January 17, 2025 • 36 mins
In this episode of the Growing Our Future podcast, host Aaron Alejandro speaks with 13-year-old Baxter Whitworth, a young entrepreneur passionate about agriculture and Brahmin cattle. They discuss the importance of trust, teamwork, and core values in leadership, as well as the role of agriculture in feeding a growing population. Baxter shares his insights on encouragement, the significance of working together, and the need for continuous learning in leadership. The conversation emphasizes the importance of youth in agriculture and the potential for future leaders to inspire change.
Story Notes:
- Meet Baxter Whitworth: A Young Entrepreneur in Agriculture
- Baxter's Passion for Brahmin Cattle
- The Importance of Trust and Teamwork in Agriculture
- Understanding Animo: Core Values in Leadership
- Encouragement: The Power of Words and Actions
- The Role of Agriculture in Feeding a Growing Population
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to the Growing Our Future podcast.
In this show, the Texas FFAFoundation will take on a
journey of exploration intoagricultural science, education,
leadership development andinsights from subject matter
experts and sponsors who providethe fuel to make dreams come
true.
Here's your host, AaronAlejandro.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Well, good morning, good afternoon, good evening or
whenever you may be tuning in tothe Growing Our Future podcast.
You know we just love bringingthis podcast to you and we
appreciate the fact that you'retaking a little time out of your
day to join us, to meet ourguests and to maybe gain some
insights from what they sharewith us.
(00:51):
You know, I'm an ag guy and Ialways tell people that if
agriculture has taught meanything, it's taught me this If
you want to know what thefuture is, grow it Well.
How do you grow a future?
What the future is, grow itWell.
How do you grow a future?
Well, you got to have the rightgenetics, you got to plant the
(01:13):
right seeds, you got to takecare of it and then one day you
got to harvest it, you got toshare it.
And I like to tell people thatFFA and 4-H you know our country
and state have three vital andrenewable resources it's
agriculture, youth andleadership.
And our guest today representsall three of those.
And I am so excited to havethis young man on this podcast
(01:35):
because I'm going to tell yousomething At a very early age,
he's already made a brand forhimself, a brand for his cattle
and, more importantly, he'spouring into other people, that
he's inspiring those older thanhim and he's also encouraging
them younger than him.
Ladies and gentlemen, it's anhonor to introduce Baxter
(01:57):
Whitworth.
Baxter, thank you for joiningus today.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Yes, sir, I'm glad to .
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Are you ready?
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Oh yes, sir, I'm ready to dive in.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Okay, let's dive in.
So Baxter's going to tell us alittle bit here about his cattle
company and a little bit abouthis journey.
But, baxter, I like to startevery podcast off by giving a
little thanks, by showing alittle appreciation and
gratitude, because I thinkpeople that show appreciation
and gratitude are happier people.
(02:27):
They look at the worlddifferently and they see things
differently.
So, baxter, what are youthankful for today?
What are you grateful for today?
Speaker 3 (02:37):
There's so many to start with.
I mean, I'm so grateful for myfamily.
Most of all, I'm grateful forour Savior, who died on the
cross for us.
I'm grateful for theopportunity to be in agriculture
to show cattle and to speak topeople.
I'm grateful that we live inAmerica, we're safe and that we
(02:57):
have agriculture producing foodfor us.
I think all those are reallythings that we all should be
grateful for.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Man.
Okay, we can stop now you don'thave to say anymore.
That was good.
By the way, baxter, I agreewith you.
Everything that you just said Iagree with.
I am so thankful that I live inthis country where I can choose
what I want to eat, what sportsI want to play, what I listen
(03:25):
to, what foods I eat, whether ornot I want to go to church or
not.
Think about it.
I get to choose everything thatI want to do.
Yes, sir, that is a blessing.
And then, like you said, then Iget to do that with my family.
Yes, sir, and then, on top ofthat, I get to do it with things
that I enjoy, like agriculture,of that.
I get to do it with things thatI enjoy, like agriculture.
(03:46):
Yes, sir.
So thank you, man.
The opportunities, that's good.
How old are you, baxter?
Tell everybody how old you are13.
13 years old, yes, sir.
So I just want you to know atthis point in time, you are the
youngest guest on the GrowingOur Future podcast.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Yes, sir, that's exciting.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
It is exciting.
You know why it's going to beexciting?
Because one day your mom andyour dad and me and your
children are going to all sitback and go.
I remember when Baxter did thatpodcast Look how good he is and
you're only going to get betterand better and better.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
All right, baxter Whitworth let's talk about.
At 13 years old, you sound likeyou're a little bit
entrepreneurial.
Yes, sir, it sounds like you'vegot an idea of, maybe, where
you'd like to go and what youmight like to do Just my
(04:49):
impression.
So why don't you take a momentand tell us a little bit about
Baxter you know what do you doin school and then tell me about
this cattle company and thisidea that you have about growing
your cattle?
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Yes, sir.
So I started Top Notch CattleCompany in 2020.
I came up with the brand designmyself.
I'm very passionate aboutBrahman cattle.
I really enjoy raising them andI really enjoy selling things,
especially if it has to do withcattle and semen.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
And so why cattle?
Why not sheep, goats, swine?
I'm just curious.
I mean, you've got thisaffinity for cattle, why cattle?
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Well, I mean cattle are I just have a passion for
cattle.
That's what I've always had.
I'm raised I've been raised ona beef cattle ranch.
My parents own a commercial acommercial operation.
I'm raised I've been raised ona beef cattle ranch.
My parents own a commercial acommercial operation.
Now I'm starting a registeredramen operation.
I've always loved cattle.
That's just where my passion isat.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Okay, by the way, you know, let me tell you my
grandson.
He's eight years old.
You know what I told him?
I told him you know why I likebeef so much?
And he said no.
I said because beef eats grassand turns it into steak, and I
think that's pretty cool.
Yes, sir, I'm a big fan of beef.
(06:13):
Yes, sir, so you decided to godown this path of raising cattle
.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Okay, so why of all the breeds?
So you've identified species.
So there's different species,but you, you decided on beef.
So of all the species, why didyou end up with Brahman cattle?
Speaker 3 (06:36):
That's a good question and a lot of people ask
that question.
A lot of people are like, oh,those crazy things We'll.
We'll get to that part in asecond.
But ramen cattle I mean they're.
They're great for the south,the southern united states.
They do well on in harsh, hotclimates.
They are they're.
(06:58):
They're known for theirmothering abilities, their
disease and insect resistance.
It's really a win-win situation.
When you look at how much moneyyou can save on on vaccinations
and protection, especially likewith herfords, you know they
get pink a lot.
And brahmins they're.
(07:19):
They have the pigmentation thathelps keep their eyes safe.
It's just one example.
Okay, nothing against carp roots.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Oh, I know you like all breeds because it's all beef
right and we love beef.
Yes, tell me about.
You said something abouttemperament.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
There may be not what people think.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
So there's three types of Brahmin cattle.
There's Brahmins that are thesweetest animals that you will
come across.
They're the ones that theymight be on the other side of
the pasture but that you come upthe fence and they'll come up
to you.
Then there's Brimmers.
They might be at the fence andwhen you walk up they're going
to run to the other side of thepasture.
(08:03):
And then there's bramers that,like brahmins, they can be on
the other side of the pastureand come to the fence, but
they're running and are going tokeep plowing through the fence
so if I'm a buyer, how do I makesure I buy the right one?
well, I mean you.
