Over the last few years the youth market beef project has been in decline in numbers of youth participating. One reason for this decline is the trend in which the project has gone to where it is more of a competition than a learning experience. Competition is healthy. However, it seems some parents tend to want their child to win at any expense. Therefore, families that can afford it tend to scour the U.S. to find the "best" show animal at no matter the price tag. This goes against the economic part of the beef project. It does, however, fall in line with the animal selection part of the project. Nonetheless, this trend has dampened the desire of those youth whom cannot afford to pay for a "winning"  animal.--why show if you do not have a chance of winning.

This ANR agent collaborated with the Meade County Cattlemen's Association, ABS, and local purebred cattle producer to develop a "Grow Your Own" beef animal program. The program has guidelines that would include most youth that maybe interested in showing beef animals. The intent is to show parents and their children that through estrus synchronization and artificial insemination very good competitive market animals can be produced on their own farm. The program makes the parents and youth responsible for most of the work and record keeping,, while money donations pay for the project expenses. Hopefully, parents will realize that t a minimal expense through the science available today that producing their own animals is possible as well as affordable.