Jeremy Leister of Fairmont, Oklahoma, represented the Angus breed at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s (NCBA) 2024 Young Cattlemen’s Conference (YCC), May 30 through June 6. Each year, a young Angus breeder is chosen and sponsored by the Angus Foundation to attend the conference.
Leister was one of the 67 chosen to be a part of the 2024 YCC class. The group of young cattlemen traveled through Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio and Washington, D.C. over the span of eight days.
During their travels, the class was able to experience the vitality of beef production in different aspects of the country, visiting the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (Denver, Colo.), Five Rivers Feeders (Kersey, Colo.), Greeley Hat Works (Greeley, Colo.) Certified Angus Beef (Wooster, Ohio), Giant Eagle and Meijer Grocery Stores (Ohio), Tyson Foods (Sioux City, Iowa), and Empirical Foods (South Sioux City, Nebraska).
Leister, alongside his class, ended the trip on Capitol Hill to discuss the issues and importance centered around the cattle and beef production industries in America. Leister shared this experience with representatives from several different states ranging from Montana, California, Washington D.C., and Hawaii:
“It’s a great honor to be chosen. It’s humbling to get to see all the different facets of the beef business and all the people that you get to meet over that eight-day period,” said.
YCC is an opportunity for cattlemen of all different agricultural backgrounds to come together to share experiences and dive deeper into the niche aspects the industry.
Leister shared that he was impressed by the amount of beef advocates that were willing to dedicate their time to learning about different sections of the beef business.
“It motivates me and inspires me for what the future is for everybody in the industry,” he said.
As the 2024 YCC representative, Leister brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the table. As a graduate of Oklahoma State University with a degree in Animal Science, he carried his passion for the Angus breed through his involvement as Director at Large for Oklahoma Angus Association and being a part of the National Beef Institute Class of 2017.
Leister has taken on leadership roles through workshops and conferences, offering his expertise to the younger generation of cattlemen. Leister has traveled across the nation for YCC and several other industry opportunities, but has actively stayed connected to his home state and alma mater, proudly serving on the Oklahoma State University Animal Science Alumni Board, and is a member of both Payne County Cattlemen’s Association and Farm Bureau.
Leister described his past experiences as a “labor of love” leading him to a variety of opportunities within the industry today.
“You always want to try and engage in everything that you can. You have to be willing to devote the time and engage in certain activities” says Leister.
Leister shared that his experience with the YCC class has put those words into action.
When asked about the highlight of the trip for Leister, he found it hard to choose just one, noting the tour of the CAB office in Wooster, Ohio, and his travels to Washington D.C.
“Getting to be in the capitol and see a lot of representatives was pretty cool,” he said.
Each year, the Angus Foundation carefully chooses a promising young cattleman to serve as the breed’s representative at the conference. Selection is based on applicants’ leadership background and their engagement with the American Angus Association and the beef industry. The selected attendee’s expenses are fully covered by the Angus Fund, which generously supports the Foundation’s efforts in promoting Angus education, youth and research.
“Jeremy is a prime candidate of a young cattlemen who contributes to the Angus breed locally and nationally. We were honored to have him represent the Angus Foundation,” said Jaclyn Boester, Angus Foundation executive director. “With the help of generous donors, we are able to support programs like YCC that provide opportunity for cattlemen to expand their industry knowledge and leadership.”
Applications to represent the Angus breed at the 2025 YCC will be due in January of the upcoming year. To learn more about this opportunity and the work of the Angus Foundation, visit www.AngusFoundation.org.
About the Angus Foundation
Established as a 501(c)(3) organization in 1980, the Angus Foundation remains focused on its mission to support Angus education, youth, and research. The organization has distributed more than $4.2 million in youth scholarships since 1998 and has also invested more than $1.3 million in beef cattle research in the past decade.
ANGUS MEANS BUSINESS. The American Angus Association® is the nation’s largest beef breed organization, serving nearly 22,000 members across the United States, Canada and several other countries. It’s home to an extensive breed registry that grows by more than 300,000 animals each year. The Association also provides programs and services to farmers, ranchers and others who rely on Angus to produce quality genetics for the beef industry and quality beef for consumers.
For more information about Angus cattle and the American Angus Association, visit www.angus.org.