It's best to be able to go andsee them in person and make sure
(08:25):
their temperament's good andall I mean you can trust.
If you trust the person thatyou're buying from you can, you
can always ask them.
You know, if you trust them andknow that they're going to tell
you the truth.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
You said something there that's pretty important.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Yes, sir.
How important is trust in doingbusiness with somebody.
I think it's very important.
I mean, for one day you maymake.
I mean there's the biblicalreasons for God's told us to
always be honest.
But there's also, I mean youthink about it, if you lie for
one day, you may make more moneythat one day.
(09:06):
But when it comes next year andyou have a sale again, well,
those people probably aren'tcoming back if they know that
you weren't honest with them andthat's not going to help you
any.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Do you know that?
That's?
You probably know that youweren't honest with them and
that's that's not going to helpyou any.
Do you know that?
That's a?
You probably know that, but wecall that a core value.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
And a core value is something that you believe
inside and I would tell you that, since you brought it up, I
would I would say that corevalues they're kind of like good
genetics.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Because if you can pick good genetics, you're
probably going to have goodmamas and daddies in that herd.
Yes, sir, if you pick corevalues, you're probably going to
be more successful at your homeand your family and your
business.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
And so that's a.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
That was good that you said that so trust is kind
of a big deal.
Yes, sir, it is that you saidthat so trust is kind of a big
deal.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Yes, sir, it is, it's a really big deal.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Is there anything?
So, at 13 years of age, whenyou're thinking about the next
five to 10 years, where do youthink food is headed?
Where's cattle headed.
Where do you think this wholething's going?
Where's cattle headed, where doyou?
Speaker 3 (10:19):
think this whole thing's going?
I really think that depends onhow we, as the beef cattle at
agriculture, the beef cattleindustry and breeds as a whole,
work together and how much youvalue pushing the whole
agriculture and all and we'lljust say the beef industry
towards being more productive,or if you're more selfish and
(10:44):
don't try and push everyoneforward and just yourself.
I think we all have to makesure and help each other get to
where we need to be in terms ofproviding data to help others,
and just if we don't help theother fellow producers in
agriculture, then we're notgoing to be able to feed the
rest of the world, just like ifyou have an army that doesn't.
(11:05):
That isn't.
If they don't work together,they're not going to do much,
because if one person is tryingto be the hero and nobody else,
they're going to end up introuble and then they've
accomplished nothing.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
Well, you just gave us another really good seed of
greatness there, Mr Baxter, andthat is life is not a solo
project.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
Yes, sir, that's, very true.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
None of us is as strong as all of us.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
That's very true.
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
So teamwork sounds like it must be kind of's very
true, yes, sir.
So teamwork sounds like it mustbe kind of important to success
.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Okay, and you've experienced that before.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
Oh yes, sir, there's been multiple people that have
helped me get into the breed,into the beef industry, that I
would not be here withoutwhatsoever.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Okay, so we have a mutual friend and it's kind of
fun story.
You know I haven't told youthis story, but you know I take
36 teachers on a week-longleadership experience every
summer.
Yes, one summer we were down inthe Rio Grande Valley and we
(12:18):
stopped by this place called LaManeca Cattle Company.
And teachers got to meet thisguy named Carlos Guerra and
Carlos told the teachers aboutthis word, animo A, and their
chapter FFA t-shirt said Animoon them.
We had teachers that went backand had posters put up in their
(12:49):
classrooms that said the wordAnimo.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
So tell us because you're in East Texas.
Okay, yes, sir, You're a longway from the Rio Grande Valley,
so you're up in Northeast Texas,which is probably what 11 hours
to South Texas.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
Yes, sir, I think it's around that, somewhere
around 9 to 11, I think.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Yeah, somewhere in there.
Yes, sir.
A lot of people say they go tosouth texas and they say they
went to san antonio and I'm likeoh, no, no, no, you're not in
south texas yet.
Yes, sir keep on going yes, sir, keep driving, keep driving so
there's a man from lamaniacadown in lynn texas, carlos gar.
(13:38):
He uses the word animo.
Yes, sir Baxter, I know youknow what that word is and what
it means.
Tell us a little bit what itmeans to have a little bit of
animo.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
Yes, sir.
So first and foremost, like Isaid earlier, you have to be
trustworthy and honest, but youalso have to have passion and
work ethic to be able to getstuff done and just also being
respectful and helpful of otherpeople.
That that's all consumed intothat one word and I think that's
something that is is reallyimportant, and it's, like you
(14:13):
said earlier, the core values,and Mr Guerra told me that when
I get in college I always needto make sure I sit on the front
row, so that's something thatsticks with me did he tell you
that nobody's ever ground intheir own sweat?
yes, sir, yes sir, he's told methat too yeah, he's got a lot of
(14:36):
good one-liners yes, sir, a lotof good sayings is onimo for
everybody well, unfortunatelynow it's, it's not being
represented through everybody,but I think it should be.
I mean, I think everybody shouldrepresent themselves in a way
(14:57):
that they're being honest andrespectful and have a work ethic
.
And I mean, nowadays, if we, ifeveryone did that, we would be
so much further along in termsof just helping other people.
We would, you would, you wouldsee a lot less need from people
if we all pitched in to helpeach other.
I agree with you, by the way.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Yes, sir I agree with you, by the way.
Yes, sir, did you ever hear thestory of the man that was given
a tour of heaven and hell so hecould?
Speaker 3 (15:27):
select his final destination.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
No sir, I don't believe I've heard that story
yeah, so like he got to tourboth heaven and hell and first
the devil jumped in there andsaid I get the first shot at
this guy and he took him down tohell and the guy was just man.
He was amazed there was thistable with every kind of food
imaginable.
Everything you could imaginewas on this table.
(15:51):
But he noticed that the peopleweren't very well fed and he
noticed that there wasn't anymusic and there wasn't any
smiles, there wasn't anythingthat would you know really
accompany such a feast.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
Next stop was heaven.
And he goes to heaven and assoon as he opens up the pearly
gates, there's the same tableand the same foods.
And he's like, oh my gosh, lookat this, it's the same thing,
but there's a big difference.
He noticed the people in heavenwere happy, yes, there was
(16:25):
music and they were well fed.
And then he got to thinkingabout it.
He noticed that when he was inhell, that the people had a six
foot long fork and a six footlong knife strapped to their
arms six foot long fork and asix foot long knife strapped to
their arms.
When he got to heaven, he sawthe same six foot long fork in
(16:45):
the same six foot long knife.
And the problem was this thepeople in hell were too busy
trying to feed themselves, whichwas impossible, but the people
in heaven, they fed the personon the opposite side of the
table.
Yes sir, by helping each other,they helped themselves that's
(17:07):
you know, or?
Speaker 3 (17:08):
yes, sir, I was gonna bring up the airplane analogy,
but that's a little bitdifferent well you're.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
You were on to something, though, when you said
that.
When you said that if we helpeach other, think about that.
Speaker 3 (17:21):
If we'll do just a little bit to help each other,
we're kind of feeding oneanother yes, sir, and I you
never know, when you helpsomebody, when 10 years from now
, 20 years from now, it can comeback and it could save your
life one day, just doingsomething for somebody else.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
What do you think about encouragement?
What's encouragement mean toyou?
Speaker 3 (17:45):
Encouraging is really a wide, a wide topic.
I mean you can encouragesomebody with your words, with
your actions.
