The Boer Goat - September/October 2011

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REGION 13 Troy Veal, President (EC) tvanveal@yahoo.com REGION 8 Ervin Chavana, Vice President /Treasurer (EC) mengercreek@hotmail.com REGION 10 Tracy Diefenbach, Secretary (EC) tldief@fairpoint.net REGION 5 John Edwards (EC) eggstx@aol.com REGION 7 Dennie Clark (EC) hcgoat@hotmail.com REGION 12 Paul Kinslow (EC) paul@muellerauctions.net PAST PRESIDENT Brian Faris (EC) brfaris@ksu.edu REGION 1 Terry Brown capriole@pocketinet.com REGION 2 Boyd E. Willoughby wbccboers@allwest.net

REGION 3 Jeff Gibbs gibbsfarms@aol.com REGION 4 Kay Garrett kewlkay@hotmail.com REGION 5 Doug Widener dcbwidener@valornet.com REGION 6 Kallie York kjkohls13@aol.com REGION 9 Vicki Stich Ladyhogger59@hotmail.com REGION 11 Scott Hawthorn scott@ cedargrovefarms.com REGION 14 John Morrow morrowfarm@aol.com REGION 15 Sara Davis csdavis@oakhollowlivestock.com REGION 16 Brad Mackey bradmackey@bmackfarms.com *EC denotes Executive Committee member

September / October 2011 Dear ABGA and JABGA Members, I want to begin by thanking all of you for the continued passion and dedication that you all have shown to our industry and organization through these tough economic times. We’ve not only had to confront economic struggles, but nationwide, Mother Nature has dealt us her own hand, leaving us battling torrential rains and flooding, drought and fires, tornadoes and hurricanes, among other challenges. Through this all, your loyalty to and support of our way of life, has made The American Boer Goat Association as strong as ever. Registration numbers over the past 7 months have topped out at almost 21,000 along with 11,900 transfers. ABGA has hosted 282 sanctioned shows to date, and we expect these numbers to continue to rise thanks in part to our tremendous members who are now almost 5,800 strong.

JABGA has approximately 1,700 members and we are extremely excited to see such passionate youth as the future of our industry. In this issue, we will focus on the Junior Association and highlight their dedication and efforts to strengthen and promote our organization.

Soon, the junior board members and our new youth coordinator, Aaron Gillespie, all of which you will meet in this issue, will be traveling to Indianapolis to represent ABGA and JABGA at the National FFA Convention. There are some very exciting things in the works for the Junior Association this coming year, so please watch our website and the magazine for more details on their upcoming activities.

1207 S. Bryant Blvd., Suite C | San Angelo, TX 76903 Sandy Smith, Office Manager, sandy@abga.org Mary Ellen Villarreal, Office Operations Supervisor, mary@abga.org Laurie Evans, Administrative Assistant, laurie@abga.org Belinda Constancio, Registration Support Staff, belinda@abga.org Sonia Cervantez, Accounting, sonia@abga.org Dee Ann Torres, Registration Support Staff, deeann@abga.org Aaron Gillespie, Show Coordinator, aaron@abga.org Ignacio Corrales, Registration Support Staff, ignacio@abga.org Miranda Carrillo, Member Services, miranda@abga.org Sherrie Cook, Office Support Staff, sherriec@abga.org

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Once again, thank you all for your continued support of ABGA. Sincerely,

Troy Veal, President American Boer Goat Association

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Across the country, there are thousands of junior organizations. Nearly every livestock breed or registry has one, communities have them and schools offer them. For the agricultural industry, there are a few key organizations for youth, but hundreds of others are available, too.

The two main agricultural youth organizations are FFA and 4-H. The American Boer Goat Association also offers the Junior American Boer Goat Association (JABGA). All of these organizations offer students a chance to learn and improve their leadership skills, while growing as a person.

The FFA emblem, below, is displayed with the gold American FFA Degree key. The American FFA Degree is awarded to FFA members who have demonstrated the highest level of commitment to FFA and made significant accomplishments in their Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAEs).

FFA FFA is an organization dedicated to high school freshman through students up to 21 – including a collegiate level.

According to the National FFA Organization website: “The National FFA Organization (also known as Future Farmers of America) envisions a future in which all agricultural education students will discover their passion in life and build on that insight to chart the course for their educations, career and personal future. FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.”

