National Cattlemen February 2026 | Page 13

Cattle producers, students and advocates were recognized as the“ Best of Beef” through a variety of awards and scholarship programs during CattleCon 2026, held Feb. 3-5, in Nashville. Beef Quality Assurance Awards The Beef Quality Assurance( BQA) Awards, sponsored by Cargill and Sam’ s Club, annually recognize outstanding beef and dairy producers, marketers and educators. Winners not only demonstrate high-quality animal care and handling principles as part of their day-to-day operations but also express a strong desire to continually improve their operations through BQA. The 2026 honorees include:

• Cow-Calf Award: East Foundation Ranches, LLC, Hebbronville, Texas

• Dairy FARM Award: Singing Brook Farms, Imler, Pennsylvania

• Feedyard Award: Ordway Cattle Feeders, Ordway, Colorado

• Marketer Award: Sysco Corporation, Houston, Texas

• Educator Award: Jerry Yates, West Virginia University, Wardensville, West Virginia

East Foundation Ranches, LLC

Sysco Corporation

Singing Brook Farms

Jerry Yates

Ordway Cattle Feeders

Greg Henderson Excellence in Agricultural Journalism Award

This award recognizes agricultural journalists who exemplify the values Greg Henderson championed throughout his career. Greg was known for his courage in addressing challenging industry issues, his unwavering commitment to fairness, accuracy, and honesty, and his advocacy for positive change in agriculture. He built deep personal connections to the agricultural community, earning the respect of farmers, ranchers, and fellow media professionals alike. This award celebrates those who embody these principles and carry forward his legacy of impactful journalism in service to agriculture.

The 2026 recipient, Burt Rutherford, is a freelance writer focused on sharing stories important to the beef industry. He is the former senior editor of BEEF magazine and has spent his career helping producers become better and more efficient at what they do through his effective writing. Rutherford is a Colorado native and graduate of Colorado State University. He has worked as communications director for the North American Limousin Foundation, editor of the Western Livestock Journal, and communications director for the Texas Cattle Feeders Association. Rutherford has also served as a board member and past president of the

Burt Rutherford Texas Outdoor Writers Association.

W. D. Farr Scholarships The W. D. Farr Scholarship, established in 2007, recognizes superior achievement in academics and leadership, and allows graduate students to further their study in fields that benefit the cattle and beef industry. Each $ 15,000 scholarship recognizes outstanding students who plan to pursue careers in furthering the beef industry. The 2025 recipients are:

• Shelley Curry of Kennard, Texas University of Nebraska-Lincoln

• Sydney Bowman-Schnug of Fort Lupton, Colorado Colorado State University

Sydney Bowman-Schnug

CME Group Beef Industry Scholarships

Ten students pursuing careers in the beef industry were awarded $ 1,500 scholarships by the National Cattlemen’ s Foundation. The CME Group Beef Industry Scholarship program recognizes talented and thoughtful students emerging as industry leaders. The 2026 recipients include:

• Grant Boyd | Iowa State University

• Shay Burian | College of Technical Agriculture

• Natalie Dietrich | Texas Tech University

• John Garcia | University of Nebraska-Lincoln

• Olivia Hadrick | South Dakota State University

• William Kemp | School to be determined

• Luke McCrea | Iowa State University

• Gavin Rhode | University of Missouri-Columbia

• Nathan Rippe | University of Nebraska-Lincoln

• Emma Whitlock | Kansas State University

William Kemp

Shelley Curry

John Garcia

Olivia Hadrick

Emma Whitlock

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