Category: Juniors

Welcome the 2017 ASA Interns!

Posted on by Shelby Rogers

Leah Giess is a sophomore at Kansas State University studying Agricultural Communications and Journalism. She has deep roots in the cattle industry growing up on a purebred cow/calf operation in central Minnesota. The exclusively family operated ranch has grown to become a nationally known source of quality purebred South Devon and Poundmaker genetics. Over the years she has worked to develop her own herd as well as helping with all aspects of the family’s cattle operations. She has been heavily involved in showing cattle and competing nationally in speech, quiz bowl, livestock judging and marketing at the NCBA Youth competitions. Leah recently participated on a study abroad trip to Ireland and interned with the Minnesota Beef Expo. She has been active in the North American South Devon Association for the past 15 years holding numerous board positions and also represented the breed as the Junior Ambassador. She is a member of K-State Block & Bridle, Collegiate Cattlemen’s, Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow and is a National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association member. We are excited to have Leah on the team for the summer as the communications intern!

 

Emily Albert is a junior at Oklahoma State University majoring in Animal Science and Agricultural Communications. She started in production agriculture at a young age exhibiting livestock through her local 4-H and FFA chapter in Weatherford, Texas. She said she was very fortunate to be an active FFA member on a local and state level. These organizations ignited her passion for agriculture and the livestock industry. Throughout her college career she served as a Block & Bridle and Swine Club officer, as well as Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow, and Alpha Zeta. After college, she would like to pursue a career in the livestock industry, communicating our story to the public. She is very honored to be able to work with the ASA this summer as the youth activities intern and hopes to learn the “ins and outs” of what a breed association does on a day to day basis and how she can help the Shorthorn breed reach new levels.

 

Emma Penzenstadler is from the Northern state of Minnesota where she calls Chisago City her home. She is currently finishing up her third year at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities where she is majoring in Agricultural Communications and Marketing with a minor in animal science in hopes to work in the event management industry. She is excited to be back in the states and interning as the registrations intern with the American Shorthorn Association after spending the last several months living in Sydney, Australia. She is most excited to work along professionals in the beef industry and to see what a day to day role is like in a breed association. Emma’s livestock background consists of helping her parents on her family’s farm where they raise Purebred Hereford Cattle and show pigs. Along with previously serving as the Minnesota 4-H Livestock Coordinator at the Minnesota State Fair and the Auction Coordinator for the Chisago County Fair.

 

 

 

We are excited to have these three ladies in the ASA office starting in May to help with National Junior Shorthorn Show & Youth Conference.

Alabama Family Shares Passion for Shorthorn Cattle

Posted on by Shelby Rogers

Catrett FamilyIn Luverne, Alabama, Perry and Ashley Catrett raise their daughters, Cassidy and Cameron. Even though Perry and Ashley did not grow up showing cattle, their daughters expressed an interest in showing. Cassidy and Cameron started out showing crossbred and commercial cattle because their dad and his family raised commercial cattle.

After Cassidy and Cameron proved their commitment to showing, they family decided to start showing purebred cattle and purchased three Shorthorns to start a herd. They found that it was difficult to find Shorthorns in Alabama and other southeastern states, but they chose Shorthorns initially for their docility and color.

“Their dad likes that they have taken an interest in the beef industry,” Ashley said. “He thinks that showing helped them develop their passion that they may not have if they would have only stuck to the commercial cattle.”

Cassidy and Cameron have built up a herd of Shorthorn cow-calf pairs that is nearly as many cattle as their dad has in his commercial operation.

“The girls have even convinced Perry to use a Shorthorn bull,” Ashley said. “He transitioned to using a Shorthorn bull on the commercial herd as clean-up for artificial insemination work.”

Cassidy the older of the two, developed an interest in AI for bred and owned cattle. She even attended AI school to help grow her knowledge. Cameron has interest in embryo transfer. Ashley said the girls work together to improve their herd.

The Catrett’s began attending the National Junior Shorthorn Show in 2012 and it has been a great way for them to connect with other breeders.