The FFA allows students to have a Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) project, in which students can explore livestock, crops, production and repair.

The project is up to the student, and can be carried out throughout the time the student is in the organization.

Many schools offer FFA, but schools without ag programs may not. All chapters may compete at the state convention, which every state hosts each year. Events are held throughout convention, along with the competitions. Those students who excel at the state level are given the chance to compete at national convention, which is held in the fall of every year, and chapters from across the country meet up to compete and socialize.

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The FFA offers personal advancement through a degree program. The Greenhand Degree is earned by members who complete their first year. For members who desire to go further, the Chapter Degree, State Degree and American Degree are also possible. The degrees get progressively more challenging to attain, and less than one-half of 1 percent of all members receive the American Degree.

Leadership is offered through the FFA at several levels, as well. Students can be a chapter, district, state or national officer. Officers are responsible for running meetings, fundraising, promoting the FFA and leading their respective regions.

4-H 4-H is for youth ages 8 to 18. According to the 4-H website: “4-H prepares young people to step up to the challenges in their community and the world. Using researchbased programming around positive youth development, 4-H youth get the handson real world experience they need to become leaders.

“Through America’s 109 land-grant universities and its Cooperative Extension System, 4-H reaches every corner of our nation — from urban neighborhoods to suburban schoolyards to rural farming communities,” the website continues. “With a network of more than 6 million youth, 540,000 volunteers, 3,500 professionals, and more than 60 million alumni, 4-H helps shape youth to move our country

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Any state with a land-grant university will have Extension offices, through which 4-H programs are run. Community members are usually the leaders of local chapters, and most chapters have officers from their membership. 4-H also has a national conference every year, and the National 4-H Center is in Washington D.C.

JABGA According to the JABGA website: “Communication, involvement and drive are just some of the many qualities embedded into to character of a leader. The Junior American Boer Goat Association (JABGA) expresses each of these values in an effort for young Boer goat breeders, nationwide, to not only strive for excellence, but to become involved within any avenue of the association.”

Ten students are chosen each year as directors, to represent the organization and help develop and implement programs and events to serve junior members nationwide.

Directors travel to shows and activities, helping to promote the organization and Boer goats, which is vital to keeping membership growing. Local sanctioned shows and a national show are held each year for JABGA members.

and promotion of breed, association throughout the rest of one’s life to find jobs activities and competition activities.” best suited for them, and help the students learn how to deal with situations.

LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES Leadership opportunities are the COMMITMENT greatest benefits of membership in youth Most organizations elects officers for organizations. FFA and 4-H offer leadership a year-long term. Many allow students to opportunities at many levels. serve several years, but it’s best to check the bylaws of the organization. The actual In nearly all organizations, students will time commitment will vary depending on learn parliamentary procedure and how to the program. Many state and national FFA conduct meetings, budget, recruit members officers take a year off from their studies to and fundraise. These are all skills that can serve the organization. 4-H – at a local and be used later in life – both in careers and national level – and JABGA allow students at home. to continue with regular life, while attending events and meetings throughout the year.

Serving as president provides youth with a first-hand experience in running an GET INVOLVED organization, and all facets of presidency.

Students who are not currently However, those serving under the president involved with junior organizations should gain an opportunity to learn how to work with someone else, while leading their own do so immediately. Meet friends, discover projects. This will be very important when opportunities, travel, and develop honor and pride – these are just a few of many perks. students eventually go to work.

The leadership opportunities and personal development will help shape tomorrow’s PERSONAL ADVANCEMENT Junior organizations offer personal leaders, which will be incredibly important development skills that cannot be matched. to the future of the agricultural industry.

The time to get involved is now.

Students will learn how to

conduct themselves in a professional manner, and at the same time, will learn about themselves. Many students organizations conduct team-building The ABGA also offers the JABGA Youth activities, which help the members learn to work Builder Program. with others and trust each “Within the four levels of recognition, other. This is a priceless or tier system, items such as helping a skill to learn. local goat rancher, promoting the Boer goat breed at a seminar, attending the Some organizations JABGA leadership conference, receiving a also offer personal skill and scholarship and participating in a JABGA personality assessments, sanctioned show are just a few of the many which help students ways to earn points (in the Youth Builder learn their strengths and Program),” the JABGA website states. “The weaknesses, as well as main areas of achievement within the their personalities. This avenues of inspiration are communication information can be used Chelsea Dobbs, right, sets up her market goat at the 2011 Larimer County Fair.

