Posted October 12, 2023
DENVER — With a foundation built from growing up on his family’s cow-calf, farming and feedyard operation, junior Red Angus member Mitchell VanderWal, from Howard, South Dakota, understands the advantages the breed offers to the purebred, commercial and feedlot industries. He was recently recognized as the 2023 Outstanding Junior Member for his contributions to the betterment of the Junior Red Angus Association throughout the past year.
VanderWal showed his first Red Angus female in 2015 and exhibited her at the North American Junior Red Angus Event in Grand Island, Nebraska. He continued showing Red Angus females each year after and began attending the JRA Round-Up events as well. He has served two terms on the JRA board of directors. During his junior career, VanderWal received the Top Hand Award, numerous high honors in speech competitions at county and state shows, and awards in Red Angus shows.
“While on the junior board, I did my best to be a smiling face that could get a laugh out of the more nervous Round-Up participants, and the guiding leader to push the driven individuals,” VanderWal said. “I found purpose in communicating with as many Red Angus enthusiasts as I could and building relationships.”
As the RAAA director of education and junior programs, Kim Heller, Ph.D., has had many opportunities to interact with VanderWal. “Mitchell VanderWal is certainly an individual who is excited about the beef industry and determining how to best craft his talents and interests into a career that makes an impact,” she said. “In the years I’ve worked with Mitchell, I’ve found him to be an excellent example of the type of young person that junior livestock programs strive to produce. His impact will be visible in the programs and individuals he’s interacted with for years to come.”
As a student at South Dakota State University, VanderWal is continuing his education in hopes of staying involved in seedstock production and industry marketing. He's aware of many trials in the cattle industry and considers the cattle cycle to be a key challenge.
"At school, the term is sometimes an answer to a question, a question to a question or just a topic to discuss in class," he said. “In my mind, the best way for a young cattleman like me to stay ahead of the cattle cycle is to learn. I can learn how to feed cows in a drought, to keep up on updated genetics, how to be competitive in a tough market and what the latest research and technology can do to prepare us for all the changes in the industry.”
For more information about the Red Angus Association of America or marketing programs for Red Angus-influenced cattle, visit RedAngus.org.
The Red Angus Association of America serves the beef industry by enhancing and promoting the measurable advantages of Red Angus and Red Angus-influenced cattle. The RAAA provides commercial producers with objectively described cattle by implementing new technologies and using scientifically sound principles that quantify traits of economic importance to beef producers in all segments of the beef industry. For more information, visit www.RedAngus.org.
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Photos
High-resolution photos are available at the following links:
Photo link
Suggested cutline: Mitchell VanderWal, Howard, South Dakota, was recognized as the Red Angus Outstanding Junior Member during the National Red Angus Convention Sept. 15.
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Posted October 9, 2023
DENVER — With a foundation built from growing up on his family’s cow-calf, farming and feedyard operation, junior Red Angus member Mitchell VanderWal, from Howard, South Dakota, understands the advantages the breed offers to the purebred, commercial and feedlot industries. He was recently recognized as the 2023 Outstanding Junior Member for his contributions to the betterment of the Junior Red Angus Association throughout the past year.
VanderWal showed his first Red Angus female in 2015 and exhibited her at the North American Junior Red Angus Event in Grand Island, Nebraska. He continued showing Red Angus females each year after and began attending the JRA Round-Up events as well. He has served two terms on the JRA board of directors. During his junior career, VanderWal received the Top Hand Award, numerous high honors in speech competitions at county and state shows, and awards in Red Angus shows.
“While on the junior board, I did my best to be a smiling face that could get a laugh out of the more nervous Round-Up participants, and the guiding leader to push the driven individuals,” VanderWal said. “I found purpose in communicating with as many Red Angus enthusiasts as I could and building relationships.”
As the RAAA director of education and junior programs, Kim Heller, Ph.D., has had many opportunities to interact with VanderWal. “Mitchell VanderWal is certainly an individual who is excited about the beef industry and determining how to best craft his talents and interests into a career that makes an impact,” she said. “In the years I’ve worked with Mitchell, I’ve found him to be an excellent example of the type of young person that junior livestock programs strive to produce. His impact will be visible in the programs and individuals he’s interacted with for years to come.”
As a student at South Dakota State University, VanderWal is continuing his education in hopes of staying involved in seedstock production and industry marketing. He's aware of many trials in the cattle industry and considers the cattle cycle to be a key challenge.
"At school, the term is sometimes an answer to a question, a question to a question or just a topic to discuss in class," he said. “In my mind, the best way for a young cattleman like me to stay ahead of the cattle cycle is to learn. I can learn how to feed cows in a drought, to keep up on updated genetics, how to be competitive in a tough market and what the latest research and technology can do to prepare us for all the changes in the industry.”
For more information about the Red Angus Association of America or marketing programs for Red Angus-influenced cattle, visit RedAngus.org.
The Red Angus Association of America serves the beef industry by enhancing and promoting the measurable advantages of Red Angus and Red Angus-influenced cattle. The RAAA provides commercial producers with objectively described cattle by implementing new technologies and using scientifically sound principles that quantify traits of economic importance to beef producers in all segments of the beef industry. For more information, visit www.RedAngus.org.
###
Photos
High-resolution photos are available at the following links:
Photo link
Suggested cutline: Mitchell VanderWal, Howard, South Dakota, was recognized as the Red Angus Outstanding Junior Member during the National Red Angus Convention Sept. 15.
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