special feature
BY: CARTERMOMMSEN
erhaps one of the most interesting and underappreciated places at any livestock show is the staging area. For exhibitors, stepping into staging means butterflies and an excess of nervous energy. It is the final chance to fluff, shine, and perfect your animal before hitting the show ring. For parents, it is an opportunity to offer last second advice; keep her head up, make sure to leave yourself plenty of space, and for gosh sakes pay attention to where the judge is! What happens in staging is the same at every show across the country, but what makes it interesting is that each exhibitor has a unique story that has brought them to this point. These stories are as colorful as the spray cans littering the ground around their chutes and invoke emotions from elation to frustration. They are also the real stories of the livestock industry. Stories that are often distorted, fabricated, or just plain falsified by social media and the internet. It is these stories and the chance to tell them in a positive light that launched one group of Iowa high school students
into action. The CAC Media Group was founded in 2017 with a goal of increasing awareness about current agricultural issues and combating the negative portrayal often painted by those not directly involved in agriculture. “Having the chance to showcase other youth being successful in agriculture is one of my favorite parts about the program,” said high school junior Megan Clark. “I love hearing what other students are doing around their farms and the unique ways they find to innovate and solve problems.” The livestock industry is one area that the members of CAC are extremely passionate about. In fact, a large portion of the work they do revolves around animal agriculture. Each of them has grown up with a different species of livestock and they feel it is crucial in a time where it is easy to target producers, that they be a voice that represents the industry in a positive light. Telling the story of the livestock industry is something Clark is doing in a big way. She has been selected to give
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