Cale Hinrichsen of Westmoreland, Kansas, was selected as 2019 Angus Ambassador during the recent Angus Convention in Columbus, Ohio. Currently studying agricultural business and marketing at Oklahoma State University, Hinrichsen will represent the nearly 25,000 Angus breeders as he travels around the country, advocates for the breed and educates producers and consumers.
“Being selected was definitely a wonderful experience,” Hinrichsen said. “It was a shock and a humbling experience. And, it makes me realize how blessed I am to have the people around me who have helped me get to this point.”
Sponsored by the Angus Foundation, the National Junior Angus Association Ambassador Program was created to provide educational opportunities for juniors who want to become a better advocate for not only the breed, but also for the livestock and agriculture industries as well. It is designed to recognize one outstanding junior Angus member who will support the Angus breed and the consumption of Angus beef on a national and international level.
“The NJAA Angus Ambassador program is very important to encourage juniors to advocate on behalf of the Angus breed and cattle industry,” said Jaclyn Upperman, Association director of events and education. “The competition was steep again this year, and we continue to have many great applicants who believe in advancing the breed.”
The applicants send in their cover letter and resume and answer two industry-based questions in the application process. The top five were then invited to the Angus Convention to compete in the second part of the contest. The contestants went through an interview with the same panel of judges and created a presentation about an Angus-related subject of their choice. Hinrichsen’s topic was beef cattle traceability.
A fourth-generation agriculturalist who attended his first sale at just two weeks old and received an Association membership at birth, Hinrichsen has been involved in the industry from the beginning and wants to continue learning from others in the industry through this position.
“I’d like to learn from the leaders ahead of me, and with that, I can take it back to my university and home operation,” Hinrichsen said. “It can help me be a leader people will choose to follow. As Ambassador, I’ll be getting an education myself, but I’d also like to educate others, too.”
For more information about the NJAA, Angus Ambassador program or Angus Foundation, visit www.angus.org.