by Luke Daniels, National Junior Hereford Association (NJHA) Director

NJHA’s very own, Amy Cowan, said it best, “It’s the start of a new month… with that comes green grass, new life on the ranch, and lots of hope.” These are trying times we face as young breeders, in a world full of chaos that seems to increase each and every day. We are in school from home, the markets have crashed and yes, the stores are still out of toilet paper. I personally know that I never thought this course of my senior year of high school would be this bumpy. It truly is a change of speed that we did not expect by any means, let alone think of from the start.

We are all aware of the uncertainties and unknowns of how long these changes will continue, but I want to give everyone something to look forward to. If you haven’t heard already, Team NJHA is moving full speed ahead in preparation for the fun filled week we still expect to have in July for you all in Louisville at Banners in the Bluegrass. The anticipation of this week gets us just as excited as all of you and we haven’t stopped working to make this year’s Junior National Hereford Expo (JNHE) the best yet.

I encourage each member to use this extra time at home to get a head start on contests you wish to participate in this summer. Whether writing your presentation scripts, searching through cookbooks for the next best Certified Hereford Beef® Cook-Off recipe, or studying materials for the Hereford Bowl, there is a contest for each NJHA member to start prepping for. Use this time as a surefire way to prepare for this new decade of beneficial transformation in the Hereford breed. Don’t forget about our recently launched #HerefordsAtHome social media campaign as well. If you missed the first part of the series, we had a great time designing our 2020 JNHE banners and seeing our members’ projects, too. Some fun questions have been posted on our social media stories daily to test your Hereford trivia along the way. And like always, let’s not forget about our Pen-to-Pen pals. Reach out to your pen pals during this time and see what they have been up to and what they are doing to prepare for the JNHE.

I challenge all members to embrace the spring season and the virtue of hope that still remains during these difficult times. Let us be the standard that sets the bar for an optimistic outlook that has been all too quiet. I know if anyone is capable of getting through a difficult time of adversity, Team Hereford will approach it head on. Find and appreciate the little things like green grass or the new life on the ranch over the next few months, because this too shall pass my friends. Stay safe, wash your hands and continue to look forward to the future of Hereford.