I mean, simply by praying forsomebody can be encouraging for
them.
There's so many things you cando and really just think about
their needs and do the best youcan do.
And that's just me.
And that's how you can beencouraging, because I mean it
(18:08):
could be just saying somethinglike.
You can be encouraging becauseI mean it could be just saying
something like how are you today?
Or what's been going on in yourday today?
Or you could help them move orhelp them till up their garden
or something you know, or, aftera natural disaster, you can
help clean up it's.
(18:28):
Or it can range from one wordto a big action that's pretty
good back sure one
Speaker 2 (18:36):
word big action we might.
That might be the title of thispodcast, by the way.
That was really good.
Yes, sir, thank you.
There's a famous motivationalspeaker.
His name is zig ziglar.
Zig zig is a famous, one of themost famous motivational
speakers, and his son Tom Ziglaris on my board of directors and
(18:59):
Tom one time told me his dadasked him.
He said, son, he goes.
How do you know if somebodyneeds encouragement?
And Tom looked at his dad andsaid I don't know.
And Zig Ziglar looked at himand he said if they're breathing
, they need encouragement.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
So you were very wise to say that encouragement could
be one word or it could be abig action.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
That was really good, Wise, you know.
So there's going to be somekids that might watch this,
parents and sponsors that reallyaren't in tune to agriculture.
You know it's really sad,Baxter.
They did a survey and 79% ofAmericans, when asked about
agriculture, didn't know what itmeant.
Speaker 3 (19:50):
Really that is sad.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
So now everybody knows what food is.
So personally, that's why I tryto use the word food a lot,
because people understand foodbut they don't understand
agriculture.
But you're 13.
It seems to be important to you.
Why do you think agriculture isso important to our way of life
?
Speaker 3 (20:13):
I mean, you know you're talking about food, and
real food is going to be grownfrom agriculture.
It's not going to be grown in alab.
Whether they say it's healthieror not, it's not real food.
It's real.
Food is what God provided, theway that we were supposed to
make it.
Food is what God provided ofthe way that we were supposed to
(20:35):
make it.
And I think when people startrealizing that, we'll be in a
lot better position.
Because I mean, if you're, ifyou're not eating the natural,
it's just you're not eat.
It's not food.
Food is grown from the theearth to the animals and it's
put on the plate, served, andthat's that's when it becomes
food, not when it's grown in alab so it's pretty important yes
(20:59):
, sir, what's?
Speaker 2 (21:00):
happening.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
What's happening to our population is our population
growing yes, sir, ourpopulation's growing, which
means our agriculture land isshrinking, so we're having to
feed more people with less land,and that's that's something
that we as agriculture, us inthe agriculture industry, we
have to work towards.
You know, there's newtechnologies all the time that
(21:22):
are helping us with that, whichis good.
And then just people I mean the, the things that people could
do.
Even if it's small, it canalways help.
You know, growing a garden inyour window box or something.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
It's, it just a little bit can help.
You know city of Houston, texas, and he was buying some herbs
to cook with at his localgrocery store and decided that
he could actually grow themcheaper and raise them cheaper
if he did it himself.
And so, to your point, he setup his own little window herb
garden and started raising hisown herbs to cook with.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
That's good.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
So I thought that was pretty good.
It's a great example.
Speaker 3 (22:10):
Yes, that's good, so I thought that was pretty good,
it's a great example.
Yes, yeah, go ahead.
And there's multiple ways tohelp with agriculture.
You know there's.
It's not always, you might notalways be able to have the land
or something, but you stillmight be working in agriculture.
You could work for a breedassociation, you could work for
a business that supportsagriculture, like Texas Farm
(22:32):
Bureau, or work with FFA.
There's multiple ways that youmight not be out in the pasture
feeding the cattle, but you canstill be involved in agriculture
.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
That's exactly right.
Yeah, I heard a speaker onetime.
He was the president ofMonsanto and he was over in a
country over near Africa andthey were driving around and
they came up to the schoolbuilding and when they pulled up
to the school building, all thekids were outside underneath
(23:05):
the tree and he said, oh man,look at that, that's great, you
got the kids outside gettingfresh air.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
They're not coked up in the school.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Yes, sir and they said no, mr grant, you don't
understand.
They said you see, here in thiscountry it's so arid that we
can't get anything to grow.
But you guys created a droughttolerant seed, and guess what?
That seed has grown andproduced so much that the only
place we have left to store itnow is in the schoolhouse.
So now all the food is in theschoolhouse.
(23:38):
He said but here's the problemthere's a river that separates
us from this other village, andwe don't know how to get the
grain over the river to thevillage.
There's another village that'sdown the road, but we don't
speak their language, and so wedon't want to approach them
because we don't want to cause aconflict.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
And so when you talk about agriculture and
opportunities, it could beanything.
It could be an engineer thathelps create a bridge that gets
that food over the river, ormaybe somebody that has drone
technology that can lift thatgrain and get it over to the
other side, or maybe somebodythat has language skills that
can help them translate and talkto that language down the road
(24:20):
to help them access food.
Yes, sir, so, like you said,when we think about food and
agriculture, man, everybody canplay a role in this thing.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
I use that thing you said on the language.
That's, that's very big.
You know, I like to go to theinternational brahmin show
during the houston livestockshow and rodeo and there's,
there's people, a lot of people,that speak spanish, there's
some people that from asia, sothere's there's a lot of people
that come that are translators,that are working in agriculture
(24:54):
to help producers and breedersmake sales, and without them, I
mean that show would.
It wouldn't be any differentthan another show, right?
Speaker 2 (25:06):
They help make the connection.
Speaker 3 (25:08):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
And then, what is that?
What do we say?
A while ago, helping each other, help ourselves.
Speaker 3 (25:13):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (25:14):
We're all winning because of that.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
So would you consider yourself a leader?
Speaker 3 (25:23):
I try to be yes, sir, in every situation I can find
possible.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
So tell me what makes a good leader in your mind.
When you think of a good leader, what makes a good leader to
you?
Speaker 3 (25:38):
First of all you have to.
It goes way back to thebeginning of the podcast of
trustworthiness and honesty.
If you can't have that down,then you know the Bible says one
that can be trusted with alittle can be trusted with a lot
, and that if you can't betrusted with a little, then you
can't be trusted with leadingpeople.
(26:00):
And after that I think you haveto be able to accept other
people's ideas.
I mean you're not going to beright 100 percent of the time.
You have to know that there'sother people and other people
can be in leadership positionsalso.
Being a leader can also meanbeing wise enough to let
(26:22):
somebody else that knowssomething about that area take
control while you manage othersituations.
And then also being a leader isshould always be learning.
If you're not learning, thenyou're not going to be
innovating the future or grow inthe future I'm old baxter and
(26:45):
I'm still learning.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
I'd hang out with your mom and dad and I'll learn
something.
I'll hang out with carlosguerra and I'll something.
I think you're wise, wise, wiseto always be learning.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
A good friend of mine who you may have met, or you
will probably one of these days.
His name is Marcus Hill, andMarcus Hill he always tells
people, so you remember what I'mabout to tell you.
So this is kind of a carlosguerra advice moment here.
He always said always have 10friends older than you and 10
(27:21):
friends younger than you.
The 10 friends older than you,they can always tell you where
we've been, and the 10 friendsyounger than you are going to
tell you where we're going.
