Page 18 - MWC 8-25-2022s

The Midwest Cattleman · August 25, 2022 · P18
The AJSA Steer Profitability Competition enters another year of giving
FEEDING FOR THE FUTURE beef industry youth real-world cattle feeding experience.
by Lilly Platts, American Simmental Association

The Program ley Abell coordinates the in SPC are gaining a distinct outside their comfort zone to
The American Junior Sim- SPC program and says that advantage. “In a world that help make the next genera-
mental Association (AJSA) inclusivity is a hallmark of is getting faster, more knowl- tion of beef promoters.”
Steer Profitability Compe- the program. “The SPC has edgeable, and higher-tech
tition (SPC) gives youth in a notable factor built into every day, young people are The Experience
the beef industry real-world the contest that makes it also forced to have meaning- The SPC program is de-
exposure to cattle feeding. different from many other ful learning experiences less signed to get youth involved,
This kind of education is livestock activities: you do and less,” Abell says. “My own and its importance is evident
rare and valuable for youth, not have to have any special generation doesn’t feel the when talking to past and
and the program is focused space, skills, or experience to need to do or know things as current participants. The
on supporting the next gen- participate,” Abell explains. much because they can have Redalen, Ewing, and Blume
eration of beef producers. “A young person who has the answer to anything they families have all participat-
Youth can enter steers of interest in the industry can want right in their pocket. I ed for a number of years, and
any breed, which are fed at purchase an animal from a believe young people who ac- graciously offered their feed-
the University of Missouri breeder, get that animal to tually take on real-world ex- back on the program.
Beef Research and Teaching the drop-off point, and they periences are going to have a Dr. Abbie Redalen says
Farm. Using a GrowSafe sys- can be participating in a distinct advantage in knowl- that her daughter, Audrey,
tem and data collection, each very real way and learning edge and wisdom in the long has always been interested in
steer’s progress is tracked about producing beef, despite run.” the beef industry. The family
and shared with the partici- where they live or how much SPC participants come raises Simmental seedstock
pant. Steers are harvested in land they have.” from a range of backgrounds and even has a small feedy-
the spring, and the combined It can be difficult for youth and are varying ages, so ard, so it was important for
data is used to rank the prof- to get this real-world experi- making the educational por- Audrey to learn more about
itability and performance of ence and removing barriers tion accessible for everyone the feeding side of the cat-
the group. to this education is at the is important. Abell says that tle business. Redalen shares,
The 2022 class of SPC center of the SPC program. this coming year will feature “Audrey was very excited to
participants started in Octo- Abell says that while many exciting educational oppor- participate in the SPC pro-
ber of 2021, and the coming youth are falling away from tunities. “We have some fun gram and see what it was
year is set to be filled with in-depth, hands-on educa- things in the pipeline this all about. There was a tre-
learning opportunities. Bai- tional experiences, the youth year! We’ve been working on mendous amount of learning
some different topics that I that occurred through the
think the kids are going to SPC webinars, with topics
find both relatable and rele- covering nutrition, health,
vant for some of the industry genetics, feedlot economics,
shifts they are going to con- and carcass basics given by
tinue to see in their near fu- industry experts.”
ture. I don’t want to give away Audrey has participated
too much, but we are hoping in the SPC since its incep-
to dive into some trends in tion, and Redalen says she
both consumers and produc- has seen the program im-
ers. Additionally, there is one prove over those years. “As a
specific activity that, if ev- parent, I appreciate how the
erything allows this year, we SPC program has evolved to
will be pushing some juniors a point where all juniors, re-

The SPC teaches youth about cattle feeding and producing a quality product for the end
consumer.