“Season of Giving is a good opportunity to remember all the things we must be thankful for, and as Hereford breeders we have a lot to be thankful for,” says Bill King, Hereford Youth Foundation of America (HYFA) board member. “This is a time to give back to support the youth of our breed. Season of Giving is an opportunity to help kids get ahead personally, but also allows the Hereford breed to be at the forefront of the nation by having these fresh young minds come back and join the industry.”
The Hereford Season of Giving, hosted by HYFA, is here! Dedicated to the next generation, we continue to unwrap gifts made possible by donors of all sizes. A special thanks to this year’s challenge gift donors, Priefert, Jerry and Maryann Huth and the National Hereford Women. These friends of HYFA have stepped up and challenge you to help unwrap their gifts this Season of Giving.
No gift is too small, it takes everyone coming together to build a foundation like the Hereford family is building.
All donors, no matter the size of the donation, will be entered into a drawing for a custom American Hereford Association (AHA) branded chute, donated by Priefert. This chance to win a special prize, can be yours just by supporting the next generation of Hereford youth and research.
Priefert has continued to be a partner of the Hereford Youth Foundation of America as well as a partner of the Hereford Season of Giving, continuing to offer a custom branded American Hereford Association cattle chute each year for a lucky donor to win. Last year SE Lawrence Herefords of Avilla, Ind., won the chute, and were ecstatic upon its arrival.
Jerry Huth, Huth Polled Herefords, has been a passionate Hereford breeder and advocate for 62 years and is a part of the Hereford Research Foundation (HRF) board. Huth says his passion truly lays within research and the growth of not only the Hereford breed, but the beef industry as a whole. This year he chose to support the Research pillar of HYFA through a $10,000 gift under the tree.
The partnership that HYFA and the National Hereford Women (NHW) has had throughout the years has continued to make opportunities possible for junior Hereford members. The NHW helps support contests at the Junior National Hereford Expo (JNHE), as well as scholarships throughout the year, and recently launched a program providing travel scholarships to attendees of the Faces of Leadership conference.
The Hereford Youth Foundation of America and National Junior Hereford Association work together to provide opportunities for our breed’s future leaders so that they may excel in their college and career paths, strengthening this industry and the breed. The summer of 2024 marked a milestone of $2 million given out in scholarships to Hereford youth.
The leadership pillar is helping build the best leaders in the agriculture industry and beyond. Through the annual Faces of Leadership conference and the BOLD conference, junior Hereford members grow as individuals and are preparing to become the best version of themselves. Serving on the NJHA Board of Directors is a prime example of the leadership opportunities and life lessons that HYFA works to cultivate.
Through programs like the Junior National Hereford Expo (JNHE) and the NJHA Fed Steer Shootout, education is at the forefront to developing the next generation. In 2025 the JNHE will continue providing countless opportunities for development in and outside of the showring and the NJHA Fed Steer Shootout continues to provide invaluable industry education and real world cattle feeding experience.
The Hereford Research Foundation is a division of HYFA to support breed improvement projects outside the scope of the American Hereford Association budget. The National Reference Sire Program (NRSP) is the backbone of many Hereford research efforts and extensive time and resources are spent each year to enhance beef cattle production through various ongoing projects.
Join us this season as we come together to make a difference in scholarship, leadership, research and education. Giving during the campaign will be hosted December 18-20, 2024.