Speaker 3 (27:31):
Yes, sir, and so the reason that people like you are
important, to tell you wherewe're going.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
Yes, sir, and so the reason that people like you are
important to me, baxter, isbecause you represent where
we're going.
Speaker 3 (27:39):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
And so I want you to have all the tools, education,
equipment that you need to besuccessful.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
Because, like you said, I meant one day, maybe one
day you're my grandson's mentor, maybe one day you hire my
granddaughter, Hattie and sheworks on your ranch.
So think about that.
We're all in this together, butwe got to have leaders that
know how to lead, people thatcan stand and it's not easy, by
(28:12):
the way, baxter, I'll let youknow People that can stand, and
it's not easy.
By the way, baxter, I'll letyou know it's not easy to be a
leader.
No, sir, if it were easy,everybody would do it.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
Right, yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (28:22):
Not everybody wants to do it, so I commend you for
being willing to step up andstep out.
And say I'll give it a tryDoesn't mean you're always going
to get it right.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
But you know what you got to keep moving forward.
Another one from agriculturethat I like.
It goes like this.
It says when you're green, yougrow, when you're ripe you rot.
Yes sir, I don't ever want toquit growing, I just want to
keep being green.
Speaker 3 (28:51):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
Just keep learning and learning and learning.
Yes, sir, All right, Baxter,what else would you like for the
audience to know aboutagriculture leadership?
If you could offer them anymore advice, what would you tell
them?
Speaker 3 (29:08):
Oh, it's a tough one, you know.
I mean something we've beensaying this whole time is
honesty.
But then there's work ethic.
I mean you said at the verybeginning if you want to know
what the future is, grow it.
So if you want to know what andjust find something that you
can do in agriculture to help,whether it's big or small, and
(29:32):
that's just going to help growour future, to be more
productive and a better place.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
Baxter, it's not just agriculture, it's our homes.
Yes sir, it's our businesses,it's our minds.
We've got to plant the rightseeds in our head.
Yes, sir, we've got to plantthe right seeds in our home.
We've got to plant the rightseeds in our state and our
country.
Speaker 3 (29:54):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (29:56):
And then, like you said, it takes a little bit of
hard work.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
People ask me all the time.
They say, Aaron, what separatesthose FFA kids from everybody
else?
You know, you think about highschools and schools.
They've got speech and debate.
Yes, sir, They've got football.
They've got teamwork.
They've got football, They'vegot teamwork.
They've got band, they gotensemble.
(30:21):
So what is it that separatesour kids from everybody else?
I always like to say whatseparates our kids from
everybody else is that in theworld of agriculture, if we
don't do our job, something dies.
Speaker 3 (30:32):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
And I will tell you right.
There is a core value yes, sir,your ability to get up and feed
cattle when it's below freezing, when you are willing to go out
and throw hay when it's 110degrees, because you know,
something depends on you.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
And that is a core value that you will carry into
everything that you approach.
Is that something else matters?
Speaker 3 (31:01):
besides myself.
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
Keep up the good work .
Speaker 3 (31:06):
Yes, sir, and of course you can't do anything
without God, so he has to beyour rock to start with yeah,
there's a good verse in thebible.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
You know what my favorite verse in the bible is?
People ask me this all the time.
I'll tell you why it is it'sjames 1 5.
You know what james 1 5 says?
Says if any man seeks wisdom,let him ask a god who gives it
freely to all men withoutcasting judgment.
That's pretty cool right there.
So the big man just says if youneed some help, ask me.
Speaker 3 (31:39):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
And he'll give it to you.
Speaker 3 (31:41):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
So I'm kind of like you.
I kind of like to think that ifI could really tap into a
subject matter expert, why notthe person that created the
world?
Speaker 3 (31:52):
Yes sir, yes sir.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
All right, baxter, you get one last fun question,
okay.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
Sounds good.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
It's not the one I sent you, so you better get
ready.
I'm going to throw you a curve.
Speaker 3 (32:05):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (32:05):
It's a fun question Are you ready?
Speaker 3 (32:08):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
If they were going to make a movie about Baxter
Whitworth, who would play BaxterWhitworth in your movie?
Speaker 3 (32:22):
Do I get to play myself in the movie?
Speaker 2 (32:25):
Nope, you got to find an actor who would you say
would play the best BaxterWhitworth.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
I don't really know any actors.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
Can't think of anybody out there that you'd say
that would be me.
They would be a good.
Would it be Tom Cruise?
Would it be any man?
Speaker 3 (32:45):
I don't really know any actors, so I couldn't say.
Speaker 2 (32:48):
So you would play yourself.
Speaker 3 (32:51):
I guess so.
Speaker 2 (32:53):
There's nothing wrong with that.
They make movies about peopleplaying themselves.
Speaker 3 (32:58):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
You know what's fun about you saying that?
Baxter, my son, my youngest son, he's 17 years old.
You know what I asked him theother day?
That same question.
No, I asked him about hisfavorite television show.
I said what's your favorite TVshow?
And you know what he told me hedoesn't have one.
Guess what he watches?
(33:20):
Youtube he watches differentpeople on YouTube.
He doesn't even watch thetelevision, like I grew up
watching television yes, If youdon't do that, you would never
know that.
Speaker 3 (33:34):
So I'll watch.
I'll watch some televisionshows, some, but I don't I don't
really know that, the actors Idon't.
I don't keep up with names ofpeople.
That's fine, but always be onthe lookout.
Speaker 2 (33:49):
Somebody else may ask you that question down the road
and you might.
You might even be in a positionwhere you get to ask carlos
that question.
Hey, carlos, if they were goingto make a movie about you, who
would?
Speaker 3 (33:58):
play carlos.
Yes, sir and that could be funyes, sir, I said I don't keep up
with names of people.
I do just not tv people, sure?
No, no, I knew it.
Speaker 2 (34:09):
I knew what you meant , I knew what you mean yes, sir,
okay all right, you gotanything else for us?
Speaker 3 (34:17):
I don't guess.
So no, sir, Unless you haveanother question for me.
Speaker 2 (34:22):
I don't, baxter.
I appreciate you taking timeout of your day and taking a
moment to visit with us.
Yes, sir, it's an honor to haveyou on here.
I'm honored to be on here.
I'm uh, I'm awful proud of youand um personally and to have
known you since the day you wereborn and to see where you're at
, but, more importantly, to havea front row seat of where
(34:45):
you're headed, because you'vehad some success, but I, I'm
willing to bet your best daysare still ahead.
That's just my prediction onthis moment.
So that's just my opinion,baxter.
Thank you.
Hey, ladies and gentlemen, thankyou for tuning in to the
Growing Our Future podcast.
(35:05):
You know, there are some timesthat you have these moments with
guests that just make youhopeful.
And if you listen to this youngman today, I know you've got to
be like me and you've got to beinspired and you've got to feel
hopeful, because not only is hegoing to be a great leader,
he's going to inspire greatleaders, he's going to plant
(35:26):
seeds of greatness in otherpeople and he's going to help us
grow an incredible, incrediblefuture.
So, baxter, thanks so much forjoining us.
Everybody, thanks for stoppingby and remember until we meet
again.
Everybody, go out and dosomething great for somebody
else.
You're going to feel good aboutit, the world's going to be
(35:47):
better because you did.
And just think somebody likeBaxter may be watching and if
they see you do something great,maybe they'll want to do
something even better.
It could be one word or itcould be a big action.
Take it from Baxter.