“The girls have been able to learn more by attending nationals and networking with other breeders than they ever would have on their own,” Ashley said. “Shorthorn is our breed of choice and we enjoy having a week to spend with others that have a passion for the breed.”

Cassidy and Cameron were instrumental in starting a state association that now has at least 20 families involved, said Ashley. There is now a breed steer show at their state show and they offer scholarships through the state association.
“My daughters have goals of continuing in the agricultural industry,” Ashley said. “They will always want to have a Shorthorn herd. It is their passion.”

Intern Update: Junior National

Posted on by Shelby Rogers

Hey guys!

It is Abbey & Taylor again. It has been a little while since we have updated y’all with the latest happenings. It’s been a crazy couple of weeks, but we managed to survive! Hopefully each of you enjoyed Jr. Nationals as much as we did, and have caught up on all your missed sleep; pretty sure we are still working on that part! We just wanted to take a minute and share with you guys some of our favorite parts of the week and thank everyone for making the 2016 National Junior Shorthorn Shows & Youth Conference a huge success.

Taylor:

It is hard to believe my time in the office is starting to come to an end. It seems like just last week I was starting my first day at ASA, nervous, and excited for the summer to get started. Now, here I am a few weeks away from being done, Jr. Nationals behind me, and only KEY Conference standing before me.

Jr. Nationals was a whirlwind and one that I will always remember. A lot of inside jokes, funny stories, passionate exhibitors, and great cattle come to mind when I think back on the week. It was awesome to see the hard work and preparation leading up to the event all come together. I have a lot of favorite moments, but I think the icing on the cake would be all the friendships I made. I actually had the chance to put a face to the hundreds of names I have read over & over. I got to work with some pretty awesome Jr. Board members, go on a round up with the sidekicks, and even drink some tea with the lassie princesses. On top of it all, I got to be a part of Gwen’s last Jr. National and if you know her, you know just how special those juniors are to her. To see her pour her whole heart into these kids is something I will always admire her for.

I may be a little tired still, my feet are still sore from wearing boots for hours, and I may still have to unpack, but my first Jr. Nationals was certainly one for the books!!

Abbey:

I have to reiterate a bit on Taylor’s thoughts. How is it even possible that we only have three short weeks left as the ASA interns? It was so wonderful to experience my first Jr. Nationals. I know my experience working it is nothing compared to those of you that exhibited. However, y’all are absolutely awesome. Seeing so much passion for the breed from the junior members, and the enthusiasm everyone has for what they are doing was simply the best.

While it is hard to pick a favorite moment, the team fitting contest is definitely up there in my book. The way everyone (and it really was everyone) helped to move the intermediate contest into the cattle barn to keep everyone safe was IMG_1447phenomenal teamwork. Again, like Taylor said, finally putting faces to names was a great thing. For me it was being able to meet all the outgoing members that took their time to help me out and showcase them in the exhibitor folder.  I’m sitting here trying to think of something to add about Gwen, but I think we will have to write another entry in a few weeks dedicated to her. She deserves one all about her because her dedication to her job was all about you members.

I don’t think Taylor and I were really prepared for what the week would bring, we had an idea but it ended up being so much more! A big thanks to all the exhibitors, parents, volunteers and staff that helped keep the week an amazing experience

 

#ShorthornLove

-Abbey&Taylor

Join An ASA Committee Today!

Posted on by Shelby Rogers
The American Shorthorn Association would like to extend an offer to its members to join any of the following committees:
  • ASA Commercial Acceptance Committee
  • ASA Genetic Evaluation Committee
  • ASA ShorthornPlus/Composite Committee
  • ASA Promotion Committee
These committees will meet via a one-hour conference call approximately four to five times a year.
If you wish to join, you may contact the ASA office at 816-599-7777 or send your name, contact information, and which committee you would like to join to Rachel@shorthorn.org.

Intern Update: Favorite Beef Recipe

Posted on by Shelby Rogers

Hey there!

Abbey and Taylor again. We are officially in the month of June and less than a month out from Junior Nationals.  So excited to be there and get to meet all of you. Entering entries to the computer and contacting members for exhibitor packet information makes us feel like we almost know you a bit. (Does that sound creepy, it might be.)

