Irene chosen as Wyoming Beef Ambassador

Garrett Irene, a Rock River High School senior from Elk Mountain, has been selected as one of three Wyoming Beef Ambassadors for 2014.

Born and raised in Elk Mountain, Irene's passion for beef began before his membership into Elk Mountain's Best 4-H program. His training with 4-H, FFA and agriculture-based classes at school, in addition to working many years at the Bowen Ranch, groomed him to compete against college students and be chosen for one of three ambassador positions.

Irene said he is the only high school student out of the three to be serving as an ambassador.

"The top three out of the whole state get picked, and I was the only high school kid who ran," he said. "The other two are University of Wyoming students from Wheatland and Casper. I ran last year as a junior too, and I think you have to be from 17 to 21 years old to be able to run. I'd like to get the word more out there so more people will want to run."

Irene said he felt that his interviewing and public speaking skills helped get him picked to be an ambassador. As part of the interview process, he had to speak about the benefits that beef has on the environment.

"You have to apply and send them a resume, and then go up to Casper on certain dates they tell you," Irene said. "You get interviewed on certain questions and have to talk on a certain thing, and my talk was on 'Is Beef Bad for the Environment?" They give you a topic that you have to go off on, and I had to explain why beef wasn't bad. There's a whole bunch of questions and interviewing you have to do, and there's a test with questions and writing test you have to do."

Irene said he is already jumping into ambassador duties by traveling to different gatherings around the state, with hopes to educate people on the benefits of beef.

"I've gone to ag expos with other kids, and also went to Torrington and watched the Peterson Farm Brothers present," he said. "I went to University of Wyoming's Earth Day, and helped spread the word about beef. We cooked hamburgers and asked questions to college kids, and tried to get them to sign up for the collegiate college club. It felt amazing to be chosen as an ambassador, and I'm glad that I have the opportunity to do it."

For the future, Irene said he will travel to and educate at the Wyoming State Fair, Cheyenne Frontier Days, Laramie Jubilee Days and other gatherings around Wyoming.

"We'll explain beef to people who are not up to date with it, or who don't under," he said. "We'll answer questions they have about it and answer health questions. We'll go around and be advocates for the beef industry."

Throughout high school, Irene said he has done livestock judging, work for his school's mechanics team, steer showing at the Carbon County Fair and service as the vice president of his FFA chapter. He said he plans to stay engaged with the 4-H and FFA programs after he graduates from college.

Starting this upcoming fall semester, Irene is enrolled at Casper College and will begin work in the school's welding program.

"I'm going for a degree in welding and machinery, but I also want to study farm and ranch management," he said. "I'll also try to be on the livestock judging team. I'll stay as an ambassador until March 2015, which is around the time they try to get new people, but I'm going to try and run next year too. You're allowed to keep running until you're 21."