Dobbs’ kid, named “Justin,” was the overall grand champion and competed at jackpots throughout the summer, in adddition to the fair. Dobbs is a 4-H member and owns Freedom Acres Boer Goats.

About the author: Robyn Scherer is a livestock producer from Colorado and an ABGA member. She owns Champion Livestock, a show livestock business specializing in Boer, Alpine and Nubian goats as well as Hampshire and crossbred hogs. She received her American FFA Degree in 2009.

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Some people may call you an overachiever. They may think there is something wrong with you, because young people today “aren’t driven.” You may find yourself very busy, but able to manage it. These same qualities are what will help you succeed later in life.

That’s what passion does for you. When you talk about something that excites you, it shows on your face and in your voice. It motivates you to better yourself, and to strive for excellence. It allows you to utilize your skills and make a difference, at the same time.

I was always one of those kids. I was involved in everything and barely had time to sleep, it seemed, some days. I am still like that, and don’t do well sitting. I’m sure many of you can relate. Even though it was a lot of work, I would never take any of it back.

Identifying your passion will also help you choose a job that fits not only your skill set, but also your personality. If you really love being outside, a job in a big building with a small cubicle and no windows will probably make you hate your job.

Finding your passion The biggest lesson I learned through college was the importance of passion. Without passion for something, it is hard to make a path for your life or to plan much beyond tomorrow. I entered college without a path, and it took me a year to fully realize what I knew I wanted all along.

Sometimes it’s best to go with your gut feeling, because it will usually be right.

Many of you already have goals for your dream career. I meet young animal science students nearly every day who want to be a veterinarian. I can usually tell immediately after the conversation whether or not they will meet their goal. How do I know?

Once you discover your passion, you must then work to enhance your skills in that area of study to be the very best that you can be at your job. It’s important to always be open to learning new techniques and ideas, because we live in a very fast-paced world. If you do not stay ahead of the curve, you will be left behind.

Be willing to work I’m sure you have heard the phrase, “You can be anything you want to be.” The most important part of that phrase is far too often left out, however. The most important part is “… but you must be willing to work for it.”

Let’s go back to the future vet students. The likelihood that these students will successfully graduate from vet school is very, very slim, for several reasons. The first and most important is that veterinary school is incredibly competitive. If you are not an excellent candidate, you may not even get a second look.

For example, Colorado State University’s school of veterinary medicine is one of the highest rated in the country, and therefore has one of the highest number of total applicants.

For the incoming fall 2010 class, 139 students were admitted out of 1,756 who applied – roughly 7.9 percent. If you are from Colorado, that number jumps up to 26 percent.

If you are from a Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) sponsored state, it’s 35 percent. However, if you are from a non-sponsored state, it’s just 2.5 percent.

Even at the highest percentage, the program is still highly competitive. The students who are accepted didn’t get in because they simply wanted to be veterinarians. They got in because they earned it by working hard.

This is a good example of a highly sought-after job in

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animal agriculture – and one that can be difficult to attain. If you have passion and the drive, however, there is no reason you should not succeed. Just know the road is rarely easy, and no one will hand it to you. You will have to work for it. go aFter your dreams For many of you, raising animals is more than a hobby; it’s a way of life. The animals dictate when you can go somewhere, what you can do, and when you have to be home. It’s a big responsibility.

I grew up in the same situation, but not in the same specie that I raise today. My family grew up with horses, but during my senior year of high school, I decided to raise pigs and lambs to show at the county fair. The first night of fair, which was move-in day, the unthinkable happened to me. My better show pig suddenly died from porcine stress syndrome (PSS).

I had no warning.

Luckily the rest of the fair went very well for me, and I won the reserve grand champion bred and fed title with my gilt. I liked the gilt so much, I decided to keep her and breed her, because I wanted youth to have quality animals to show, without genetic defects. My problem: I didn’t have a place to keep her. This is when my show animal business, Champion Livestock, was born.