Thank you all for joining us.
Thanks, baxter.
Speaker 3 (36:05):
Yes, sir, have a good day.
Speaker 1 (36:12):
We hope you've enjoyed this episode of the
Growing Our Future podcast.
This show is sponsored by theTexas FFA Foundation, whose
mission is to strengthenagricultural science education
so students can develop theirpotential for personal growth,
career success and leadership ina global marketplace.
Learn more at mytexasffaorg.
Welcome to the Growing Our Future podcast.
In this show, the Texas FFAFoundation will take on a
journey of exploration intoagricultural science, education,
leadership development andinsights from subject matter
experts and sponsors who providethe fuel to make dreams come
true.
Here's your host, AaronAlejandro.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Well, good morning, good afternoon, good evening or
whenever you may be tuning in tothe Growing Our Future podcast.
You know we just love bringingthis podcast to you and we
appreciate the fact that you'retaking a little time out of your
day to join us, to meet ourguests and to maybe gain some
insights from what they sharewith us.
(00:51):
You know, I'm an ag guy and Ialways tell people that if
agriculture has taught meanything, it's taught me this If
you want to know what thefuture is, grow it Well.
How do you grow a future?
What the future is, grow itWell.
How do you grow a future?
Well, you got to have the rightgenetics, you got to plant the
(01:13):
right seeds, you got to takecare of it and then one day you
got to harvest it, you got toshare it.
And I like to tell people thatFFA and 4-H you know our country
and state have three vital andrenewable resources it's
agriculture, youth andleadership.
And our guest today representsall three of those.
And I am so excited to havethis young man on this podcast
(01:35):
because I'm going to tell yousomething At a very early age,
he's already made a brand forhimself, a brand for his cattle
and, more importantly, he'spouring into other people, that
he's inspiring those older thanhim and he's also encouraging
them younger than him.
Ladies and gentlemen, it's anhonor to introduce Baxter
(01:57):
Whitworth.
Baxter, thank you for joiningus today.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Yes, sir, I'm glad to .
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Are you ready?
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Oh yes, sir, I'm ready to dive in.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Okay, let's dive in.
So Baxter's going to tell us alittle bit here about his cattle
company and a little bit abouthis journey.
But, baxter, I like to startevery podcast off by giving a
little thanks, by showing alittle appreciation and
gratitude, because I thinkpeople that show appreciation
and gratitude are happier people.
(02:27):
They look at the worlddifferently and they see things
differently.
So, baxter, what are youthankful for today?
What are you grateful for today?
Speaker 3 (02:37):
There's so many to start with.
I mean, I'm so grateful for myfamily.
Most of all, I'm grateful forour Savior, who died on the
cross for us.
I'm grateful for theopportunity to be in agriculture
to show cattle and to speak topeople.
I'm grateful that we live inAmerica, we're safe and that we
(02:57):
have agriculture producing foodfor us.
I think all those are reallythings that we all should be
grateful for.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Man.
Okay, we can stop now you don'thave to say anymore.
That was good.
By the way, baxter, I agreewith you.
Everything that you just said Iagree with.
I am so thankful that I live inthis country where I can choose
what I want to eat, what sportsI want to play, what I listen
(03:25):
to, what foods I eat, whether ornot I want to go to church or
not.
Think about it.
I get to choose everything thatI want to do.
Yes, sir, that is a blessing.
And then, like you said, then Iget to do that with my family.
Yes, sir, and then, on top ofthat, I get to do it with things
that I enjoy, like agriculture,of that.
I get to do it with things thatI enjoy, like agriculture.
(03:46):
Yes, sir.
So thank you, man.
The opportunities, that's good.
How old are you, baxter?
Tell everybody how old you are13.
13 years old, yes, sir.
So I just want you to know atthis point in time, you are the
youngest guest on the GrowingOur Future podcast.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Yes, sir, that's exciting.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
It is exciting.
You know why it's going to beexciting?
Because one day your mom andyour dad and me and your
children are going to all sitback and go.
I remember when Baxter did thatpodcast Look how good he is and
you're only going to get betterand better and better.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
All right, baxter Whitworth let's talk about.
At 13 years old, you sound likeyou're a little bit
entrepreneurial.
Yes, sir, it sounds like you'vegot an idea of, maybe, where
you'd like to go and what youmight like to do Just my
(04:49):
impression.
So why don't you take a momentand tell us a little bit about
Baxter you know what do you doin school and then tell me about
this cattle company and thisidea that you have about growing
your cattle?
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Yes, sir.
So I started Top Notch CattleCompany in 2020.
I came up with the brand designmyself.
I'm very passionate aboutBrahman cattle.
I really enjoy raising them andI really enjoy selling things,
especially if it has to do withcattle and semen.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
And so why cattle?
Why not sheep, goats, swine?
I'm just curious.
I mean, you've got thisaffinity for cattle, why cattle?
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Well, I mean cattle are I just have a passion for
cattle.
That's what I've always had.
I'm raised I've been raised ona beef cattle ranch.
My parents own a commercial acommercial operation.
I'm raised I've been raised ona beef cattle ranch.
My parents own a commercial acommercial operation.
Now I'm starting a registeredramen operation.
I've always loved cattle.
That's just where my passion isat.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Okay, by the way, you know, let me tell you my
grandson.
He's eight years old.
You know what I told him?
I told him you know why I likebeef so much?
And he said no.
I said because beef eats grassand turns it into steak, and I
think that's pretty cool.
Yes, sir, I'm a big fan of beef.
(06:13):
Yes, sir, so you decided to godown this path of raising cattle
.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Okay, so why of all the breeds?
So you've identified species.
So there's different species,but you, you decided on beef.
So of all the species, why didyou end up with Brahman cattle?
Speaker 3 (06:36):
That's a good question and a lot of people ask
that question.
A lot of people are like, oh,those crazy things We'll.
We'll get to that part in asecond.
But ramen cattle I mean they're.
They're great for the south,the southern united states.
They do well on in harsh, hotclimates.
They are they're.
(06:58):
They're known for theirmothering abilities, their
disease and insect resistance.
It's really a win-win situation.
When you look at how much moneyyou can save on on vaccinations
and protection, especially likewith herfords, you know they
get pink a lot.
And brahmins they're.
(07:19):
They have the pigmentation thathelps keep their eyes safe.
It's just one example.
Okay, nothing against carp roots.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Oh, I know you like all breeds because it's all beef
right and we love beef.
Yes, tell me about.
You said something abouttemperament.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
There may be not what people think.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
So there's three types of Brahmin cattle.
There's Brahmins that are thesweetest animals that you will
come across.
They're the ones that theymight be on the other side of
the pasture but that you come upthe fence and they'll come up
to you.
Then there's Brimmers.
They might be at the fence andwhen you walk up they're going
to run to the other side of thepasture.
(08:03):
And then there's bramers that,like brahmins, they can be on
the other side of the pastureand come to the fence, but
they're running and are going tokeep plowing through the fence
so if I'm a buyer, how do I makesure I buy the right one?
well, I mean you.
It's best to be able to go andsee them in person and make sure
(08:25):
their temperament's good andall I mean you can trust.
If you trust the person thatyou're buying from you can, you
can always ask them.
You know, if you trust them andknow that they're going to tell
you the truth.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
You said something there that's pretty important.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Yes, sir.
How important is trust in doingbusiness with somebody.
I think it's very important.
I mean, for one day you maymake.
