Junior Takeover — Murnin, Perrier on Fostering Connections, Advocating for the Industry

Most consumers aren’t out to get the ag industry, they just don’t understand us. That’s the message that Claire Murnin and Lyle Perrier shared during the Junior Takeover of this podcast. They are poised to help change that through both day-to-day interactions and more organized and strategic initiatives. Both of these National Junior Angus Association members are taking what they’ve learned in the organization to be ambassadors for our breed. Take a listen to learn about everything from their approach and the skills they’ve developed to fill that role to what question they hoped they drew in the extemporaneous speaking contest.

HOSTS: Mark McCully, Miranda Reiman, Avery Mather 

GUESTS: Claire Murnin, Pompeys Pillar, Mont., was born into a long tradition in the Angus breed and has now carved her own path. She has historically been involved in both the show ring and the contests, and has recently worked to expand her network beyond the Angus industry. A year and half ago, she started a social campaign called @365daysofagricluture where she posts about her daily journey of raising beef cattle.

Lyle Perrier, Eureka, Kan., is involved on his family’s Dalebanks Angus operation where he has seen first-hand the benefits of building connections to consumers. In addition to his cattle background, Lyle has also honed his livestock judging, extemporaneous speaking and salesmanship skills, among others, at several national contests over the years. 

CO-HOST: Born and raised in State Center, Iowa, Avery Mather is the daughter of Joe and Allison Mather. She comes from generations of Angus breeders and continues to exhibit and produce Angus cattle alongside her siblings, Carson and Keegan. Currently, Avery is studying agricultural business at Iowa State University. After graduation, she intends to stay within the agriculture industry, working with producers and the next generation of agriculture enthusiasts.

RELATED CONTENT:
@365daysofagriculture

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Transcript

Miranda Reiman (00:03):

Welcome to the Angus Conversation. I'm your host Miranda Reiman, with my co-host, Mark McCully, and guest co-host, Avery Mather. It's been fun to have you on this week, Avery.

Avery Mather (00:12):

Yes, this has been a great opportunity for me and for our juniors, and I've loved getting to know some of them a little bit better through this.

Mark McCully (00:19):

I think my job is threatened. You've done a fantastic job. I'm very highly likely I will get booted off this podcast for a new co-host. And you've done great. You've done awesome.

Avery Mather (00:31):

Thank you.

Miranda Reiman (00:30):

She was also great help in organizing. So you know, Mark …

Mark McCully (00:34):

Yeah, I see it coming.

Miranda Reiman (00:36):

This is the third and final episode in what we've dubbed our first ever Junior Takeover. So those of you who are maybe new listeners catching up on this podcast, you can go back and learn from some seasoned pros in the cattle business all the way up to some members that maybe look a little more like yourself. So feel free to check out those past episodes, and if you are a regular listener of the Angus Conversation, I hope we've given you just a little bit of a peek into what's going on with our juniors because there's some incredible stuff happening.

Mark McCully (01:08):

And what the future of our business is going to look like. And I know we talk all the time, probably one of the things, conversations, I get most into is the next generation. How do we transition to, and I think, man, the glimpse that we saw in these episodes have been, if that doesn't make you sleep really well at night, I don't know what will because they're just some fantastic young folks with some big aspirations and doing some great things.

Miranda Reiman (01:33):

So, I would say that this took place at the National Junior Angus Show, of course, but there's a lot more to the junior program than just the shows or even the contests. Avery, maybe first off, tell us what the juniors have been up to this week that we maybe haven't covered on the podcast and then what you're looking forward to throughout the year.

Avery Mather (01:50):

Yeah, we've had a busy week full of lots of things. We've talked a lot about the different contests and, obviously, we're sitting up here with a great view of the show that's kicked off with the bred and owned heifer show this morning and shows throughout the week. But there's also a lot of other activities that we've done. We have a family fun night coming up with an opportunity to have dinner with all your friends and …

Mark McCully (02:11):

No dunk tank this year, right?

Avery Mather (02:12):

No dunk tank. But there are some bouncy houses and a mentoring program. And last night we had our annual meeting where our candidates gave their speeches and did round tables. It was a great night to get to know other people and learned from our candidates and where they see our industry going if elected to the board and things like that. But beyond Junior Nationals, we have conferences throughout the year we’re really looking forward to. We're all going to get home, get our clothes washed, sleep in our bed for a few nights, and then head on down to Louisiana at the end of July for our LEAD conference. Super excited to see agriculture there, some different Angus operations, and then of course Raising the Bar in the spring, which locations will be announced later on this fall into winter. So be on the lookout for those.

Mark McCully (03:00):

And I got the real privilege last night of sitting in the back of the room and listening to the 13 candidates running for the National Junior Angus Association Board of Directors. And I heard 13 incredible young folks get up there. And it was so funny, I talked to a couple of the adult board members that were there and I was teasing them. I said, it's a good thing these guys aren't running against you in November. And they said, no kidding. And I'm glad we don't have to follow them. They were so good, so good.