I found a high school chapter in the fall of 2006 that would keep her until I could. Finally, in the spring of 2008, I was able to bring her with me to college. Since that time, my herd has grown from one to nine sows. I added goats in 2009, and currently have nine does – both Boer and dairy.

My business has grown to where it is today because of my dreams, my determination and my passion. I’ve had giant road blocks, like a fire in the fall of 2008 that killed everything but my first sow. But, the important thing is: I never quit.

If you have a dream, don’t quit, even when times get hard.

I can guarantee it will not always be smooth sailing, and more likely than not you will face challenges that could be devastating.

Always get up, learn from what happened, and march forward.

Be willing to make sacriFices The last part of the puzzle of success can be the most frustrating. Making sacrifices is never fun, but it is a part of life.

I gave up a lot of sleep, and potential time with others to keep my animals while in school. I believe it paid off, because when I graduated, I had an established market already.

However, like so many of you, my animals rule my life. I have to take care of them at least twice a day, including milking, while working an eight-hour-per-day job, with a three-hour roundtrip commute. And, sometimes the job that is right for you isn’t where you are. You either have to move or commute. Both are sacrifices.

Sacrifices allow you to determine what is really important to you, and help you decide what you can and cannot deal with. This will help you refine your passion and find your niche. Sometimes you may have to take a job you don’t love, but in time you should be able to do something that fulfills you. You just have to be patient.

thank those who help you Even though you may feel like you are alone in your pursuit, you likely are not. The support you receive from others affects you more than you realize, and thanking those people will mean more to them than any other gift you can give.

Your family – especially your parents – are vital to your success. I know my parents support me completely, as do my siblings. You may not know it, but yours do, as well. Significant others, friends and mentors all help you to keep going and find new opportunities. Without my college adviser, I would not be where I am today.

Those who reach the top through help from others will always have a solid foundation to rely on. Times can get hard, but the foundation remains. If you try to do everything yourself, you may find yourself at the top, but just a tiny shift will cause everything to crumble, and you won’t have anyone to fall back on. the time to get started is now It’s important not to sit on your dreams, saying, “I’ll think about it tomorrow.” Be proactive and start working toward your goals right now. It’s never too early. Talk to others who can help you, and explore opportunities.

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It is a student’s greatest gift and compliment to say a simple thank you to a past teacher. But why do so few of us take the time to carry out that simple task?

Do we not have the time? Do we have too many events happening in our life? Are we embarrassed? Or do we just forget who helped us achieve what we did?

Throughout my time in the agricultural industry – starting in 4-H and FFA when I was about 10 – I learned many beneficial lessons about life.

So many beginners come to clinics, meetings and shows, solely concentrating on how to do the steps of preparation, showmanship and techniques. There is nothing wrong with this, as I recommend this is what they do in the beginning. But, little do they know how many other lessons they will take away from the shows.

When I give clinics and even when I am judging, I try to always say, “Nobody is going to care that your child won grand years later when they are a graduating from college, searching for their first job, getting married or having their first child of their own.”

They will, however, care about is the time you spent with them. The “good job buddy” that you tell them – win or lose.

They will remember the ride to the show with their family; the friends that supported them and learned with them throughout the show year; and the funny memories that their animals gave them, shared with family.

I can assure you, when your child is 25, 30 or older, the last thing that he or she will fondly remember about showing is winning.

So if you are alumni of 4-H or FFA and remember that person – whether it was your parents, a 4-H leader or someone else – who was there to help you or give you a “good job buddy” win or lose, send them a note, look them up, and say “I never forgot that you were there for me.”

I have said before, people remember you not by what you say, but by the feeling you leave them with.

Many people in the junior livestock shows enjoy helping children achieve their goals, learn about the agricultural industry, and simply be a part of something that benefits millions.

Many people have helped me along the way. My wife Holly is one of them – always attending the shows I judge and clinics I conduct, regardless of her desire to rather be shopping or getting her nails done. The simple fact of her forgoing those opportunities to be at my events is something I will never forget.

I must also point out my parents. For quite a while, I have been in the spotlight as a judge, passing my knowledge on to others. I must admit, that it is something I enjoy doing tremendously. But the fact is, for everything I know and talk about at clinics and shows, my parents know in triplicate. They were and continue to be my teachers. Although they could be in the forefront just as easily, they always allow me to be the one to stand in that spotlight. In every aspect of my life, they have always been my biggest supporters, to an extent that is not expected out of any parent. And they continue to stand by my side, as always.