I mean there's the biblicalreasons for God's told us to
always be honest.
But there's also, I mean youthink about it, if you lie for
one day, you may make more moneythat one day.
(09:06):
But when it comes next year andyou have a sale again, well,
those people probably aren'tcoming back if they know that
you weren't honest with them andthat's not going to help you
any.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Do you know that?
That's?
You probably know that youweren't honest with them and
that's that's not going to helpyou any.
Do you know that?
That's a?
You probably know that, but wecall that a core value.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
And a core value is something that you believe
inside and I would tell you that, since you brought it up, I
would I would say that corevalues they're kind of like good
genetics.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Because if you can pick good genetics, you're
probably going to have goodmamas and daddies in that herd.
Yes, sir, if you pick corevalues, you're probably going to
be more successful at your homeand your family and your
business.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
And so that's a.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
That was good that you said that so trust is kind
of a big deal.
Yes, sir, it is that you saidthat so trust is kind of a big
deal.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Yes, sir, it is, it's a really big deal.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Is there anything?
So, at 13 years of age, whenyou're thinking about the next
five to 10 years, where do youthink food is headed?
Where's cattle headed.
Where do you think this wholething's going?
Where's cattle headed, where doyou?
Speaker 3 (10:19):
think this whole thing's going?
I really think that depends onhow we, as the beef cattle at
agriculture, the beef cattleindustry and breeds as a whole,
work together and how much youvalue pushing the whole
agriculture and all and we'lljust say the beef industry
towards being more productive,or if you're more selfish and
(10:44):
don't try and push everyoneforward and just yourself.
I think we all have to makesure and help each other get to
where we need to be in terms ofproviding data to help others,
and just if we don't help theother fellow producers in
agriculture, then we're notgoing to be able to feed the
rest of the world, just like ifyou have an army that doesn't.
(11:05):
That isn't.
If they don't work together,they're not going to do much,
because if one person is tryingto be the hero and nobody else,
they're going to end up introuble and then they've
accomplished nothing.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
Well, you just gave us another really good seed of
greatness there, Mr Baxter, andthat is life is not a solo
project.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
Yes, sir, that's, very true.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
None of us is as strong as all of us.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
That's very true.
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
So teamwork sounds like it must be kind of's very
true, yes, sir.
So teamwork sounds like it mustbe kind of important to success
.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Okay, and you've experienced that before.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
Oh yes, sir, there's been multiple people that have
helped me get into the breed,into the beef industry, that I
would not be here withoutwhatsoever.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Okay, so we have a mutual friend and it's kind of
fun story.
You know I haven't told youthis story, but you know I take
36 teachers on a week-longleadership experience every
summer.
Yes, one summer we were down inthe Rio Grande Valley and we
(12:18):
stopped by this place called LaManeca Cattle Company.
And teachers got to meet thisguy named Carlos Guerra and
Carlos told the teachers aboutthis word, animo A, and their
chapter FFA t-shirt said Animoon them.
We had teachers that went backand had posters put up in their
(12:49):
classrooms that said the wordAnimo.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
So tell us because you're in East Texas.
Okay, yes, sir, You're a longway from the Rio Grande Valley,
so you're up in Northeast Texas,which is probably what 11 hours
to South Texas.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
Yes, sir, I think it's around that, somewhere
around 9 to 11, I think.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Yeah, somewhere in there.
Yes, sir.
A lot of people say they go tosouth texas and they say they
went to san antonio and I'm likeoh, no, no, no, you're not in
south texas yet.
Yes, sir keep on going yes, sir, keep driving, keep driving so
there's a man from lamaniacadown in lynn texas, carlos gar.
(13:38):
He uses the word animo.
Yes, sir Baxter, I know youknow what that word is and what
it means.
Tell us a little bit what itmeans to have a little bit of
animo.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
Yes, sir.
So first and foremost, like Isaid earlier, you have to be
trustworthy and honest, but youalso have to have passion and
work ethic to be able to getstuff done and just also being
respectful and helpful of otherpeople.
That that's all consumed intothat one word and I think that's
something that is is reallyimportant, and it's, like you
(14:13):
said earlier, the core values,and Mr Guerra told me that when
I get in college I always needto make sure I sit on the front
row, so that's something thatsticks with me did he tell you
that nobody's ever ground intheir own sweat?
yes, sir, yes sir, he's told methat too yeah, he's got a lot of
(14:36):
good one-liners yes, sir, a lotof good sayings is onimo for
everybody well, unfortunatelynow it's, it's not being
represented through everybody,but I think it should be.
I mean, I think everybody shouldrepresent themselves in a way
(14:57):
that they're being honest andrespectful and have a work ethic
.
And I mean, nowadays, if we, ifeveryone did that, we would be
so much further along in termsof just helping other people.
We would, you would, you wouldsee a lot less need from people
if we all pitched in to helpeach other.
I agree with you, by the way.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Yes, sir I agree with you, by the way.
Yes, sir, did you ever hear thestory of the man that was given
a tour of heaven and hell so hecould?
Speaker 3 (15:27):
select his final destination.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
No sir, I don't believe I've heard that story
yeah, so like he got to tourboth heaven and hell and first
the devil jumped in there andsaid I get the first shot at
this guy and he took him down tohell and the guy was just man.
He was amazed there was thistable with every kind of food
imaginable.
Everything you could imaginewas on this table.
(15:51):
But he noticed that the peopleweren't very well fed and he
noticed that there wasn't anymusic and there wasn't any
smiles, there wasn't anythingthat would you know really
accompany such a feast.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
Next stop was heaven.
And he goes to heaven and assoon as he opens up the pearly
gates, there's the same tableand the same foods.
And he's like, oh my gosh, lookat this, it's the same thing,
but there's a big difference.
He noticed the people in heavenwere happy, yes, there was
(16:25):
music and they were well fed.
And then he got to thinkingabout it.
He noticed that when he was inhell, that the people had a six
foot long fork and a six footlong knife strapped to their
arms six foot long fork and asix foot long knife strapped to
their arms.
When he got to heaven, he sawthe same six foot long fork in
(16:45):
the same six foot long knife.
And the problem was this thepeople in hell were too busy
trying to feed themselves, whichwas impossible, but the people
in heaven, they fed the personon the opposite side of the
table.
Yes sir, by helping each other,they helped themselves that's
(17:07):
you know, or?
Speaker 3 (17:08):
yes, sir, I was gonna bring up the airplane analogy,
but that's a little bitdifferent well you're.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
You were on to something, though, when you said
that.
When you said that if we helpeach other, think about that.
Speaker 3 (17:21):
If we'll do just a little bit to help each other,
we're kind of feeding oneanother yes, sir, and I you
never know, when you helpsomebody, when 10 years from now
, 20 years from now, it can comeback and it could save your
life one day, just doingsomething for somebody else.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
What do you think about encouragement?
What's encouragement mean toyou?
Speaker 3 (17:45):
Encouraging is really a wide, a wide topic.
I mean you can encouragesomebody with your words, with
your actions.
I mean, simply by praying forsomebody can be encouraging for
them.
There's so many things you cando and really just think about
their needs and do the best youcan do.
And that's just me.
And that's how you can beencouraging, because I mean it
(18:08):
could be just saying somethinglike.
You can be encouraging becauseI mean it could be just saying
something like how are you today?
Or what's been going on in yourday today?
Or you could help them move orhelp them till up their garden
or something you know, or, aftera natural disaster, you can
help clean up it's.