Avery Mather (03:31):

They are. We've had six kids on this podcast that are incredible and 13 candidates last night that were incredible. And there's so many more of them back in the barns. And our junior program is top-notch in developing these kids to be great young humans and the future of the industry.

Miranda Reiman (03:48):

Amen. That's a great point that we had a much longer list of potential guests for this podcast than we could have on in just a few segments that we did from here and probably that many more that were just, we didn't know those juniors yet. So I mean …

Mark McCully (04:04):

Scheduling conflicts, so busy. So I think this might be a repeat. We haven't talked about what we're doing next time, but I think this has been a lot of fun.

Avery Mather (04:13):

And I know the juniors love being able to have more interaction with our adult board and be able to make those connections. And we talk in some of these podcasts about bridging that age gap, and I think this is just one of the ways that we're all working towards it.

Mark McCully (04:27):

Absolutely.

Miranda Reiman (04:28):

Well, we did promise the security guard that we would not be up here for longer than an hour. They tried to kick Mark McCulley out of the second floor of the ring here, so I suppose …

Mark McCully (04:38):

He was doing his job. We weren't supposed to be up here, but it's such a great view of the show. We had to shoot from up here and record from up here.

Miranda Reiman (04:45):

Absolutely. So looking forward to the rest of the week of the show. These will of course drop after we already know who's won all the things basically. But it's been a good week so far. And we know it's not really all about the awards and the banners, it's about the experiences we just talked about.

Mark McCully (05:02):

And this episode that we are closing with, I think really two young people, Lyle Perrier and Claire Murnin, are doing some incredible ambassador work for this bigger industry. So this was a really fun one to hear of what they're doing and what they aspire to do in the future. And I think it was some great insight for us of some of the ‘we all talk.’ There's not a conference I go to where cattlemen don't sit around and say, we got to tell our story. Well, these young folks are telling our story.

Avery Mather (05:36):

They definitely are in more ways than one and social media and getting it to all different types of generations.

Miranda Reiman (05:43):

They're not just talking about it, they're doing it.

So we're back here today. We are overlooking the show ring. We've got the …

Mark McCully (05:54):

The shows, the bred and owned show started this morning.

Miranda Reiman (05:56):

Yeah, it's kind of fun. We've been seeing all the contests going on and kids in the hallways and of course in the stalls, but it's fun to see some kids in the ring with some cattle in the ring.

Mark McCully (06:04):

The competition is heating up.

Miranda Reiman (06:06):

Exactly. So Avery, you want to tell us who we've got with us today?

Avery Mather (06:09):

Yes, we have Lyle Perrier from Kansas and Claire Murnin from Montana. Both very involved juniors, and I'm really excited to hear more what they have to say. Claire, do you want to tell us more about yourself?

Claire Murnin (06:20):

Well, my name is Claire Murnin and I'm from Pompeys Pillar, Montana. And I've grown up in the Angus breed for as long as I can remember. My dad was a regional manager way back when, and that kind of got me involved in the Angus Association and excited to start showing. And so when I was old enough to become a junior member, I got my first Angus show heifer. And from there the rest has really been history.

Mark McCully (6:47):

You were hooked.

Claire Murnin (06:48):

Yes, I was definitely hooked.

Miranda Reiman (06:49):

When she says dad was a regional manager way back when, he was a regional manager when I started. So you're starting to age me. I'm feeling a little old, Claire. And tell us about what you've got going on this week at the show.

Claire Murnin (07:01):

Yes, so I'm competing in a lot of different contests. I've been telling everyone I'm competing in everything except for beef science poster contests because I’m too old and Cookoff because I didn't really want to find a team or go try and cook steaks out in the rain. And other than that, I'm trying to just be as involved as I possibly can. And then me and my little brother Cooper, we have six head of cattle this week to show between the two of us. So it's definitely keeping me busy on top of friends and just trying to reunite with everyone.

Avery Mather (07:28):

She's another one that the list of what she's not doing is much shorter than the list of what she is doing.

Miranda Reiman (07:35):

So do you have to recruit Cooper to help with some of the, how do you do the contests and the cattle and all the things?

Claire Murnin (07:41):

So definitely my little brother, Cooper, has definitely been at the stalls and really being a good rock and kind of just sticking up with me. And then we have two other great gals that came and helped. One of my best friends forever, Brighton Lane, came to come help us. And then Jady Ledoux also came from South Dakota to come and jump in, and they've been major help and I'm very thankful for them because there's some days where it's hard to get heifers done, but they've just jumped right in and really have allowed me to get everything done in the day that needs to get done.

Mark McCully (08:16):

And I understand you even tried the auctioneering contest for the first time. So a budding auctioneer?

Claire Murnin (08:22):

No way.

Miranda Reiman (08:24):

No career aspirations?

