3 minute read
New Mexico Youth Beef Feeder Contest Moves to 2nd Phase
The New Mexico Youth Beef Feeder contest is to teach youth about commercial beef production. Youth are learning how to raise beef from start to finish, while also developing leadership skills and advocating for the beef industry. The contest is designed to align with the New Mexico beef industry, with a focus on how producers manage the economic choices of beef production.
The primary goal of the Youth Beef Feeder contest is to enhance the educational value of the traditional 4-H and FFA beef projects by providing an affordable option that rewards production merit and carcass value of the market animal, along with accurate and complete record keeping, industry knowledge, and public engagement by the participant. This commercial beef project places an emphasis on the economic strategies to feed and develop livestock for markets, with a focus on feed costs, average daily gains, feed conversions, and management strategies. The contest also includes leadership and public engagement opportunities such as a speech, informational poster, and promotional video.
The intended impact of the program is to increase access to and diversity in the traditional 4-H and FFA beef project. Participants are expected to substantially increase their knowledge about the beef industry and develop important life skills. The program will allow for an assessment of the expense involved in this alternative beef project format and a comparison of what the economic savings are. Lastly, the program collects carcass data that can be returned to participating producers to help inform breeding programs.
This program amplifies extension and outreach by providing youth an alternative option for getting involved in a beef production contest. The contest has allowed collaboration between numerous NMSU departments to create a variety of connections with stakeholders.
This is the first year of this contest. This year, 20 participants from 12 different New Mexico counties signed up. Survey results report that 96 percent learned a new fact about animal health, 99 percent learned new record keeping skills, and 88 percent are more confident in public speaking.
Participants just finished the first phase of the contest. The participants dropped their calves off at the NMSU Tucumcari Research Center on Saturday, March 19 to track their individual calf’s performance using the GrowSafe technology. The calves will be in the feedlot until September.
At drop off, the participants processed their cattle by giving them vaccinations and ear tags. The kids turned in a record book using Excel and gave a speech relating to the beef industry.
The results from the first phase of the contest: Ї Economic Performance Champion-
Gavin Morrow Ї Animal Performance Champion-
Talynn Wood Ї High Point Record Book Champions-
Talynn Wood and Kyle Wood Ї Senior Speech Champion-
Gavin Morrow Ї Junior Speech Champion-
Kierra Neudorf Ї 5th place overall high point individual ($500 NMSU ACES Scholarship)-
Kiera Neudorf Ї 4th place overall high point individual ($500 NMSU ACES
Scholarship)- Kyle Wood Ї 3rd place overall high point individual ($500 NMSU ACES Scholarship)-
Trippton Angell Ї Reserve high point individual ($2,000
NMSU ACES Scholarship -
Gavin Morrow Ї Champion high point individual ($3,000 NMSU ACES Scholarship -
Talynn Wood
This new livestock project is been collaboratively undertaken by New Mexico State University (NMSU) Department of Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business, NMSU Department of Animal and Range Sciences, NMSU Cooperative Extension Service, NMSU Agricultural Science Center at Tucumcari. ▫ (top) Scholarships to NMSU College of ACES were awarded to the high point individuals. Grand Champion - Talynn Wood, Reserve Champion - Gavin Morrow (not pictured), 3rd place – Trippton Angell, 4th place - Kyle Wood, 5th place - Kierra Neudorf
(2nd from top) 2021-2022 cohort of the New Mexico Youth Beef Feeder Contest. Left to right - back row: Koren Neudorf, Belita Martinez, Trippton Angell, Kyle Wood, Dr. Marcy Ward, Halee Prather, Amanda Hibbard, & Dr. Frannie Miller. Front Row: Kierra Neudorf, Gavin Wallace, Talynn Wood, and Adan Marta. Not pictured: Gavin Morrow & Dr. Craig Gifford
(3rd from top) Kierra Neudorf was the Junior Division Public Speaking winner with an outstanding talk on Herefords. Dwight Bell, Miami, NM, presented the buckle. One of the goals of the contest is to connect young farmers with those who have a bit more experience.
