Speakers announced for annual Hemphill County beef cattle conference

The lineup of speakers for the annual Hemphill County Texas A&M AgriLife Beef Conference — and a new name — have been announced by Andy Holloway, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agent for Hemphill County.

Moving forward, the event will be the Capital Farm Credit Hemphill County Texas A&M AgriLife Beef Cattle Conference. This conference, themed “Growing Roots,” is set for April 26-27 in the Jones Pavilion, 1101 N. Sixth St., Canadian.

“We have a powerful lineup of speakers from across the nation who will address critical and important issues facing beef cattle producers,” Holloway said.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will headline the event on April 26. Educational and inspirational speakers are on the agenda for April 27, with Keni Thomas of Florida as the keynote.

Pompeo served as the 70th secretary of state from 2018-2021 and the director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 2017-2018. He was elected to four terms in Congress, representing Kansas’ 4th District.

“Secretary Pompeo will bring his unique experience to our beef cattle conference, presenting the geopolitical prospective that concerns beef cattle producers and that will be important and critical for the beef cattle industry,” Holloway said. “Secretary Pompeo is a member of the world’s political stage, and his vision and perspective will be very interesting and useful for all stakeholders.”

Thomas, an inspirational speaker and country music singer, is best known as a bestselling author, Emmy-winning producer and regular guest on major news networks as a military analyst.

In 1993, Thomas was deployed to Mogadishu, Somalia, with the 3rd Ranger Battalion as part of an elite special operations package called Task Force Ranger. On Oct. 3, they were engaged in an 18-hour firefight that would later be recounted in the book and movie “Black Hawk Down.” Thomas was also the military adviser for the Mel Gibson movie “We Were Soldiers.”

“Keni Thomas is an incredible American patriot who will inspire and motivate our audience of ranchers and citizens to be mindful of the leadership opportunities a small group of people can have on the world we live in today,” Holloway said. “Mr. Thomas will make us proud to be Americans and inspired to lead others in our own sphere of influence.”

Holloway said the conference will offer a wide range of courses designed to improve beef cattle operations.

“The 2022 Capital Farm Credit Texas A&M AgriLife Beef Cattle Conference will have many tools of innovation, especially regarding beef cattle marketing and profitability that should compel all producers to be present,” Holloway said.

Presentations will include:

• Beef cattle markets.
• Sustainability.
• Texas Beef Check-Off impact on beef cattle producers.
• How to market your calves or yearlings for more net profit.
• Selecting bulls on indexes and the Grow Safe Development System.
• How to increase stocking rates and improve the range.
• Beef Quality Assurance program.

The conference also will include 75 trade show vendors, three beef meals, 10 presentations, a VIP reception for Pompeo and a live cattle demonstration.

Registration will start on Jan. 5. For more information, contact Holloway at 806-323-9114 or andy.holloway@ag.tamu.edu.