Claire Murnin (08:26):

No career aspirations. I was told I was selling an art auction, so don't ask me to sell your cattle anytime soon.

Miranda Reiman (08:34):

Very good. And Lyle, why don't you give us, you're down there at Eureka, Kansas, at Dalebanks Angus. 

Lyle Perrier (08:41):

Yeah, like she said, my name's Lyle Perrier. I'm from Eureka, Kansas. My family owns and operates Dalebanks Angus and has done so for over a 100 years. And ironically, my dad was also a regional manager for a period of time.

Miranda Reiman (08:55):

Before my time.

Mark McCully (08:57):

Well, both of them were there while I've been at Angus. Yeah, I didn’t put that connection together. That's awesome.

Lyle Perrier (09:05):

And so I've been passionate about the Angus breed for as long as I can remember through my family's operation. But it wasn't until the last five years that I began getting heavily involved within the NJAA. And since then, I've just attended a lot of conferences. I've come to the Junior Show and competed in contests and showed cattle, and these opportunities have shaped me a lot over the last few years for sure.

Mark McCully (09:31):

So what are you all competing in this year?

Lyle Perrier (09:34):

Yeah, so I am doing extemporaneous speaking today as well as team sales. And then we've got a quiz bowl team and I'll do the skill-a-thon contest as well.

Miranda Reiman (09:44):

And what’s your favorite and why?

Lyle Perrier (09:46):

I like the team sales contest a lot just because it's something I spend a lot of my free time doing that type of research about cattle and so it gives me and my peers the opportunity to showcase that.

Miranda Reiman (10:01):

And as I understand it, you've not slept in your own bed for a while, you came straight here from …

Lyle Perrier (10:07):

Yeah, I have, and it's been about two weeks or so since I've been home. I had the opportunity to go to Scotland and Ireland on a livestock judging trip with my FFA livestock judging team. And it was a really cool opportunity. We got to see both scenery and cool stuff within the countries as well as a lot of different -- a couple Angus farms and some dairies and stuff like that to give us a good understanding of agriculture in that part of Europe.

Miranda Reiman (10:37):

And the livestock looked different there?

Lyle Perrier (10:39):

They did. They were big, they were heavy muscled, and they were shallow and maybe not quite as attractive or feminine. The females weren't as they are here.

Mark McCully (10:50):

Different grading system in Europe and definitely changes the type of cattle that they select for sure. Very much. Even their photography is different, right, because they're trying to highlight just some very different attributes.

Lyle Perrier (11:02):

For sure.

Miranda Reiman (11:03):

Another thing I know that you both have in common is you've been pretty active in FFA and 4-H, and I guess how well does that experience marry with your NJAA experience or what makes them the same? What makes them different?

Lyle Perrier (11:17):

Yeah, I can start off, I've obviously been involved in 4-H since I was able to at age seven. And I feel that that kind of set the foundation for where I am today and got me off to a good start with public speaking, building relationships and leadership. And then I always say I kind of graduated into FFA once I was a freshman, and it kind of took over my involvement in that realm. And, so within FFA, I've grown a deep passion for public speaking competitions as well as what we call CDEs, career development events, that are livestock judging, meats judging, vet science, those sorts of contests help give you so much content, understanding about the industry. So yeah, I myself, I credit a lot of what I know and the people I've met to my FFA and 4-H experiences.

Claire Murnin (12:09):

Yes, I would definitely agree with that, and I feel my county agent put it best, but she said that 4-H is kind of where you get all your first bad and nervous speeches out of the way. And I feel like that's kind of the same when you're a really young junior, when you're in that junior age division from eight to 13, you're kind of figuring out how you like to public speak and how you like to do what you are doing. And then you kind of get into those older age divisions of Junior Angus and then into FFA and you're kind of harnessing those skills and just trying to better them. And I definitely feel like there's a lot of similarities in contests and even what you're doing and the people that you meet. I know I have had many Angus friends approach me at National FFA Convention. There's a lot of crossover and it's really fun because you can do really well in both.

Miranda Reiman (12:58):

I think that's actually where we first met. We were on a street in Indianapolis and a quick hello to Angus friends at National FFA. Right?

Mark McCully (13:08):

So how do you guys prepare coming in for all these contests, skill-a-thons, and what's the preparation? You've just been running around in Ireland and Scotland, right?

Miranda Reiman (13:18):

Actually the one that's next is the only one they don't have to prepare for because they'll both be at extemporaneous speaking at less than an hour. But the preparation for everything else is fairly extensive.

Lyle Perrier (13:30):

Yeah, the preparation is important and, in all actuality, talking more about 4-H and FFA, I think that those give you a good foundation to build your understanding and then kind of hone that into more of a breed focus rather than an ag industry focus. I've done a lot of competitions through both of those, and they've certainly helped set me up to succeed within the NJAA as well.

