Cattle producers are the original stewards of land and livestock and are constantly striving to improve their operations through education and professional development. To help reduce the financial burden of attending conventions and meetings, the National Cattlemen’s Foundation and Cargill created the Rancher Resilience Grant, which is administered by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. The grant reimburses producers for registration fees and other expenses at specific educational events, including Cattlemen’s College during the 2023 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show in New Orleans.
“Our industry continually explores technologies and production practices to support more efficient operations that focus on profitability and consistent high-quality beef,” said NCBA Senior Executive Director of Producer Education Josh White. “It’s exciting to see industry partners come together through a shared commitment to promote the long-term economic wellbeing of farmers and ranchers across the beef value chain while also improving our product and our care for livestock and natural resources.”
Since the program began in 2020, the Rancher Resilience Grant has provided financial support and educational opportunities for hundreds of producers to attend events across the country. Past participating events include Cattlemen’s College, the Beef Improvement Federation Symposium, the National Grazing Lands Coalition Conference, Stockmanship and Stewardship regional events, King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management events, and many more.
The educational events supported by the Rancher Resilience Grant are in place to provide practical tools to help cattle producers manage market shifts, mitigate financial risks, manage natural resources and withstand extreme weather events. Past grant recipients say they not only found the content of the events to be educational, but they also took away action items to implement back home.
“Attending the convention and Cattlemen’s College gave me new ideas on how to improve and grow my operation,” one grant recipient shared about his experience. “Since returning home I have revised my grazing plan, with the hope to not only improve forage quality but also extend our grazing period.”
Producers can apply for the grant to attend the 2023 Cattlemen’s College and, if selected, will receive a reimbursement of $1,097 to offset expenses. For more information and to apply, visit www.ncba.org/producers/rancher-resilience-grant.
