Western Canadian youth were in the Foothills for the OH Ranch Branded Beef Youth Ambassador Program kick-off on Saturday, Oct. 19.
The only program of its kind in Canada, the OH Ranch Branded Beef Youth Ambassador Program prepares the next generation of leaders in the agriculture industry by bringing together 12 youth between the ages of 14 and 18 to gain firsthand experience in the beef industry through raising their own cattle for auction.
To that end, the youth ambassadors were coached on steer nutrition, care and judging by industry leaders, such as Calgary Stampede CEO Joel Cowley, before picking out their own steer calf at OH Ranch, near Longview.
It's each ambassador's job to care for and raise their calf ahead of the 2025 Calgary Stampede Junior Steer Classic in July, at which the steer will be shown and sold in a designated “OH Ranch Branded Beef” class.
After the auction, which will take place through the the International Livestock Auctioneer Championship competition, ambassadors will receive 80 per cent of the proceeds from the sale of their steer.
The ambassadors will receive an honorarium to help cover feed costs for their steer project and will participate in more beef industry educational sessions with industry leaders throughout the year.
All but one of this year's 12 participants are from across Alberta, with one ambassador hailing from Maple Creek, Sask.
Claresholm's Kilee Lange, 16, brings a decade of cattle-showing experience to the youth ambassador program.
"I've worked so hard, and this just feels really rewarding," said Lange, who has also been involved with 4-H since 2016.
This year marks the second iteration of the OH Ranch Branded Beef Youth Ambassador Program, which was launched in fall 2023.
Learn more about the program on the Calgary Stampede website.