Fueling Passion: Summer Intern, Alyssa Groskopf, Shares What Makes Her "Beef Strong"
Greetings, everyone! I am thrilled to begin my summer with the Minnesota Beef Council and Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association, and look forward to all the memories and experiences yet to come. Following the “Beef Strong” theme, I figured the best way to introduce myself would be to share with you what fuels my passion each and every day.
I grew up in Hastings, Minnesota as the older of two sisters. At this point, most people would share their experiences from their cattle operations, but that’s not the case for me. I didn’t grow up on a farm, but rather fell in love with the livestock industry through the 4-H program, where I began showing cattle in 5th grade. From there, my sister and I expanded our reach by incorporating club lambs and pigs. I am so grateful to have had these experiences in agriculture, as it has given me the desire to be here today!
This spring, I graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor’s in Animal Science and Agricultural Communications and Marketing. My education has given me the skills necessary to be able to advocate for the agriculture industry – which isn’t difficult as it’s something that I am particularly proud to be a part of. In school, I was also involved in Gopher Dairy Club, Block and Bridle, Lambda Delta Phi Sorority, Minnesota Royal and the General Livestock Judging Team.
The graduating seniors of the Gopher Dairy Bar manager team with current senior manager, Lewis Mansfield.
The experiences which I have had in agriculture are
invaluable. Despite not growing up on a farm of our own, I was given the
opportunity to be immersed in the industry through 4-H which shaped me into who
I am today. I have strengthened my leadership and communication skills, and the
development I have made in my personal life is second to none. I owe my
grandma, aunts, uncles and parents for providing me with the means to fall in
love with livestock.
Finally, none of this would be possible without my family. My father, Kevin, was the one who got me on the lead of my first show steer in 4-H in 2007. My mom, Amy, and younger sister, Ashley, have been an incredible support system for me. They taught me to never give up on my goals, love others with every ounce of my being, and to always dream big, because you never know what you’re capable of until you try it.
I am very excited to meet the producers and consumers that
make the beef industry so strong. It’s truly an honor to get the opportunity to
serve the Minnesota Beef Council and Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association,
and I can’t wait to see what is in store!
Alyssa Groskopf
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