Who is ready to be “Live from Louisville” during the 2025 VitaFerm Junior National Hereford Expo (JNHE)? June is a busy month of event preparation for the National Junior Hereford Association (NJHA) as we get ready to learn, lead and achieve this summer. Whether you are practicing your showmanship skills for the Louisville stage or counting the days to Faces of Leadership, we can’t wait to spend our summer with you. It’s a busy time of year and we encourage you to follow along with the NJHA and the Hereford Youth Foundation of America (HYFA) on their social media channels.

The month of June and July are filled with dates and deadlines to keep top of mind this busy summer.

WELCOME INTERNS

Join us in welcoming the 2025 Youth Activities summer interns and JNHE Ambassadors.

Claire Norris, Eudora, Kan., and Kailyn Stokes, Marion, Ky., joined Team Hereford in May and have hit the ground running as they work with Hereford juniors and their families from across the country.

Jacey Bordwine, Lindsay, Okla., and Erynn Allison, Tifton, Ga., will have an all-access pass behind the stage as JNHE Ambassadors, assisting with the 2025 VitaFerm JNHE and we are excited to add them to the team in July.

GATEWAY TO LEADERSHIP

The NJHA’s annual Faces of Leadership Conference mission is to empower NJHA members with the skills they need to develop into the best leaders they can be. Through the Faces of Leadership Conference young leaders are exposed to opportunities in the industry and the conference cultivates communication skills, encourages working in team settings and focuses on individual development.

The 2025 Faces of Leadership will be held in Gray Summitt, Mo., July 30 – Aug. 2 at the Purina Animal Nutrition Conference Center. Juniors must cover the cost/planning of travel to and from the event. This conference is offered to junior members ages 14-21.

The earlybird registration deadline is June 15, and the final registration deadline is July 1.

Learn More

“LIVE FROM LOUISVILLE” ENTRIES ARE CLOSING

The VitaFerm® Junior National Hereford Expo (JNHE) provides an opportunity for competition of junior members and their cattle projects, along with plenty of events for the entire family. Schedules, contest rules and details for the 2025 JNHE can all be found at the JNHE Resources page. If you are looking for the dates for a state or regional show, or other dates and deadlines during the busy summer, make sure to look at the AHA digital calendar.

NJHA MEET-UP — POWERED BY SURE CHAMP®

Let’s get ready to Live It, Love It, Lead It! The NJHA Meet-Up – Powered by Sure Champ®, will be taking the place of the Pen-to-Pen program during the JNHE, and we’re excited to also be bringing this event beyond the JNHE and to different events throughout the year.

What is the NJHA Meet-Up? Combining the mission of Hereford Homeroom and Pen to Pen, the NJHA Meet-Up – Powered by Sure Champ ensures that juniors have the opportunity to build connections, collaborate with others across the country and develop lifelong skills. These events are generously made possible by our friends at Sure Champ®, and industry representatives from VitaFerm® will be joining in the fun.

The event made its debut during the NJHA Fed Steer Shootout Field Day, and will also be coming to the Maryland State Junior Hereford Show and the Southeast Regional Junior Hereford Show this spring, prior to it’s two-day culmination during the JNHE. The event will continue to make its rounds through the country with future plans of being held at the Western States Hereford Show in Reno and other locations. Get excited as we come together to Live It, Love It and Lead It, as a Hereford family.

CUTOFF FOR BLOCK RATE ENDS JUNE 10 – BOOK YOUR HOTEL ROOM NOW

Hotel rooms are still available at the block rate set aside through the JNHE at the newly remodeled Crown Plaza Louisville Airport, directly across the street from the grounds. In order to book with the group rate, you must use the link below.

DATES & DEADLINES

Junior National Hereford Expo Final Entry Deadline
June 1, 2025
Enter Today

Submittable Contests & Registrations Due on Submittable

CHB Cooking Challenge, Advanced Speech Contest, Future Professionals Contest, Illustrated Speech, Oral Reasons Contest and Photo Contest
June 1, 2025
Register Today

NJHA Board of Directors Application Deadline
June 1, 2025
Apply Today

Faces of Leadership Earlybird Entry Deadline
June 15, 2025
Registration Coming Soon

NJHA Meet Up – Powerd by Sure Champ®

Southeastern Regional Hereford Show, Fletcher, N.C.
June 21, 2025

Faces of Leadership Final Entry Deadline
July 1, 2025
Registration Coming Soon

“Live from Louisville” VitaFerm Junior National Hereford Expo
July 12-18, 2025
More Information

Faces of Leadership – Gateway to Leadership
July 30 – August 2, 2025
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