YOUNG STOCKMAN PROGRAM EXPLORES DIRECTTO-CONSUMER MARKETING

By Natalie Evans

The 2022 Young Stockman Program in Clarion, Iowa, brought together juniors with a love for both learning and cattle. Our short time together brought many laughs, educational opportunities and fellowship with other kids. Juniors got firsthand experience with multiple local producers who grow their own beef to sell directly to consumers, plus opportunities to develop and practice their advocacy skills. All in all, our site visits and presenters left the juniors with this important lesson: tell your story.

Knute and Amanda Severson shared their experiences in owning and operating Grandview Beef. Grandview is a grass-fed beef operation that sells their product directly to consumers through an online business, local pick-up and at farmer’s markets.

Knute and Amanda’s journey wasn’t easy. When they decided to market beef, they chose grain-finished because that was Knute’s background. As they ventured into the farmer’s market scene, they were continually faced with consumers wanting grass-fed. So, they did some research, pivoted and approached a steep learning curve to produce grass-fed beef of which they could be proud. They emphasized the importance of finding resources and people who you can depend upon to learn about the business. Amanda shared that instead of selling their products, they sell their story. They let consumers know the good, bad and the ugly of everything.

Shaye Koester, Casual Cattle

Conversations, kicked off the weekend with a memorable presentation on the importance of advocating for our industry. Allowing participants to engage in several activities, Shaye challenged us to think about how cattle help improve the environment, help us maintain a healthy diet, their importance in upcycling and so much more. Throughout the program, Shaye provided opportunities to build advocacy skills and then challenged the participants to practice them.

Natives of South Africa, Elmarie and Manie Nel moved to the United States to have access to more opportunities. Coming from a different country is hard, but the couple persevered and started their own, successful business — the Clarion Locker. So much hard work and dedication goes into meat processing and the Nel family clearly showed they truly love what they do through their commitment to their business and employees. They have the entrepreneurial spirit which enables them to continually grow their business. Recently, they launched a line of pet food and treats. Like the Severson family, Ashley Recknor, Purple Ribbon Beef, sells directly to consumers through online sales, farmer’s markets and even a vending machine! Ashley told us the story of Purple Ribbon Beef and allowed the juniors to see their old storefront while practicing with some marketing tactics. Participants created holiday gift baskets, packed meat bundles for shipping and created photos for social media posts.

Purple Ribbon Beef’s story shows juniors that teamwork truly makes the dreamwork and to always remember that your family will have your back.

Juniors, whether you joined us in November or not, always remember that every story is vital to the beef industry. Like all our speakers, take pride in your work, share it with the rest of the world, do what you love and make sure to enjoy the ride.

Thank you all for a successful Young Stockman Program, and we hope to see you at the next Young Stockman Program in Lincoln, Nebraska, Nov. 18-19! B&B