cattleman

An old saying holds that anyone, no matter what their background, can grow up to be President. They’re usually talking about President of the United States—and perhaps last year’s election is proof—but the saying also applies to the National Cattleman’s Beef Association. Consider Gary Voogt, of Marne, Mich. “My father was a factory worker—a tool and die worker,” reflects Voogt, who became head of the NCBA at this year’s annual convention in Phoenix. “My mother was in charge of the house. She never worked; she raised five kids.” And they didn’t live on a farm. It wasn’t until after Voogt graduated from Michigan Tech with a B.S. in Civil Engineering that he got involved in production agriculture, although he’d had some  exposure to farming.