Intern Farewell, by Jacey Pella

FAREWELL, MY FRIENDS AT

By Jacey Pella, 2022 GCA Summer Intern

If you have ever had a conversation with me, you know that my stories always come with background information, anecdotes and tangents; but I will do my best to keep this one brief. I didn’t come from a major enterprise. My family has had cattle for generations, but it was never the main focus. Raising cattle is a hobby that my family enjoys because of the lessons it teaches and the grounding it gives to the soul in unprecedented times. With that being said, no one in my family really saw the need to be a voice about what happens to the industry on a higher level because we never felt big enough to have a say. I have never been the best ranch hand, but I still wanted to be a part of my family’s legacy – and I never understood the reason why “we were too small to have a voice.” So, I set out on this journey of creating a voice for myself to speak for farmers

and ranchers in an industry that is near and dear to my heart. Fast-forward to the present: I got to experience rst-hand how many small voices turn into the roaring of thousands at the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association.

The memories made and the lessons learned this summer – under the guiding hands of the GCA sta , who have now become family – will last a lifetime for me; I will carry them into my future endeavors. I am blessed to learn from an o ce of extremely talented, passionate people. Dale, Taylor Pearce, Taylor Evans, Shelby, Mrs. Trisha and Mrs. Sherri – thank you for being the best there is. I hope that I live up to my “theme song” and y’all continue telling my wild team-building stories.

The highlight of this summer has been getting to meet all of you at GCA events. The Calhoun HERD program sale was my rst event with GCA; it was where I got to see producers and members commune together to better our industry by helping other producers build their herds. It was my rst look into what GCA really is; it gave me the con dence that I needed to make this internship memorable for me. I have also seen the future of Georgia cattlemen in the curious minds at the Kids Cattle camp, and in the beef futurity show, where junior members hone their skills of raising high-quality cattle. These young people will signi cantly impact our industry when the time comes for their knowledge and skill to be greatly needed. I have experienced the power of a good conversation and a handshake via the exchanges I have had with the people of Georgia at the Atlanta Motor Speedway during our beef BBQ contest (the food was good, as you’re imagining right now). I loved being able to witness history at the South Georgia Black Cattlemen’s Association inaugural meeting. All these experiences rolled together made for a memorable summer; I learned so much that I will carry into my future. While going to events is always the most fun, I also gained a wealth of knowledge right here at the o ce. As an Ag Communications major, I hope that my future job will be very similar to what I did this summer; this internship gave me many real-world skills that I wouldn’t have learned in school. I was tasked with assisting in the creative concept design of the Georgia Beef Board fair booth for the Georgia National Fair. This project has been so much fun – but it also required considerable hard work that I didn’t realize would be a part of it; I hope that you enjoy seeing it as much as I have enjoyed helping to create it. Prior to this summer, working in an o ce setting was a foreign concept. It was de nitely a steep learning curve, but this summer taught me to have self-discipline and better time management skills; those are invaluable skills that I promise to continue developing. There were numerous “teachable moments” – such as Dale’s daily ag communications lessons, and self-growth here in the o ce – that I will de nitely be implementing in the fall.

I have loved my time here in the GCA o ce, and I’m not ready to say goodbye. To say goodbye or farewell is to close a door – and I believe that this door will always be ajar, waiting for me to open it again. I may be leaving my internship position, but I de nitely will not be leaving the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association; so let’s just say, “See you later.”

GCA

Northeast Georgia

Livestock LLC

Convenient Drop-Off Stations Near You! Watch the auction live at lmaauctions.com auction live at lmaauctions.com Let us help you get more for your cattle!

Good Hope Drop-Off Station: Bob Chandler 706-474-0573 Calhoun Drop-Off Station: Ross Strickland 770-547-3644 • Chad Grogan 706-252-3333 Rayle Drop-Off Station: Todd Stephens 770-601-6286 • Warren Howard 706-338-4928

**All cattle at drop-off stations are covered under our LMA insurance policy**

September 8

Weaned By July 10 February 9, 2023

Weaned By Dec. 11

2022-23 Feeder Calf Sales Dates

October 13

Weaned By Aug. 14 March 9, 2023

Weaned By Jan. 8

November 10

Weaned By Sept. 11 April 13, 2023

Weaned By Feb. 12

December 8

Weaned by Oct. 9 May 11, 2023

Weaned By March 12

January 12, 2023

Weaned By Nov. 13 June 8, 2023

Weaned By April 9

Goat Sale Every Wednesday @ 11 a.m. Regular Sale Every Wednesday @ Noon Video Sale Every Wednesday @ 3 p.m.

Video Sale Representatives

Todd Stephens • 770.601.6286 • GA, SC, TN & AL Ross Strickland • 770.547.3644 • Northwest GA Donnie Duke • 706.491.6103 • NW/NE GA & SC Chad Grogan • 706.252.3333 • NW GA Robby Stephens • 706.255.7880 • So. GA Anderson Bailey • 770-560-8939 • GA

1200 Winterville Road, Athens, GA 30605 • Manager: Todd Stephens P: 706.549.4790 • F: 706.549.1701 • www.negalivestock.com

Feed and water available! • We also haul and work cattle!

Our goal is to provide our customers with the best possible prices for their cattle. Check out our load lot video sales results and other information at our website: www.negalivestock.com