Claire Murnin (13:54):

I would 100 percent agree, definitely public speaking. I know my prepared public speech was the same one that I gave at FFA, just tried to shorten it up. I know that it was pushing it in FFA and almost pushing it at Junior Nationals here for time. But then …

Mark McCully (14:10):

What was your topic for prepared?

Claire Murnin (14:11):

My topic was the different ways that beef is produced and kind of how they're all safe and making consumers more aware of that.

Mark McCully (14:18):

Awesome.

Miranda Reiman (14:19):

That's something we struggle with actually a lot is we have different brand extensions with Certified Angus Beef and trying to make sure that consumers realize that they have choices, but that all the choices are safe.

Mark McCully (14:31):

Safe choices, wholesome choices, just some of them are just preference of things that they find as important.

Claire Murnin (14:38):

Yes, sir. That's definitely something that I've dove really deep in lately and just kind of learned about through my FFA speech, but then really focusing, too, as I got ready for Junior Nationals on stuff like CAB and how there is a lot of cross over from an entire beef industry perspective, but also just for the Angus breed as well.

Avery Mather (14:59):

I really want Claire to talk more about her social media endeavor is maybe the right word to use. I think it's really cool and I think she should share more about it.

Claire Murnin (15:10):

Yes, I have my own social media advocacy campaign called 365 Days of Agriculture, and it really kind of started because of extemporaneous speaking. I was preparing for National FFA and I got a topic on the use of social media and agriculture, and it just kind of got the wheels turning and kind of got me thinking of what I could do. And for some reason the idea of posting daily about agriculture just kind of popped in my mind and I kind of stuck with it. And then in 2023, I started up and did an entire 365 days, and now I'm over halfway through the year in my second year of doing it. And it's definitely allowed me to learn a lot about the entire agriculture industry and fight for the industry that I believe so heavily in, and really be able to advocate for those farmers and ranchers that need a voice sometimes and need people to be aware of some of these facts that they might not be aware of.

Mark McCully (16:08):

So Claire, maybe give some examples of things you would put out on one of the 365 days.

Claire Murnin (16:13):

Well, it definitely depends. So my first year I was very fact-based. I tried to really provide facts to consumers. But as I've jumped into the second year, I've definitely focused a little bit more on daily life kind of sorts of things because I wanted to show off more of what I'm doing in the agriculture industry and what others are doing around me as well. And so it’s kind of varied and sometimes I go through spurts where I really like to post this kind of content. And then other parts of the year, I really like to post fact-based. And so it really just kind of depends, but just trying to make consumers more aware of the agriculture industry.

Avery Mather (16:54):

Have you had any opportunities to directly have an educational opportunity? Educate, I guess I'm going to say.

Claire Murnin (17:02):

I've had a few definitely, especially through social media I am kind of venturing into that. I know I went to Washington Leadership Conference through FFA and they create this what's called living to serve plan, which is where you're trying to find some sort of service that you can participate in. And I'm kind of trying to figure out how to get the wheels kind of turning and start kind of a little bit more in-person education because that's something that's not only needed in Montana, but across the entire United States.

Avery Mather (17:35):

Do you have a lot of followers or people that are not within the agriculture industry that have really benefited from your Instagram?

Mark McCully (17:45):

Or challenged you or pushed back?

Claire Murnin (17:47):

So, I definitely do have some followers that don't really know a lot about agriculture. I've grown up in a very agriculture-rich part of America, but I've seen in school that a lot of my friends at my high school really don't know what I'm doing. They know, oh yeah, there's corn fields right down the road. There's cattle in that pasture, but they don't know what that really means. And so even just for my school friends, they've been able to learn a lot, but then I even hear random people come up and say that they shared the accounts with someone and that it really helped them to learn a little bit more about what they're doing in their life and have a friend connect with them a little bit better. So I've definitely found that there's a lot of people from all different walks of life that have liked to follow along and I appreciate it.

Avery Mather (18:33):

So, for our juniors out there, be sure to go like and follow her Instagram 365 Days of Agriculture. And then it also gives your juniors an opportunity to share with their friends the content that you post and things like that.

Miranda Reiman (18:47):

Lyle, I saw you shaking your head, nodding too, when Claire said, even my friends in my school.

Mark McCully (18:54):

Everybody knows about agriculture in Kansas, right?

Lyle Perrier (18:57):

Yeah, not quite. I go to a small school in eastern Kansas that my graduating class this year had about 40 kids in it. And while agriculture is definitely the leading industry in our county nowadays, the majority of my class still, their understanding of agriculture is very limited. And so you have to, it's sometimes shocking to people that in a small community, rural setting, they wouldn't understand it as well as you would think, but it's our job to educate those individuals and be open to them. My favorite thing is just when students within our school are willing to learn about FFA or 4-H and just like I'm willing to learn about their sports teams. And so those conversations are important and they spark a little interest in those individuals. So then hopefully they'll continue to learn, learn more about agriculture.

Miranda Reiman (19:59):

What do you guys find to be some of your biggest challenges when you're trying to bridge that gap? Kind of talk about your interest in the beef industry and Angus.

