This fall season, the San Benito County Cattlewomen have been involved in a flurry of activities within their community. Starting with the week before the county fair, they have been in full gear supporting the fair and other events within our county.
Since sponsorship of the fair, the Cattlewomen provided the first-place award of $150 for the Ladies Calf-branding contest at the Rancho Rodeo. The first place winners this year were – Lacy Bourdet and Stacy Schmidt – Way to go Gals!
On Oct. 1, the Cattlewomen supported the 4-Hers, FFA members and their families by providing tri-tip sandwiches in the Patio Cafe. They did this to provide healthy beef sandwiches to fair participants who brought their animals for weighing in and settling their livestock on the site. This gave the youth and their families an easy way to have something healthy to eat during that hectic time of settling the animals in their stalls. The trail boss was Nenette Corotto; cooks were Sharon Hawkins and Martha Tobias; and the rest of the team included Helen Matulich, Jae Eade, Jamii Pura, Diane Rodrigues, Sonya Lee, Kim Dupont and Sandy Rose.
The Cattlewomen, under the guidance of Artistic Directors Tina Bourdet, Sharon Hawkins and DeCee Donati, created an award-winning feature booth reflecting this campfire and the “Present” as the latest grilling apparatus for cooking our favorite product – BEEF! The booth was a delight of antiques and colorful items and the latest techniques to cook our product in current times. We are so proud of the artistic, award-winning ideas of these great Cattlewomen.
The Cattlewomen and Cattlemen supported the San Benito County Heritage Foundation, which is raising funds for capital improvements to improve Bolado Park, by providing lean ground beef for them to make sliders for people who need something to eat while helping at the fair.
Under the direction of Contest Boss Charlotte Cabral, a junior livestock judging contest is held every year for which Cattlewomen provide $300 for livestock judging prizes. The contest is open to 4-H and FFA members and requires them to judge beef, swine, goat and lamb categories. Cash prizes are awarded to the highest-scoring individuals and clubs. This year there were over 70 participants! Charlotte should be commended for doing such a great job organizing this event!
Every year the Cattlewomen and Cattlemen sponsor a Beef Carcass Competition Contest for beef animals sold through the Livestock Auction. After the beef animals are processed, the carcasses are graded and owners of the best are presented with cash awards. The winner of this year’s contest was Gracie Mansmith!
The annual Farm Bureau Golf Tournament was held in September again this year, and the Cattlewomen sponsored the 12th Hole by providing a beef sandwich with a special pesto sauce to the golfers. Wow, were they a tasty treat! We received rave reviews from the participants.
Under the direction of Lainy Watkins and Jayme Stewart, the final fall event was the Cattlewomen’s 8th annual Fall Fashion Show and Luncheon held at San Juan Oaks Golf Club on Nov. 3. The event was a complete success with tickets sold out! A mouthwatering beef steak salad was the main dish with crusty bread and a tasty chocolate mousse for dessert. A wonderful raffle was held with amazing prizes for the attendees to win. Shops that participated with models showing their latest fashions were: Bella Charm, Holliwood, L.A. Hearne (Prunedale), McAbee Feed, Novias La Princesa, Reins & Roses, She’s and Tres Pinos Ranch Supply. We raised over $2,200 to support our scholarship fund.
In December our popular “Brand Napkins” will become available. This year we have created the napkins in a cocktail size in response to many requests for that size. The napkins show San Benito County Cattle brands and are a conversation item whenever they are used at events.
This year will end with a Holiday Social for the Cattlewomen’s general membership in December. Cattlewomen, watch for flyers going out soon for details!
SBC Cattlewomen are dedicated to helping promote their favorite product – beef – and supporting various activities within our local community to help create a wonderful place to live, work and play. We thank the community for all they do to support our efforts during each year.
San Benito County Cattlewomen’s Association
