(Disclaimer: Views expressed below are not representative of the WCA. Solely reflective of the author.)

Another year rounded the corner and I found myself with another tally on my age card. This new found age came with an epiphany. I realized I am not getting any younger. I found myself like a deer-in-the-headlights, suddenly faced with a need to stop wasting years and hunker down to change a few things. My changes are not like the ones that will bring you to a gym for the first two months out of the New Year with the promise of finally sticking with it this time. Instead, I realized some very serious changes were in order. The government was not looking any smarter, the lottery hadn’t called my name, and to top it all off now I was getting old. The tipping point came when I passed by a mirror and instead of finding Obama or Pelosi, the only idiot I found staring back was ME! It was go-time.

Thanks to my newfound “hope and change” 2010 kicked off with gusto. January brought a call from the American National Cattlewomen President-elect wondering if I would oblige them as Legislative Committee Chair. With this new position I had less than three weeks to try and get myself down to the NCBA Annual Convention to meet the ANCW crew I would be working with this next year. My cattle industry trip-planning style hadn’t failed me thus far so in keeping with tradition, I gathered enough pennies and nickels for a plane ticket to San Antonio the day before I flew out! Thanks to the PNW YCC trip the weekend prior, University of Idaho students offered up a spare bunk in their room my first two days at convention. The latter part of the week I bunked with my friend Amanda, whom I met last spring on the Young Cattlemen’s Conference trip. At the end of convention we steered her rig down a back highway en route to Fort Worth so I could take in the Texas landscape. I had less than 24 hours to experience Fort Worth, but we knew from our YCC trip we could efficiently use every hour while I was there! My only trip to Texas had been as a stop-through on my way to Mexico for a church mission trip when I was fifteen. This trip to Texas gave me the opportunity to actually experience the culture and environment while learning invaluable information at the NCBA convention.

As a first-time attendee at the NCBA Convention, it felt similar to a first day at college. Over 6,000 NCBA members from across the US attended this year. Also in attendance was a majority of my 2009 Young Cattlemen’s College classmates! More...

There are two groups we get placed into based on how we approach life.  We either approach situations with "black & white" decisions or our decision making process is a little more blended; the resulting color is "gray".  What happens if our decisions are black & white sometimes and gray other times?  Does this mean we are lost or does it mean we created a "charcoal" group?

 Recently I've spent a lot of time doing that thinking thing again.  Reflection is something that can be very difficult to engage in.  I don't blame anyone that chooses not to reflect back on experiences in their life or conversations they have had.  It can be one of the most emotionally challenging experiences we may have.  That emotion business can be a dangerous territory to enter into!  For some reason I choose to attempt to reflect on my experiences.  I keep telling myself the big guy above must keep giving me experiences for a reason and I better listen if he's talking.  Recently this reflection has been centered on a man very dear to my life More...

My name is Jenna Feusner and I was raised in central Washington on a cattle and hay operation with some stocker and backgrounding thrown in the mix.  Growing up in the dry, arid climate of Central Washington leads to much reflection throughout the summer months’ endless changing of handline irrigation.  I think my passion for the cattle industry and agriculture was honed during those “character-building” days.  My passion is one that stems from my personal appreciation and excitement of what we have been given here on earth.  No two places in the United States are the same and the cattle industry is an amazing example of the stewardship of our land from coast to coast.  Our cattlemen are able to combine their passion and knowledge with the ability to adapt their ranches’ environmental needs no matter where they’re located.  These ranchers’ successful consistency of delivering safe & nutritious beef day in and day out is what renews my conviction in the industry.

After graduating from Washington State University in 2008 with a BS in Agriculture I went to work for Northwest Farm Credit, an agricultural lending company in the Pacific NW.  As a young professional I was concerned with maintaining my ties to ranching and cattle as I found myself spending more of my day looking at a computer screen rather than across an open pasture!  I have been involved with the Washington Cattlemen’s Association ever since and have never looked back.  I write a monthly column for their publication, The Ketch Pen, promote the WCA & industry thru radio shows, founded the Young Washington Cattlemen’s Association, and author the YWCA blog (www.youngwacattle.com).  I recently joined the board of Washington Ag in the Classroom and am excited about the joint relationship of growing agricultural advocacy and telling our story!

My work for the cattlemen of Washington is inspired by a very personal motivation.  I wanted to be able to share my father’s vision & knowledge with this next generation of cattlemen that never received the opportunity firsthand.  A man whose industry leadership was cut short due to his personal honor as a husband and father; helping his wife recover from a coma & brain injury, then later supporting his family as a rancher throughout his 5.5 year cancer battle.  That is my personal picture when someone asks what the United States Cattle Industry represents.  This industry is about faith, hard work, values, and resilience.  I hope to revive those same beliefs in cattlemen and consumers in Washington and across the country.  Armed with modern day business sense and tried and true values we will successfully lead the cattle industry forward for generations to come!  I am just one of many who have been influenced by the values and character of the cattle business and can’t wait to introduce the strong & solid faces of our industry to the world.