Agricultural News
Klair Hartzold Named 2016 Oklahoma Beef Ambassador
Mon, 13 Jun 2016 21:34:40 CDT
Klair Hartzold didn't grow up in the beef industry, but working on several cattle operations led this Oklahoma State University senior to love the livestock business. Hartzold was recently named the 2016 Oklahoma Beef Ambassador during the Oklahoma Junior Cattlemen's Preview Show in Chickasha. She is standing second from right in the photo.
The Illinois native was actually raised on a row crop farm. She began working on a family friend's Red Angus ranch four years ago and has since had two internships with other producers.
"Cattle have a lot more personality than corn and soybeans," Hartzold says with a laugh.
The Oklahoma Beef Ambassador contest was sponsored by AT&T and the Oklahoma Beef Council and was hosted by the Oklahoma CattleWomen, Inc. During the competition, contestants participated in a mock media interview and were asked how to best respond to consumers who are concerned about how cattle are raised.
"As producer, we're also consumers as well, so the beef that we are producing, we are also feeding to our family," Hartzold said. "So in order to producer something that we would want to have our family consume, it's going to have to be produced in a humane and intelligent manner."
A mock consumer promotion event was also part of the competition. Contestants were judged on their ability to perform in the field while educating consumers and positively representing the beef industry.
"As producers, everyday we need to be advocating," Hartzold says. "Whether it's through social media, utilizing local resources to help consumer see the practices that we're utilizing to produce beef and get it to their table."
As the senior division winner, Hartzold will work with the Oklahoma CattleWomen this year as they interact with consumers and promote beef across the state.
Two other titles were awarded during the contest. The junior division winner was Parker Terrell (standing second from left), of Prague, and the novice winner was Kaden Hartin (standing in the middle), of Stuart.
Click here to view more pictures from the contest.
Listen to Hartzold talk more about the importance of promoting the beef industry during the latest Beef Buzz.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
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