Today instead of giving you an update on our lives as interns (because really the only update is that we are working hard to have everything ready for Junior Nationals), we are going to share our favorite beef recipes. We were inspired to write this post after finding some AJSA aprons in a very cold storage room that Abbey dubbed as the ‘meat locker’.

Abbey’s recipe ­– There is this amazing little taco truck a couple towns over from where I went to high school in Colorado called Lucy’s Tacos. After trying many different items on their menu with at least 50 different options, I discovered their Carne Asada Fries.  When I moved 10 hours away to Oklahoma for college I had to find a way to keep these fries in my life, so I developed my own recipe.

AbCarne-asada-friesbey’s Carne Asada Fries

Prep time- 45 min. to an hour. (Most of this is down time letting the fries soak)

Cook Time-45 min. to an hour.

Total time- 1.5 to 2 hours.

Serving size – 4 people

Ingredients – Fries

  • 4 large russet potatoes
  • 2-3 tablespoon olive oil, or preferred cooking oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste (most days I like to add in a little garlic salt)

Ingredients – Toppings

  • Half pound to a pound of steak – depends on how much meat you want. I prefer a nice marble tri-tip steak for some extra flavor, but you can also use skirt steak of steak you want.
  • Weber Steak and Chop seasoning to taste
  • Shredded cheese – I like a three cheese Mexican blend, but from here on out the ingredients are all personal preference
  • Sour Cream
  • Avocado or guacamole
  • Salsa
  • Shredded lettuce

Instructions

  1. Cut the potatoes into sticks, about a quarter inch to half inch thick depending on how you like your fries. Then place the fries into a bowl of ice water and soak for 30 min. to an hour. This will help the fries to be nice and crunchy.
  2. Preheat oven to 425F
  3. After the fries have soaked, rinse and dry them thoroughly. Use 1 tablespoon of the oil to coat a baking sheet then toss the fries in the rest and season to taste. Spread the fries even over the baking sheet and cook at 425F for 45 min to an hour until nice and golden. Turn the fries about halfway through.
  4. After the fries are in the oven cut the steak into half inch cubes and coat the cubes in the Weber’s seasoning and let sit at room temperature until ready to cook.
  5. When the fries have about 15 min. left cook the meat in a skillet on medium0high heat. I like to use a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or a griddle for a nice sear but any skillet will work. If needed add a little bit of olive oil to keep the meat from sticking and burning.
  6. When the fries are nice and golden turn the oven off and remove them. I like to layer on some cheese and place the fries back in the still warm oven to melt the cheese.
  7. Plate the fries and add toping as desired.
  8. Enjoy!

Unfortunately I don’t have a picture of my Carne Asada fries, but I have provided one I found from www.carlsbadcraving.com that is similar to what I based my recipe off.

stuffed peppers

Taylor’s Recipe:

As we all know, nothing beats Grandma’s cooking and I am pretty much certain my granny is the best cook of all! Growing up just a hop, skip, and a jump away from her house, I spent many days learning all the tricks to making the perfect dish. Moving 1,300 miles provided me with the chance to practice all that she taught me. Although, I will never be the cook she is, I think I have done a good job of perfecting a few recipes.  One of my all-time favorites to make is stuff bell peppers. Especially if they are fresh peppers straight out of Papa’s garden! With little preparation time, this is the perfect meal to toss in the oven on a busy night.

Prep time: 15-20 minutes

Cook time: 30-45 minutes

Total time:  45-65 minutes

Serving size: 6-8 peppers

Ingredients:

  • 6-8 bell peppers
  • 1 box New Orleans dirty rice
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
  • 1 can of tomato sauce (8 oz.)
  • Shredded Mozzarella cheese

 

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Brown the ground beef in a large frying pan and add in the chopped onion, cooking until the vegetable is softened.
  3. Next, add salt and pepper to taste, and then add the can of tomato sauce.
  4. Stir in cooked rice and cook for another 5 minutes or until the rice is warm. (Meanwhile, cut the tops of the peppers off and spoon out the rubs and seeds. Rinse.)
  5. Lightly, sprinkle the inside of the pepper with salt and fill the peppers with the hot meat and rice mixture.
  6. In the bottom of a 3 quart baking dish, put a ¼ cup of water (so you can steam the peppers while they are cooking).
  7. Place peppers in baking dish and top with shredded cheese.
  8. Bake for 30-45 minutes at 350 degrees until the peppers are tender and the cheese is brown.
  9. Serve hot & enjoy!