(18:28):
Or it can range from one wordto a big action that's pretty
good back sure one
Speaker 2 (18:36):
word big action we might.
That might be the title of thispodcast, by the way.
That was really good.
Yes, sir, thank you.
There's a famous motivationalspeaker.
His name is zig ziglar.
Zig zig is a famous, one of themost famous motivational
speakers, and his son Tom Ziglaris on my board of directors and
(18:59):
Tom one time told me his dadasked him.
He said, son, he goes.
How do you know if somebodyneeds encouragement?
And Tom looked at his dad andsaid I don't know.
And Zig Ziglar looked at himand he said if they're breathing
, they need encouragement.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
So you were very wise to say that encouragement could
be one word or it could be abig action.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
That was really good, Wise, you know.
So there's going to be somekids that might watch this,
parents and sponsors that reallyaren't in tune to agriculture.
You know it's really sad,Baxter.
They did a survey and 79% ofAmericans, when asked about
agriculture, didn't know what itmeant.
Speaker 3 (19:50):
Really that is sad.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
So now everybody knows what food is.
So personally, that's why I tryto use the word food a lot,
because people understand foodbut they don't understand
agriculture.
But you're 13.
It seems to be important to you.
Why do you think agriculture isso important to our way of life
?
Speaker 3 (20:13):
I mean, you know you're talking about food, and
real food is going to be grownfrom agriculture.
It's not going to be grown in alab.
Whether they say it's healthieror not, it's not real food.
It's real.
Food is what God provided, theway that we were supposed to
make it.
Food is what God provided ofthe way that we were supposed to
(20:35):
make it.
And I think when people startrealizing that, we'll be in a
lot better position.
Because I mean, if you're, ifyou're not eating the natural,
it's just you're not eat.
It's not food.
Food is grown from the theearth to the animals and it's
put on the plate, served, andthat's that's when it becomes
food, not when it's grown in alab so it's pretty important yes
(20:59):
, sir, what's?
Speaker 2 (21:00):
happening.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
What's happening to our population is our population
growing yes, sir, ourpopulation's growing, which
means our agriculture land isshrinking, so we're having to
feed more people with less land,and that's that's something
that we as agriculture, us inthe agriculture industry, we
have to work towards.
You know, there's newtechnologies all the time that
(21:22):
are helping us with that, whichis good.
And then just people I mean the, the things that people could
do.
Even if it's small, it canalways help.
You know, growing a garden inyour window box or something.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
It's, it just a little bit can help.
You know city of Houston, texas, and he was buying some herbs
to cook with at his localgrocery store and decided that
he could actually grow themcheaper and raise them cheaper
if he did it himself.
And so, to your point, he setup his own little window herb
garden and started raising hisown herbs to cook with.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
That's good.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
So I thought that was pretty good.
It's a great example.
Speaker 3 (22:10):
Yes, that's good, so I thought that was pretty good,
it's a great example.
Yes, yeah, go ahead.
And there's multiple ways tohelp with agriculture.
You know there's.
It's not always, you might notalways be able to have the land
or something, but you stillmight be working in agriculture.
You could work for a breedassociation, you could work for
a business that supportsagriculture, like Texas Farm
(22:32):
Bureau, or work with FFA.
There's multiple ways that youmight not be out in the pasture
feeding the cattle, but you canstill be involved in agriculture
.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
That's exactly right.
Yeah, I heard a speaker onetime.
He was the president ofMonsanto and he was over in a
country over near Africa andthey were driving around and
they came up to the schoolbuilding and when they pulled up
to the school building, all thekids were outside underneath
(23:05):
the tree and he said, oh man,look at that, that's great, you
got the kids outside gettingfresh air.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
They're not coked up in the school.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Yes, sir and they said no, mr grant, you don't
understand.
They said you see, here in thiscountry it's so arid that we
can't get anything to grow.
But you guys created a droughttolerant seed, and guess what?
That seed has grown andproduced so much that the only
place we have left to store itnow is in the schoolhouse.
So now all the food is in theschoolhouse.
(23:38):
He said but here's the problemthere's a river that separates
us from this other village, andwe don't know how to get the
grain over the river to thevillage.
There's another village that'sdown the road, but we don't
speak their language, and so wedon't want to approach them
because we don't want to cause aconflict.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
And so when you talk about agriculture and
opportunities, it could beanything.
It could be an engineer thathelps create a bridge that gets
that food over the river, ormaybe somebody that has drone
technology that can lift thatgrain and get it over to the
other side, or maybe somebodythat has language skills that
can help them translate and talkto that language down the road
(24:20):
to help them access food.
Yes, sir, so, like you said,when we think about food and
agriculture, man, everybody canplay a role in this thing.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
I use that thing you said on the language.
That's, that's very big.
You know, I like to go to theinternational brahmin show
during the houston livestockshow and rodeo and there's,
there's people, a lot of people,that speak spanish, there's
some people that from asia, sothere's there's a lot of people
that come that are translators,that are working in agriculture
(24:54):
to help producers and breedersmake sales, and without them, I
mean that show would.
It wouldn't be any differentthan another show, right?
Speaker 2 (25:06):
They help make the connection.
Speaker 3 (25:08):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
And then, what is that?
What do we say?
A while ago, helping each other, help ourselves.
Speaker 3 (25:13):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (25:14):
We're all winning because of that.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
So would you consider yourself a leader?
Speaker 3 (25:23):
I try to be yes, sir, in every situation I can find
possible.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
So tell me what makes a good leader in your mind.
When you think of a good leader, what makes a good leader to
you?
Speaker 3 (25:38):
First of all you have to.
It goes way back to thebeginning of the podcast of
trustworthiness and honesty.
If you can't have that down,then you know the Bible says one
that can be trusted with alittle can be trusted with a lot
, and that if you can't betrusted with a little, then you
can't be trusted with leadingpeople.
(26:00):
And after that I think you haveto be able to accept other
people's ideas.
I mean you're not going to beright 100 percent of the time.
You have to know that there'sother people and other people
can be in leadership positionsalso.
Being a leader can also meanbeing wise enough to let
(26:22):
somebody else that knowssomething about that area take
control while you manage othersituations.
And then also being a leader isshould always be learning.
If you're not learning, thenyou're not going to be
innovating the future or grow inthe future I'm old baxter and
(26:45):
I'm still learning.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
I'd hang out with your mom and dad and I'll learn
something.
I'll hang out with carlosguerra and I'll something.
I think you're wise, wise, wiseto always be learning.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
A good friend of mine who you may have met, or you
will probably one of these days.
His name is Marcus Hill, andMarcus Hill he always tells
people, so you remember what I'mabout to tell you.
So this is kind of a carlosguerra advice moment here.
He always said always have 10friends older than you and 10
(27:21):
friends younger than you.
The 10 friends older than you,they can always tell you where
we've been, and the 10 friendsyounger than you are going to
tell you where we're going.
Speaker 3 (27:31):
Yes, sir, and so the reason that people like you are
important, to tell you wherewe're going.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
Yes, sir, and so the reason that people like you are
important to me, baxter, isbecause you represent where
we're going.
Speaker 3 (27:39):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
And so I want you to have all the tools, education,
equipment that you need to besuccessful.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
Because, like you said, I meant one day, maybe one
day you're my grandson's mentor, maybe one day you hire my
granddaughter, Hattie and sheworks on your ranch.
