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Impact Report

For plan Profitable Livestock Production (Santa Fe County)
Date November 4, 2011, 6:46 pm
For Objective Long-term Show long-term objectives
Impact Report Beef Industry Improvement Initiative The Santa Fe County Agent continues to be involved with the steering committee of the Beef Industry Improvement-New Mexico (BII-NM) initiative since the fall of 2009. The committee is comprised of individuals from the Cooperative Extension Service, NM Beef Council, NM Cattle Growers Association, ranchers, La Montanita Food Coop, Farm to Table, NM Department of Agriculture and the NM Economic Development Department and meets on a somewhat regular basis. The committee continues to meet on a regular basis to brainstorm on issues that are hindering the beef industry in New Mexico and possible way that the industry can help itself address these issues. New Mexico Youth Ranch Management Camp The Agent along Extension Beef Cattle Specialist and other Extension faculty planned and conducted the first ever New Mexico Youth Ranch Management Camp at the Valles Caldera. While some of the steering committee members had already been thinking about doing this type of initiative, this was also a recommendation that had come forth from the Beef Industry Improvement initiative. Twenty-nine youth from throughout the state of New Mexico learning about herd health management, beef fabrication, beef in the global economy, nutrition, advanced technologies in breeding programs, low stress handling of cattle, range management, plant identification, public land policy, ranch horse demonstration, principles of wildlife management, wildlife damage management, understanding productions costs and parameter of cow/calf production, optimizing ranch resources for profitability, adding value to your calf crop, and direct sales of beef to the consumer. Furthermore, all of the participants were divided into groups and were assigned a particular are of the Valles Caldera as a hypothetical ranch. Each group had to develop a ranch management and as a group present it to a panel of judges comprised of ranch managers at the end of the week. All of the youth without hesitation worked on their respective plans every night and did an impressive job in their presentations. The winning team members received a jacket. The second place team members received a pocket knife with 2011 NMYRM Camp printed on the sides of them Each day the steering committee selected and recognized a participant with a “Top Hand” buckle for showing enthusiasm and expressing interest in the day’s activities. On the final day, seven additional youth were recognized with a pocket knife as being “honorable mention” Top Hand award recipients. . On the final day of the camp the mother of one of the youth thanked several of the committee member individually saying, “Thank you for accepting my son in to the camp. He hadn’t smiled like this in a long time.” One of the participants indicated, “It would be an honor to be able to go back home and eventually be the manager of the family ranch”. Another participant said, “ I really didn’t want to be here but my parents are the ones who made me come. At one time I thought I wanted to have a career in wildlife, but after coming to this camp I’m ready to go back to the ranch and become more involved.” One of the instructors from Texas who happened to be a ranch manager and was present all week was impressed with the caliber of youth participating in the camp. He wrote down a list of four or five names which he would share with some other ranch managers in Texas to offer these individuals an internship opportunity. The steering committee raised over $18,000 to be able to offer this event.