools.  There are people that have never even left the state!  I simply can't imagine it.  I've been ingrained with a sense of adventure and a desire to see the world.

So in response to when I'm asked "Where are you from?" I just smile and say, "everywhere."

Future of the Beef Industry: Where We Are and Where We Are Headed

I’m sure we can all think of several problems the beef industry is facing today, and I think the overall picture has to do with consumers and their demand for our product.  This is a multi-faceted problem, with consumer confidence being undermined by anti-beef organizations, increasing global demand, and trying to keep up with this demand while using less land and resources.  Each problem must be tackled differently, so I will discuss each further in depth.

Consumer confidence plays a huge role in marketing our product.  Lately, it has fallen some with the onslaught of negative images plastered by anti-beef organizations such as PETA and HSUS, which the media has taken up due to their sensationalism.  We all know that this is not how we raise our animals, and that everything we do is in their best interest.  Thus, it is important that we, as producers, start sharing our story.  Whether it be through social media outlets, which allow for quick and easy communication to the masses, or talking to our neighbor at the grocery store, there is never a bad time to strike up a conversation about beef.  I personally have the opportunity to speak with hundreds of consumers through my role as a National Beef Ambassador, and I find that many consumers just can’t find the connection to make with a farmer or rancher, and thus rely on what they see on the news.  If we start telling people how we raise our animals, and the logic behind it, I am positive we can increase their confidence in our product, and possibly exceed previous levels.

      While our native consumers may have some doubts, globally, our product is in high demand.  Asian-Pacific markets know the quality of American Beef and are willing to pay a premium for it.  This influx of consumers has lowered our supply and caused some amount of price escalation.  By all means, I believe trading on the global market is a fantastic idea, and adds dollars to the value of that carcass, but it is a factor we need to keep in mind when we assess the amount of beef we need to produce to feed the growing population.

      This brings me to my final point about raising more cattle with less land and resources - in essence, our sustainability.  It is commonly known amongst ranchers that we care for the land and want to leave it good condition, because it is a large part of our livelihood.  We increase our efficiency drastically by using exogenous hormones, ionophores in feed and increasing heterosis amongst breeds.  These are terrific advancements, and there are many more on the horizon that we are beginning to see progress in, such as fetal programming and transgenetics.  I believe these last two technologies, along with the expansion of legal hormones and beta-agonists, will maximize our production and allow us to raise cattle effectively and efficiently, while still producing the quality product consumers desire.

As a whole, my generation is being set up to have an industry full of opportunities ripe for the picking.  We are in need of innovators that will perform the science behind these technologies and ensure they are quality, while also discovering new ones.  Personally, I plan to continue advocating for the beef industry by talking with consumers about their concerns, and sharing my own beef story and those of others.  Along with this, I plan to spend some time on Capital Hill lobbying on behalf of the beef industry and making sure regulations and laws are passed that benefit the our industry, while also convincing our nation’s leaders that beef is a delicious, wholesome and safe product.