Welcome Young Cattle Raisers!

The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) Young Leadership Series (YLS) aids in the development of new TSCRA leaders. Designed for interested individuals from 19 to 40 years of age, YLS engages and educates young people on current industry issues. It provides hands-on experience through direct contact with elected officials and media. YLS participants serve as TSCRA’s quick-response team on hot issues. Our next leaders will emerge from the YLS program. We are proud to provide a social and professional network for young people on and off of the ranch.

Members and friends of TSCRA age 40 and younger are encouraged to register for the Young Leadership Series Leadership Workshop, held yearly. Attendees will hear from TSCRA directors and have ample time to network with peers and the association officers. All are welcome. Watch for more information on our next leadership workshop coming soon.

Young Leadership Series: Legislative Conference
Join the TSCRA Young Leadership Series! This great opportunity will immerse you in the legislative process by updating you on issues TSCRA is working on and giving you the opportunity to visit legislators on behalf of TSCRA and your ranch! This is a fluid event that can change based on what issues are being worked on that day. It will be an educational and busy two days! Watch for dates of our next event.

With the beef industry changing so rapidly, identifying and educating leaders to help guide and strengthen the industry has never been so important.

TSCRA partners with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) to see that leadership development for both organizations is successful. That is why TSCRA is committed to sending delegates each year to NCBA’s Young Cattlemen’s Conference (YCC).

The YCC tour has proven to be an effective vehicle in identifying and developing potential leaders. More than 950 cattle producers have graduated from the YCC program since its inception in 1980. Many of these alumni participate in committees and councils, and serve on boards of directors.

Several presidents and officers of NCBA and predecessor organizations have also participated in YCC. This program has become the cornerstone of leadership training in the beef cattle industry.

Each year, TSCRA sends representatives on the YCC trip. Representatives are chosen by an application and interview process. Applications are available on Jan. 31 and due on March 1 of each year.

Applications can be mailed to 1301 West 7th Street, Suite 201, Fort Worth, TX 76102 or emailed to gharris@tscra.org.

For more information, contact Gabby Harris 817-916-1783.

Click Here for a description of YCC.

Click here to download or read application instructions.

Click here to download an application.

Texas Agricultural Lifetime Leadership

“Preparing men and women in agriculture for leadership responsibilities.”

Texas Agricultural Lifetime Leadership (TALL) is a competitive agricultural leadership development program that includes seminars with experts, on-site tours, meetings with business and government leaders, international study and personal skills improvement.

It is funded by dedicated individuals and institutions through private gifts and grants.

Participants pay tuition and Texas AgriLife Extension provides administrative support.

The TALL program is designed for men and women in the early stages of their leadership careers.

Each class consists of at least 25 participants from every sector of agriculture and all parts of Texas.

For more information, contact:
Leadership program director
7607 Eastmark Drive, Suite 101A
College Station, TX 77840-4027

979-845-1554 or fax 979-862-2218
Or visit their website.
Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Program

The overall objective of the Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Program (OALP) is to further develop future leaders for Oklahoma agriculture.

The program objectives are:

1. To assist potential leaders to develop a deeper understanding of themselves and of people. This includes personal and group study, and interaction, improving skills in communications, and developing a commitment to future leadership roles in Oklahoma agriculture.
2. To help potential leaders develop a better understanding of the various systems of economics and government.
3. To help program participants increase and utilize their own knowledge and skills in order to solve problems, and to explore opportunities for Oklahoma agriculture.

OALP is open to Oklahoma men and women, 25 to 45 years of age, who are engaged in production agriculture or a related agriculture business. They must show a strong commitment to aspire to a leadership role to benefit Oklahoma agriculture.

The Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Program consists of a series of seminars and study tours over a two-year period.

For more information, contact:
Edmond Bonjour, director
Oklahoma State University
Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Program
321 Wes Watkins Center
Stillwater, OK 74078-8096

405-744-5132
405-744-8134

Beef checkoff-funded “MBA” program launched to prepare producers for speaking opportunities.

It doesn’t require you to pass the SAT, ACT or even the LSAT to earn this MBA, but beef producers will benefit just the same. It’s the MBA—the Masters of Beef Advocacy Program—launching this fall by the beef checkoff program. The newly designed MBA program is an e-learning opportunity developed to assist producers across the country in becoming effective spokespersons for the industry.

The program consists of six, one-hour core courses—beef safety, beef nutrition, animal care, environmental stewardship, modern beef production and the beef checkoff.

The complete program consists of a reading exercise, followed by a short “your story in your own words” essay assignment, and concludes with an open-book quiz. At the end of the MBA program, producers are given a homework assignment to complete one of three exercises—with media, online or public speaking.

The program won’t stop there. MBA alumni will be encouraged to conduct team outreach on issues management topics. Producers who complete the program will be added to a weekly e-newsletter that gets them further involved through action items. They may be asked to submit voluntarily an online response to a blog post or write a letter to the editor, just to name two examples. Continuing education rewards are granted on an ongoing basis when producers log follow-up activities.

Producers wanting more information should contact Daren Williams, 303-850-3346, or contact their state beef council.