So think about that.
We're all in this together, butwe got to have leaders that
know how to lead, people thatcan stand and it's not easy, by
(28:12):
the way, baxter, I'll let youknow People that can stand, and
it's not easy.
By the way, baxter, I'll letyou know it's not easy to be a
leader.
No, sir, if it were easy,everybody would do it.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
Right, yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (28:22):
Not everybody wants to do it, so I commend you for
being willing to step up andstep out.
And say I'll give it a tryDoesn't mean you're always going
to get it right.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
But you know what you got to keep moving forward.
Another one from agriculturethat I like.
It goes like this.
It says when you're green, yougrow, when you're ripe you rot.
Yes sir, I don't ever want toquit growing, I just want to
keep being green.
Speaker 3 (28:51):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
Just keep learning and learning and learning.
Yes, sir, All right, Baxter,what else would you like for the
audience to know aboutagriculture leadership?
If you could offer them anymore advice, what would you tell
them?
Speaker 3 (29:08):
Oh, it's a tough one, you know.
I mean something we've beensaying this whole time is
honesty.
But then there's work ethic.
I mean you said at the verybeginning if you want to know
what the future is, grow it.
So if you want to know what andjust find something that you
can do in agriculture to help,whether it's big or small, and
(29:32):
that's just going to help growour future, to be more
productive and a better place.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
Baxter, it's not just agriculture, it's our homes.
Yes sir, it's our businesses,it's our minds.
We've got to plant the rightseeds in our head.
Yes, sir, we've got to plantthe right seeds in our home.
We've got to plant the rightseeds in our state and our
country.
Speaker 3 (29:54):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (29:56):
And then, like you said, it takes a little bit of
hard work.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
People ask me all the time.
They say, Aaron, what separatesthose FFA kids from everybody
else?
You know, you think about highschools and schools.
They've got speech and debate.
Yes, sir, They've got football.
They've got teamwork.
They've got football, They'vegot teamwork.
They've got band, they gotensemble.
(30:21):
So what is it that separatesour kids from everybody else?
I always like to say whatseparates our kids from
everybody else is that in theworld of agriculture, if we
don't do our job, something dies.
Speaker 3 (30:32):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
And I will tell you right.
There is a core value yes, sir,your ability to get up and feed
cattle when it's below freezing, when you are willing to go out
and throw hay when it's 110degrees, because you know,
something depends on you.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
And that is a core value that you will carry into
everything that you approach.
Is that something else matters?
Speaker 3 (31:01):
besides myself.
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
Keep up the good work .
Speaker 3 (31:06):
Yes, sir, and of course you can't do anything
without God, so he has to beyour rock to start with yeah,
there's a good verse in thebible.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
You know what my favorite verse in the bible is?
People ask me this all the time.
I'll tell you why it is it'sjames 1 5.
You know what james 1 5 says?
Says if any man seeks wisdom,let him ask a god who gives it
freely to all men withoutcasting judgment.
That's pretty cool right there.
So the big man just says if youneed some help, ask me.
Speaker 3 (31:39):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
And he'll give it to you.
Speaker 3 (31:41):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
So I'm kind of like you.
I kind of like to think that ifI could really tap into a
subject matter expert, why notthe person that created the
world?
Speaker 3 (31:52):
Yes sir, yes sir.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
All right, baxter, you get one last fun question,
okay.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
Sounds good.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
It's not the one I sent you, so you better get
ready.
I'm going to throw you a curve.
Speaker 3 (32:05):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (32:05):
It's a fun question Are you ready?
Speaker 3 (32:08):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
If they were going to make a movie about Baxter
Whitworth, who would play BaxterWhitworth in your movie?
Speaker 3 (32:22):
Do I get to play myself in the movie?
Speaker 2 (32:25):
Nope, you got to find an actor who would you say
would play the best BaxterWhitworth.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
I don't really know any actors.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
Can't think of anybody out there that you'd say
that would be me.
They would be a good.
Would it be Tom Cruise?
Would it be any man?
Speaker 3 (32:45):
I don't really know any actors, so I couldn't say.
Speaker 2 (32:48):
So you would play yourself.
Speaker 3 (32:51):
I guess so.
Speaker 2 (32:53):
There's nothing wrong with that.
They make movies about peopleplaying themselves.
Speaker 3 (32:58):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
You know what's fun about you saying that?
Baxter, my son, my youngest son, he's 17 years old.
You know what I asked him theother day?
That same question.
No, I asked him about hisfavorite television show.
I said what's your favorite TVshow?
And you know what he told me hedoesn't have one.
Guess what he watches?
(33:20):
Youtube he watches differentpeople on YouTube.
He doesn't even watch thetelevision, like I grew up
watching television yes, If youdon't do that, you would never
know that.
Speaker 3 (33:34):
So I'll watch.
I'll watch some televisionshows, some, but I don't I don't
really know that, the actors Idon't.
I don't keep up with names ofpeople.
That's fine, but always be onthe lookout.
Speaker 2 (33:49):
Somebody else may ask you that question down the road
and you might.
You might even be in a positionwhere you get to ask carlos
that question.
Hey, carlos, if they were goingto make a movie about you, who
would?
Speaker 3 (33:58):
play carlos.
Yes, sir and that could be funyes, sir, I said I don't keep up
with names of people.
I do just not tv people, sure?
No, no, I knew it.
Speaker 2 (34:09):
I knew what you meant , I knew what you mean yes, sir,
okay all right, you gotanything else for us?
Speaker 3 (34:17):
I don't guess.
So no, sir, Unless you haveanother question for me.
Speaker 2 (34:22):
I don't, baxter.
I appreciate you taking timeout of your day and taking a
moment to visit with us.
Yes, sir, it's an honor to haveyou on here.
I'm honored to be on here.
I'm uh, I'm awful proud of youand um personally and to have
known you since the day you wereborn and to see where you're at
, but, more importantly, to havea front row seat of where
(34:45):
you're headed, because you'vehad some success, but I, I'm
willing to bet your best daysare still ahead.
That's just my prediction onthis moment.
So that's just my opinion,baxter.
Thank you.
Hey, ladies and gentlemen, thankyou for tuning in to the
Growing Our Future podcast.
(35:05):
You know, there are some timesthat you have these moments with
guests that just make youhopeful.
And if you listen to this youngman today, I know you've got to
be like me and you've got to beinspired and you've got to feel
hopeful, because not only is hegoing to be a great leader,
he's going to inspire greatleaders, he's going to plant
(35:26):
seeds of greatness in otherpeople and he's going to help us
grow an incredible, incrediblefuture.
So, baxter, thanks so much forjoining us.
Everybody, thanks for stoppingby and remember until we meet
again.
Everybody, go out and dosomething great for somebody
else.
You're going to feel good aboutit, the world's going to be
(35:47):
better because you did.
And just think somebody likeBaxter may be watching and if
they see you do something great,maybe they'll want to do
something even better.
It could be one word or itcould be a big action.
Take it from Baxter.
Thank you all for joining us.
Thanks, baxter.
Speaker 3 (36:05):
Yes, sir, have a good day.
Speaker 1 (36:12):
We hope you've enjoyed this episode of the
Growing Our Future podcast.
This show is sponsored by theTexas FFA Foundation, whose
mission is to strengthenagricultural science education
so students can develop theirpotential for personal growth,
career success and leadership ina global marketplace.
Learn more at mytexasffaorg.
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