CALF_News_Feb_March_2019

30 CALF News • February | March 2019 • www.calfnews.net F amilies of active duty service men and women face different challenges at Christmas time. Their loved ones who normally gather for the holiday are away defend- ing the nation. Ag producers and feeders in Stratford, Texas, make sure those neighbors aren’t forgotten. For the past 14 years, several of the area’s cattle feeders, farmers, ranchers and allied industry folks have devoted a special time to preparing mouthwatering beef tenderloins for delivery to military families and vets. For 2018, they added first responders to the list. Ted Allen, a cow-calf operator and local Sherman County sheriff, welcomed the tasty treats – not just for him and his sheriff ’s department staff – but for his son, a U.S. Marine staff sergeant and crew chief of an Osprey tilt rotor aircraft in Afghanistan. “My three deputies and many others in our department and I really appreciate this,” says Allen, whose brother, Lynn, helped put together the cooking tradition. “My brother and a lot of these guys put this together to help maintain the awareness that our nation is still in a war. They wanted to remind people that we have heroes putting themselves in harm’s way every day to protect our freedoms. “They added first responders this year. First responders in our county get very good support from people here, and we appreciate it.” Lynn Allen, who is part of a cattle ultrasound service, was among others to start and grow the tradition.“We first cooked turkeys for military families,” he says.“Larry Parsons [a retired cattle buyer for Cactus Feeders and Monfort] was part of the group and still helps us. About seven years ago he suggested we switch to beef since we’re beef people.” Lynn Allen says the beef is purchased “at a very good price” from H & R Foods in Amarillo. On Dec. 21, about 270 pounds of tenderloins were unpacked, trimmed, seasoned and grilled at a barn owned by Wesley Spurlock, feeder and farmer, and former president of the National Corn Growers Association. Among those helping with the beef prep was Ted Hudson, who had com- pleted a stretched-out cotton harvest the night before.“I have some good friends in the military. I feel like I need to do something for them,” says Hudson, who now ramrods the event.“We make sure their families know they are not forgot- ten. It’s a lot of fun to do it.” His cousin, Gregg Hudson, also finished cotton harvest the night before. Gregg’s son, Scott, was also lending a hand. He runs a grow yard for Cactus and also serves as a volunteer fire fighter and EMT. The northern Texas Panhandle grass fires the past few years have had Scott and other firefighters busy.“Firefighters and other first responders are important to our community,” Lynn Allen says. “We added them to the list of people we cooked beef for to just remind them we support them and realize they are always on our minds.” Tex Vaughn, a retired cattle feeder and cattle buyer, showed his mastery with a trimming knife.“We really enjoy doing this for our military people and first responders,” he says. Ted Hudson encourages people in all sizes of towns to make extra efforts to show families of military personnel and first responders that they have their backs. “I challenge other small towns to do something like this for their military families and their local first responders,” he says.“This is a good way to say ‘thank you’ to them. “They are putting in time out of their day for my family and me. I can do the same for them every once in a while.”  Small Town Salutes Military, First Responders at Christmas By Larry Stalcup Contributing Editor Sherman County Sheriff Ted Allen, left, appreciates how his brother, Lynn, and other Stratford, Texas, feeders and farmers show their support for military families and first responders with holiday beef. FAR LEFT: Gregg, Scott and Ted Hudson help with the annual holiday tradition of showing support for local military families and first responders. LEFT: With beef tenderloins, Stratford, Texas, producers and feeders show their support for military families and first responders.