Marcelo Wallau and Hannah Baker
What does it take to be a top rancher? That is what we are set up to find out! For the past five years, the University of Florida/IFAS Forage and Livestock Extension teams have been challenging the attendees of the Florida Cattlemen’s Annual Convention to test their knowledge in cattle production. The idea behind this effort is to spark interest in learning and engagement through competition. We put together a 15-question quiz with multiple topics relevant to beef cattle production in the state, from pasture management to economics, from environmental conservation to new reproductive technologies. In its fifth edition, the Top Rancher and Top Youth Rancher Challenges brought roughly 200 people to the UF/IFAS booth during the two days of the convention tradeshow. Contestants represented 5 other states and 34 counties in Florida. The counties with the greatest number of participants were Okeechobee (21 participants), Manatee (13), Polk (11) and Levy (11), Hillsborough (9), Hardee (8) and St. Lucie (8).
We had some great competition this year, with many contestants achieving high scores and several ties. The winner for the Top Rancher Challenge was Clay Whitehead of Bradford County with a score of 28/36. The scores of our top 10 winners ranged from 24/36 – 28/36. The Top Youth Rancher Challenge winner was Zachery McCallistar of Osceola County with a score of 29/37. The scores of our top 10 youth winners ranged from 22/37 – 29/37.
This year, the first-place winners walked away with new and customized belt buckles. The top 10 in the Top Rancher category won a customized portfolio, and the top 10 in the Top Youth Rancher category won a new duffle bag with a customized leather patch. All Top Rancher participants received a grazing stick and instruction guide on how to use it to help with their grazing management. Congratulations to our winners!
Our main goal is education, and we love discussing the questions afterwards. Contestants said that this year was challenging! And that is the goal, to challenge our knowledge and open opportunity for more learning. Below, you will find the link to the questions and answers from the quiz, along with a percentage of the right responses, and the explanation for each question. We hope that this can spark interest in learning, and contestants can use the opportunity to expand their knowledge.
We would love to hear from you about the contest! If you were a contestant and would like to give us feedback, please scan the QR code or click the link below which will take you to a short, 5-min survey. If you missed out, no worries – we will be back at the convention again next year, with a new challenge for you! If you have any feedback for us, please contact us at forages@ifas.ufl.edu.
https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cTOQUUQt2gJITCC
Top Rancher Answers for FCA Magazine
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