Claire Murnin (20:10):

I think that that's a very tough question. I think one of the toughest parts about it is just a busy schedule, if that makes sense. Of course, cattle take up a lot of my life, and sometimes people don't really get that. And so that's definitely hard because, of course, you want to try and advocate and be able to have those conversations, but it's hard to find time sometimes. And so that's where I found that social media is really great because you can pre-plan your posts out or you can try and figure out ways to connect with others no matter what you're doing or where you're at.

Lyle Perrier (20:45):

Yeah, I would add on to that. I think that the most challenging part of that process is just sparking an interest and sparking a reason to care. And those people, and while like Claire said, they might see the corn fields and the cattle every single day, but you've got to somehow have that conversation that influences them to want to know more. And so I think once you've done that, they become interested in what you're doing and why you're doing it. But I think the most challenging part is just getting it rolling.

Mark McCully (21:15):

Yeah, I got to judge the CAB Cookoff contest. Miranda, you did too.

Miranda Reiman (21:20)

I did.

Mark McCully (21:21)

We're still full from that, but it was so much fun. And one of the questions I asked every age group was if you had a friend at school that says they stopped eating beef because farmers and ranchers were cruel to their animals and we were hurting the environment, I said, how would you respond?

Miranda Reiman (21:39):

And you said I was the tough judge.

Mark McCully (21:40):

My favorite was this little guy. He goes, well, that's dumb. And I said, well, okay, that's probably not how to start, but he goes, I just invite him out to my place. And it's like, exactly, right? And, so whether we can practically do that every day or share what you guys are doing in conversations or on social media, I mean, to me that's the key.

Miranda Reiman (21:58):

And you do that quite a bit at your place, Lyle. I mean, you've had groups come through.

Lyle Perrier (22:03):

Yeah, we've had the opportunity to have a wide range of groups, both people directly related to the agricultural industry or beef industry, but also a lot of others. My family used to do a tour we called a Day at the Ranch, and it was my family along with another, that we had a group of urban individuals from Wichita, Kansas, come out on a busload and we just showed them a day on the ranch. We would work a group of cattle, we'd burn a pasture, they'd see farming equipment. And that was really unique because they got to eat beef throughout the day. And I really think that those people generally came back year after year, and they really, I think they gained a lot of understanding. So those sorts of things are important coupled with social media because you can't do that for the large population.

Miranda Reiman (22:52):

A Day at the Ranch every single day, it'd get to be a little much.

Lyle Perrier (22:55):

Yeah, it would, it would.

Mark McCully (22:58):

Have to get some ranch work done eventually.

Lyle Perrier (22:59):

Yeah, exactly.

Miranda Reiman (22:59):

And I guess I've always found when I was with Certified Angus Beef, that was probably my most direct connection to people outside of my normal circle. Or we'd have retail meat buyers at a ranch day like that or things. And I learned so much from them about what they did in New York City, in Chicago, in Dallas, that I came away thinking, I guess I don't know it all either when it comes to this beef industry. So, I bet you've had experiences where you've learned from them too.

Mark McCully (23:31):

Do you remember an exchange or an interaction that was especially surprising what they didn't know or maybe what they thought or what they wanted to challenge you on?

Avery Mather (23:42):

While they think about it, I'm going to answer this, Mark. I had an experience, and this is very simple, and I'm sure a lot of people have had similar situations, but I was walking my heifer out of the wash rack on a 100-degree Iowa State Fair Day. And she was just being a little bit stubborn, walking out wasn't a big deal. And the lady came up to me and was like, she doesn't want to do that. And I was like, oh, I didn't know what to do at first. I just couldn't believe, why would you think that a cow wouldn't want a cold bath on a 100-degree day? And it was just an opportunity to educate and what we do and how the show world influences what we do in the production world. And it was an opportunity like that, but it just baffled my mind. I'm like, well, I want a cold bath on a 100-degree day.

Miranda Reiman (24:27):

Did you ask her if she had kids?

Avery Mather (24:31):

That probably would've been a good question.

Miranda Reiman (24:34):

They’re just like kids. They get stubborn sometimes too.

Avery Mather (24:36):

But these guys might have some stories for us too.

Miranda Reiman (24:40):

Neither one of you are. That's impressive. Mark's like, I've got 18. Do you want to share one, Mark?

Mark McCully (24:45):

Well, one I remember, it always pops into my mind. We were actually in Kansas at another Angus outfit and we were, I think it was a group of food service distributors, and we were in a pen of bulls or maybe replacement heifers, but someone asked, are these natural? So of course I went straight to the, normally what we talk about is natural, the antibiotics and non-implanted. And I went into the whole spiel and they stopped me and they're like, no, were they bred naturally or artificially inseminated? It's like, whoa, I never one, I never got that question before or after, but I always think of that one as just a reminder of sometimes we need to ask a couple more questions before we start answering the question that we think they're asking. Right, because I was talking nanograms of estrogen and things they did not care about. They just wanted to know did the bull breed them or did that artificial insemination thing you just did. So yeah, make sure we understand the question. 

