The 2025 Beef and Forage Youth Field Day empowered 34 youth and 13 adults from eight parishes to take meaningful steps toward gaining the skills, confidence and knowledge needed to lead in agriculture and beyond. Marketed to 4-H and FFA members in grades eight through 12, the event offered a dynamic blend of hands-on learning, career exploration and leadership development.

Participants rotated through four interactive sessions:

• Bovine reproduction — Led by Ashley Edwards, youth explored reproductive science and the process of pregnancy to calving, gaining insights into veterinary careers and livestock production.
• Hay loss mitigation — In a session taught by Will Wallace, students learned how to improve forage efficiency for sustainable farm management and gained an understanding of the large economic value of hay to the state.
• Animal identification and veterinary techniques — Tripp Morgan guided participants through real-world animal care practices, including ear tagging and tools of the trade, reinforcing the importance of animal welfare and biosecurity.
• Grilling hamburgers — Sponsored by the Louisiana Beef Industry Council, this rotation brought agriculture full circle by connecting beef production to the dinner plate through a grilling demonstration, nutrition education and food safety tips.

Throughout the day, youth practiced communication, teamwork and problem-solving while connecting classroom learning to real-world applications and future careers.

The idea of this event originated when Tripp Morgan, assistant extension agent for livestock and forages in the Northeast Region, received requests from youth wanting to attend the adult Beef and Forage Field Day.

“There were 4-H and FFA members interested in coming to the adult field day, but we didn’t have the capacity for that” Morgan said. “That is when I knew there was high interest in having a youth field day and I needed to make that happen.”

According to Hannah Craddock, assistant extension agent for 4-H youth development in Franklin Parish, the participants were highly engaged during the day.

“The ear tagging was a large learning curve for one of my 4-H’ers,” Craddock said. “The day encouraged this family to become more interested in learning about livestock and they have attended other livestock events since the field day.”

The Beef and Forage Youth Field Day provided a powerful platform for cultivating the next generation of agricultural leaders — young people who are Beyond Ready to shape the future. Plans for the 2026 event are already underway.

Tripp Morgan, assistant extension agent, discusses animal identification practices.

Food safety lessons are taught while participants wait for charcoal to be ready for grilling. Photos provided by Tripp Morgan