[dropcap]F[/dropcap]rom an early age, Dripping Springs senior and Kansas native Grace Baxter was immersed in the agriculture lifestyle.
Her father, who had grown up in Kansas, showed steers and heifers in 4H, much like his brothers before him. Many of her babysitters growing up were also a part of the local 4H program.
Perhaps it was no surprise that at seven years old, Baxter herself got into 4H.
Ten years and a myriad of projects later, including starting up her own 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, led Baxter to be named the Texas recipient of a national $10,000 scholarship toward her college pursuits.
For Baxter, the award was the realization of a world that goes far beyond just showing cattle.
“There was a lot more opportunities to get involved,” Baxter said. “It shaped me into the future I want go into.”
When she first joined her local 4H program in Baldwin, Kan., Baxter said she never realized 4H went beyond raising and showing livestock.
It wasn’t until she got involved that she learned the organization offers soil stewardship, crop science, agronomy and much more.
As she attended national and state conventions over the years, Baxter also learned how diverse the 4H programs could be.
“The conventions are where you meet so many people with different backgrounds,” Baxter said. “There are a lot of different people involved that bring something to contribute to the organization.”
During her time in Kansas, Baxter sharpened her showing skills, gathering experience in raising different livestock. But she also gained experience in public speaking as well.
It was a shock to the system for Baxter, who was not a natural public speaker.
“I was one of the shyest kids. I would hide behind my parents when they introduced me to someone,” Baxter said. “Now that I’ve gone through 4H, I went through projects and topics that interested me. It forced me to become a good public speaker.”
A larger world opened up for Baxter when she and her family moved to Texas four years ago.
Once a student at Dripping Springs High, Baxter said she discovered there was much more available in 4H and FFA in Texas than in Kansas.
But Baxter also realized more opportunities meant more competition. Baxter said going up against the competition in Texas was a “whole new ball game.”
Jordan Blount, Dripping Springs High agriscience teacher, remembers Baxter as someone whose work ethic and passion for agriscience was noticeable.
“Whatever she needed to do, she put her heart and soul into it and would give maximum effort,” Blount said.
That work ethic paid off this past year when Baxter’s show steer, Honeybutter, won grand champion at the Hays County Youth Livestock Show. The steer also placed third at the San Antonio Livestock Show. The result was the culmination of many early mornings that consisted of managing the steers weight and grooming care.
“It’s a lot work to make cattle look their best (for show),” Baxter said.
It’s on community service projects that Baxter focuses most of her attention.
And that’s how in 2016 when she started Center of the Plate (COP), a non-profit that provides meat products to needy families.
The idea came when she saw some local food pantries did not have perishable food items, which are “essential parts of the diet,” Baxter said.
Baxter applied for and received nonprofit status for the organization. She then gathered a group of her 4H peers and started the long process to reach their goal.
With the help of her peers, Baxter was able to coordinate livestock donated from 4H and FFA members. With the help of her parents, Baxter coordinated processing the animals, which is done at a United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) licensed facility in Smithville in order to ensure the quality of the meat.
From there, the organization coordinated with Central Market to help carry the product from Smithville to the Dripping Springs Presbyterian Church.
In 2016, COP helped feed four families, with each receiving 320 pounds of beef that lasted them eight months.
She hopes to double the impact in 2017 by helping eight families. She’s so far received 12 market hogs and one market steer.
“It’s been a group effort. There’s been so much community support for everything that’s been done,” Baxter said.
Receiving a $10,000 college scholarship from AXA was a humbling experience, Baxter said.
Baxter plans to dual major in degrees in Agriscience and Animal Science while at Blinn College, with plans to potentially transfer to Texas Tech University in Lubbock.
Blount said Baxter is one of the first Dripping Springs students to apply for and receive the scholarship.
“I’m happy and proud and glad that’s what she’s doing,” Blount said. “It makes me feel I’m doing my job.”