Lyle Perrier (25:43):

I think that's a good point. Like Miranda said, it's important to learn from them first, and there is a lot to be learned from them. And so I guess I don't have a specific example, but that's something I try to do is learn where they're coming from and why they're coming from that place of interest and then try to go forward with the conversation and educate them.

Claire Murnin (26:05):

I think for me personally, kind of like Lyle, there's no specific crazy story by any stretch of the imagination, but I always think about my county fair, and there's just so many people from in town that kind of know what's happening, and they know that there's cows and pigs and lambs and goats all over, but they really just don't quite get it. And they're bringing these strollers all around and zipping through the cattle and I think, can I pet your cow? And stuff like that. And I just always try to think in the mindset of where they're coming from and try to answer the question of the best of my abilities. I mean, sometimes, I might not completely understand where they're coming from or even have to say no to can I pet your cow because they’re about to go in the ring. But try our best to explain why we're doing what we're doing and how it is helpful to the cattle.

Mark McCully: (26:56)

That's a great approach.

Miranda Reiman (26:58):

You guys both come from families that are kind of steeped in this tradition of being ambassadors for the breed and for the industry. So you've seen a lot of people do it well, but what are some things that you think people like me and Mark's generation could learn from your generation? What do you think that you're either doing better or that we don't understand? Yeah. Are there things that you think we could be doing better?

Lyle Perrier (27:26):

Yeah, I think firstly …

Miranda Reiman (27:29):

No examples of the unique interactions. I've been thinking about this.

Lyle Perrier (27:35):

So I think that it's just, and you all are all getting a better grasp on this, but we've talked about it a lot already. I think it's just the disconnect at first is hard to understand. And so I think that our generation is doing and will continue to do a better job of finding those people where they're at and understanding that they truly don't understand what we're doing and just finding a way to bring them through that. Because, like people always talk about, the average individual is three or four generations removed from the family farm, and so they don't go home to their grandparents' farm for Christmas anymore. And so they're not getting that at least once a year interaction with agriculture. They're not getting any. So it's important that we find a way to interact with them ourselves. And I think that our generation is passionate about that like I’ve never seen in another generation in ag. So I think that's the biggest thing for sure.

Claire Murnin (28:35):

I definitely agree with that. My mom put it best the other day. We were kind of discussing about this and my social media and everything, and she said that there has to be someone who's willing to fight for the agriculture industry and just take that step because, if not, we're not going to have an agriculture industry. There needs to be someone to defend it. And I feel like that's definitely, I've seen a lot more young people want to take that role, whether it's just that they're going to be a producer and stick up for what they are trying to produce, or even wanting to do something like lobby on Capitol Hill. I feel like there's a lot of young people who are definitely taking that role seriously and trying to definitely fight for our agriculture industry.

Lyle Perrier (29:15):

I see it. I'm going into my freshman year at Kansas State, and the number of individuals that I talked to that are going into ag communication or even ag law, I feel like is more than I would've ever expected, and I think more than there have been. And so those people are going to begin coming out of college in the next year or two and a large amount of numbers. And I think it's important that we just find the specialized roles for them to find full-time positions doing those things.

Mark McCully (29:44):

You guys say it so well, and I think I would answer that question. You're making connections, right? You're going out to the root cause. Why are you asking that question? Meeting 'em where they are? I think the mistake I continually see -- I hope we're getting better as an industry -- it tends to be that we just need to educate the consumer. We'll speak at you. And what I'm sure that consumer hears is sit down, shut up, and I'm going to tell you why you're wrong and that we got to change that approach. And you guys get that. And I think that we can learn a lot of meeting folks where they're at, understanding their question, and realize it's not that they're uneducated or anti our industry. Most times it's just, to your point, they don't have grandpa or grandma that they visited on Christmas. So there's nobody, there's no person that they can relate. There's no personal relationship or no context. So kudos, you guys get it, and we will try to keep learning from you. So, thank you.

Miranda Reiman (30:43):

I know that when I was growing up, probably, it was the start of social media, and one thing that hindered me from wanting to share more about my ag journey was like, I don't know it all. I don't know enough to be that person yet. And I feel like you guys, one, know a heck of a lot more than I did at your age but, two, probably feel less constricted by that. But I guess one way that I'm thinking of that you guys are prepared to be an advocate is the involvement. I mean, you just listed all those contests. You probably know a lot of stuff just because of your involvement and maybe stuff that you wouldn't have learned. You've learned a lot firsthand, but then you've got this additional, kind of broader industry scope, because you've been involved with programs like FFA and NJAA.

