Johnson to Represent South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association at 2026 Young Cattlemen's Conference

  The South Dakota Cattlemen's Association (SDCA) is pleased to announce Trevor Johnson of Centerville, South Dakota as its representative for the 2026 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Young Cattlemen's Conference (YCC), taking place May 28 - June 4, 2026.

Johnson grew up near Centerville and returned home after earning a bachelor’s degree in agribusiness from Kansas State University. He works alongside his family at Sleepy Hollow Farm, a seedstock operation producing Hereford, Angus and Simmental cattle. The family hosts an annual bull sale that focuses on functional, well-balanced genetics that perform across diverse environments while continuing to advance genomic progress.

Johnson is a graduate of SDCA’s inaugural Cattlemen’s Leadership Academy (CLA) class, a program designed to build industry knowledge while strengthening leadership, communication, and critical thinking skills. His participation in CLA helped enhance his leadership abilities and prepared him to be a strong participant for national-level leadership development through YCC.

“Serving as South Dakota’s delegate for NCBA’s Young Cattlemen’s Conference is a great honor.” Said Johnson, “The conference is built around uniting all sectors of the beef supply chain, developing young leaders within the industry, and learning how we as producers and industry participants can impact the public policy that influences our businesses. Much of the core training involved with YCC reflects the same principles emphasized through SDCA’s Cattlemen’s Leadership Academy. I’m excited to build upon that state-level education and use it to better understand the nationwide scope of our industry. I believe young people in agriculture need to get involved and understand the issues that will shape our industry throughout our careers, and this program provides a tremendous opportunity to do that.”

Established in 1980, the Young Cattlemen’s Conference is the cattle industry’s premier leadership program, providing participants with an immersive look at the beef supply chain, extensive networking opportunities and hands-on grassroots advocacy experience, including meetings with elected officials in Washington, D.C.

The 2026 YCC will include stops in Colorado, Iowa/South Dakota, Ohio and Washington, D.C.