ST. PAUL — A chilly fall weekend was the backdrop for the 2018 Minnesota Beef Expo. Held every October at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, the Minnesota Beef Expo brings cattle producers and youth livestock exhibitors together to celebrate and promote the beef industry. This four-day event was Oct. 18-21 and is the largest all-breed beef show in Minnesota and includes youth contests, cattle sales, a trade show, educational seminars and another 1,000 head junior show.
Participants came together from all over the Midwest. In 2018, more than 750 youth exhibitors competed in the weekend’s junior events. Plus, some of region’s best seedstock producers sold cattle and embryos at the Supreme Row sale during the weekend.
The Expo kicked off Thursday, Oct. 18 with a Youth Knowledge Bowl followed by the Sullivan Supply Stock Show University Fitting Seminar. Fitting experts taught youth how to clip and prepare their show cattle to an enthusiastic crowd. Following the seminar, Sullivan Supply hosted their annual fitting contest. Eleven teams competed for Champion fitting honors in the Sullivan Supply Fitting Contest.
On Thursday evening, over 400 people gathered for MYBEP’s Beef Industry Ideas & Insights Symposium. Kirbe Schnoor, host of RFD TV’s “Superior Sunrise” joined cattlepeople Matt Aggen, Lori Eberspacher and Don Schiefelbein on the panel, Goal Setting to Achieve Success in the Beef Industry. These panelists gave advice on starting in the industry and shared their own experiences. Later in the evening, beef industry leaders informed attendees in breakout sessions regarding Beef Quality Assurance, current sires offered through the A.I. market, genetic testing, show animal nutrition, improving your MYBEP application, and livestock photography. After the sessions, Schnoor gave a keynote address, Make Yourself a Seat at the Table, designed to motivate people to set goals and strive to meet them in order to prepare and make a place in agriculture, and to spread the word about agriculture in the future. To end the evening’s events, the Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association awarded one of the 11 MYBEP heifers to Jayden Carlson, Clements, Minn.
Friday’s schedule offered even more opportunities for youth exhibitors. The day started with a judging contest where 35 teams in three age categories competed for top prizes with a total of 258 participants. Friday’s youth activities ended with an exciting Junior Showmanship Contest that included over 400 contestants judged by Tim Louden, Creston, Iowa and Holly Rader of Teas, S.D.
The Minnesota Beef Expo Sale was held Saturday, Oct. 20. Additional events including three shows and the Supreme Row Selection. Supreme Row Champions took home $6,750 in prize money thanks to the following sponsors: Minnesota Farm Guide, AgriMedia Livestock Group, Purina Feed Animal Nutrition LLC, Rabo AgriFinance and Optimizer Calf Gel. 86 animals were sold in this year’s sale.
The Supreme Row Champion Female and highest seller was a Red Angus heifer, BJF Flo 8008F, consigned by Lee Bjorklund, Henning, Minn. She was purchased by Mike Henderson, Wiota, Iowa. for $8,250. Reserve Supreme Row Champion Female honors went to Jeff White Menomonie, Wisc. with his Hereford heifer, WR Miss Slam 801F. She was purchased by Matt Weber, Lake Benton Minn.
The Supreme Row Champion Steer was consigned by Mente Cattle Company, Adrian Minn., and was purchased by Kokett Farms, Albany, Minn. The Reserve Supreme Row Champion Steer consigned by Jerrod Novotny, New Prague, Minn., and was purchased by Todd Enger, Winnebago, Minn.
One of the most unique aspects of the Minnesota Beef Expo is the Minnesota Youth Beef Experience Program (MYBEP). Eleven heifers were presented to youth who went through an intensive application process. Each winner is responsible for raising, breeding and maintaining complete records on care of the animal, while providing monthly progress reports to the original owner and the Minnesota Beef Expo. The breeders who donated heifers will also serve as mentors to the respective winners.
The 2018 heifer recipients were:
Mykenzie Kutney from Cambridge, Minn., will receive the Angus heifer donated by Schiefelbein Farms, Kimball, Minn. and the Minnesota Angus Association.
Macy Rohner from Pennock, Minn., will receive the Charolais heifer donated by the Minnesota/Wisconsin Charolais Association and will be mentored by a member from the Charolais Association.
Brooke Dunsmore from Mora, Minn., will receive the Charolais heifer donated by Schoenfeld Stock Farm, Keith, Ava and Jillian Schoenfeld, Lakefield, Minn. of the Minnesota/Wisconsin Charolais Association.
Mollie Allen from Kasson, Minn., will receive the commercial heifer donated by Loerzel Family Farm, Rich & Denise and family, Richville, Minn.
Bertie Korpi from Cromwell, Minn., will receive the Hereford heifer donated by Lawrence Herefords, Bryan & Marytina Lawrence and family, Princeton, Minn. of the Minnesota Hereford Breeders.
Brooke Calteaux from Winona, Minn., will receive the Red Angus heifer donated by Compeer Financial and mentored by Steve Pomerenke of Compeer Financial.
Connor Johnson from Arlington, Minn., will receive the Simmental heifer donated by Hilbrands Simmental, Matt & Adrienne, Jazlynn and Jaxson Hilbrands, Holloway, Minn. of the Minnesota Simmental Association.
Magen Tol from Canby, Minn., will receive the Simmental heifer donated by Volz Farms, John & Rita Volz, Elmore, Minn. of the Minnesota Simmental Association.
Ethan Carlson from Clements, Minn., will receive the Shorthorn heifer donated by Nelson Family Shorthorns, Al & Crystal Nelson and family, Renville, Minn. of the Minnesota Shorthorn Association.
Alyssa Mitchell from Detroit Lakes, Minn., will receive the South Devon heifer donated by White Farms, Gary & Karen White and family, Wadena, Minn. of the Northern States South Devon Association.
Jayden Carlson from Clements, Minn., will receive the Symposium heifer sponsored by the Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association and be mentored by the Pesek Family of Tauton, Minn.
The MYBEP recipients from 2017 competed for the MYBEP Achievement Award. A belt buckle, sponsored by the Minnesota Beef Cattle Improvement Association, was presented to Grace Britton, Janesville, Minn. Britton was also the recipient of an embroidered chair from Sanctified Designs and a $750 scholarship sponsored by the Minnesota Farmers Union and the Minnesota Farmers Union Agency.
An impressive 1,000 head were sorted in Saturday and Sunday’s Junior Shows by John McCurry, Burrton, Kans. and Ryan Rathmann, Slaton, Texas. Supreme Champion Female honors and Reserve Supreme Champion Female honors went to Tucker Bayer, Ringle, Wisc. with his Angus heifer FCF Phyllis 770 and his Simmental, Stella 08E. Kole Lorentz, Woodville, Wisc. and Dalton Smith of Charter Oak, Iowa had the Champion and Reserve Champion Prospect Calves, respectively. Bella Langrehr, Hull, Iowa, exhibited the Supreme Champion Market Beef. Reagan Jansen, Hull, Iowa, showed the Reserve Supreme Market Beef.
The 2019 Minnesota Beef Expo will be held October 17-20 at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds.
— Minnesota Beef Expo
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