 

 

apronsHope you have been practicing your beef cook-off recipes! It will be time to show those cooking skills off before you know it!

 

Shorthorn love,

Abbey & Taylor

Intern Update: Our First Week

Posted on by Shelby Rogers

IMG_1829Hello AJSA members, Abbey and Taylor here, giving a little update of our first week and a half as interns!

Though the hours from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. seem to drag on every day with repetitive Junior National’s entries on Taylor’s part and going back and forth between design and updates for Abbey, the week as a whole has passed by fast.

Each day we start by going over our six most important things to accomplish. We compile these lists at the end of the previous work day. Scheduling and prioritizing is key for us to accomplish all our tasks in time for the National Junior Shorthorn Show. But we can and are excited to do our jobs!

Abbeys perspective: I’m usually a person that likes to sit down and get as much of a project done at once. However, that is so not possible with this position. I have many different tasks to work on and accomplish in hopes to help make this year’s NJSS one of the best yet.  So with that I am having to force myself to space out my time and work on items just a little bit. This fact excites me for one (probably a little nerdy) reason: I love to learn! Even if it’s something simple like a new way to manage my time and work. That’s what this internship is for, to build on my knowledge as an agricultural communicator and better all my skills. It also helps to have a boss as awesome as Gwen and all the other great people in the office. Getting settled in has been a breeze.IMG_1859

Taylor’s Perspective: It is hard to believe we are getting ready to wrap up our second week here at ASA. I have never visited Kansas City before, so I have been spending some time sightseeing on the weekends. This past Saturday I ate at Joe’s Kansas City barbeque and I can definitely say it was worth all the fuss. I’ve never had better gas station BBQ in my life! J  It has been a few long and tiresome days getting all of you guys Jr. National’s entry forms in, but gladly I am no longer buried underneath paperwork. It may have been with some help of a few Starbucks coffees, but I managed to get everyone entered.  After typing the same name multiple times, I feel like I personally know each of you!

Gwen, Montie and the rest of the staff have been awesome! Each one willing to offer help whenever needed and give a little wisdom here and there.  I think I can speak for Abbey as well, when I say that I find myself fortunate to have an internship with people who are willing to help prepare me for my future.  I am really excited to learn and grow as a person this summer and know that this experience will be one for the books. Stay tuned for more updates as the weeks progress! IMG_1859

The countdown to Jr. National’s is on and we cannot wait to meet you all!

-Abbey & Taylor

Summer 2016 Internships Announced

Posted on by Shelby Rogers

We would like to welcome to the ASA/AJSA team our summer 2016 interns, Abbey Martin and Taylor Wilkinds.

Abbey Martin of Rocky Ford, Colorado is attending Oklahoma State University with a major in Agricultural Communications and a minor in Agribusiness. She will be receiving her diploma upon Abbeycompletion of her internship here at ASA. She is most excited about working with professionals in the industry and improving her skills in a true work environment. She hopes to learn some of the ins and out of what a breed association does on a day to day basis and how she can improve and progress in the industry. Martin’s livestock background consists of helping her parents with their 40 head herd, showing steers in 4-H for nine years, along with her experience of being a carcass data collector on the end of the production side.

 

 

Taylor Wilkins comes to us from Brooker, Florida. She is from a small rural county where she grew up raising and showing market steers, as well as purebred Angus heifers. She is attending Iowa TaylorState University majoring in Agricultural & Life Sciences Education. Wilkin’s is looking forward to being surrounded by professionals/experts in the industry and is excited to work with a group of individuals who share similar passions as her. She is thrilled about the opportunity to gain knowledge and experience, and is excited to learn how the association functions on a daily basis. In addition, she hopes to learn more about the Shorthorn breed itself and the impact it has on the cattle market.