Cattle Calling

Taylor Dixon grew up with an appreciation for agriculture, but her passion and decision to dedicate her career to the industry came when she joined the Kuna FFA Chapter in high school. She tried showing pigs and goats, but when she started working with cattle she was hooked.

“I wanted to be an equine vet but that changed pretty quick after I started to work with cattle,” she said. “Working with cattle, it’s a lot of hard work but it’s exciting and very rewarding.”

Dixon’s FFA advisor encouraged her to continue her education in animal sciences at the University of Idaho. She will graduate with a degree in animal and veterinary sciences: production option in May 2024 and embark on her career as a feedlot trainee with Five Rivers Cattle Feeding at their Interstate Feedlot in Malta.

Discovering Feedlots

When Dixon first arrived at U of I she wasn’t sure exactly what she wanted to do, only that it involved cattle. She heard about the Steer-a-Year (SAY) program that allows student employees to gain real-world experience working with cattle managing the SAY feedlot and she decided to apply. That same semester she took a beef feedlot systems class from Associate Professor Michael Colle and suddenly the future was clear.

“With me not having a traditional ag background, Steer-a-Year hiring me really gave me a chance to actually work with cattle, so I think that’s where my initial knowledge comes from, being able to be there and make mistakes and learn,” she said. “But it was originally Dr. Colle’s feedlot class that pointed me to where I wanted to go. So, I always recommend that class.”

Dixon eventually moved up to student manager for the SAY program, teaching other students how to feed and manage cattle. She was asked to step into an even larger role during fall 2023 when a staff vacancy meant there was no one to oversee the program and the delivery of steers to the feedlot. Dixon and fellow student manager Mitchell Hansen took the reins, travelling across Idaho to collect steers that had been donated.

“You’d think 65 head of cattle wouldn’t be that hard to scrounge up. It was a lot of work on top of school, but it’s been worth it,” she said. “It was really cool to meet with the donors. There is a great community around Steer-a-Year.”

Dixon secured a summer internship with Five Rivers after her sophomore year to gain experience working on a larger feedlot.

“I loved it so much I went back for winter break and helped where I could,” she said. “Then they asked me to come back the summer of 2023.”

The company offered Dixon a full-time position as a feedlot trainee after her second internship. In this role she will spend time in the cattle, feed, mill and yard departments learning even more about the company. Eventually she’ll be placed in a position that best suits her skills.

“As long as I’m working with cattle and in the industry, that’s where I want to be,” she said. “You learn a lot from the people that have been there and been around cattle a lot. But I’m also willing to go to other departments and learn. I just want to have a widespread knowledge of the cattle industry.”

The hands-on experiences Dixon gained at U of I have helped her grow and given her direction.

“Freshman me and senior me are two completely different people,” she said. “I’ve developed new skills here and heightened certain skills. People took a chance on that non-traditional ag background and let me come in and learn new things. I’ve grown a lot here.”