By KARI KRAMER | East Texas Edition

Annella Stanford, with her heifer at the recent Cass County livestock show, understands hectic schedules. She is involved in several organizations and serves as the state’s Shorthorn Queen. She is kicking off a new 4-H club that will cater to members’ time constraints. - Staff photo by Kramer

April 13, 2006 - Annella Stanford had her hands full at the March 25 Cass County Spring Livestock Show, but it’s a condition she’s gotten used to.

Annella, 17, has surrounded herself with agricultural activities. The Linden-Kildare senior is president of her FFA chapter, a new member of 4-H, a cattle raiser, and she’s the Texas Shorthorn Queen (she’ll represent the state in June at the national contest). If all of that weren’t enough, she’s currently in the process of kicking off a new 4-H beef project club in Cass County with her parents Danny and Melissa Stanford.

She said the idea for the club was developed out of necessity.

“A lot of kids around here are not able to be in FFA (because of sports or other commitments),” Annella said. “This 4-H club will be a county-wide project, so everyone can participate.”

The club, which is to be based “mostly on showing cattle,” will cater to the time constraints that many of today’s adolescents face.

“We’re going to try to schedule around everything,” explained Annella, who cited examples like sports and working as activities the club would try to schedule around. So far, she’s found a great interest in the project.

“The kids we’ve talked to so far seem to have a big interest to learn how to show,” she said.

The beef project club will be open to ages 8-19, and Annella said she hopes the first meeting will take place at the Atlanta Expo sometime in April. Once the club kicks off, the group will explore every aspect of showing cattle.

“If they really want to succeed with cattle, this is a good opportunity to learn,” said Annella. “We’re going to teach them everything they need to know.” The lessons will include topics like cattle nutrition, record keeping, and breed identification. Annella said it is important for all cattle showmen to learn these aspects of the cattle industry because cattle showing and cattle raising have now become a business, especially with the big dollars that are sometimes invested in show cattle.

And while Annella has chosen her favorite breed, the Shorthorn, she hopes the youth in the beef project club will learn to identify theirs and make an educated decision when buying show cattle.

Annella researched her cattle of choice for months before making her first big purchase. She settled on the Shorthorn breed (which she now owns and shows several of), but said she hopes the children in the beef project club will take the time to “learn about all the different breeds.”

At each meeting, Annella said the group will have an opportunity to work with their cattle, and learn something new. She hopes the club will meet twice a month, but at least once a month.

During the first meeting, Annella said the group plans to elect officers.

“That way we have some older leaders to teach the younger kids,” she said.

The younger kids are the focus of Annella’s efforts. She said she’s looking forward to introducing cattle and showing to a younger group. 

“Mostly being able to teach young kids and inspire young kids to get into the industry,” she explained. “I’d like to be a part of bringing that to some kids.”

In fact, Annella, who did not start showing until she was 13, believes in the mission of the club so much that she plans to help find cattle for children who don’t have any to show. She and her family are considering buying the cattle and letting other children work with and show the animals. So, even if a child does not already have a calf to work with, she encouraged them to come to the beef project club meetings.

And despite the fact that the intelligent showgirl (she’s in the top 10 percent of her class) will be attending Texas A&M University next fall tomajor in biomedical science, she said she plans on returning home at least twice a month to conduct beef project club meetings. She knows it won’t be easy, but said it’s more than possible.

“I don’t even know how I do it,” she said. “I’m always on the run, I just have to keep my priorities strait.”

For those interested in the new Cass County 4-H Beef Project Club, more information can be obtained by calling the Cass County Extension office in Linden at 903-756-5391.