Myranda Stewart by Bonnie Warnyca
March, 2010
Myranda Stewart was an extremely shy little girl growing up on the family farm near Strathmore, Alberta. Even though she was surrounded by a 300 head cow herd of purebred and commercial Simmental, she didn't bother with them much except to help a little during branding or tagging.
"I also used to help bottle feed some bought feeder calves," she remembers. "But I didn't care much about the cattle. The only thing I thought about was my dad's horse. I learned to ride but when I was nine, instead of going into 4-H horse, I went into 4-H beef. My dad and grandpa had both gone through 4-H beef. Dad suggested that if I went into beef I could earn enough money by selling my steers to buy a horse. I never did, but my affections soon turned to showing and grooming cattle and I never looked back."
The Cheadle 4-H Club membership, where Stewart went, was like most 4-H clubs over the years, the membership swayed from a high of 30 members to a low of 7. Today, the club numbers are up and it's a multi club which offers everything from beef to horses to dogs and cats. I guess that's the sign of the times.
"I never won a Grand Championship with my cattle," says a candid Stewart, "but I did win a lot in showing and grooming. My dad had a lot to do with showing me the ropes. I preferred this part of 4-H because I always felt that I had little control over some of the genetics and whether my animal gained well or not. But with showmanship and grooming, I could control the situation and rely on my own skills."
Stewart loved the creativity she could express with a spray can or glue bottle. She learned how to make the legs look wider and fuller by the positioning the hair up and that if you shave the belly the animal looks cleaner. "I don't think you can fool a good judge," she laughs. "But if they don't have the time to look real close, the animal can be fitted to look more perfect when out in the ring."
Like many of the 4-H members we've talked to over the past year, Stewart credits her involvement in 4-H for bringing her out of her shyness. "I can stand in front of 300 people and tell them about 4-H and not be nervous," she says proudly. "I didn't do that well in public speaking but I became a "key" member of the club which meant I was one of the volunteers to conduct workshops for other 4-H clubs and help to promote available scholarships and 4-H camp."
Stewart still attends 4-H camp and helps to run one of the camps located at the 4-H Center at Battle Lake. "I can't say enough good things about camp," she says passionately. "We play games and run a lot of sessions like outdoor cooking and canoeing. Older campers participate in sessions that are more informational such resume building, and 4-H and environmental awareness to name a few. I met some of my closest friends at camp. We spent many nights talking into the wee hours and were sometimes exhausted the next day. But it was all part of camp life."
Stewart's enthusiasm for learning and giving back must have moved her out in front when she won the 2008 Premier's 4-H Award over 90 other participants. "It was pretty a pretty in depth process and stressful," she says. "I was very proud and I cherish both the honor and the trophy."
Stewart is well into her second year at the University of Lethbridge and although she's in the addictions counseling program, she's not sure that will be her major. "I might switch to psychology," she says. "I'm going through an identity crisis at the moment and I'm unsure about what I want to do with the rest of my life. I love being here at school but I miss the farm. Some day I would like to return and help with its progress."
"I think there's a lack of recognition for the small cattle producer," she says thoughtfully. "Most people just see the big feedlots and don't think much beyond the package of meat at the retail counter. They don't see the story behind the meat. Maybe we're just not doing a good job of promoting ourselves to the consumer." |
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