Claire Murnin (31:28):

Sure. Yes, I would definitely agree with that, Miranda. And I feel that we definitely have learned a lot through that, but I understand where you're coming from, where it is very scary because you don't know it all. And for me, posting on social media so young, I know that probably some adults are thinking, why is this girl doing this? And she doesn't know what she's talking about. But I try to research as much as I can and learn more about the agriculture industry because, at the end of the day, if I can just try and find a trustworthy source, hopefully I can use my knowledge that I have and back it up with a little bit of evidence and try my best to go ahead and advocate for agriculture.

Miranda Reiman (32:10):

Absolutely. Now, Lyle, you have been, I'm going to kind of switch a little bit here, but one tool that we have developed at the American Angus Association as a project funded by the Angus Foundation to kind of help in that growing industry knowledge among our junior members would be the Beef Academy that launched here at the show. And you've been a tester of that program. So maybe talk about what that could do for juniors that are maybe thinking they need some of that base knowledge.

Lyle Perrier (32:38):

Yeah, for sure. I did get the opportunity to go through that program in its early stages before it was released. And it's an interesting program, and it's unique because I think it does a good job of doing an overview of the industry in a way that builds connection and relation personally because it gives ties to regions and to demographics. And, so people feel more connected to that because of where they're at. And so I think for junior members, it's a program that can offer a lot of good, in terms of gaining a better industry-wide scope. Sometimes we get caught in our daily grind of rinsing cattle and going to school and those things, but it does a good job of just giving a good 30,000-foot view of the industry and how it goes from one step to the other. And so I think it's something that with continued additions and improvements, I think it's a program that can certainly have value to our junior members.

Mark McCully (33:40):

Yeah, we're super excited about it. I think Beef Academy is something that has been, honestly, the idea came from past junior boards that this was a, what about an online learning platform? I think one of the things we talk a lot about, we're here at the National Junior Angus Show, and I think we have a great opportunity to touch the young folks that are here and are participating specifically in the show ring, but obviously all the contests and things. But we have a lot of other junior members, and we have a lot of youth outside our junior membership reach. And so what is a way that we could possibly reach those folks in a really practical and valuable way? And this Beef Academy was an idea that had been out there candidly. It was kind of short of some funding to bring it to life.

Miranda Reiman (34:29): 

It was a big lift.

Mark McCully (34:25):

And the Ingram Foundation, Ingram Angus out of Tennessee, in a meeting one time said what's the thing you guys want to do that you don't have funding for? And this idea was floated out and it struck a chord with them and an alignment with what they were interested in supporting. And it's been in development and are excited to launch it here with three different categories to it or curriculum pieces. It's got a beef industry segments, genetics, and then a meat science beef emphasis for three different age groups. So, we're super excited about it and may be opportunities to get it in some ag classrooms. That's why we're calling it Beef Academy and, hopefully, some ag classrooms will find this a valuable resource they can plug into and expand the reach of and get this education in the hands of other ambassadors.

Lyle Perrier (35:14):

And Mark, I'd add on in what you were talking about there about pushing this out to other people. When I went into the meeting with them about feedback on the program, that was the first question I asked was who's your target audience? And so I think that I appreciate that it's not just geared towards junior members. I think that it can, and it's designed in a way that can serve value to, like you said, ag classrooms and even potentially people that aren't even tied to agriculture heavily. I think that it might be a little in depth at stages, but portions of it can be valuable to anyone to help build that understanding.

Miranda Reiman (35:54):

And we talk about all the time that the Angus breed, Angus goes as the way the industry goes. I think we kind of feel a need to have some of that that's not just Angus education, but general beef industry education and support.

Avery Mather (36:09):

Yeah, you are both great ambassadors for our industry. What advice do you have for other junior members as they look to also be ambassadors like yourselves?

Claire Murnin (36:20):

Get involved, definitely. I have found that the more that I do, well, yes, I'm exhausted already and we're only four days into the week or something crazy like that. But the more that you're involved, the more that you will be able to gain out of these experiences and just really look back and enjoy your time. I know this week I've thoroughly enjoyed all the contests that I've participated in, getting to have conversations with my friends, and even at things like Raising the Bar and LEAD that I've attended. I know that the more that I've put myself out there, the more that I have gained out of those experiences. And that would definitely be my biggest piece of advice.

Lyle Perrier (37:01):

Truthfully, Claire and I's advice would probably be nearly identical. I would just add on, like she said, be involved in these things and find what you're passionate about within the association from a young age, and then find a way to dive deeper, whether it's public speaking and you find ways to compete at the state and national level, or livestock judging or any of the contests.

Miranda Reiman (37:25):

Or all of the contests, any or all of the contests.

Lyle Perrier (37:28):

Like Claire and I might try to do sometimes. But yeah, just get involved and stay involved. I think oftentimes we're passionate about the contest at a young age, but by the time we're hitting the senior age range, it's like we're going to bring our cattle, we're going to see our friends, and that's about it. So it's important to continue to be involved because that sets a good example for the younger members.

