Youth:

YOUTH: MESCALERO STEER PROGRAM

The Mescalero steer program is in its second year. A testament to the program’s success is that it has not only grown in size, but doubled in its second year.

ARTICLE BY HEIDI CRNKOVIC

Even after all of the trailers have returned empty, tack boxes unpacked and grooming supplies used up and put away, the youth remain. The youth who have put in the time. The youth who have grown. The youth who have accomplished, won and lost. Fair season has wrapped up across the country, and 4-H and FFA youth have had the opportunity to reflect on the accomplishments and trials that come coupled with raising, exhibiting and selling livestock projects.

Anyone who has ever had the opportunity to show livestock understands what a fun, rewarding experience this project is for the entire family. The cattle project in particular, some argue is “king.” 4-H and FFA members pick out their projects after they are weaned in the fall and spend the year halter breaking, handling, washing, blow-drying and feeding their charges with aspirations aimed at fair wins while also learning responsibility, dedication and record-keeping skills. Even more importantly, they experience these things alongside family and friends. We all know that it takes a village to raise a child and in the case of the Mescalero’s steer program, it also takes the partnership of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, Mescalero Apache Cattle Growers’, Division of Resource Management Protection, the Youth Development Program and 4-H leaders, families and members.

Dallas Shendo

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The Mescalero Apache Tribe is located in South Central New Mexico and Otero County near the popular destination of Ruidoso. Named for the Mescal plant that at one time was a diet staple, the Mescalero Apache Tribe now raises a high-quality herd of commercial cattle through the Mescalero Apache Cattle Growers’. Historically, the herd was comprised of Hereford cattle and now consists of a composite of black Angus and Hereford genetics. Ranch manager and Arizona native, Dusty Wold manages the tribe’s ranch with his wife, Ruth and their four sons, Rafe, Cal, Grant and Cord. Ruth is the organizational leader for the Mescalero 4-H Club and together, they have worked closely over the last two years to reinstate a steer program that allowed 4-H youth in Mescalero to raise and exhibit steers off of the tribe’s ranch.

The Mescalero steer program is in its second year. A testament to the program’s success is that it has not only grown in size, but doubled in its second year. This program provides the opportunity for youth in the Mescalero 4-H Club to not only exhibit animals, but grow in confidence and experience the opportunity to care for an animal that is entirely dependent on them for nearly a year. After calves are weaned, Ruth and Dusty select prospects for the youth and work on beginning the halter-breaking process before 4-H members choose their project for the year. 4-H members learn to select animals and often find out through trial and error, along with leader’s guidance, what traits make a good calf. Each individual will spend the rest of their year handling and feeding their calves in preparation for the Otero County Fair in September.

Anna Sanchez

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Amidst the bustle of blowers, clippers and fans at the Otero County Fair, a line of neat, homemade, 4-H green panels housed the Mescalero 4-H Club’s steers. Beyond the tidy setup, you wouldn’t find just parents working hair or clipping alone, but entire families including friends, siblings, moms and dads of 4-H members caring for their animals and working as a team to prepare for competition. Epitomizing the ideal, “4-H is for families,” the club’s setup boasted calves raised by nine of the club’s youth. “Everyone puts in the work here. If we all work together, then we all share in each other’s success,” says Ruth. There’s something about working with livestock that “brings things out of the kids,” Ruth muses. “They learn from defeat. And never for a lack of hard work. They gain confidence and they grow.”

When you sit down with the steer exhibitors from Mescalero, you’ll find that these youth are not only active in their 4-H programs but also in multiple sports. Some of them are honors students and almost all of them said they have learned responsibility and enjoyed the connection they have made with their steers. This year, the club’s hard work and dedication to helping the Junior Livestock Committee set up show rings and maintain the livestock barn earned Mescalero 4-H Club the “Best Kept Stall” award. This award is typically only given to one individual, but was instead awarded to an entire club. Mescalero steer calf shown and raised by Davin Mendez was Reserve Champion County Bred Steer and Champion Hereford Steer. The Reserve Champion Hereford was raised and shown by Anna Sanchez. More importantly, through the cooperation of 4-H leaders, parents, members and tribal organizations, Mescalero 4-H Club members leave this fair season with far more than any ribbon could offer.

Aubryn Shendo

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4-H is a youth development organization that utilizes locally-driven programs to build life skills in youth across the country. With programs focusing on healthy living, civic engagement and science, 4-H members are encouraged to learn through doing in hands-on settings where they can receive guidance from adult mentors and take on leadership roles themselves. The 4-H model consistently produces youth who are four times more likely to contribute to their communities, two times more likely to be civically active, twice as likely to participate in out-ofschool science programs and two times more likely to make healthier choices (National 4-H Council). 4-H is comprised of land-grant universities and local county offices through the nation’s Cooperative Extension System. To find a 4-H group near you, visit your local county Extension office for more details on programs and clubs in your area.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: With an innate fondness for Western heritage and a lifelong passion for the agricultural industry, Heidi Crnkovic is a New Mexico native and a New Mexico State University graduate with a B.S. in Agricultural Science. Heidi’s professional career has been dedicated to the ranching and cattle industry and currently, she is a 4-H agent for Otero County. She and her husband Kenton live in Tularosa, New Mexico with their daughter, Abigail who is a member of Otero County 4-H’s Cloverbud program.

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Born and raised in Southern New Mexico, Malcolmn specializes in landscape and livestock photography. No stranger to the livestock industry he has spent more than twenty years ringside, capturing priceless memories of his children and grandchildren, and he now strives to make moments available to other showmen as well. When not in the barns you can find him at the Bosque de Apache capturing the scenic beauty of our amazing state. For more information please visit www. mmramseyimages.com.