Take the time to say “thank you.” To those in my life, “thank you” to you, as well.

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When you first started in the goat industry, did you wish someone would have taught you how to correctly wash, dry, hoof trim and clip your animals?

Chance Imhoff had that exact wish when he began.

Imhoff is a 17 year old from Prague, Okla. He first started in the goat industry when he was 11 years old, and throughout the past six years, he has acquired a goat herd of his own: Imhoff Goat Ranch.

Imhoff is responsible for his showstring, beginning at 11 by learning to clip. Since then, he has attended clipping schools and says he has learned the most about clipping by practicing on his own animals, over and over again. Now, Chance clips for different breeders throughout the industry.

have Imhoff clip for them, if only he lived closer.

All during July, Imhoff and his friend, Josh Newman, recorded the two-and-a-half-hour DVD, “Fit to Win,” focusing on clipping, washing, drying, hoof trimming and grooming.

During the DVD, Imhoff takes you step by step through a variety of scenerios, giving you his personal advice along the way.

Since its launch in August, the DVD has sold to customers in Oklahoma, Texas, Washington, California, Illinois, Arizona and North Carolina.

Imhoff says this new business venture has taught him about bookkeeping, marketing, advertising and business skills to help him throughout life.

“As for everything, practice makes perfect,” he says.

Imhoff has created a clipping video to help those new to the practice, or those wanting to hone their skills.

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We all like to win. No doubt about it.

Typically, when we are winning, we are more happy than not.

That’s not to say there are many more times in our lives that we are ecstatic and filled with joy, while we are concurrently winning. And we do not have to win to be happy.

So, why do we go to the livestock shows? Primarily to win?

The majority of us would probably respond with a quick, “Yes.” However, let’s backtrack for a moment and look at the bigger picture. Why do we spend the energy to go to the 4-H and FFA shows, trying to place our animals?

Now I know what you are thinking: you’re wondering what I am thinking!

“Of course I go to win. What the heck do you go for?” might be crossing your mind.

and the goat started for the hills. Well, I know many of our first thoughts would be to let the ring stewards catch it.

However, the individual with the calm goat next to the smaller exhibitor let go of his own goat and grabbed the runaway goat as it tried to get away.

This effectively made the exhibitor who was lunging for the escaping goat forgo any attention to, eye contact with, or knowledge of the judge’s whereabouts. Everyone was sure he would ultimately lose the showmanship class, especially after letting go of his own goat. No one ever mentioned leaving your goat behind to catch someone else’s goat in any of the showmanship clinics they attended.

Well, let me tell you, after being involved with 4-H and FFA livestock shows for more than 20 years, I’ve realized that regardless of how much I’ve won or how much I’ve lost, I am still the same person. Everything that makes me who I am was not affected by placing high in the shows. However, what essentially does make us who we are for the rest of our lives can be our “junior livestock show career.”

However, the happy ending to this true story is this: the exhibitor who lunged for the other goat had such a well-trained goat himself, the animal didn’t even move. After gaining control of the other goat, he simply went back to his own animal, successfully winning the senior market goat showmanship title at his county show.

Let me tell you a story that took place in the middle of a market goat showmanship class in the late ’90s. An individual was in the top ten of the class. Next to this person was a much smaller exhibitor with a rambunctious goat that would not behave.

This was a definite challenge, when competing with 150 to 200 other exhibitors to be champion senior showman. However, as I am sure you have guessed, there is a point to this story.

Well, this individual’s first thought was, of course, “Why in the world did I get in line next to the crazy goat there?” The second thought was, obviously, “I’ll keep mine calm and as far away as possible.”

Imagine, for a moment, that you are this individual. Fast forward 20 years later. You’re married and have kids of your own in 4-H or FFA. Looking back, would you have been glad you did that act of kindness, even if you hadn’t won? Or would you have let the other smaller kid’s goat go, in order to win?

We all know how difficult that can be right in the middle of a showmanship class, regardless of which specie you might be showing.

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And, if your child was that smaller kid losing control of his or her goat, what would you hope the parents of the bigger kid, next to your child, taught him about winning?

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