Miranda Reiman (37:50):

Excellent. So before, I know you guys got to get to the speech contest, so won’t hold it up. We've got an eighth of their competitors or something right here, but tell us what your future in the industry looks like. What’s your planning to do and where we'll see Lyle and Claire in 10 years?

Lyle Perrier (38:08):

Yeah, I can start with that. Next fall, I'm going to begin attending Kansas State University and working towards a degree in animal science. And I don't know exactly where that's going to take me. Originally, I’d like to enter a career field within agriculture and, hopefully, the beef industry but I don't know exactly what that'll look like. And then my end goal is to return to my family's operation in eastern Kansas and kind of begin taking that over after some time within the industry.

Mark McCully (34:39):

Get dad out of the way.

Lyle Perrier (38:40)

Exactly. Yeah.

Claire Murnin (38:43):

So, that's a really great question and one that I've had on my mind a lot as of late. I'm entering my senior year of high school, so it's definitely been a large question. I think in the next year I'm going to run for a state FFA office for Montana. I'm very passionate about being involved in FFA, so I'm going to give that a go. And if I receive the opportunity to lead Montana FFA, I will have to take a gap year just because I don't really want to go to school in state and I would like to dedicate myself to Montana FFA. And, if I don't get a state office or even after my year is over, I plan to go to school out of state and kind of adventure a little bit. I always have my entire life to come back to Montana, I say, so I'm going to go adventure during college and hopefully try to obtain a degree in agriculture business on a pre-law track, so that way I could go to law school to hopefully be an agricultural lobbyist one day.

Miranda Reiman (39:38):

Speaking of those additional ag law and ag comm students, there's another one. Well, we look forward to having you guys. You're already contributing at a high level to the breed.

Mark McCully (39:50):

Absolutely. Absolutely.

Miranda Reiman (39:51):

But I am glad to hear that your future aspirations include agriculture. Have I given you guys the chance to ask all the questions you wanted before I get to the random question of the week?

 Avery Mather (40:01):

Let's hear what Miranda's got up her sleeve today.

Miranda Reiman (40:04):

So random question of the week, I want to know what is the best or the worst you can pick type of question to get in an extemp round. What one are you hoping to get today?

Claire Murnin (40:16):

My favorite ones are probably like social media and agriculture, and I would probably say my least favorite ones are anything like plants. I don't know a thing about plants, don't ask me about plants.

Lyle Perrier (40:29):

Yeah, my favorite question would be anything with technology and advancements within agriculture, whether it's technology within breeding or even a wide scope of farming and agriculture technology. I love those topics and sometimes I tend to go over time on those topics. My least favorite, in-depth food science questions aren't my type. I enjoy meats judging, but the world production of food is not necessarily something I'm super interested in. So that would be my least favorite.

Miranda Reiman (41:08):

So you guys are just crossing your fingers hoping for a good draw. Now you get two or three topics and then narrow it down?

Lyle Perrier (41:14):

Three. 

Miranda Reiman (41:14):

Three, and then you need to pick. So, I'd say you got a good shot at getting one that you like.

Claire Murnin (41:19):

Hopefully.

Miranda Reiman (41:21):

Well, good luck in all of your competitions the rest of the week. And again, thank you for your time and letting us just pick your brain a little bit on this advocacy thing that I think you guys have done so well at. 

Mark McCully (41:32):

Just thank you for what you're doing. I mean, on behalf of our industry, candidly, you guys are doing a fantastic job. Your message, your authenticity and your perspective, don't ever for a second diminish the importance and the value of it. It's significant. And as an industry, we thank you guys for it. And definitely, thank you for joining us here this morning and sharing a little piece of your incredibly busy week with us. And I'm sure it'll be inspirational to some folks listening to this that want to say, you know what? I think I can do that too. I think I can get out there and put myself out there and make a difference. And so, thank you for doing that.

Lyle Perrier (42:09):

Thank you all for having us.

Claire Murnin (42:11):

Thank you.

Miranda Reiman (42:13):

I knew it before, but this week really put the exclamation point on the fact that Angus youth are among some of the best and the brightest in the industry. We really enjoyed bringing you a sampling of just a handful of those kids from across the United States who are set to make a big impact on the beef business long-term. If you've been inspired by any of these stories, we'd invite you to participate in the Angus Foundation's Fund the Future Campaign. The campaign gives you, the breeder, a unique and flexible opportunity to give back from your own production sale, consignment sale, full sale, or an online genetic event. A donation lot in your sale will help provide unrestricted dollars needed to underwrite programs like youth leadership conferences and the educational programming we covered here. For more information about the Fund the Future Campaign, visit angus.org. Find the Angus Foundation page, or feel free to call our offices and we'll get you directed in the right place. We hope you've enjoyed this first ever Junior Takeover. We'll be back from our publishing break in mid-August and, until then, you can go back and catch up on past episodes you may have missed on your favorite podcast platform. Until next time, this has been The Angus Conversation, an Angus Journal podcast.